Platte County’s 12 spring signees include a pair of Division I-bound standouts

Platte County’s spring signing ceremony Wednesday night at Pirate Fieldhouse featured the two best boys swimmers in program history, including one of two athletes to make Division I choices official. The group of 12 also included a pair of girls wrestlers headed to Baker University, two more members of the Class 5 state championship football team, a member of the exclusive 1,000-point club in boys basketball and more.

A breakdown for each student-athlete, listed alphabetically, is below.

Giada Cucchiara, wrestling, Baker

After debuting as a sophomore, Cucchiara closed an accomplished but brief career with her first two state wins in a second trip to the Class 2 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships in February. She earned the opportunity after becoming just the Pirates’ fifth district champion in program history in a comeback after missing all of her junior season while rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in offseason soccer.

Cucchiara went 0-2 at state as a sophomore at 135 pounds but then endured an 18-month hiatus that saw her adapt to roles of team manager, unofficial coach and fan. She returned as a senior and posted a 31-16 record while joining KayLyn Munn, Sarina Bertram and EmmaLyn Burnett as Platte County’s only two-team qualifiers, going 2-2 in the second appearance — also at 135 pounds.

Currently finishing up soccer, Cucchiara and senior teammate Madeleine Stone both signed with Baker, an NAIA program in Baldwin, Kansas.

Brock Fowler, football, Highland Community College

A transfer from Staley, Fowler returned to Platte County for his senior season and rejoined many of his youth teammates for what ended up a memorable undefeated run to the Class 5 state championship. The Pirates finished 14-0 as the only undefeated 11-man team in the state of Missouri this season.

Fowler played the first three seasons of his career at Staley, but as a senior, he became part of a dynamic linebacker duo for Platte County. He grew into the role as the season progressed and finished with 70 tackles (10 for loss), four sacks, an interception, one fumble forced and one fumble recovered to earn a spot on the Missouri Football Coaches Association (MFCA) Class 5 all-state first team. His biggest play came in a state semifinal against MICDS when he picked off a pass and returned the ball all the way to the Rams’ 1, diving for the pylon but coming up just short of the end zone. He played the final two games of the season with a broken finger.

Five total seniors for Platte County have signed to play football at the next level with Fowler opting to play at the junior college in nearby Highland, Kansas.

Izzie Grell, golf, Central Methodist

A two-year contributor for Platte County, Grell’s career continues at the NAIA school in Fayette, Missouri. She started through her senior season and helped the Pirates finish second to Grain Valley in the Suburban Conference White Division Championships for a second straight year.

Grell contributed to Platte County’s team score at Class 3 District 4 and placed 32nd in the invidiual standings. She rotated into the lineup as a junior but made her conference and postseason debuts as a senior.

Platte County’s senior class sends two to the next level after Ella Green signed with Division II Rockhurst earlier this season.

Deacon Gutshall, swimming, TCU

Gutshall ended up tied for Platte County’s school record in all-state medals with five and becomes the second in program history to sign with a Division I school, joining Caden DeLay (South Dakota). He matched the program’s best placement in the Class 1 MSHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships as a senior after finishing third in the 500-yard freestyle for a second straight year.

In the end, Gutshall leaves with Platte County’s school record in the 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly while also being part of the program’s fastest 400 freestyle relay.

Gutshall qualified for state as a freshman and narrowly missed sneaking into the 500 freestyle consolation final, a result that helped shift his career toward distance events. He finished fifth and third twice in his final three trips to state in the 500, while also making the 200 freestyle consolation final as a sophomore, placing ninth, and then ending up fifth and fourth in that event the next two seasons to round out his all-state finishes.

In addition, Gutshall was on Platte County’s 10th-place 400 freestyle and 14th-place 200 freestyle teams in 2022 and helped the Pirates finish 11th and 13th, respectively, in this two races this past season.

Paul Havemeier, tennis, St. Mary’s (Minnesota)

Currently playing No. 1 singles for Platte County this season, Havemeier plans to continue his career at the Division III school in Winona, Minnesota. He’s now a second-year starter after earning the No. 6 spot as a junior while playing limited doubles as part of a seven-player lineup in 2024 that helped the Pirates to the best season in program history.

Platte County went 16-4 in 2024, claiming both the Suburban Conference White Division and Class 2 District 8 titles for the second straight year. The Pirates then won three straight playoff duals before a 5-1 loss to MICDS in the state championship match, resulting in a historic second-place finish.

Havemeier made the big jump in the lineup as one of only three returning starters with Platte County out to a 4-4 start in duals but looking like a contender to earn a third straight playoff berth, building on the first two in program history.

Tanner Jenks, track/cross country, Rogers State

Jenks became a two-time all-state performer as senior and nearly led Platte County to a second straight team trophy. He ran in the postseason each of his final three years with the Pirates having qualified a full team for the Class 4 MSHSAA Cross Country Championships each of the past five seasons overall.

Now headed to run at a Division II school located in Claremore, Oklahoma, Jenks improved his state placement in each of his three trips going from 89th to 22nd to eighth.

