With increased success comes implied expectations.
Platte County brings back the top three scorers from last winter with an obvious chance to sustain consistency and make another run at ending a lengthy playoff drought. The Pirates have totaled 39 wins over the past two seasons in a notable resurgence under coach Eric Mitchell but understand the challenge ahead because of the recent conclusions.
In 2022-23, Platte County lost in the Class 5 District 8 championship game to Lincoln Prep, and the Pirates recorded the program’s first 20-win season in 14 years last season. However, Kearney upset them in the semifinals this time and kept the rapid progression to this point from including a berth in the state quarterfinals.
“Our schedule has improved some from the last couple of years and should help prepare us for the district tournament,” Mitchell said. “We will need to stay healthy and find ways to win in a variety of ways this season. The girls have had positive attitudes and have been working hard.”
Platte County can anchor this year’s lineup around fourth-year starting point guard Haley Barlow and fellow seniors Addy Schlake and Lauren Stone, who put up a team-high 10.1 points plus 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game in a breakout junior campaign. She earned first team All-Suburban Conference White Division honors along with Schlake (7.8 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game).
Stone showed flashes of scoring potential in spot opportunities as a freshman and benefitted from Schlake’s emergence as the starting center the past two seasons.
Barlow serves as Platte County’s main facilitator, totaling 65 assists and 51 steals a year ago while scoring 4.7 points per game, mostly coming on finishes around the rim. In addition to the three starters, the Pirates bring back junior Rylee Carr, a versatile perimeter player who ended up in a reserve role last season after coming back from an ankle injury. She scored 8.1 points per game and ended up tied for second on the team in rebounding.
“We have a lot of experience returning on this year’s team, but our bench has very little experience,” Mitchell said. We will need to develop our identity during the course of the season and learn to play to our strengths.”
Platte County’s fifth starter likely comes from a group of returners with significant experience — junior guard Addie Ayers, sophomore forward Amani Harlin and senior forward Haley Schank. The Pirates also look to incorporate juniors Malin Cole and Emily Huehl plus freshman Kinleigh Howren into the rotation.
The biggest challenge could be finding more outside shooting from the group.
Platte County must replace starting guards Lydia Doole and Delaney Childers. Doole hit 48 3-pointers, while Childers added 14 and served as one of the Pirates’ trusted on-ball defenders while also creating problems with her length when using a press defense.
Last season, Platte County Platte County recorded a 12-game winning streak and ranked No. 9 in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 5 poll for most of the season. The Pirates ended up with a 21- 5 — their best record since going 20-6 in 2009-10 — and seemed in position to win the program’s first district championship since capturing the Class 4 state title in 2008-2009.
Kearney ended those hopes with an upset victory in the District 8 semifinals after Platte County’s 3-point shooting faltered in a tight loss. The Pirates had beat the Bulldogs and second-seeded Smithville, the eventual playoff qualifier out of the bracket and fourth-place finisher at state, during the regular season.
Ayers hit 14 3-pointers and averaged 2.9 points per game but could see a significant bump in minutes for Platte County. Harlin added 2.6 points per game with a career-high 15 in her second career game while adding 2.3 rebounds per game, and Schank provides a steadying presence off the bench and contributed 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game as a second-year contributor. Looking to bolster the front court, Cole came out for the first time and returns to basketball after back-to-back standout volleyball seasons. Huehl is a transfer wing for the Pirates.
Mitchell sees increased participation as a big opportunity.
“We have 24 players out this season, which is the most that we have had in the program since I took over as coach,” he said. “We have a lot of younger players that are working hard and making the program stronger.”
Mitchell took over as head coach with Platte County coming off of three straight losing seasons, so the improvements have been immediate and obvious. The Pirates earned a share of last year’s conference title with Grain Valley — their first since taking the Blue Division crown in 2009-10.
The turnaround under Mitchell leads to this year’s lofty expectations, and Platte County’s season starts in a home game Tuesday against Savannah without Mitchell on the bench. He will be splitting time between finishing out duties as defensive coordinator in the football team’s chase for a state title, leaving the early-season hoops mostly to assistants Katlyn Donovan and Chris Stubbs — a former head coach for the Pirates.
Platte County doesn’t start conference play until December 19 but hopes to compete for another title in the White Division with last year’s co-champion Grain Valley plus the addition of Truman and Fort Osage. The Pirates went 3-1 combined against those teams in 2023-24.
Then the focus turns to a strong Class 5 District 8 field that again includes Smithville and Kearney plus St. Teresa’s Academy and St. Pius X — both playoff teams last season. St. Teresa’s moves back over after winning District 7 while St. Pius X bumps after taking the Class 4 District 15 crown.
