Park Hill wins district soccer title, set sights on playoff run

One sure way to win a championship is to not give up any points to the other team. That simple approach led the Park Hill boys soccer team to their second consecutive Class 3, District 16 title last week. A 4-0 win over host-school Staley led to a rematch of last year’s title game between the Trojans and Park Hill South. A cool, windy night required both teams to adapt to the gusts going through North Kansas City’s District Athletic Complex. With the wind in their favor in the first half, the Panthers put forward several shots that the Trojan defense and goalie Shane VanHooser were able to control. Even against the wind, Nick Shepherd’s goal 25 minutes into the first half put Park Hill up 1-0 going into halftime. It was David Zdvorak and Cole Walker who put in the final scores to lead the Trojans to a 3-0 championship victory.

“We were lucky to get out of there the first half without giving up a goal,” Coach Dustin Sollars said. “We come back and were fortunate to have the wind.”

The Trojans now prepare for a Class 3 sectional game matchup on Tuesday night with Kearney, who upset top-seeded Liberty. A win sets up a quarterfinal game with the Rockhurst/Lee’s Summit North game winner on Saturday at Park Hill. After a trip to the final four of the state playoffs last year, the Trojans hope to return this year and capitalize on momentum they’ve had all season that’s led to a 23-2 record. The experience of last year’s playoff run will allow Park Hill to focus more on specific areas of their game instead of the psychological side.

“Last year we spent a lot of time working on being mentally prepared and getting ready for something the kids hadn’t been a part of before,” Sollars said. “Now we have a lot of kids who have been there, so hopefully we can fix some things on the field and it will help us this year.”

The run Park Hill hopes to go on isn’t just a continuation of last year’s third place finish, but a culmination for a group of seniors who were told four years ago they could be unique.

“We’ve been telling them for four years they have a chance to do something special. Now they’re starting to see that come alive,” Sollars said. “One of those early days in August we sat down and talked about goals and they want to win a state championship. They feel really confident they can do that.”

An advantage they believe they have over the competition is their midfield and not just their skilled starters, Parker Melott and Ray Lee, but also the depth behind them.

“One thing that sets us apart is the play of our midfield. I think we have the best in the state with Parker and Ray along with some very good backups in Ricardo (Garcia) and Wendell (Thomas) who would start on any other team,” Sollars said.

While the experienced Trojan squad will use their remaining practice days to make on-field adjustments, Park Hill’s overall talent will be something to watch with a group of players who are not only athletic, but play together better than any Sollars has seen.

“I think we’re strong enough where if one guy is having an off night, somebody picks it up,” Sollars said. “We have some players who can take the game into their own hands and if they can do that early I don’t think a lot of teams can play with us.”