Trojans clinch playoff spot, look towards Indians in season's final week

A 28-3 Park Hill victory over Oak Park last week clinched the Suburban Big Six Conference championship and a playoff spot for the Trojans, putting them in position to win their ninth district title in the last ten years. The Trojans, now 8-1, will play for a district title and important first-round bye this week, but based on other district results will have a huge role in deciding who will be the second team to advance to the state playoffs.

“When you get down to this point, there are a lot of factors you don’t have control over,” Coach Greg Reynolds said looking forward. “Sometimes it comes down to breaks going your way and different matchups you get.”

The St. Joe Central Indians will meet the Trojans this Friday. The Indians come in with a 3-6 record, 1-1 in district play. Coming off a 6-3 victory last week against Park Hill South, Central will look to a successful defense of late. With their starting running back lost for the season due to a broken leg, Malkaam Muhammad and quarterback Ryan Wallace will lead the offense.

Last week, Corey Sterling hit Nick Hughes for a 43-yard pass setting up a two yard touchdown run from Sean Gorman for the game’s first score early in the first quarter. An Oak Park field goal resulting from a Nick Elmore interception in the second quarter would be the only score of the game for the Northmen. Park Hill’s Adrian Esaw caught a 10-yard touchdown reception capping off a 62-yard drive to close the first half with the Trojans up 14-3.

“We’ve gone real far, with help from the starters and getting better in practice,” Esaw said of his increased role on both sides of the ball.

“This was a good defense and some of their schemes were a problem,” Reynolds said of Oak Park’s defense. Park Hill extended the lead to 21-3 in the third quarter when Gorman scored a two-yard touchdown. A content Trojan defense kept the Northmen from creating much offensively. Interceptions byDe’Aris Flint, Adrian Esaw, and Bryan Dale ended three Northmen drives.

“It feels pretty good,” Dale said of a lineman getting an interception. “When I got the ball, it was right there and I just kept going with it.”

Dale has seen a change in his role as he has moved from the outside of the line to the inside.

“His job is to tie people up and pass rush,” Reynolds said. “He’s going to be a guy that doesn’t get the stats he has in the past, but for them running away from him most of the night, he did a pretty good job.”

Trace Norfleet added a 15-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter for the game’s final score.

As the season goes into the final stretch, it was evident last Friday that the vocal Park Hill coaching staff wouldn’t accept some of the miscues that had taken place earlier in the season.

“We’ve had a little too much of that tonight, but we’re going to get it fixed,” Reynolds said.

District football math mayhem

(insert school of choice here)

The last week of the regular season will be interesting for teams in District 11 of Class 5. Margins of victory could decide who goes home for the season and who plays on. The Class 5 playoffs begin next Wednesday, November 4th with the regional round followed by the sectional round played on Monday, November 9th. The district runner-up will play the winner of the William Chrisman/Winnetonka game (Oct. 30th) in regionals while the district champion will take on Fort Osage in sectionals after receiving a first round bye.

A two-way tie for first or second place will be determined by head to head matchups, a three-way tie will be decided by margins of victory.

Current district standings with record and margin of victory up to +/- 13 points per game:
Park Hill (2-0, +26)
St. Joe Central (1-1, +2)
Oak Park (1-1, -12)
Park Hill South (0-2, -16)

If Park Hill wins by 13 points or more over St. Joe Central and Park Hill South wins by 5 points or more over Oak Park:

Park Hill - district title, 1st round bye in playoffs
Park Hill South - runner-up, playoff spot

If PH wins by 13 points or more over Central and South wins by less than 5 points:

Park Hill - district title, 1st round by in playoffs
Oak Park - runner-up, playoff spot

If PH wins by 13 points or more over Central and South losses:

Park Hill - district title, 1st round bye in playoffs
Oak Park - runner-up, playoff spot

If PH losses and PHS losses:

3-way tie between PH, OP, and STJ for district title and runner-up will be broken by margin of victory up to +/- 13 points per game.

