Platte County came up just short of repeating as the Park Hill South Dual Tournament champion Monday and added a Suburban Conference White Division victory Tuesday but suffered substantial loss in the process. The Pirates again showed their potential at full strength but now have an additional hole in the lineup for the remainder of the season after standout freshman Mattie Blankenship suffered a season-ending elbow injury in the 135-pound match against Grain Valley.
In the annual Park Hill South tournament held the morning of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Platte County went 4-1 with the lone loss coming to Harrisonville. The Pirates opened with a dominant 60-18 win over Liberty North and narrowly defeated Staley (47-30), Excelsior Springs (42-33) and Park Hill South (41-36).
Liberty North only put five wrestlers in the lineup and split four head-to-head matches.
Platte County senior Charley Sims and sophomore Ava Blankenship — the only two returning state qualifiers on the roster — both had pins. The Pirates also took eight forfeits in the most lopsided dual of the day.
Sims opened the dual with Staley by recording a 20-3 technical fall in the 115-pound match, and Platte County won the first five matches. The Pirates went up 29-0 with successive pins from senior Gabriella Ciccarelli (120), sophomore Kaitlyn Newberry (125), freshman Noelle Williams (130) and Mattie Blankenship (135).
Staley eventually closed the gap 35-30 after the 235 match, but Platte County freshman Ariel Humphreys took a forfeit at 100, and senior Karrington Friddell the victory with a pin in just 18 seconds against Savya Ali in the 105 match.
The result between Platte County and Excelsior Springs came down to number of forfeits and one bout that ended in a decision. The Tigers were essentially down 18-12 at the start of the dual, giving up one more forfeit out of the five total between the two teams.
Platte County sophomore Harper Golden (110), Sims (115), Mattie Blankenship (135) and Ava Blankenship (140) all added falls, while Friddell dropped a 7-5 decision at 105 to provide just enough cushion.
In addition to a double open at 190, Platte County and Park Hill South gave each other just one forfeit each, and the Pirates’ victory came after taking 6 of the 11 head-to-head matches. Those results included pins for Humphreys (100), Friddell (105), Sims (115), Mattie Blankenship (135) and Ava Blankenship (140) plus a tech fall for Golden over Annaliese Monaco at 110.
Harrisonville’s 42-39 win over Platte County included a pair of forfeits and four pins, while Platte County countered with two forfeits, three pins and one decision, an 8-5 decision in sudden victory for senior Nicole Fernandez in the 235 match. The Wildcats led 42-27 at that point and secured the victory with just two matches left.
Golden (110), Ciccarelli (120) and Ava Blankenship (140) had Platte County’s pins.
Platte County 45, Grain Valley 30
The Pirates took advantage of seven forfeits to earn a victory Tuesday in Grain Valley but could have ended up with more points if not for Mattie Blankenship’s injury.
Grain Valley won four of the five head-to-head matches but one came from Addy Burch at 135 despite trailing 7-4 going to the second period. Mattie Blankenship started down but suffered an elbow injury later determined as a torn UCL while posting her arm to the mat.
Platte County medically forfeited the match, and Mattie Blankenship’s season came to an end with Tommy John surgery required to repair the torn ligament. The Pirates led 30-0 after six forfeits to start the dual and didn’t actually record a win until Fernandez took an 8-2 decision over Aubrie Boos in the 235 finale.
This marks the second injury to a starter for Platte County, which has used Williams in place of senior Anna Wiesehan due to a recent wrist injury. Her status for the final few weeks remains in question, while Ava Blankenship will likely move down to 135 in wake of her younger sister’s injury.
