Kansas City Star • 22nd April 2026

Kansas City Comets forward Rian Marques wins MASL MVP after career year

Rian Marques’ rise from a promising piece to the centerpiece of the Kansas City Comets’ offense has reached a new peak. The 30-year-old forward was named the 2025-26 Most Valuable Player in the Major Arena Soccer League, capping a dominant season in which he emerged as the league’s most complete attacking force. Marques becomes the sixth MVP in more than four decades of professional indoor soccer in Kansas City and the fourth in the modern Comets era, joining a group that includes Leo Gibson (...

The Platte County Citizen • 4th February 2026

North Platte slays Dragons to end decade-long title drought

As expected, both offenses came out ready to fly in the championship game. The early signs were optimistic for North Platte as senior star Brenden Matt hit a triple out of the gate, which turned into a four-point play after getting fouled and making the free throw.While North Platte eventually built an early 8-3 lead, Mid-Buchanan displayed just how lethal they are from deep. They hit four triples in the first quarter, including a buzzer-beater from midcourt to tie it up 15-15.North Platte’s big...

The Platte County Citizen • 31st December 2025

Trailblazing Era: Park Hill ‘87-’00 volleyball dynasty honored

For many of the program alumnae in attendance, the induction was as much a reunion as it was a celebration. More than two dozen alumni from the era gathered, with some seeing each other for the first time in more than 20 years and others meeting for the first time despite having shared the same legacy. The current Park Hill volleyball program was also represented, including head coach Lindsey Hood and several players, reinforcing the direct line between past and present.Debbie Fay, who served as...

The Platte County Citizen • 17th December 2025

Marriott crowned Simone Award winner, Stevens and Dixon also honored

Platte County High School was much more vibrant than it had ever been on a surprisingly pleasant December morning last week.There was more than just students, teachers, staff and administrators on campus on Tuesday, Dec. 9. There were parents and families, joined by elite athletes of past and present, capped off by the appearance of Super Bowl IV winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Bell.Rather than filling classrooms, students fled to the gymnasium alongside the additional guests for a c...

The Platte County Citizen • 10th December 2025

Back-2-Back: Platte County defends State Title

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.Whil...

The Platte County Citizen • 15th October 2025

West Platte conquers East Buchanan

The homecoming crowd in Weston witnessed a West Platte victory against East Buchanan for the first time in 15 years on Oct. 10, ending a streak of 18 consecutive defeats to their KCI Conference rival.The Blue Jays didn’t just win, but they won in ruthless and emphatic fashion to defeat the Bulldogs 50-7. In what was building up to be a big matchup between teams sitting with .500 records, West Platte never let up.“Our coaches gave us a really good speech to never let down and remember how they ha...

The Platte County Citizen • 15th October 2025

Platte County captures district doubles title

Platte County reasserted its doubles dominance in the Class 2 District 4 girls tennis tournament held on Oct. 10 at Platte County High School.The tandem of Ellie Kaser and Macie Keith won the program’s third district doubles title in four years, earning a spot in the state tournament later this month in Springfield.After benefiting from a first-round bye as the top seed, Kaser and Keith worked quickly to extinguish No. 9-seeded Reese Williams and Kelsi Carter in their quarterfinal matchup 6-0, 6...

The Platte County Citizen • 10th September 2025

Hometown dream begins for Royals’ Carter Jensen

Already against the odds, the Angels gave Jensen more time for the nerves to set in during a mound visit. Jensen missed on the first pitch he saw and took his second strike before taking a couple of balls to even the count at 2-2, then struck out on a cutter thrown at 94 miles per hour.“I really just kind of tried to soak it in,” Jensen said of his debut. “The fans were cheering and my family was up there supporting me and all that, so I tried to soak it all in and get locked in for the at-bat.”...

The Platte County Citizen • 3rd September 2025

Defending champs handle adversity, rout Chrisman

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.That victory didn’t come without some adversity. Earlier Friday morning, as the Pirates settled into their gameday routine, they were forced to adjust.After city officials alerted the Platte County School District that a gas line had been struck on Thomas Drive, high school students were relocated to the Platte City YM...

The Platte County Citizen • 30th July 2025

One call away from a Royals homecoming

Jensen, who bats left and throws right, helped the Trojans baseball team jump back above .500 during his time at Park Hill. In his senior year, Jensen led the Trojans to a 21-8 record to earn all-conference honors after batting .387, but the future professional was left off the all-state accolades.Jensen’s rise through the minor league system has been swift but not without challenges. He signed with the Royals in 2021 after they selected him in the third round of the MLB Draft, just weeks after...

