For the first time in a long time, Platte County can’t rely on following the lead of an established or presumptive No. 1 player to lead the way. The Pirates do have four experienced players to build this year’s lineup around but might have to earn success through solid, collective efforts after the graduation of Parker Amos — a two-time state qualifier and three-time all-conference performer doing a decorated career.
Platte County juniors Josh Knickman, Josh Gentilia and Ben Gilligan plus sophomore Braden Hendee all spent time in the top five a year ago and have the inside track on the majority of spots, but without any seniors on the roster, this season figures to differ from most.
“Our expectations for the season are to be as competitive as possible at every event and just keep improving from yesterday,” Platte County veteran coach Trevor Short said. “We have the potential to do great things and will keep pushing forward to keep getting better. These guys have put a lot of work into this season and I am excited to see the results.”
Due to the cancelation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, Amos played just three seasons but spent all of them at No. 1 for Platte County. He helped the Pirates to the Suburban Conference Blue Division title in 2022. He also earned three individual berths to the Class 3 MSHSAA Golf Championships, finishing in a tie for 54th as a junior and a tie for 34th as a senior.
Amos became one of the best players in program history despite missing the state cut as a sophomore by a single stroke after an uncharacteristic off run in Class 4 District 4 play.
Last year, Knickman, Gentilia, Gillilan and Hendel all showed No. 2 potential at certain points, but Platte County regularly relied on Amos to post a low round and fill in the gaps behind the leader. The dynamic will certainly be different with the loss of Amos and two-year starter Jackson Gabbert and the lack of seniors.
“It is not that unusual, but we have not been in this position for quite some time,” Short said. “A lot of work was put into the off season and we are ready to see the result of that hard work. They are hungry and motivated to see what they can do.”
Platte County finished second in last year’s Suburban Conference White Division Championships, moving up a tier in the league for the first time in program history. The Pirates were then sixth in a 12-team field at Class 4 District 4 and were well back of earning one of the two automatic team berths to state for their top four players.
In the postseason, the next 12 individuals plus ties, which could also include the No. 5 players from the qualifying teams, also advance to state.
Platte County’s bid to continue a run of at least one qualifier likely hinges on the development of last year’s first-year contributors. Knickman (83, seventh) and Hendee (88, 10th) claimed all-conference honors while Gentilia tied for 11th with a 90 and ended up on the honorable mention list.
All took different routes to the conference and district lineups.
Knickman most often performed as the No. 2 behind Amos. Hendee clearly earned a spot about midway through the season, while Gillilan excelled early only for Gentilia to find himself on a role late. That left Gillian out of the top five in the final competitions but still with significantly valuable experience going into his junior season.
Hendee closed his season with an 18-over 90 to tie for 28th at Class 4 District 4, while Knickman (92, 32nd) and Gentilia (93, tied for 35th) finished back-to-back on either side of the top half of the 65-player field in their postseason debut. Gabbert twice finished as honorable mention all-conference in his two years as a starter and tied for 22nd twice at Class 4 District 4, both times coming up just short of a state berth.
Despite the four returners, Short expects a lot of competition this year on his 19-player roster.
“We have a lot of new players on the team this season,” he said. “There is a good balance of grade levels except no seniors. There are a few new players that will most likely be in the rotation this year. We are very excited about the competition for positions on the team and that can only help our team improve.”
Platte County’s fifth player plus others looking to earn time in the top five will come from a group that includes juniors Brody Harmon, Evan Sedlacek, Meritt Bigus, Brogan Miller and Donovan Royer; sophomores Caleb Leonard, Dylan Musel, Jacob Hein, Paxton Clarke and Isaiah Deeken; and freshmen Brayden Renno, Braylon Gates, Brady Eickman, Chase Hulett and Asher Hitzelberger.
