SPORTSWEEKLY

10-24-12 - Sports_8-8-12 - Sports.qxd 10/23/2012 6:30 PM Page 1

October 24, 2012 COMPLETE COUNTY COVERAGE Page B1

T h e C i t i z e n s

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EXCEEDING
EXPECTATIONS

Platte Countys run to conference

title, top district seed has been
impressive... and surprising
LEE STUBBS
CITIzEN EDITOR

Coming into this season, there were plenty of question

marks surrounding the Platte County High School football team.
At the top of the list was this: how were the Pirates
going to fill the void left by the loss of 17 starters, particularly all-everything quarterback Krae Kelso? Not far
down the list were questions about the Platte County running game and its
defense.
Consider all
those questions
answered
and
with an exclamation point, to
boot.
Platte County
d e f e a t e d
Raytown South
25-13 last Friday
at
Pirates
Stadium
and
improved to 7-2
on the season.
JASONLAWRENCE/CitizenPhoto
With the win, the Park
Hill
Souths
Ronnie
Pirates wrapped Bertlesmeyer added a TD run in the
up their first Panthers 45-17 win, SEE PAGE B3.
S u b u r b a n
Conference Blue Division championship and also earned
the top seed in the Class 4 District 8 standings. Platte
County will play host to eighth-seeded St. Joseph Benton
in the first round of the state playoffs at 7 p.m. Thursday
at Pirates Stadium.
Senior lineman Trent Sluder said he and his teammates
have proven the Pirates are for real.
People had doubts at the start of the year about us
no matter what, there are always doubters, Sluder said.

PH SOUTH IS
KING OF THE HILL

LEESTUBBS/CitizenPhoto

Football playoff brackets set

Platte Countys Austin Gilbert stiff-armed his way past a Raytown South defender during last Fridays 25-13 win that
locked up both the conference title and No. 1 seed in the Class 4 District 8 tournament for the Pirates.

JASON LAWRENCE
CITIzEN STAFF

The regular season is over and

every game is now a must win as
Week 10 kicks off district play.
Platte County drew the top seed in
the Class 4 District 8 tournament
after going 7-2 and winning the
Suburban Conference Blue title. The
Pirates host St. Joseph Benton (1-8) at
7 p.m. Thursday. The Cardinals come
into the game on a seven game losing
streak after picking up their only win
Aug. 31 against Grain Valley.
If the Pirates win, they would face
the winner of the Liberty North-St.
Joseph Lafayette game Oct. 31 at
Pirates Stadium. Platte County lost to

Liberty North 33-22 Oct. 5.

The Class 4 District 8 championship game will be played Nov. 5
with highest remaining seed hosting.
West Platte and North Platte drew
the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Class
1 District 7 bracket and could meet in
the second round if both teams
advance. The Bluejays (5-4) host
Orrick (1-8) at 7 p.m. Friday while the
Panthers (4-5) host Mid-Buchanan (27) at 7 p.m. Thursday.
North Platte defeated Mid-Buch,
which is currently on a three-game
losing streak, 34-0 Sept. 7. Orrick
picked up its first win last week.
The Jays and Panthers would meet
in the second round Oct. 31 in
Weston with a spot in the district

championship game Nov. 5 at stake.

Park Hill South claimed the No. 3
seed in the Class 5 District 8 tournament by knocking off fifth seeded
Park Hill in the annual King of the
Hill game last week.
The Panthers (5-4) host Oak Park
(1-8) Thursday at 7 p.m. while Park
Hill (3-6) travels to St. Joseph Central
Friday for a rematch of their 32-29
Oct. 12 loss to the Indians (5-4).
The PH South-Oak Park winner
would head to Kearney for a matchup with the Bulldogs (6-3) Oct. 31
while the Park Hill-St. Joe Central
winner would travel to face No. 1
seed Staley (7-2) Oct. 31 with spots in
the Nov. 5 district title game on the
line.

Platte Co. soccer seniors

set sights on district title
JASON LAWRENCE
CITIzEN STAFF

With just one game left in the regular

season, the Platte County soccer teams
seniors are looking to cement their legacy
as one of the best classes to come through
the school, and if nothing else, be known
as good leaders.
We definitely want a district title,
senior captain Brandon Geiger said. We
want to beat Smithville and we want to
show that we were leaders. We havent had
good leadership in the past, so thats the
only legacy I want to leave behind that
I was a good leader.

The leadership aspect was one head

coach Ashlyn Brantley thought might be
tougher than it actually has been.
It can be a lot of leaders trying to take
over, but its actually been really good this
season, Brantley said. The team has
needed it. Theyve led very well throughout the season.
This is Brantleys first class of players
she has coached all four years, and she said
it is going to be a little sentimental when
the season comes to a close and she has to
say goodbye to her 12 seniors.
Nine of those seniors have played since

See SOCCER, PAGE B4

DISTRICT SOCCER
CLASS 2 DISTRICT 16

CLASS 3 DISTRICT 16

Oct. 29-Nov. 1 @ Platte County

Oct. 29 game 5 p.m.
No. 3 Savannah vs. No. 5 St. Joseph Benton
Oct. 30 games
No. 1 Smithville vs. No. 3 vs No. 5 winner, 5 p.m.
No. 2 Platte County vs No. 4 St. Joseph Lafayette, 7
p.m.
Final 6 p.m. Nov. 1

Oct. 27-Nov. 1 @ Staley

Oct. 27 game 2:30 p.m.
No. 3 Staley vs. No. 5 SJ Central, 4 p.m.
Oct. 27 game 2:30 p.m.
No. 2 Park Hill vs. No. 4 Oak Park, 5 p.m.
No. 1 Park Hill South vs, winner of No. 3 vs. No. 5
winner, 6:45 p.m.
Final 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1

See PIRATES, PAGE B4

DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL UNDER WAY

Platte County
outside hitter
Karlye
Horn
went up high to
spike a shot
down against
Staley in the
sixth seeded
Lady Pirates 2-1
loss to the No. 3
seed Falcons in
their first round
Class 4 District
16
game
Monday night at
Liberty North.
Platte County
finished the
season with a
16-11-5 record.
VO L L E Y BA L L
ROUNDUP, B2.
JASONLAWRENCE
CitizenPhoto