One of the all-time greats not only in Platte County history, but in the history of the Missouri State High School Athletic Association, will be a key piece to replace this fall for the Pirates.
The state scoring record holder, Chandler Peterson, is now playing at Rockhurst after tallying a state record 76 goals and finishing with a MSHSAA record 177. He earned about every kind of postseason accolade you would imagine for those kind of numbers.
He isn’t the only piece coach Ashlyn Brantley will need to replace as all-conference players Cole Wedekind (defenseman), Kemper York (goalkeeper) and Spencer Klopfer (midfielder) graduated.
The Pirates went 17-6 last year and went a perfect 10-0 in the Suburban Conference Blue Division play, claiming the league title.
Citizen file photo
Platte County’s Blake Cochran, left, hits a shot late in the first half vs. Smithville in a game last year at Pirate Stadium. Cochran is one of a handful of returning starters for the Pirates this fall.
Platte County will return nine players from last year, eight of who earned all-conference or all-district honors or in some cases both.
Senior forward/midfielder Blake Cochran (9 goals/17 assists) and junior defender/midfielder Carter Hays (3 goals) were both first-team all-conference and all-district last year.
Junior forward/midfielder Tanner Ride is the second top returning scorer, with seven goals and earned second-team all-conference/all-district pick.
Also returning is second-team all-conference selections Colton Grisham, Hans Thyssen, Grant Allen, Andrew Pierce and honorable mention pick Jake Havemeier. Grisham (senior midfielder), Thyssen (senior midfielder), Allen (junior defender) and Pierce (senior defender) were all-district picks as well.
Newcomers to the varsity expected to battle for playing time include Zach Szabo, Jackson Hughey, Ian Long, Calvin Forrester, Joey Habel, Isaac Havemeier, Luke Bunge and Gabe Washington.
“We will be successful by working together and looking to possess,” said Brantley, who will be assisted by DJ Lugo and Kiel Giese. “Keeping the game simple, yet unpredictable will be a goal for the season. We won conference last year so we have to prepare ourselves for the fight each team is going to bring us.
“We are going to focus on doing everything together, as a team. That is what is going to get us through the season.”
The conference will see a shift in teams as the league will go from six teams to seven and three teams were shifted around. Belton was shifted up to the White Division, while Smithville and Grain Valley joins the Blue.
The addition of Smithville will not only bring a natural Highway 92 rivalry due to proximity, but also the past. Platte County made the postseason in 2014 and 2016, but seven out of nine years, Smithville beat the Pirates to end their season – dating back to 2009.
Last year, the Warriors beat Platte County twice, in double overtime in the regular season and then in the district finals.
“Smithville has been added to our conference (from the Midland Empire Conference), so that is always a tough match and rival,” Brantley said. “I’m interested to see how the conference will change with the new teams. I expect to have a high level of competition, as always, and will not take any team lightly.”