If Park Hill losses and PHS wins, no matter what the margin:

St. Joe Central - district title, 1st round bye in playoffs
Park Hill - runner-up, playoff spot

If Park Hill wins by less than 13 points, Park Hill South will have to win by 5 points plus however many points Park Hill losses by that are less than 13.

For example, if Park Hill wins 17-10, Park Hill South would have to win by 11 points (5+6).

Park Hill looks to clinch district title, South still alive in playoff race after matchup last week

When Park Hill and Park Hill South come together to play, you realize exactly why Park Hill District Stadium has dedicated one end-zone to a solid purple and the other, a bright red. You wished that every high school football player had the opportunity to play in a rivalry game like last Friday’s, when you saw Trojan red across from Panther purple in a matchup between two district rivals.
The nostalgia ended there though, as the game’s first sparks happened quickly. On the second play from scrimmage Park Hill’s Sean Gorman powered through the South defense for a 64-yard touchdown run. Both teams exchanged two three-and-out drives before South punted again with about 2:30 left in the first quarter before it landed at the 27-yard line where the ball hit a Trojan blocker. South picked up the ball and ran it in for what some thought was a touchdown. Officials ruled the ball was dead and PHS would gain possession at the spot. Four plays later Chris Hamilton connected with Aaron Williams for a 19-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7.
Soon after, PH’s Corey Sterling hit Nick Hughes for a 36-yard pass to set up Gorman, who dove into the end-zone for his second touchdown of the night. Several penalties and turnovers throughout the game prevented South from getting into the offensive rhythm they had hoped for. With a slip-screen in mind late in the first half, South’s Hamilton floated a pass into the hands of Park Hill’s DL Mark Rollison for an interception which allowed the Trojans to go six plays in 1:04 to score on a Corey Sterling touchdown run. The score was 21-7 with Park Hill up at the half.

“We ran the ball well and got some long drives that we may not have finished, but we ate a lot of clock,” Park Hill’s Greg Reynolds said.
South wasn’t able to convert two Park Hill fumbles into points late in the second half. Their closest opportunity came with 9:33 left in the fourth quarter. With the end-zone in sight and the ball on PH’s 15 yard line, Hamilton bobbled a bad snap allowing Park Hill’s Adrien Esaw to recover the fumble for the Trojans.

“Adrien stepped in and played really well, made some good breakups,” Reynolds said.

But the fourth quarter belonged to Trace Norfleet when he turned on the speed with touchdown runs of 66 and 59 yards. Norfleet finished with 15 carries for 202 yards along with Gorman’s 18 carries on 149 yards. As a team, they collected 415 yards rushing while only completing two passes. South added a touchdown with seconds to play when Hamilton passed to Kevan Reardon for a 22-yard touchdown grab. The final score, 35-13, improved Park Hill’s record to 7-1 while Park Hill South fell to 4-4 on the year.
This Friday, Park Hill will host Oak Park (3-5) who beat St. Joe Central (2-6) last week in a very low scoring game, 7-6. A win will secure a play-off spot for the Trojans. Last year, the Trojans pulled out a close win at Oak Park by a score of 17-14.

“Oak Park is going to be riding high after their win, and we’re going to have to handle them by worrying about ourselves and getting healthy,” Reynolds said of the Northmen.

Park Hill South, with wins in its final two games can still be playoff bound, travels to St. Joe Central. Last year, the Panthers lost to the Indians 42-35.

It's the little things that count

As sports enthusiasts, we thrive on the competition and excitement we gain from watching, playing, or coaching. Wins and losses make it sometimes easy to forget how sports wouldn’t enrich our lives as much without the important individuals that influence us in the process.
Park Hill High School lost one of these individuals early last Friday. Jerry Alexander, 52, a science teacher, assistant football coach, and JV basketball coach passed away after an extended battle with heart problems. Alexander, most well known as one of the top basketball players to ever play at Drury College in Springfield, led them to the 1979 NAIA National Championship and was inducted into the first Hall of Fame class at the school after scoring more than 2,200 points. After graduation, he postponed a professional career to become a coach and teacher.

