Trevor Short hinted at the potential depth of this year’s roster, and now, Platte County’s veteran coach might truly have ongoing lineup decisions to make. With the benefit of being at home, the Pirates fielded three teams and used 16 total players in Monday’s Pirate Scramble Invitational at Shiloh Springs Golf Club.
Platte County senior Josh Knickman hits a shot from the fairway during the Pirate Scramble Invitational on Monday at Shiloh Springs Golf Club.
Platte County’s varsity placed second with the No. 3s in fourth and No. 2s in sixth in a field of 10 teams. Each team consisted of three two-player duos in the unique format with each player hitting a shot and then using the preferred spot of the two outcomes.
The team scores consisted of the top two twosomes added together.
Kearney took the top two individual medalist spots and won the tournament title with a total of 130. However, Platte County put four twosomes in the top 10 with the combination of junior Braden Hendee and Brayden Renno (tied for second, 6-under 65) and seniors Josh Knickman and Joshua Gentilia (tied for sixth, 1-over 72) coming in second. In addition, junior Caleb Leonard and freshman John Dillingham played for the Pirates’ No. 2s and placed ninth (3-over 74), while sophomore Chase Hulett and freshman Kaplan Curtis were 10th for the No. 3s (4-over 75).
Knickman, Gentilia, Hendee and Renno all have significant varsity experience, and with only five spots in the lineup, strong competition can be expected for playing time.
Platte County juniors Isaiah Deeken and Jacob Hein rounded out the varsity team on Monday, and they finished 17th with an 81. The Pirates’ No. 3s only had two pairs, and sophomore Asher Hitzelberger and freshman Bryson Hevalow just missed the top 10 with a 6-over 77 and tied for 12th. The overall team score of 152 tied for fourth with Oak Park — seven strokes back of third place Excelsior Springs.
Platte County sophomore Brayden Renno hits a chip shot during the Pirate Scramble Invitational on Monday at Shiloh Springs Golf Club.
The Platte County No. 2 pair of sophomore Jude Brown and freshman Nick Cangelosi finished out the sixth-place team score, posting an 80 — tied for 15th.
Grain Valley 160, Platte County 161, Kearney 184
In a season-opening match, Platte County nearly won the triangular last Thursday at Adams Pointe Golf Club in Blue Springs with Renno earning individual medalist honors. The second-year starter shot a 1-over 37 with Hendee one shot behind him.
Hendee posted Platte County’s top score in most events as a sophomore after breaking into the lineup midway through his freshman year with Renno looking to match that type of rapid progression. Both made state debuts last season, along with Knickman, who shot a 41 in last week’s triangular and enters his third full season in the top five. Gentilia, a starter the majority of the past two seasons, rounded out the Pirates’ team score with a 45.
Gentilia would have sent Platte County to state as a team last year but ended up disqualified at Class 3 District 4 for signing an incorrect scorecard.
Six players were in the lineup for each team with only the top four scores used.
Platte County also used sophomore Braylon Gates (49) and Hein (52) in the first competition of the season. They both made their varsity debuts for the Pirates, as did Deeken in the Pirate Scramble Invitational.
