As 2011 winds to its inexorable close, so too does another year in sports.
Plenty happened in the sports arena, from our local high school teams to college and finally the pros. Following are my comments about each — ranging from what has happened to what is happening to what I think will happen in 2012.
As 2011 winds to its inexorable close, so too does another year in sports. Plenty happened in the sports arena, from our local high school teams to college and finally the pros. Following are my comments about each — ranging from what has happened to what is happening to what I think will happen in 2012.
The 2011 high school sports scene was ushered in with an exciting run to the state’s final four playoffs by the North Platte girls basketball team. The Lady Panthers were forced to settle for fourth place, but, with several starters back for the 2011-12 season, including all-state senior Emilee Buckler, North Platte should growl once again.
Other area high school hoops teams that could make some noise in the coming weeks include the Platte County boys team, which features nine seniors, including the high-flying Jaron Rollins, sharpshooting Trevor Myers and blue-collar big men Brendan Conner and Jordan Mitchell; and the West Platte boys team, which is living proof that the bigger the better – the Jays starting five averages over 6-feet, 2-inches, including 6-9 sophomore Bryce Cashman and 6-5 sophomore Adam Roe.
On the wrestling mat, Platte County had its lowest team state tournament showing in years, but celebrated a three time-champ, Skylar Wood, who is a favorite to join the state’s short list of four-time champs in February. The Pirates got off to a strong start before the winter break and may make some noise behind such senior leaders as Wood, Cody and Brett Poos, David Miller, Brendan Bredeson and Jon Knopp. Park Hill, meanwhile, returns several key grapplers from last year’s third-place team, including senior Nolan Smith, juniors Russ Coleman and Paxton DiBlasi and sophomore John Erneste. Park Hill South, which had a breakout season and sent a program-high six wrestlers to state, should also be strong with returners Alex Fortuna, Brett Rounkles and Jimmy Carpenter leading the way.
The area’s spring sports season featured plenty of Platte County, North Platte, Park Hill and Park Hill South track, soccer, tennis and golf action, but was highlighted by the West Platte baseball team, which thrilled its fans with a high-scoring team that advanced to the state quarterfinals. The Jays should be fun to watch this spring once again as a 2011 core of Todd Brown, Jared Meyer, Luke Wetzel, Logan Moose and Dylan Guthrie return.
The 2011 high school football season had its usual share of highlights. Platte County fielded one of the most exciting and high-scoring teams in the area, with senior quarterback Krae Kelso racking up big numbers that earned him the Frank Fontana Award, given annually to the KC Metro’s best small-class player. West Platte also put together an offensive juggernaut behind Wetzel at quarterback, Guthrie at running back and a slew of big-play receivers, but could not get past East Buch, which won two matchups with the Jays on its way to a Class 1 title game appearance. North Platte had a solid season behind such playmakers as senior running back/linebacker Zach Emmendorfer and quarterback Levi Hill, but the Panthers missed out on a playoff berth, as did Park Hill and Park Hill South, who were hit hard by injuries.
Looking ahead to the 2012 gridiron season is hard to do at this point – as with most years, all the County teams will have to deal with significant losses, none bigger than the Pirates losing Kelso to graduation. We’ll revisit this issue late in 2012. Other 2011 fall sports teams that had notable seasons include the West Platte, Park Hill South and Platte County volleyball teams, the Park Hill South soccer team and the West Platte boys cross country team.
As we are in the midst of college football’s bowl season, my comments will focus primarily on that. For starters, it was good to see Missouri take a worthy foe to the woodshed in Monday night’s 41-24 whipping of North Carolina in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. The Tigers can hold their heads high with a four-game winning streak to end their final Big 12 season. Of course, in the biggest college story of the season in these parts, Missouri, much to the consternation of the KC (Lawrence East) mainstream media, agreed a few months back to join the Southeastern Conference, where it will begin competing in 2012. As I have said many times, Kansas City is now beginning to realize that it needs Mizzou more than Mizzou needs it. Look for some Tiger Paw kissing as what should be an incredibly exciting and historic MU football season approaches next fall.
A packed house was on hand last Friday at Park Hill South for not only the rivalry boys basketball game between the Panthers and Park Hill, but also the festivities that came with courtwarming weekend. Both schools’ fans came out in full and the game that played out between the two teams did not disappoint as the rising temperature in the gym matched the competition on the court.
Park Hill came into the game an underdog, but started strong, amassing a 9-2 lead at one point before Park Hill South narrowed the margin to a one point deficit at 17-16 going into halftime. While Park Hill came out clearly motivated, this was escalated by their quality start, just one sign these two teams rarely need inspirational speeches to get the players fired up.