The Platte County Citizen • 16th July 2025

Field of Dreams ignites imaginations

If anyone knows how to throw a memorable milestone birthday party, it’s Rogers Strickland.The Weston resident transformed a quiet patch of farmland off Countryside Road into a full-blown 1920s-era baseball field for his 75th birthday celebration on July 12. Just like he did for his 50th birthday in 2000, and several years after that, Strickland brought his own version of a “Field of Dreams” to life, complete with vintage charm, community spirit, and a touch of baseball magic.Inspired by childhoo...

The Platte County Citizen • 11th June 2025

Shock the State: Platte County crowned State champs in stunning fashion

The Platte County baseball team left all in shock as they won the program’s third Class 5 state championship on June 7 at the 75th annual MSHSAA Baseball Championships at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex.It wasn’t particularly shocking that the Pirates won, but the way they won — against a St. John Vianney team entering with a record of 38-1 and ranked No. 1 in the state — left everyone flabbergasted.Platte County wasn’t just victorious — it was relentless. Down 4-2 heading into the bottom of the f...

The Platte County Citizen • 4th June 2025

Double Clutch: McLaughlin's walkoff heroics send Pirates to State

Platte County mounted a comeback from a 3-0 deficit in Game Three, completing the comeback in the sixth inning when Brennan McLaughlin hit a two-RBI double to center field. With opportunities to win it, the Pirates stalled four runners in scoring position in the final two innings to force extra innings.The top of the ninth went bonkers for the Pirates as they conceded two runs, trailing 5-3 as they were down to their final three outs of the season. After a ground out and a fly out in the bottom...

The Platte County Citizen • 28th May 2025

Golden Again: North Platte rallies for four-peat State Championship

For the fourth straight year, the North Platte girls track and field team returned home from Jefferson City as state champions — and this one may have been the most thrilling of them all.The Panthers captured their fourth consecutive title at the 50th MSHSAA Girls Track & Field Championships on May 23 and 24, becoming just the seventh girls program in state history to accomplish a four-peat. The championship wasn’t clinched until the very last event of the meet.“The work of this team through the...

The Platte County Citizen • 21st May 2025

Diano delivers as Pirates punch Final Four ticket

With the season hanging in the balance and silence sweeping across the Platte County High School tennis courts, all eyes locked on Platte County’s No. 5 singles player Jake Diano on Monday, May 13.

The Platte County Citizen • 14th May 2025

Statement Made: Park Hill tennis sweeps way to district crown

The Park Hill boys tennis team didn’t just repeat as district champions — they did so in dominant fashion.The top-seeded Trojans swept No. 4 Park Hill South 5-0 in the semifinals on May 6, then repeated that same score against No. 2 Liberty in the Class 3 District 8 championship on May 8.Unlike last season’s dramatic 5-4 win over Liberty as the No. 2 seed, Park Hill controlled this year’s championship from start to finish.The Trojans reshuffled their doubles pairings and still managed to dominat...

The Platte County Citizen • 30th April 2025

Park Hill to the Pros: Jaylin Noel selected in 3rd Round of NFL Draft

Jaylin Noel couldn’t hold back his emotions on Friday, April 25, when he picked up the phone and heard Houston Texans executive vice president and general manager Nick Caserio on the line. It was the moment Noel had been anxiously awaiting the news that the Texans were selecting him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.“It was surreal,” Noel said. “As a little kid, you dream of that call. Just to hear him say how excited they were to be able to draft me; to be there at that position and that...

The Platte County Citizen • 25th April 2025

Hudson’s golden goal ends Park Hill rivalry drought

Under the glow of the stadium lights and the weight of four years of frustration, Park Hill found redemption in the 85th minute as Maryn Hudson rose to strike a header to lead the Trojans past Park Hill South for the first time in 1,474 days.The Trojans concluded their drought against their storied rival with a dominant performance before Hudson's sudden-death header to win it in overtime, although they would have preferred to end it in regulation by taking a couple of chances they created in th...

The Platte County Citizen • 26th February 2025

Shute, MacCuish lead Platte County at Districts

Jaxson Shute and Evan MacCuish are Class 3 District 4 champions for the Platte County boys wrestling team and are among the Pirates’ 10 state qualifiers. Platte County finished third as a team, just as last year with two individual champions, scoring 178 team points in this year’s district wrestling tournament at Belton High School on Feb. 21-22. The Pirates lost out to first-place St. Pius X (Kansas City) and second-place Kearney. Shute made the jump from 106 pounds last year, where he won his...

The Platte County Citizen • 26th February 2025

Park Hill South swim to State Title

Park Hill South’s girls swim and dive team are the Missouri Class 2 State champions — again. After claiming the pro- gram’s first state title last year, the Panthers swam in record-breaking time to claim the back-to-back title on Friday, Feb. 21, concluding the two-day championship event at the City of St. Peters Rec- Plex in St. Peters, Mo. “Having that first one makes you believe you can do it again,” Panthers head coach Bill Busen- hart said. “It’s a different type of special. Going back-to-b...