Drew Aggus
Special to the Citizen
KEARNEY, Mo. — The Platte County Pirates won the Class 3 District 16 championship after defeating the Smithville Warriors, 2-0, on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The Warriors are the only team who has beaten the one-loss Pirate squad, winning in a PK shootout back in late October. Not only that, but the Warriors had knocked out the Pirates in each of the past two postseasons.
At halftime, the game was tied 0-0, as both defenses held strong. Pirates head coach Ashlyn Brantley wanted to win this game as quickly as possible and not allow the Warriors to get another opportunity with extra minutes.
“We didn’t want to go into overtime or PKs,” Brantley said. “We wanted to finish this in regulation.”
And finish it in regulation they did. Calvin Forrester broke the 0-0 tie in the 71st minute, kicking in a goal. Just minutes later, Chase Peterson added on another goal to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead, which they would hold on to, capturing the district crown for the first time in three years.
Brantley knew that breaking the tie was all that they needed to get the momentum back on their side.
“That first one gave us that extra oomph to keep going,” Brantley said. “It was important to stay connected and work as a team and know when to step and when to drop off, but communication was the main key, and I think that they executed that very well.”
Forrester, who broke the tie, is extremely confident in his team’s ability to keep rolling. He credited the win to the team’s coaching, practice and chemistry.
“I think (the chemistry) is great this year,” Forrester said. “Last year, it was lacking a little bit. This year, even if we don’t have one star player, I think we can really go far.”
With this win, Platte County moves on to sectionals to play Van Horn. The last time that the Pirates were in sectionals — 2016 — they lost to the East (Kansas City) Bears. Platte County is 0-3 in playoff games, with other berths coming in 2000 and 2014. The game will be at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, a day later than normally slated due to weather issues.
DREW AGGUS/Special to the Citizen
The Platte County soccer team pose for a photo after winning the Class 3 District 16 championship on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at Kearney High School. The district title is the fourth in the program history.