With Park Hill South deciding to make moves in an attempt to win the dual, Alivia Juarez found herself in the literal spotlight Wednesday night at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County senior EmmaLyn Burnett works for a turn in the 125-pound match of a dual with Park Hill South on Wednesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County’s junior 170-pounder took the mat in the darkened environment at Pirate Fieldhouse for the final match, needing a result to avoid a senior night letdown. She responded in the against Park Hill South’s Ella Christensen, who ended up thrown to her back and pinned with 13 seconds left in the second period to deliver a dramatic 42-33 victory for the Pirates.
Park Hill South won five of the seven head-to-head matchups but couldn’t overcome a difference in forfeits.
“It was nice for Alivia to step up and take care of business — get the win, seal the win for the team,” Platte County coach Reggie Burress said.
Platte County senior EmmaLyn Burnett added a pin the 125-pound match, while sophomore Gwendolyn Duncan kept her 120 bout to a 10-5 decision loss, which ended up critical to the team result. The Pirates were also without a pair of starters due to injury but still held a distinct numbers advantage.
Park Hill South gave up five forfeits (30 team points), while receiving just one at 115. Both teams were open at 155.
Platte County sophomore Karrington Friddell ties up with her opponent during the 100-pound match of a dual with Belton on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Burnett, the lone senior and currently No. 3 in the Class 2 Missouri Wrestling rankings, spent a lot of time mat side either warming up for her match or encouraging less-experienced teammates. The 2023 Class 2 District 4 champion at 125 and the only active returning state qualifier has taken on an unquestioned leadership role, a trait she learned from the Platte County’s lone individual state champion — 2022 graduate KayLyn Munn, in what has become a successful season with the largest roster in program history.
“I feel better when I’m encouraged and people are actually talking to me,” Burnett said. “With a newer team, you want someone walking you through everything because that’s what I wanted; that’s what I needed growing in the sport. I just want to be there.
“I just want to do that for the girls.”
The proceedings of the dual featured large momentum shifts.
Starting at 190, Platte County sophomore Nicole Fernandez (190), junior Madeleine Stone (235) and Karrington Friddell (100) took forfeits to create an initial 18-0 advantage, but Park Hill South won the first two contested matches by fall and then took its lone forfeit at 115. With the score suddenly tied, the Panthers then took a lead with Abigail Monaco’s 10-5 decision over Duncan, who bumped up from 115 while freshman Natalie Donnini entered the lineup at 135 with junior Annabel Beeman and sophomore Charley Sims unavailable.
Platte County freshman Gwendolyn Duncan takes a shot during the 120-pound match of a dual with Park Hill South on Wednesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
With Platte County behind 21-18, Burnett turned the tide with her pin of Temperance Lowe, who kept the match scoreless until the third period. She prevented Burnett from scoring an escape from bottom for the entire 2 minutes of the second period.
Lowe took neutral to start the third period, and Burnett finally found a takedown and eventually worked for a pin with 12 seconds left in the match.
“My mindset was a little slow so I had to work through that throughout the match,” Burnett said. “At the beginning of the match, I was kind of in my mind and focusing on the negative. I attempted a shot, but it was like really half of a shot, not really an attempt, a few times at the beginning. Once I got through and got my mindset past that, I was able to work through that.”
Platte County’s lead increased to 36-21 with forfeits for freshman Anna Wiesehan and Donnini, but Park Hill South, even without Lucia Henriquez (honorable mention ranked at 140 in Class 2), put victory in sight with pins for Germara Guillory and Julia Smith at 140 and 145. After the double forfeit at 155, the Panthers needed a victory to either force a team tiebreaker or win outright with a major decision, technical fall or pin.
Instead, Platte County provided Burnett with a memorable senior night, which also included recognition of team managers Kaelyn Bellach, Laney McGee and Ashlee McKinley.
“It’s hard to believe it’s gone by so fast,” said Burnett, who only came out for wrestling as a sophomore. “I love wrestling so every time (on the mat) is a precious moment to me.”
Platte County senior EmmaLyn Burnett works for a turn during the 125-pound match of a dual with Belton on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Belton 66, Platte County 18
With the win, Belton wrapped up a third straight Suburban Conference White Division team title Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County struggled in head-to-head results for a third consecutive dual but did not have a significant numbers advantage in the lineup against Class 2’s No. 8 ranked team. The only wins for Platte County came from Burnett (pin at 125), Juarez (forfeit at 170) and Fernandez (190).
Worse still, Platte County didn’t have Sims (120), Beeman (135) or Stone (235) all due to potential head injuries. In addition, Friddell trailed 4-0 after the first period when she asked for injury time against honorable mention Class 2 100-pounder Rylee Jones. Friddell ended up turned and pinned after trying to wrestle through obvious pain and left the gym with her right arm in a sling after the dual.
Platte County junior Taylore Lavery works from top during the 145-pound match of a dual with Belton on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
“Hopefully, we’ll get all of them back for districts,” Burress said of the injury concerns with Class 2 District 4 competition set for Friday and Saturday in Platte City at Pirate Fieldhouse. “I think tonight Charley and Madeleine could have got wins which would have made it a lot better in the big picture.”
After Friddell’s opening loss, Belton rattled off pins from Marcella Mark (105), Abigail Hayes (110) and Africa Fabian (120) in addition to a forfeit at 115 to take insurmountable 30-0 lead. Burnett stopped the run with a dominant performance against Yeneli Carillo, who ended up pinned in just 1:31.
Burnett again remained patient and twice turned Carillo after the match’s only takedown.
“I think the biggest thing was she didn’t start panicking,” Burress said. “I wouldn’t say she wrestled great (against Park Hill South), but she didn’t panick either. She couldn’t get to her shot, so she hit the snapdown to score, so that’s definitely improvement and growth from her.”
Platte County freshman Anna Wiesehan wrestles in the 130-pound match of a dual with Belton on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Belton recorded quick pins in the next three matches, and Rylee Meredith fought back from a 4-1 deficit to eventually pin Platte County junior Taylore Lavery at 145. Lavery scored two takedowns in the first period but was put to her back in both the second and third periods and recorded a fall at the 5:06 mark.
The teams then traded four forfeits to finalize the scoring.
Belton entered with five wrestlers either in the top six or honorable mention of the Class 2 rankings. Jones (100), Savanna Franklin (No. 1 at 135) and Louis Juitt (No. 3 at 140) all recorded pins, while Bella Scherfenberg (HM at 155) took a forfeit. Sydney Swifter (No. 6 at 115) was not in the lineup but would have also received a forfeit due to Platte County’s injuries.
“The good news, as I told the girls, is (Belton)’s not in our district,” Burress said of the Class 2 District 3 hosts, “cause they’re solid top to bottom.”