Prior to the rivalry game against Park Hill South last week, an emotional Park Hill team joined the crowd in observing a moment of silence in remembrance of his contributions to the district. I was never able to meet Coach Alexander, but in the brief time I was able to speak with some of his colleagues last Friday night, I learned a great deal about him and it would only be fitting to let them tell you about the man, who only in his third year of teaching at Park Hill had become a favorite among students and faculty. Coach David Garrison, Varsity Basketball Coach:
“He came from Center High School. I was at Excelsior Springs and we were in the same conference where we played each other twice a year. We got to know each other pretty well and formed a good friendship from competing with each other. It was kind of fate that we ended up at Park Hill the same year and started coaching together. As a person, you couldn’t help but not like him. He always had a smile and was always joking around. There just wasn’t anybody that couldn’t get along with him.”

Bill Sobbe, Athletic Director:
“He was a great role model for our kids and expected kids to do things the right way. He expected them to get through their academic struggles and then work as hard as possible at the sport they chose. He was the greatest basketball player in the history of Drury College. What he brought to the table was a great ability to connect with students.”

Jennifer Paschall, teacher:
“Kids would come by everyday to ask how he was doing. He was always joking around and so easy to get along with. We started collecting money while he was sick and you wouldn’t believe the outpouring of support from our staff. Not just the science department or the PE department, it was everyone.

Steven Clark, senior football and basketball player:
“I played with him for two years, one of the best experiences I’ve had and I learned so much from him. He was a great basketball player when he played and an even greater man when he didn’t.”

Daniel Jessen, senior football player:
“I loved being around him, even though I wasn’t around his specialty. He still affected me in a great way that I will never forget.”

Coach Greg Reynolds, Varsity Football Coach:
“Our players came through in a very emotional game after a very tough day. We’ve got a lot of kids that were very close to him, not only on this team, but also in basketball. Coach Alexander coached with us for one year and he fit in right away because he believed in the little things. With running backs, he knew he had a lot of talented kids where the most important things to teach them was blocking, pass protection, pass routes, and the little things. Trace is going to be remembered for his two long runs tonight, but those don’t happen unless Sean Gorman, who couldn’t block like that last year, worked and drilled on it last year with Coach Alexander. In basketball, I’ve watched him coach on the little things like picks, moving your feet on defense, and not worrying about how many points you scored or how many blocked shots you had.”

Trojans, Panthers meet for annual 'King of the Hill' matchup

After containing one of the state’s top backs last week in Winnetonka’s Darrell Jobe, the Park Hill Trojans (6-1) will faceoff against Park Hill South (4-3) in the annual matchup between the two rivals to determine who will be this year’s ‘King of the Hill’. Not only will it be a battle between two district foes, it will be a battle of two very different football styles as well, with Park Hill’s power football approach going up against South’s spread offense and quick defensive strategy.
Homecoming festivities were underway last week at Park Hill as alumni and other fans joined the crowd for a large turnout. Although more fans than normal, last week will be nothing compared to this Friday’s anticipated game.

“Good to have a big crowd tonight,” coach Greg Reynolds said after Park Hill’s 35-21 victory of Winnetonka last week. “It will be double (the crowd) next week, but we’ve been there before and will be fine.”

