Alivia Juarez clearly didn’t have much left to give, and the result of the dual had already been decided.
Platte County sophomore Karrington Friddell holds her opponent down in the 105-pound match of a dual with Oak Park on Wednesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Yet, the Platte County junior alternated glances at the clock and her opponent, determined not to lose the match nor an opportunity to set an example for a roster mostly built of energetic newcomers. The Pirates took control of a dual with Oak Park thanks to three straight forfeits and eventually pulled away for a 45-21 victory in Wednesday night’s home opener at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Juarez contributed to the final margin in the 170-pound match, scoring the only takedown in the second period and holding on for a 2-1 decision over Oak Park’s Bailee Wardlow.
“I was tired. I couldn’t feel my arms,” Juarez said. “Especially going all three periods, I’m used to getting a first period pin or maybe the second, but I don’t go through three periods most of the time.”
Platte County’s active roster features six wrestlers with previous starting experience, five from last year’s postseason lineup, but only one senior — EmmaLyn Burnett, a returning Class 2 District 4 champion and MSHSAA Wrestling Championships qualifier. The Pirates sent a program-record five to state last year, but three graduated while junior Giada Cucchiara will not wrestle this season after undergoing season-ending surgery for a torn ACL suffered in the offseason.
That leaves only Burnett and Juarez going into their third season.
Platte County junior Annabel Beeman works on top in the 135-pound match of a dual with Oak Park on Wednesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Yet, Platte County looked the part of a nearly complete team with only two open weight classes and ceding just one forfeit to Oak Park. The Pirates also reveled in each victory, especially for first-year contributors like sophomores Charley Sims (120), and Anna Wiesehan (130) and juniors Annabel Beeman (135) and junior Taylor Lavery (144).
“I feel like it took a few years to build the old team, but the new one it feels like we’re already bonding,” Juarez said.
The dual went to 120 pounds tied 9-9, but Platte County took the lead for good with three straight forfeits from Sims, Burnett and Wiesehan.
Beeman then earned the first win of her career in a competitive match with Oak Park’s Tatiana Dennis. Despite some possibly excess physicality, Beeman kept her emotions in check and recorded two of the three takedowns between the two, but Dennis tied the score 3-3 with an escape and a takedown to start the third only to allow an escape and the final takedown.
The 6-3 decision for Beeman increased Platte County’s lead to 30-9. Oak Park’s Diamond Keytue pinned freshman Mila Cucchiara at 140, but Lavery followed with a first period pin for the Pirates to seal the haul with three weight classes left.
Platte County junior Taylor Lavery wrestles in the 144-pound match of a dual with Oak Park on Wednesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
“Those girls work hard every day; they want to be here, and they want to learn,” Platte County coach Reggie Burress said. “Proud as heck of them.”
With Oak Park state medalist Navaeh Wardlow out due to injury, Juarez drew her younger sister Bailee Wardlow at 170. The two went scoreless in the first period, and Bailee Wardlow took a 1-0 lead with an escape to start the second. Juarez countered with a takedown that ended up being the only other points, and she fended off attack after attack after choosing neutral to start the third period.
“She just needs to keep getting in better shape and keep fighting every day at practice,” Burress said.
Platte County sophomore Nicole Fernandez provided an emphatic end to the dual at 190. She locked in undercooks against Kendall Angelo, who ended up thrown to her back and pinned in just 38 seconds.
Juarez, Fernandez, sophomores Harrington Friddell (105) and Gabriella Ciccarelli (110) all competed in Class 2 District 4 for Platte County last season. All five members back from the postseason lineup recorded victories against Oak Park, and the Pirates won 6 of 9 head-to-head matches, although the Northmen took an opening 3-0 lead.
Platte County sophomore Nicole Fernandez works for a pin in the 190-pound match of a dual with Oak Park on Wednesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County junior Madeleine Stone led 1-0 and 3-2 and then made up a 5-3 deficit in the 235 match with Arika Miller, who gave up a pair of penalty points. The match went to overtime tied 5-5, but Miller scored the winning takedown in sudden victory.
After both teams were open at 100, Friddell fought to an 8-4 decision victory at 105 despite giving up two penalty points in the first period. Gabriella Ciccarelli followed with a pin at 110, reversing Drew Goode to her back and scoring the fall in 2:43. That gave Platte County a brief 9-3 lead with Oak Park’s Adeline Hayes tying it back up with pin of Pirates junior Adrianna Ciccarelli at 115.
“We’ll learn some things (from the tough losses),” Burress said.
Platte County’s depth made the difference, a luxury not seen in the first five years of the program’s existence. Even with Burnett not having a match, the Pirates showed off the diversity of the lineup that includes stars from other sports like Sims (track), Beeman (cross country) and Stone (swimming) and wrestlers like Friddell, Gabriella Ciccarelli and Fernandez who were all one win from qualifying for state a year ago.
Jay Border Wars
Platte County junior Madeleine Stone ties up with her opponent in the 235-pound match of a dual with Oak Park on Wednesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County opened the season with a difficult tournament over the weekednd in Jay, Oklahoma. The Pirates placed 18th out of 27 teams with 74 points — just 16 away from 13th place.
The setup with pools plus a double-elimination bracket provided plenty of opportunity for Platte County’s inexperienced lineup. Burnett topped her group at 125, while Wiesehan (130), Juarez (170), Fernandez (190) and Stone (235) all finishing as runnersup. Burnett and Stone ended up as the Pirates’ lone top-eight medalists.
Making the transition from the pool to the mat, Stone looked especially impressive after losing her opener Friday evening. She recorded a first period pin in the quarterfinals then dropped to the fifth-place match with back-to-back losses.
Stone — a two-time Class 1 MSHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships qualifier and honorable mention all-state performer on a relay last winter — leveled her record with a pin of Zion Moore of Owasso (Oklahoma). Stone lost twice to Jessina Smith of Tulsa Union (Oklahoma), while twice pinning Moore.
Burnett ended up seventh in her first tournament since going 1-2 at state last year. She won by fall in each of her Friday pool matches then added two more pins Saturday to reach the 125 quarterfinals.
Like Stone, Burnett also lost two straight, including a 3-1 decision in the consolation side, but in a bigger bracket, she dropped down to the seventh-place match, which Breanna Gordon of Cassville forfeited. Cassville and Lebanon were the only other Missouri schools in the field.