There were two notable differences between Platte County’s game Jan. 27 versus Kearney and Jan. 30 versus Excelsior Springs. For starters, the Pirates suffered a hard-to-swallow loss to Kearney and then nearly doubled up Excelsior in a win Monday night in Platte City.
Just as notable was the free throw shooting — in the Kearney game, the two teams were whistled for 52 personal fouls and shot a combined 69 free throws in the Bulldogs’ 58-56 victory. In the Pirates’ 71-39 runaway win over Excelsior, just 28 free throws were shot between the two teams.
The ball lingered on the rim and... and... and... slipped off the iron, dropping to the floor as the buzzer blared to end the game. That last-second shot the North Platte girls missed from point-blank range really wouldn’t have mattered.
But add up their other misfires from in close — the more than a dozen lay-ups they failed to convert — and, collectively, all those points the Lady Panthers left off the scoreboard mattered a whole lot as they lost their home tournament’s championship contest, 49-40, to Jefferson last Saturday afternoon. Seeing his team struggle to tally 12 second-half points gave North Platte coach Karl Matt déjá vu.
After more than three weeks playing games on the road, the West Platte boys basketball team is ready to step back on its home court this week.
The Bluejays, fresh off a third-place showing at the Hamilton Tournament last week, were scheduled to play host to Afrikan Centered Education High School on Jan. 31. Of more concern to West Platte, however, is the team that will visit Weston this Friday — KCI Conference rival East Buchanan.
For the third time this season, North Platte’s boys basketball team rebounded from a first-round loss to take fifth-place in a tournament — this time their own North Platte Tournament contested last week.
For a short-handed squad, the Platte County High School wrestling team turned in a solid showing at the Blue Springs South Tournament last weekend. The Pirates came in fourth out of 12 teams and sent three wrestlers to the finals of their respective weight classes.
But Pirates head coach Phil Dorman said his team is still battling injuries and illness problems. And, with the Class 3 District 4 Tournament looming Feb. 10-11 at Staley High School, he said those problems need to be rectified.
The Platte County girls swim team is heading into the Suburban Conference meet this Friday and Saturday at Gladstone Aquatics Center on a high note.
The Lady Pirates won a three-team meet Jan. 26 at St. Joseph Central. Two days before they took second out of six teams at the Winnetonka Meet.
Event winners at St. Joseph Central were the medley relay team of Anais Romero-Rios, Rachael Hackler, Olivia Crider and Valery Snyder, Crider in the 200 individual medley, Romero-Rios in the 100 butterfly, Schlimm in the 200 freestyle, Snyder in the 500 free, the 200 free relay team of Reilly Halter, Taylor
Montgomery, Hackler and Schlimm, and Crider in the 100 backstroke and 400 free.
Highlights at Winnetonka included Crider, third in the 200 free, Schlimm, third in the 200 IM and the 200 free relay team’s third place finish.Preliminary heats of the conference meet will begin at 4 p.m Friday with finals slated for 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Platte County Middle School wrestling program representing Platte City Middle and Barry Middle had 38 seventh and eighth grade wrestlers this season. The middle school team is coached by Steve Rolofson, Jamar Parrish, and Daniel Beshears.
Pictured are 23 of the wrestlers along with their championship trophy from the 2nd Annual Platte County Middle School Invitational held Dec. 10, 2011. Front row, from left — Coach Beshears, Zach Lienemann, Payton Anderson, Solomon Rush, Bryce Beardon, Luke Rodgers, Zach Rolofson, Coach Rolofson; back row, from left — Kyle Kaiser, Colin Saale, Dalton Grenier, Jordan Hendricks, Noah Stallo, Derek Kohler, Spencer Kunz, George McMillian, Jaron Hoegler, Jackson Baber, Skylar Crossland, Sam Johnson, Lane Buckler, Anthony Donnelli, Matt Boren, Willie Smith, Austin Shoemaker, Coach Parrish. Not pictured: Jacob Allen, Tyler Blankenship, Tyran Claggett, Rex Essig, John Gallamore, Denzyl Harris, Dash Hinkle, Casey Jumps, Javier Lopez, Chance Masoner, Jordan Olinger, Tyler O’Roark, Jakob Ray, Trevor Sluder, Dayne Stone and Manager Kortney Rogers.
A Platte City area youth football team won its fifth straight league title recently. The 5th-6th grade Pirates, who have played together for several years, won their division’s Superbowl in the Midland Empire Youth Football League. The Pirates were 8-0 in league play, defeated the East Side Warriors in the semifinal playoffs and topped Savannah 8-6 in the
Superbowl.
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