Looking back to last week, it could have been a different game if it wasn’t for a two score swing mid-way through the third quarter. On a Winnetonka 3rd and 12 play, quarterback Nick Powell hit receiver Tyler Henley for what would have been a 76 yard touchdown play. But as Henley streaked down the sideline, Park Hill’s Corey Sterling came out of nowhere to take Henley down before reaching the goal line. The impact jarred the ball loose for De’Rion Rambo to recover the ball at the one yard line. Four plays later, Sterling, now in his role as quarterback, sent a spiral into the hands of Rambo once again as he ran untouched for an 80-yard touchdown. This put Park Hill up 28-7.
Trace Norfleet produced 109 yards on 16 carries resulting in two touchdowns behind continued quality offensive line play. After missing the previous two games, Josh Eatman came back with a renewed sense of energy as he added the Trojans final touchdown in the fourth quarter. Also back was fullback Sean Gorman. With the Trojan backfield healthy, Reynolds talked about what they bring to the field. “You’ve got one guy that’s very fast (Norfleet) and another that is slippery (Eatman),” Reynolds said. “Sean’s a good blocker and breaks people down.”
Park Hill defeated South last year 28-7 as the ‘home’ team, but this year they’ll switch sides to play as the visiting team and look at the sideline they usually hold as their own. Emotions will be running high for the game each team marks their calendars for each year.
On offense, the Panthers will look to get their pass game going with quarterback Chris Hamilton and wide receiver Austin Green. Hamilton will also be involved in the running game as a lot of the offensive schemes revolve around the quarterback’s ability to run.

“We’ll adjust to their passing game,” Park Hill linebacker Daniel Jessen said.

“We have great d-backs,” Sterling added. “I think they’re going to step it up.”

The excitement of each team’s first district game will also add to the mix. For many teams, it’s a chance for a fresh start to the season. Reynolds talked about how his kids have looked at it differently.

“We’ve made every game feel like a playoff game and the kids have taken that to heart,” Reynolds said. “We’ve used every game as a challenge to us.”

The Panthers will come in as an underdog, but with a team that came alive at this time last year to end the season 3-1 and a more experienced group of players, there’s no telling what can happen when you put the southern Platte County rivals together. One thing to be assured, the atmosphere on hand at Park Hill District Stadium on Friday will be enough to excite any sports fan.

“You don’t have to try to get us hyped, it’s already there,” Park Hill’s Sterling said.

“To beat Park Hill,” South’s Chapman Williams said earlier this year about his team’s goals.

PH, PHS softball teams both end up and down seasons with something to be proud of

To say Park Hill and Park Hill South’s softball teams seasons’ were up and down would be an understatement. Park Hill started their season with a huge victory at Oak Park, an opponent they hadn’t beaten in over a decade. But after that, they played decently before falling into a deep slump which included a nine game losing streak.

On the other side of the hill, Park Hill South started out slow with conference losses to Oak Park and Truman. Coach Josh Walker had told his team to just look ahead to districts, but after storming back, they beat Winnetonka two weeks ago on the heels of pitcher Jessica McCoy’s one-hitter to claim the school’s first conference championship in softball.

Two teams, two different seasons, but they came together this past weekend in the district semi-finals. #1 Park Hill South facing off against #4 Park Hill, who last week beat #3 St. Theresa’s to advance when Bethany Sullinger hit a walk-off solo homerun in the seventh to break a 0-0 tie.

After losing both games to South during the season, the Trojans came into the game as a slight underdog. The Trojans struck first in the bottom of the second when . South quickly struck back with a run of their own to tie it up at 1-1.

Michele Rupard hit a solo homerun in the top of the 7th to make the score 3-1. The Panthers added a run in the bottom of the 9th, leaving her at third. But Park Hill’s Kati Snodgrass struck out the next two batters to complete the upset.

“We’ve always had one player step up every game and they’re starting to believe,” Park Hill coach Stuart Sullinger said after his team’s semi-final victory. “It’s incredible to be in this situation and playing for a district title.”

“We had a great year in winning conference and setting a team record for wins,” South coach Josh Walker said on his team’s season.

Park Hill went on to play #2 Staley in the district championship, but fell short to the Falcons as the game went into extra innings and the Falcons won with a game winning walk-off homerun in the ninth inning.

