Platte County showed off the type of depth likely needed to follow up the best season in program history with more coveted success.
Platte County senior Jake Diano hits a backhand during a singles match in the Platte County Invitational on Wednesday at Platte County High School.
On Wednesday, the hosts finished a solid third out of eight teams in the Platte County Invitational with a pair of newcomers winning the No. 3 doubles flight, while senior Hayden Cook made the finals at No. 3 singles. The Pirates put three returners in the top half of the lineup, including a pair of returning state qualifiers in Cook and fellow senior Jack Bralley, but received the most team points from senior newcomer Jake Diano and sophomore Mitchel McBratney.
Platte County totaled 17 points, finishing behind only repeat champion Central (St. Joseph) with 22 and Park Hill at 19.
Each team entered six players into singles and three doubles teams into the flights. All matches in the straight bracket format were one set, first to win six games.
After a dual the day before with visiting Willard, Platte County’s rebuilt lineup received an extended test in a much-anticipated chance to start building toward a third straight Class 2 District 8 team title after finishing as state runnerup in 2024. Cook and Bralley qualified for the Class 2 MSHSAA Tennis Championships as a doubles team but haven’t paired together for the Pirates yet this season, while fellow senior Paul Havemeier initially moves into the No. 1 singles spot after playing No. 6 and almost no doubles as a first-year junior.
Platte County coach Zach Keith might look at even more options in the lineup but initially starts with Havemeier, Bralley and Cook in the top three spots and first-year seniors Will Kimlinger (No. 4) and Diano (No. 5) plus McBratney (No. 6) behind them.
Platte County senior Paul Havemeier hits a shot during a singles match in the Platte County Invitational on Wednesday at Platte County High School.
While only half of the singles players won first round matches, all three doubles teams advanced to the semifinals for Platte County in the afternoon session. Diano and McBratney entered as the No. 5 seed at No. 3 doubles but dominated their first two matches — both by a score of 6-1 — before topping Park Hill’s Jaipreet Singh and Brian Lisec 6-3 in the final.
A two-time state qualifier in doubles, Bralley teamed with Havemeier for Platte County’s No. 1 doubles entry, which also reached the finals but lost 6-1 to St. Pius X’s No. 2-seeded team. The Pirates’ strong closing effort to help push past fourth-place St. Pius X included a fourth-place finish for Cook and Kimlinger at No. 2 doubles.
Cook and Bralley finished as district runnersup in doubles last season and went on to place eighth in Class 2 — just the second in program history to earn state medals.
In addition to the doubles title, Diano (No. 5) and McBratney (No. 3) both went 2-1 in singles flights, while Cook won his first two matches at No. 3 before dropping the championship match to Central’s Rudy Habiger by a score of 6-2. Bralley, a fourth-year starter playing No. 2 singles for a second straight season, and Kimlinger (No. 4) also went 2-1 and came back from first round losses to finish fifth.
Platte County senior Hayden Cook hits a shot at the net during a singles match in the Platte County Invitational on Wednesday at Platte County High School.
Havemeier placed sixth in his first action at No. 1, a spot Gavin Nichols held the majority of the past four years at Platte County while becoming by far the most successful and decorated player in program history. He won four straight district titles in singles and medaled at state three times. The Pirates played four seniors in a seven-player rotation that advanced to state in addition to the individual accomplishments in singles and doubles.
Platte County 7, Willard 2
The Pirates opened the season with a dominant dual victory over a visiting Class 2 school Tuesday at Platte County High School.
Also a participant in the Platte County Invitational, Willard continued the tradition of an early arrival for a dual ahead of the tournament action. The Tigers won the 2022 matchup but have now lost three straight in the series.
Platte County (1-0) took 2 of 3 doubles matches and then 5 of 6 in singles. Diano and McBratney debuted with an 8-1 victory at No. 3 doubles, while Havemier and Bralley prevailed 8-4 at No. 1. The Pirates’ singles wins came from Havemeier (No. 1), Bralley (No. 2), Cook (No. 3), Kimlinger (No. 4) and McBratney (No. 6), who took his matchup 6-0, 6-0.
The straight-set victories for Bralley, Cook and Kimlinger each included a tiebreaker, while Havemeier’s first match at No. 1 resulted in a 6-3, 6-4 win.
