Platte County R-3 Sports
The Park Hill South girls basketball team are champions of the Winnetonka Tournament Cardinal Division for the first time since 2021, defeating district rival Park Hill in the championship game on Dec. 5.
Prior to celebrating a second consecutive state title, Platte County celebrated six senior football standouts who signed to play at the collegiate level on Dec. 3 at Platte County High School.
For the second straight year — and the seventh time this century — the Platte County Pirates are headed to the state title game after overpowering Kirkwood 64–35 in a semifinal victory on Nov. 28 in suburban St. Louis.
The Platte County football team delivered in the clutch once again in a playoff thriller on Nov. 21, riding a seven-touchdown outburst from senior quarterback Rocco Marriott with junior linebacker Hank Fowler forcing a pair of late turnovers to outlast Grain Valley 46–33 in a rainy state quarterfinal win that featured five lead changes and more than 800 yards of offense.
For the first two quarters, Platte County looked nothing like the team that had dominated its schedule the past two seasons. The Pirates stumbled through an uncharacteristically flat first half while Rockhurst seized its opportunity to take the lead into halftime. But the top seed’s fortune — and urgency — flipped after halftime as Platte County mounted a determined comeback to defeat No. 2-seeded Rockhurst 29-22 on Nov. 14 and claim a second straight Class 5 District 8 crown.
In perhaps the most challenging matchup all season long for Platte County, the Pirates still managed another blowout victory in a 42-0 Class 5 District 8 semifinal triumph against No. 4-seeded St. Pius X.
Led by four all-district finishers and a balanced team effort, the Park Hill South boys cross country team punched its ticket back to the Class 5 MSHSAA Championships with a fourth-place finish on Nov. 1 at the District 4 meet held at Lee’s Summit North High School.
A night of much frustration for Platte County’s boys soccer team ended with jubilation after Ian Matthews scored the sudden-death goal in double overtime on Oct. 15 against William Chrisman.
Platte County star senior quarterback Rocco Marriott joined an exclusive club of eight 11-man football members in Missouri by throwing his 100th career touchdown on Oct. 17 in the Pirates’ senior night 70-6 demolition of Ruskin.
Platte County reasserted its doubles dominance in the Class 2 District 4 girls tennis tournament held on Oct. 10 at Platte County High School.
Park Hill’s Makenna Kincheloe won conference and was among the area girls golf teams to compete in their respective conference and district tournaments.
The stands of Pirate Stadium were packed to see top-ranked Class 5 juggernaut Platte County showcase yet another dominant performance on homecoming as they extended their winning streak to 20 games, defeating No. 6-ranked Class 4 power Smithville 49-7.
The Platte County softball team is looking to build some momentum going into the final stretch of the regular season.
It was a slow start to the 2025 season for Platte County’s boys soccer team, but an offensive splurge briefly pushed them over .500 for the first time since 2023.
The 2025 volleyball season has gotten off to a challenging start for Platte County, but the challenges have presented opportunities for progress heading into the final month of the regular season.
The Pirates of Platte County boys swim team defeated the Pirates of Belton by a score of 504-308 in a dual held at Platte County Community Center South in Platte City on Sept. 23.
The Park Hill girls golf team celebrated senior night in grand fashion with a tri victory against Park Hill South and Platte County on Sept. 17 at Tiffany Greens Golf Course.
Though the record may not show it, the Platte County boys soccer team has shown progress despite losing four of its first five games. The Pirates lost all three matches in the Park Hill Invitational to start the season, but earned their first victory on Sept. 8, handing Park Hill its first loss of the season.
The Platte County Pirates football team leveraged a big first half to carry them to a 54-23 victory against Grain Valley on Sept. 5 at Pirate Stadium.
The defending Class 5 state champion Platte County Pirates began their bid for a repeat with a decisive 56-7 road victory over William Chrisman on Friday, Aug. 31, in Independence.
The cross country season got underway with local athletes racing at Capitol Federal Sports Complex in Liberty for the Tim Nixon Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 30.
The defending champions are back and Platte County believes the story is far from over. After a flawless 14-0 season that ended with the program’s fourth state football title last December, the Pirates enter 2025 with the biggest prize still in their sights. They’ve been here before — their first championship in 2000 sparked a three-year run of dominance — and they’re hoping history repeats itself.
The Platte County girls’ tennis team will be under new, yet familiar, leadership this season as former boys player-turned-assistant coach Scott Blakely takes the helm.
The Platte County boys soccer team lost some talent, but a quartet of senior leaders remain for 2025 as they embark on a new season with an experienced midfield.
Boys and girls cross country runners from Platte County are preparing for another season of distance races with both teams returning state medalists from last year.
The Platte County softball team is reunited for the 2025 season with hopes of competing for its first state championship since 2008.
The three-peat district champion Platte County girls volleyball team enters the 2025 season with plans of another deep postseason run.
The Platte County boys swim team is gearing up for another season in the pool with the same goals as they have every fall.
The Platte County girls golf team is coming off a second-place conference finish last year, but a smaller squad will alter the focus early on in the season.
Recent Sport Headlines
Sports Photo Galleries
News Photo Galleries

Nothing could remove the Platte County Pirates from their throne at the summit of MSHSAA Class 5. The Pirates cemented their place in history on Friday, Dec. 5, defeating Carthage 34-28 in overtime to claim their second consecutive Class 5 state championship on the campus of Missouri Western State University. With the victory, Platte County completed another undefeated season and lifted the fifth state title in program history in front of a packed Spratt Stadium listed at a capacity of 7,200.