Trojans, Trace to tangle with Tonka

You won’t be hearing a lot from Trace Norfleet over the next two years, but you’ll be hearing a lot about him. The soft-spoken junior running back for the Trojans won the state championship in the long-jump last spring and now he’s making noise on the football field this fall. Sharing time with senior Josh Eatman through the first four games, they served as great complements.
With Eatman out with an injury the past two weeks, Norfleet has been able to showcase what he can do. Two weeks ago against Truman, Norfleet rushed for 144 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown, and then bested his previous performance this last week against William Chrisman by gaining 169 yards on 11 carries with three touchdowns as the Trojans shutout the Bears 46-0. Keep in mind, Norfleet along with a majority of the Trojan starters only played in the first half of both games.
“Just gaining more confidence,” Norfleet said when asked what the increased carries meant.

Score aside, the game on paper may have looked closer. In the first half Chrisman held possession far longer, allowed only five first downs, and didn’t punt. This was mostly due to the Trojans’ drives resulting in long scoring plays including a Norfleet 69-yard touchdown run on the game’s second play, another Norfleet 64-yard touchdown run, and a 40-yard touchdown pass from Corey Sterling to receiver Nick Hughes. Hughes’ first touchdown catch of the season has been in the making, as him and Sterling had barely missed opportunities earlier in the season to connect on the long ball.
“It was bound to happen at some point,” Hughes said. “I think we understand each other a little more now.”

Well deserved credit should be given to the Trojan defense in their second shutout of the season. In addition to constant pressure from the defensive front, several big plays were made by LB De’Aris Flint who was involved in a pair of fumbles. DB De’Rion Rambo intercepted an early first half pass to put the Trojan offense only 20 yard away from another touchdown.
Park Hill (5-1) will come home to play Winnetonka (5-1) as a part of the school’s homecoming festivities this weekend and a chance at redemption as the Griffins edged out the Trojans 28-27 last year. Winnetonka is coming off a 21-6 victory against Truman last week. The story for the Griffins this season has been running back Darrell Jobe, who had 236 yards on 40 carries last Friday. With the amount of carries he gets, it’s no secret what the Trojan defense will be targeting this Friday.

“They’ll have a good running game and it’s always our focus to stop the run so we’ll be working really hard to do that,” Coach Greg Reynolds said. “On offense, we’re hoping to be a little more diversified with being able to run and pass.”

Park Hill Volleyball looking to pull all the parts together

Consistency. If there was one word Park Hill Volleyball coach Janell Deville could use to describe what her team needs to do to be successful, consistency would be it. As the Trojans go into the final three weeks of their season, they have seen their share of ups and downs, but are optimistic about the rest of their season.

After a victory against Raytown last week in consecutive sets (25-15, 25-7) featuring 7 kills from Alex Leggett and six digs each from Halley Knudson and Kelsey Borgardts, Deville believes her team has a lot of potential and is a lot better than their 8-10-1 record might indicate.
“We’ve got a lot of volleyball ability and experience on our team,” Deville said.

When Park Hill is playing well, their strength comes from their passing game and the attack sets that are created from it. Another area they draw success from is the excitement and ‘go-getting’ attitude they can bring to the court.
One aspect of their game the Trojans have been missing lately is the leadership and play of senior Heather Schieber, who has been troubled with an ankle injury. This has led to the opportunity for other seniors to step up who Deville has said will shape the direction of this team. They’ve also changed a few things up and moved people around, especially when it comes to underclassmen that have been expected to step in and play at a higher level.

Park Hill comes into this week in 3rd place in the conference standings with sights beginning to be set on the district tournament which starts October 26th. Although they will come in as underdogs, Deville believes anything can happen.
“Regardless of what seed we are, I think our district is wide open,” Deville said. “Some of the higher seeds can be upset by the lower seeds.”

Although only halfway through the season Deville sees some big improvements over last year, especially in regards to team cohesiveness and overall atmosphere within her program. This will play a big part for the Trojans as they head down the stretch.

