Platte County didn’t have much competition Wednesday night and were overwhelmed in the two matches wrestled at Oak Park High School.
Platte County sophomore Caitlyn Roudebush locks up with an opponent during a dual with Oak Park on Wednesday at Oak Park High School in Kansas City.
Oak Park secured a pair of pins, but a parade of forfeits taken lifted Platte County to an easy 54-18 dual victory. The Pirates continued a successful start to the season in odd fashion but didn’t mind the chance to take a breather after opening with a pair of tough tournaments in the five days prior.
Platte County built the largest roster in the program’s five-year history and have a solid mix of experience in seniors Haley Burge and Hannah Mand; juniors EmmaLyn Burnett and Sarah Humburg and promising newcomers, most notably sophomore Giada Cucchiara. However, even in spots where the Pirates plan to develop contributors, just having them in the lineup makes a difference on nights like Wednesday.
“They’ve done a good job so far of coming and working hard every day at practice,” Platte County coach Reggie Burress said. “They’re very good at listening and very coachable. That’s the biggest thing. They only know what they’ve been taught so they don’t have bad habits right now. That helps a ton.”
Platte County never trailed and opened taking forfeits at the first eight weights — freshman Gabriella Ciccarelli (100 pounds), freshman Arabella Henson (105 pounds), freshman Karrington Friddell (110 pounds), Burge (115 pounds), Mand (120 pounds), Burnett (125 pounds), Humburg (130 pounds) and Cucchiara (135 pounds). Both teams were open at 140 and 190.
The other four weight classes included a pair of Oak Park wins and a forfeit for the Lady Oakies at 155.
Platte County junior Haley Moser tries to get away on bottom during a match in a dual with Oak Park on Wednesday at Oak Park High School in Kansas City.
In the first match wrestled, Platte County sophomore Caitlyn Roudebush gave up an early takedown and ended up pinned in 35 seconds. At 170, Pirates junior Haley Moser faced Oak Park junior returning state qualifier Nevaeh Wardlow, who earned the fall at the 1:22 mark to bring the dual to a close.
Platte County freshman Nicole Fernandez took the final forfeit at 235 pounds.
“We’re going to have duals like this. They know that,” Burress said.
The busy schedule continues with Platte County traveling to the Council Bluffs Classic in Iowa for a second straight two-day weekend competition. The Pirates have embraced the travel and camaraderie with lineup retooling after losing all three of last year’s qualifiers for the Girls Missouri State Wrestling Championships to graduation, including inaugural individual champion KayLyn Munn.
However, Platte County will be without Cucchiara and Humburg due to prior commitments.
“Everyone is so nice,” said Cucchiara, a first-year wrestler who played varsity soccer as a freshman but has shown immense potential in the earlygoing. “I love everyone. They bring you up. They’re going to fix things and correct you when you’re wrong, but they’re going to bring you up.”
Battle of the Braids
A night earlier, Platte County traveled to Fort Osage High School in Independence for a large individual tournament. No team scores were kept.
Platte County senior Haley Burge has her hand raised while accepting a forfeit during a dual with Oak Park on Wednesday at Oak Park High School in Kansas City.
Platte County’s strength in the middle of the lineup showed with Burge (115C), Humburg (130C) and Cucchiara (135E) capturing individual titles. Weight classes were divided into three- or four-wrestler round robin pods based on success and experience with A the top class.
In addition, Mand came in second in the 120C group, while Burnett did not wrestle.
Burge won both of her matches by all, spending just more than 4 minutes on the mat, while Cucchiara was just over 3 minutes to earn her two pins. Humburg won three matches, opening with a dominant 8-1 decision over Fort Osage’s Layla Kariker and then adding a pair of pins.
Mand went 1-1, winning and losing by pin.
Jay Border Wars
Platte County opened the season Friday and Saturday in a 23-team tournament at Jay High School in Jay, Oklahoma.
Platte County tied for 11th with 82 1/2 points with Burge (fourth, 115), Humburg (fourth, 130) and Cucchiara (fourth, 135), Mand (fifth, 120) and sophomore Adrianna Ciccarelli (fifth, 105) earning medals. Wrestlers competed in pools to qualify for the finals brackets.
Platte County junior Sarah Humburg has her hand raised while accepting a forfeit during a dual with Oak Park on Wednesday at Oak Park High School in Kansas City.
Only Cucchiara topped her pool, going 2-0 with a pair of pins. This included stepping out for her first matchup against Isabella Weiner from Rogers (Arkansas).
“The first match, I was so nervous — like I was shaking — and I thought I was going to throw up,” Cucchiara said. “I got out there, and the girl I was wrestling, she looked like she was going to be good and then I pinned her.
“And then the first thing I said when I came off (the mat) was ‘I’m gonna throw up,’ and I thought I was actually going to throw up. But I was so excited.”
Burge, Mand and Humburg were all pool runnersup.
In the championship brackets, both Burge and Humburg opened with two pins and then lost their final two matches. Cucchiara received a bye into the quarterfinals and then ended up locked in a tight match with Addison Farquahr of Broken Arrow (Oklahoma). A late reversal from Cucchiara ended with Farquahr on her back with the fall coming with just 10 seconds left in regulation.
Cucchiara then lost the first two matches of her career to end up fourth.
“I think (the success) made me look at it differently,” Cucchiara said. “I did not think I was going to place. I was so happy that I placed. I don’t know how to express the feeling.”
Adrianna Ciccarelli didn’t have a win in pool but qualified for the championship bracket due to a small number of wrestlers at that weight. She then went 2-1, closing with a 16-1 technical fall over Ava Claussen of Springdale (Arkansas) after a pin in the consolation semifinals.
Mand went 3-1 to finish fifth, opening with a pin but losing by fall in the quarterfinals. She then put together a run of three straight pins that went beyond the first period.
