The Platte County boys basketball team's season came to an end on Wednesday, March 5, after a Class 5 District 8 quarterfinal defeat on the road against Pembroke Hill.
The Pirates, entering the postseason as the No. 6 seed in the district, had a tough start as the No. 3 seeded Red Raiders doubled Platte County up to take a 16-8 lead thanks to a 3-pointer from Pembroke Hill at the first-quarter buzzer. Pembroke Hill continued its dominance in the second quarter as they went up double-digits to take a 33-20 lead into the halftime break.
Facing an early elimination, Platte County didn't go down without some fight. They managed to stop the bleeding in the third as they trailed 50-37 going into the final frame.
The Pirates' late comeback bid was steered away by the Red Raiders as Platte County suffered a 67-53 defeat to end their season.
Jaden Peterson capped off his high school career with a 21-point performance, just enough to become the ninth player in program history to hit the 1,000-point milestone before his Platte County career concluded.
He did so after receiving a pass from junior Braiden Stevens, turning and taking advantage after his defender overcommitted as Peterson drove toward the basket before finishing with his left hand.
While Peterson can hit the 3-ball, all his success against Pembroke Hill came on the inside. The 6-foot-6 guard hit eight buckets from the field and was 5 of 6 from the free-throw line, concluding his remarkable senior season with a career-high 530 points and 1,003 points all time.
After going exactly .500 last season, Platte County returned under .500 this season. They finished the season with an overall record of 10-17, losing six of its final seven games.
In addition to Peterson, Platte County will lose four other seniors after they graduate in May.