Trojans keep rolling

As thrilling and emotionally draining as Park Hill’s upset victory against Liberty two weeks ago was, it wouldn’t have been surprising if the Trojans weren’t able to match the same intensity against a struggling 1-3 Truman team. Not this time. In fact, Park Hill racked up 389 total yards…. in the first half. Yes, the Trojans started against the Truman Patriots in the same place they left the Liberty Blue Jays. Park Hill methodically gained a 35-0 lead going into halftime before going on to win 41-14.
Park Hill’s backfield depth was impressive early as starting running back Josh Eatman and starting fullback Sean Gorman were unavailable to play due to injuries. Taking their place were Alex Kennedy and Trace Norfleet. There was no letdown, as both contributed with touchdowns. Norfleet who has shared duties at running back since the beginning of the season had a breakout game gaining 144 yards on 18 carries.

“I knew I had to step up,” Norfleet said of his opportunity.
The Trojans focused on a steady dose of their basic offensive package. Quarterback Corey Sterling completed seven passes on eleven attempts for 158 yards including three touchdowns, one to WR De’Rion Rambo and two more to TE Daniel Jessen, who also caught a touchdown from backup QB Nathan Wilson later in the game. As the season has progressed, Sterling has become more comfortable moving outside the pocket and recognizes this strength.

“I’m a shorter guy, so sometimes it’s harder to see when I’m in the pocket,” Sterling said. “I feel more comfortable in space and being able to see everybody.”
Truman’s only offensive opportunities against Park Hill’s first team spurred from two long kickoff returns, but both drives ended with turnovers in what has been a frustrating theme recently for the Patriots, fumbling the football. The two touchdowns came in the fourth quarter against Park Hill’s second team.

The Trojans, now 4-1 with a 1-0 conference record, go into their next conference game against William Chrisman where they will once again travel to Independence and play on the same field Chrisman and Truman share together. Chrisman will be coming off a loss to Park Hill South last week by a score of 42-0, dropping their record to 2-3 on the season. First year coach Mark Simcox is a former defensive coordinator for Park Hill so look for them to try to counter Park Hill’s power by putting up to eight defensive players in the box. On offense, a run heavy team will rely heavily on running backs Caleb Sims and Scott Cates to return from ankle injuries to carry the load for the Bears.

“It’s going to be a short game with two teams running the football,” Park Hill coach Greg Reynolds said. “It’s going to be about who gets off the ball best and if we do what we’re supposed to we’ll be alright.”

Panthers Softball Team Looks to Pivotal Week

Park Hill South at 10-9 is in the middle of a tough stretch of games this week which include matchups against Truman, Park Hill, Kearney, and Oak Park. With the district tournament next week, these last games will determine a conference champion and help build momentum going into the postseason. After early conference losses to Truman and Oak Park, Coach Josh Walker didn’t think the conference title would be very attainable, but after a stretch of wins, they’ve made their way back into the conference race. Rematches with Truman, Park Hill, and Oak Park, all conference rivals, will go a long way in deciding this year’s champion.
To start off the season the Panthers’ strength was in their defense, but lately their bats have come alive in a string of games where they have double digit run totals. Pitcher Jessica McCoy has done her part by putting together solid performances all year and has an earned run average just below two.

On the defensive side, Val Pollan has been impressive in leftfield along with third baseman Alyssa Weatherly and Mallory Land who has stepped in as a freshman at catcher to replace Maci Fisher who went down with a PCL injury. Weatherly has also been tearing it up on offense behind outfielder Bailey Peterson, who leads off for the Panthers.

“I hate to use a clique, but it’s going to come down to pitching and defense,” Walker said.
The district tournament starts up next Wednesday, October 7th with the championship game being played on Saturday morning. Park Hill South will be looking to put together the strong defense from the beginning of the year with the solid hitting performances they’ve had of late to make a run at both the conference and district titles. As Coach Walker mentioned at the beginning of the year, and still holds true today with pivotal games fast approaching, “we’re looking to make some noise.”