The depth built in the first seven years of Platte County’s program history makes the potential rebuild a little less daunting. The Pirates do lose seven seniors from last season’s gritty and unexpected Class 2 District 4 team runnerup but still have plenty of experience and reason for optimism.
Going into the final season under retiring head coach Reggie Burress, Platte County hopes to make more noise in the Suburban Conference White Division and postseason while continuing some notable streaks.
“Obviously, the last few years we’ve built, built to have 17 or 20 on the roster,” Burress said. “We have a lot of good solid kids. We don’t get the girls who have wrestled since they were four years old, but I love that we get girls that come in here and work hard every day. I look around and see multiple state qualifiers.
“A lot of positive things here, a lot of good kids in the room.”
Platte County did lose two former state qualifiers but brings back two of the three who advanced to last season’s Class 2 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships. That includes seniors Charley Sims, Nicole Fernandez, Karrington Friddell, Gabriella Ciccarelli and Anna Wiesehan plus three others with significant varsity experience and a pair of freshmen likely to make an immediate impact.
A third-year wrestler, Sims (25-5) placed sixth in Class 2 as a junior at 115 pounds to give the Pirates at least one state medalist for a sixth straight season. Ava Blankenship, a sophomore, also qualified as one of a program-record three Pirates to reach the district final.
Platte County spent the majority of the two days in first place at Class 2 District 4 but lost five of their final six matches.
Tied for a tournament-best with six state qualifiers, Fort Osage closed a sizable gap during the final two rounds and ended up eight points clear of Platte County for the team title. However, the Pirates’ three district finalists were their most in seven postseasons since the state added the sport at the high school level for the 2018-19 seasons, and Giada Cucchiara joined KayLyn Munn, Sarina Bertram and EmmaLyn Burnett as the only multiple-time state qualifiers in program history.
Platte County fielded the deepest lineup in program history with Cucchiara and Madeleine Stone heading up a seven-member senior class, which also included Adrianna Ciccarelli, Taylore Lavery, Annabel Beeman, Maddie Nichols and Aliva Juarez. The Pirates earned a share of their second-ever conference championship in a three-way tie that also included Belton and Fort Osage.
At certain points early in the season, all 14 weight classes were filled before ultimately sending 13 to the postseason, and seven of those were seniors with Cucchiara and Stone both having prior state experience.
“I think the light bulb went on with the fact that we saw all of our hard work is really paying off right now,” Burress said. “We might not be the most experienced team out there, but the belief in what we’re doing paid off.”
A first-time qualifier, Sims became Platte County’s fifth state medalist overall and continued rapid development since debuting as a sophomore and coming up one win shy of advancing out of districts before reaching the final last year to guarantee a spot.
Sims then went to state and used a dominant win over Eureka junior Kirra Dunscombe in the 115 quarterfinals to guarantee a spot on the podium. Dunscombe came back to defeat Sims in the fifth-place match with the top-six finishers matching the rankings entering the tournament.
This gives Sims a chance to became a third two-time state medalist and fifth two-time qualifier. She expects to remain at 115.
“More leading by example, but her practices look really good right now,” Burress said. “Being her second year was a big difference for her. It wasn’t new to her, and she built on the first year of experience.”
Blankenship became the first freshman to reach state for Platte County since KayLyn Munn in 2019, advancing to the Class 2 District 4 championship match at 140 pounds with a quick pin in the quarterfinals before reaching the title bout after her semifinal opponent failed to make weight on the second day.
Finishing as the runnerup after wrestling a total of less than 2 minutes total, Blankenship (22-17) lost matches to the fifth- and fourth-place finishers in her weight class at state. She remains at 140 for her second season.
“I’m excited to see how she uses that experience to her advantage,” Burress said.
Platte County’s other contributors back from last year’s district runnerup finish and conference title include two of the seniors and sophomore Harper Golden, who went 33-10 as a freshman at 100 pounds. She went into the district tournament as the No. 4 seed but missed a state berth by just one win in a bracket that ended up deeper than originally expected.
Golden will likely be at either 105 or 110 with Friddell in the other spot.
Friddell went 2-2 at districts last year at 105 and finished with a 19-16 record, a year after missing a state berth by one win at 100. Fernandez could be at 190 or 235 after experiencing similar results to Friddell the past two seasons.
One win away from reaching state as both a freshman and sophomore, Fernandez went unseeded at 190 last year at districts and finished 2-2.
“I’d love to see them take that next step,” Burress said. “They’re all right there.”
In addition to last year’s returners, Gabriella Ciccarelli, Wiesehan and junior Mila Cucchiara were part of Platte County’s lineup two years ago. Gabriella Cicarelli expects to be at 120, while Wiesehan and sophomore Katelyn Newberry, a first-year wrestler with experience on the Pirates’ soccer and tennis teams, will compete for the spots at 125 and 130.
In 2024, Gabriella Ciccarelli and Wiesehan also made surprise runs to the consolation semifinals and were a win away from state. Mila Cucchiara suffered a season-ending head injury before the 2024 holiday break that left the Pirates with an open weight class the rest of the way.
Platte County hopes to fill 12 spots in the lineup this season when at full strength. That includes freshmen Ariel Humphreys (100) and Mattie Blankenship (135) plus sophomore Leighton McGaughy (145) making contributions.
“Ariel only weighs about 94 pounds, but she’ll throw you in a headlock and pin you. She’s got some spunk to her,” Burress said. “Mattie Blankenship wrestled all summer, so she’s been out there and you can see the vast improvement every day from her.”
Platte County’s three state qualifiers last season were tied for second most in a season behind only the 2023 team, which produced a record five that also included Giada Cucchiara.
While Sims earned the medal, Giada Cucchiara closed an accomplished but brief three-year career with her first two state wins in a meaningful second chance. She became only the fourth district champion in program history and earned a second state berth but first since her sophomore season after she missed all of 2023-24 while rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in offseason soccer that put her on a 18-month hiatus from the sport.
Giada Cucchiara went 0-2 at state as a debutante sophomore.
A 2024 state qualifier, Stone (28-6) seemed a strong bet to advance and possibly medal at 235 pounds last season before suffering a high ankle sprain in her first match at districts. The injury ultimately contributed to unexpectedly early end to her Platte County career that also hampered the Pirates’ chances of holding off Fort Osage for the team title.
Giada Cucchiara ended up as the lone senior at state last season and joined Munn, Sarina Bertram and EmmaLyn Burnett as Platte County’s only two-team qualifiers. Sims and Ava Blankenship could join that club with a host of others looking to start their own contributions to the team’s budding legacy of success.
