Platte County went into Class 3 District 4 as a strong contender to earn one of two automatic team berths into the Class 3 Missouri State Golf Championships. The Pirates backed that up all the way to the final shot Monday at Eagles Landing Golf Course in Belton.
Pembroke Hill repeated as district champion at 373, and Platte County and Grain Valley ended up a deadlock for second at 378. However, Platte County missed out on a third straight trip to state as a team with the Eagles winning the the fifth-player score tiebreaker.
However, the consolation ended up being a third individual state berth for senior Bailey Silcott (tied for seventh) and junior Lily Ricketts (tied for 14th) and the second straight for sophomore Ella Green (fourth).
“We did not have our best day today, but we were able to get three of our players into the state tournament,” Platte County coach Trevor Short said. “We hoped that we could get a full team back to the championships, but we just could pull together enough shots to get it done. It was a tough break for our fourth and fifth players today.”
Just a week earlier, Platte County bested Grain Valley by 23 shots to earn the Suburban Conference White Division championship — the seventh straight league title for the Pirates to go with the previous six while in the Blue division.
Platte County couldn’t recreate the low scores but almost pulled off a repeat. With the top 12 individuals plus ties not from qualifying teams also earning a spot, Green, Silcott and Ricketts were comfortable in the field, and junior Mackenzie Borland ended up with a 29-over 101 and came in just two shots off of earning one of the final spots.
A fourth qualifier would have allowed Platte County the opportunity to post a team score at state, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at Columbia Country Club in Columbia.
Green continued her ascension to the top of the lineup with a 14-over 86 and ended up just a shot out of a tie for second. Grain Valley’s Mallory Crane took medalist honors with an 82. Silcott ended up in a four-way tie for seventh with a 94, while Ricketts and Pembroke Hill’s Eleanor Rasmus shot matching 97s and were two shots above the cutline of 99.
Grain Valley’s final two players were both behind Borland, but Platte County senior Brylie Kovar’s anomalous round of 133 placed her 45th. Brianna Lukens — the Eagles’ No. 5 player — posted a 116 to supply the tiebreaker.
“Borland missed the cut by one player, and Kovar just had a rough day,” Short said. “Brylie Kovar has done a great job for our PC golf family. She is a very strong and dedicated person on and off the course. She works hard and helps motivate her teammates to be the best they can be.”
In 2020, automatic team berths to state were eliminated, but Platte County qualified all five individuals and the right to compete as a team. That was the first state team for the Pirates since going in Class 1 back in 2002 and 2003.
A lack of teams with at least four qualifiers in 2020 led to lackluster state competition. Last year, the postseason system changed to the current format.
Platte County placed fifth in Class 3 as a team in 2020 and missed the first state trophy in program history by a single shot before placing sixth in 2021. Silcott’s state finish improved from tied for 42nd as a sophomore to 27th as a junior, while Green tied for 25th as a freshman. Ricketts has struggled both years at state, tying for 68th as a freshman and placing 82nd as a sophomore.
All three qualifiers will be looking to become the first all-state finisher in program history, needing to finish 15th or better to earn the medal.
Smithville 198, Platte County 199, Kearney 208, Excelsior Springs 239
The Warriors captured the annual Highway 92 Showdown rivalry trophy to close the regular season last Wednesday at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville.
Platte County experienced uncharacteristic struggles with Silcott leading the way with a 46, while Green (47), Ricketts (49) and Borland (57) rounding out the team score. Excelsior Springs moved into the Suburban Conference this season and also picked up an invitation to this annual competition between schools on the Highway 92 corridor.
