Platte County’s Ahoy Victore had two goals in the 3-1 district semifinals victory over Smithville.
For the ninth time in the last 11 years, the Platte County boys’ soccer team has advanced to play in a district championship.
After falling to Smithville in the Class 3 District 16 Championship Game last fall – and splitting the regular season series this year – the Pirates got revenge by eliminating the Warriors in the Class 3 District 8 Semifinals on Nov. 1. The tournament is at Platte County High School and the home team bested the No. 3 seed, 3-1.
The Pirates entered the postseason with a 17-3 record, which locked them in as the No. 2 seed, before defeating Kearney 3-0 in the first round on Oct. 30. Platte County took down Smithville 1-0 in double overtime on Oct. 14 and the Warriors won the second matchup, 1-0, on Oct. 25, with the road team winning both games.
It was a different story in the postseason contest as the home team scored two consecutive goals before Smithville snuck one past Patrick Sullivan in the second half. Both teams had some good looks in the opening half, but couldn’t find the back of the net, as the district contest was scoreless at the break.
A free kick from Pirate senior Isaac Havemeier broke the 0-0 tie in the 48th minute when the ball slipped through the net. Platte County doubled its lead with another score in the 55th minute as Ahoy Victore scored off an assist by Palmer Boekhout
Late in the game, it got a bit chippy with senior Nathan Macaluso being given his second yellow card after an infraction on a free kick. The Pirates lost a player and then their assistant coach, who argued after the play, as Smithville capitalized with a goal in the 72nd minute, but the Pirates didn’t back down.
In the 76th minute, the Pirates extended their lead with a 24-yard free kick from Luke Bunge that bounced off a Smithville player and into the goal, as the Warriors trailed, 3-1. Platte County has moved on to play top-seeded Guadalupe Centers Charter (11-6) in the district championship on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m.