Thomas Huitt-Johnson
Special to the Citizen
For the second time in three years Platte County reached the championship game of the Grain Valley Sonic Showdown.
The Pirates upended the top-seeded and host Eagles in the semifinals before falling to St. Michael the Archangel in the title game on Saturday, Feb. 1.
Platte County improved its record to 9-8 with the two victories.
The week started with a 66-60 win over Oak Grove on Tuesday, Jan. 28, where the Pirates rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit. Platte County tallied 21 points in the third quarter to pull within two.
In the fourth, an 18-10 scoring advantage gave Platte County the victory. Joey Schultz scored 19 points, while Brody Fulk (14) and Jaden Burnett (13) joined him by scoring in double digits.
Fulk led Platte County with eight rebounds and had three assists, tied for a team high with Burnett and Jace Trimble. Schultz added six rebounds.
In the semifinal game on Thursday, Jan. 30, the Pirates knocked off Grain Valley, 66-52.
The Eagles (13-6) were held to only 17 points in the first half by the Pirates, who built a 16-point lead at the break.
Dylan Minshall scored 19 points (with two 3-pointers), had four rebounds and three assists. Daunte Alaiwat had 11 points as well for Platte County.
In the championship game on Saturday, the Guardians (15-4) outscored the Pirates by 10 points in the second and third quarters to secure the 67-61 victory.
Schultz led three Pirates in double figures with 16 points, including a 3-pointer. Minshall had 14 and Burnett had 12.
Park Hill
The Trojans went 1-2 last week. On Thursday, Jan. 30, Park Hill beat Lee’s Summit North 74-60 in a Suburban Gold Division game. Losses were to Blue Springs, 63-57, on Tuesday, Jan. 28 and to Lincoln College Prep, 61-60, in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Basketball Classic at Notre Dame de Sion on Saturday, Feb. 1.
No stats were provided for any of these games by deadline.
Park Hill South
The Panthers split a pair of games last week, throttling St. Joseph Central, 52-29, on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Then, Park Hill South lost 48-46 to Liberty North in overtime on Friday, Jan. 31 in Liberty.
No stats were provided for either game by deadline.
Up Next
Platte County: The Pirates played at Raytown South on Tuesday, Feb. 4, but results were not available by press time. Platte County hosts Kearney on Friday, Feb. 7, not long after the teams played a 3-overtime game that the Bulldogs won. Then, league play continues with a home game against Smithville on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Park Hill: The Trojans will have three Suburban Gold games in a week-span. On Tuesday, Feb. 4, Park Hill hosted Blue Springs South but results weren’t available by press time. On Friday, Feb. 7, the Trojans will travel to Lee’s Summit West before hosting Lee’s Summit North on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Park Hill South: The Class 5 No. 9-ranked Panthers played at Lee’s Summit on Tuesday, Feb. 4 in a Suburban Red game but results were not available by press time. The Panthers play a non-division game on Friday, Feb. 7 against Lee’s Summit North before playing Liberty in a key matchup on the road on Tuesday, Feb. 11 in a Suburban Red game. The Blue Jays are ranked No. 8 in Class 5.