Platte County suddenly finds conference title within reach as momentum surges

No matter the question asked, Platte County continues to find answers at pivotal moments.

Having a player performing at the level of Judah Vignery certainly helps, but an eclectic cast of supporting pieces have also made an obvious impact — even if rarely in concert. The Pirates’ most recent performances included a 61-54 comeback win Tuesday at home over Grain Valley and then a late surge to top William Chrisman 57-46 on the road Friday night. Vignery continues to lead the Kansas City metro area in scoring after putting up 22 in the first game of the week and then 27 more in the second to help push the current winning streak to a season-best four.

Platte County (13-8) has now locked up a winning regular season with an opportunity to play for a Suburban Conference White Division title this week regardless of Tuesday’s result at Belton. Not bad coming off of a disappointing 8-18 campaign a year ago that crumbled down the stretch with Vignery the only returning starter and only senior guard Connor Currence and junior forward Jaden Peterson with additional significant experience at the varsity level.

“I told them after the (Grain Valley) game I feel like we have the confidence when we get into these late games that are close, we as a collective mindset are thinking, ‘We’re going to find a way,’ and somebody’s going to hit big shots,” Platte County coach Rick Hodge said.

Against Grain Valley, Platte County closed on a 17-4 run to earn a season-sweep, and a late basket from the Eagles actually ended a stretch of 12 unanswered points.

Vignery and Peterson led the late surge after Grain Valley led the majority of the game. Held to just two points through three quarters, Peterson hit a corner 3 on one of four assists from Currence — a jumping kickoff after dribbling into the lane — to pull the Pirates within 50-49. The Eagles answered with a bucket, but on the next possession, Peterson rebounded a missed a 3-pointer from Morrison, dribbled out to the left wing and drained another to tie the score at 52-52 with 3 minutes left in regulation.

Grain Valley scored only eight points total in the fourth quarter and didn’t have another made shot until the closing seconds. On Platte County’s next trip down the floor, Vignery rose up and hit his first and only 3-pointer to put the Pirates ahead for good.

“We always know we’re always in the game,” Currence said. “We felt that game we were really in there if we were able to keep fighting.”

Once down 50-44, Platte County held on from there with Peterson splitting a pair of free throws with 36.1 on the clock to finish with 11 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists. Morrison added eight off the bench with a pair of 3s, while senior guard Brady Wetzel hit three key triples and totaled 10 points, four rebounds and three steals.

Vignery ended up with a double-double, adding 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals to his game-high total of points.

“It felt amazing. They’re a great team,” said Currence, who also had two rebounds and two steals. “We have that hustle and grit and want to play defense and all that. It comes together, and we’re able to play as a really good team.”

Grain Valley (11-10, 1-5) went scoreless for the game’s first three minutes but only trailed 6-0 at that point. The Eagles responded with eight unanswered and spent much of the first half shooting well from the outside the arc, hitting five 3-pointers in the first half and four in the first quarter alone — three from senior guard Logan Marcum.

Vignery scored just six points in the first half, but Wetzel and Morrison hit two threes apiece, while senior guard Isaac Dittrick added another to help keep Platte County close.

Grain Valley sophomore guard Eli Herbert swished a contested, high-arcing fadeaway 3-pointer at the first quarter buzzer to give the Eagles a 16-11 lead. However, Currence guarded their leading scorer most of the game and limited him to 12 points, and the Eagles never went up double digits.

Platte County’s 11-1 run in the second quarter that included 3s from Wetzel and Dittrick put the Pirates up 25-22. Herbert answered with a 3 with 1:55 left before halftime, and Grain Valley went into the break up 27-25. The Eagles continued to lead from there — save for one tie late in the third quarter — until Vignery’s late 3-pointer.

“That’s basketball,” Hodge said. “Some nights, you’re hitting shots. Some nights, you’re not. Some games, you’re hitting early and not late and then vice versa. Tonight was a night were we had some other kids step up and hit some big time 3s.”

In a potentially pivotal moment, Vignery split a pair of free throws in the third quarter after a technical foul on Grain Valley’s Jack Schoen for throwing an elbow after drawing a foul on a drive to the basket. Platte County’s resulting possession ended in a turnover, and the Eagles maintained a three-point advantage.

Currence drained a 3-pointer, and Vignery started surge with four quick ones to create the tie at 42-42.

Grain Valley scored the final four of the third quarter after Vignery went to the bench with his third foul, but the stage seemed set for a tight finish. Instead, the Pirates blitzed to the front and held on with a comfortable final margin of victory.

“Kids closed it out again with defense and rebounding,” Hodge said. “They did weather the storm, and once we did make it through that, our kids were the ones who started hitting.”

Platte County did lose Dittrick to an apparent knee injury after he slipped near the basket trying to finish a breakaway layup. However, the Pirates were again also able to use senior Jacob Isaacson, juniors Archie Wesley and Hayden Schultz and Brennan McLaughlin at different points for different purposes. The quartet combined for just one point, Isaacson splitting two free throws in the second quarter, but provide pivotal, selfless minutes that have become extremely important to the season results.

Most notably, Platte County sits at 5-1 in White Division play with the lone loss to Raytown, which trails the Pirates by a half game going into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Multiple scenarios exist for Platte County to win a second conference title in three years outright — most obviously a sweep of games against Belton and Raytown, which still has three conference games left, all on the road. With a win over Raytown, Platte County can do no worse than share the crown, filling Friday’s game at Pirate Fieldhouse with intrigue.

Platte County 57, William Chrisman 46

Down two going to the fourth quarter, Vignery accounted for 15 of the Pirates’ final 25 points Friday in Independence.

Platte County scored only 32 points total in the first three quarters combined, but Vignery hit a pair of 3s and added nine free throws, including a 3-for-3 trip early in the fourth after drawing a foul on a shot from behind the arc. Morrison added four 3s on his way to 12 points, while Peterson finished with 11.

For the second straight game, the Pirates hit 10 total 3-pointers — this time against an exclusive zone defense look from William Chrisman (12-11, 2-4).

Vignery started fast with two of his four 3s and 10 points in the first quarter, and after trailing 16-7, William Chrisman started to come back when shots stopped falling. Three of Morrison’s 3-pointers accounted for nine of the Pirates’ 16 points in the second and third quarter.

Wetzel also had a 3-pointer in the first quarter and did not score again. McLaughlin and Currence finished with two points apiece to round out the scoring.

With Dittrick out of the lineup due to the injury suffered three nights earlier, Morrison received his first career start. Dittrick’s status for the rest of the season remains uncertain with the senior starter averaging just under four points per game (a season-high 12 in a December loss to Kearney) with 21 made 3-pointers.

Vignery goes into the final four games of the regular season on the precipice of becoming Platte County’s first player to hit the mark of 1,000 career points in nearly two decades. He’s averaging an astounding 23.5 points per game with 20 or more in all but five games.