The Pirates’ talented 2021 senior class has helped take the Platte County boys’ soccer team to three straight district championships, but it was unable to win the most recent trip as the Pirates were upset by No. 4 Guadalupe Centers Charter, 3-1, on Nov. 3.
Entering the postseason contest as the No. 2 seed with nine wins in their last ten games, the Pirates were stunned when the Aztecs stole the game at Platte County High School. Guadalupe had upset top-seeded Pembroke Hill 5-3 in the district semifinals on Nov. 1 and fell to Platte County 3-0 in the regular season.
“Things change, it’s always hard to beat a team twice or more depending on how many times you play them in the season,” Platte County head coach Ashlyn Brantley said. “They have changed from then and we’ve changed from then, so we can’t expect to be playing the same team.”
Platte County senior Calvin Forrester walks off the field while Guadalupe Centers Charter players celebrate after the Pirates fell 3-1 in the Class 3 District 8 Championship on Nov. 3.
It was a defensive battle in the opening half before the Aztecs found the back of the net with 28 seconds remaining. The Pirates had a few scoring opportunities in the opening 40:00 but trailed 1-0 at the break.
Guadalupe added to its lead with a goal in the 46th minute and Platte County fell behind 3-0 with 14:01 remaining in the contest. The Pirates finally converted on a goal with 5:24 left when Platte County sophomore Gavin Nichols scored.
Platte County had some more chances to score, including a goal attempt in the 75th minute that appeared to cross the goal line, but the ref didn’t blow the whistle and Guadalupe cleared the ball in the other direction. The Pirates regained possession in the 77th minute, but they were unable to find the back of the net before the Class 3 District 8 Championship Game ended.
“I think that goal with 4:30 left would have made more of a difference than the one we gave up right before half. The pressure we could put on them then and there could have been a game changer, but it didn’t go our way,” Brantley said.
Platte County was without three starters in the district contest: Nathan Macaluso, Joseph Ibarra and Felix Victor. Macaluso received a red card in the district semifinals, so he couldn’t play in the district championship, while Ibarra and Victor were out due to COVID-19 protocols.
“It makes a difference, we need all of our players, and we want to win it as a team anyway. Having those guys out when we have been playing together all season, it makes some differences. Thankfully we have had some guys step up when we needed them,” Brantley said.
Platte County had 12 seniors this fall who helped carry them to a conference championship, 19 wins and two winning streaks of eight games or more. Since their sophomore year, the 2021 seniors have led the Pirates to a 56-12 overall record, including a 2nd place finish in Class 3 in 2019.
“I told the guys to leave here with their hands held high, you had an awesome season and the seniors have left their mark at this school in this program. They have had some major accomplishments, so we will miss them and wish them the best of luck moving forward,” Brantley said.