Platte County finished second in Class 4 in 2023 with the fastest collective lineup in program history, and Jenks led this year’s placements for the Pirates, who posted a team score of 169 and ended up fifth place in the standings and just behind Parkway Central for the fourth and final team trophy. He owns the 11th-fastest time in program history and his mark of 15 minutes, 57.70 seconds as a junior is fourth best on a state course. Only five runners for the Pirates have run a time under 16 minutes.

Palmer Keith, swimming, Rockhurst

Keith became the first swimmer for Platte County to make the state finals in eight individual events in a career — the most possible due to entry rules. He earned five all-state medals in addition to three honorable mention placements.

On the strength of Keith and Gutshall, Platte County finished 14th in the final Class 1 team standings at state this season, setting a program record for points scored in a state meet (85). Keith finishes his career with school records in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly while also swimming on the Pirates’ fastest 400 freestyle relay team.

Keith placed fifth at state in 200 IM each of his final three seasons after coming in seventh as a freshman. He added a sixth-place state medal in the 100 breaststroke as a senior after being 10th and ninth in the 100 breaststroke during his sophomore and junior seasons and 16th in the 100 butterfly as a freshman.

In addition, Keith was on Platte County’s 10th-place 400 freestyle and 14th-place 200 freestyle teams in 2022 and helped the Pirates finish 11th and 13th, respectively, in this two races this past season. He also swam on honorable mention all-state 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams as a freshman.

Lily Kytasaari, soccer, Evansville

A fourth-year starter and already a three-time all-conference selection, Kytasaari led Platte County in goals and assists as a junior and continues to rotate between forward and attacking midfielder. The Pirates currently own a 9-2 record and have won eight straight games overall.

Kytasaari helped Platte County finish as Class 3 District 8 runnerup finish in 2022 and 2023. The Pirates won 22 games her freshman season when she played a supporting offensive role. She continued to develop the past two years and became the focal point up front as a junior and played as a lone striker more frequently before moving back into the midfield more this spring for a deep roster.

Evansville is a Division I program in Evansville, Indiana, and Kytasaari becomes the first player to move on to college’s top level since Riley Smith signed with Missouri State in 2021.

Jaden Peterson, basketball, William Jewell

A two-year starter, Peterson joined David Bridger (1977), Brian Boekhout (1990), C.J. Fulk (1992), Ryan Nichols (2000), Brandon Gutshall (2001), Lorenzo Riley (2005), Kirk Stegeman (2005) and Judah Vignery (2024) as the only players in Platte County history to score 1,000 career points. He needed a career-high 41 points in his final home game and 40 combined in the final two contests to finish at 1,003.

Peterson led Platte County in scoring (19.6 points), rebounding (6.2) and steals (1.4) per game as a senior. He served as a key bench option as as sophomore seasonand averaged 12.3 points per game as a junior. The Pirates finished 10-17 this past season and were eliminated in the first round of Class 5 District 8 play for a third straight year.

William Jewell is a Division II program in Liberty.

Cobe Pollard, football, Iowa Western

The other half of Platte County’s accomplished linebacker duo, Pollard earned All-Suburban Conference White Division and All-Class 5 District 8 honors as a senior. He earned a starting spot early in his sophomore season and became a mainstay in the middle of the Pirates’ defense for the remainder of his career.

This past fall, Platte County limited opponents to 21 points or fewer in all but two games, including three shutouts, on the way to the fourth state title in program history. Pollard recorded 78 tackles (13 for loss) and added an interception. Overall, he posted 232 career tackles (22 1/2 for loss), five sacks, two forced fumbles, one recovered, one interception and four blocked kicks — one returned for a touchdown.

Pollard’s college career starts at a junior college powerhouse located in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Owen Rawlings, baseball, Upper Iowa

A second year member of Platte County’s pitching staff, Rawlings finished his junior season with a 3.32 ERA in 19 innings pitched with 30 strikeouts. The Pirates won 17 of 20 late in the 2024 campaign but ended up as the Class 5 District 8 runnerup for a second straight year.

Rawlings’ best performance came when he struck out seven in five innings to lead Platte County to a 9-1 conference win over Belton.

Platte County owned a 10-4 record going into Saturday’s game in the Columbia Tournament with Rawlings having pitched in four games, totaling eight innings of work with six strikeouts and a 5.63 ERA. The Pirates hope to make a return to the playoffs for the first time since winning the Class 5 state title in 2022, the second championship in the program’s history.

Upper Iowa is a Division II school in Fayette, Iowa.

Madeleine Stone, wrestling, Baker

A former honorable mention all-state swimmer, Stone transitioned to wrestling as a junior at Platte County and immediately became a state qualifier, placing third in the Class 2 District 4 tournament and going 1-2 in the 235-pound bracket to conclude an impressive debut season. She became an integral part of the deepest lineup in program history this past winter and helped lead the Pirates to a share of their second-ever conference championship.

Stone’s season ended in devastating fashion. She seemed a strong bet to advance back to state and possibly medal at 235 before suffering a high ankle sprain in her first match of the district tournament.

Entering with the No. 3 seed, Stone suffered the injury in a second round match, and she finished 29-8 as a senior with the last two losses while not full strength at districts. Her only two losses prior to that against Missouri competition came against Grain Valley junior Jayden Moehle and Liberty junior Alexis Stinson, who went on to meet in the district and state championship matches.