Park Hill South junior blazes trail Park Hill South junior blazes trail

When Park Hill South junior 182-pounder Chase Gray walked off the mat from his state title match last weekend at the Missouri State Wrestling Championships, you saw some of the same things seen in many wrestlers who come up just short of a state title. Disappointment, exhaustion, messed up hair, maybe a cut or swollen eye. What you didn’t see, though, are his accomplishments up to that point and the incredible leadership provided as a captain which resulted in a ninth place team finish, one of the school’s most successful wrestling seasons to date.

Even before this season, Gray was a stand out on the mat and has been a big part of the Panthers wrestling program’s climb over the past two seasons. As a freshman he qualified for state, returning the next season as a sophomore to be elected a team captain. Not only rare, it was the first time a sophomore had been named a captain by his teammates. “It’s never happened, unheard of,” Park Hill South coach Dan Dunkin said.

His sophomore season he qualified for state once again, leading a group of six Panther wrestlers to Columbia for the state tournament. Gray came up short of placing for the second straight year. Coming into this year, Gray, once again picked by his teammates as a captain, had a serious shot at breaking the school’s all-time wins record. He did just that in early February when he surpassed in three years what former Panthers of the past had done in four years. A significant achievement, Dunkin says his positive attitude makes him fun to coach and easy for his teammates to look up to.

“He’s well respected, great kid to coach,” Dunkin said. “He’s one of those naturally tough kids to where you tell him to do something and he goes and does it with a smile on his face.”

Leading eight Panther wrestlers to state this year, Gray was looking to place and overcome his state performances of the past two years. Winning his first three matches, the third of which was a close 1-0 victory in the state semifinals, earned him a shot at the state title as a finalist. Much the same as Gray had broken the all-time wins school record earlier in the season, his appearance in the state title match wasn't just a first for him, it was also a first for Park Hill South, which had never had a wrestler compete for a championship before. Falling 5-0, Gray would finish a runner-up, but the achievement speaks for itself.

"It feels great," Gray said. "Yes, I would have liked it to end better, but I can't be completely disappointed."

"In the short-term, I think he's disappointed. He had a great tournament, no doubt," Dunkin said. "If you look at his season and what he's accomplished, plus his drive to be a state champion, knowing his attitude, it's only going to help him."

The fire inside, evident just moments after Gray walked off the mat, is already looking towards the future and next year, not only individually, but also what the Panthers have returning as a team.

"I'm definitely going to do more off-season wrestling to better myself, hit the weight room," Gray said. "We're always prepared for our matches and I think that's part of the role of being a captain. We should have more finalists next year, as a team we'll do very well. I think if we keep progressing at this rate, we're going to be very tough to beat."

Trojans bring home eight medals, but finish second behind Blue Springs

There are teams who would be tickled to death to take a second place team trophy — or second place individual medal — home from the state wrestling championships. Then there is Park Hill. The Trojans are a program which has won five state titles in recent years with multiple individual champions leading the way. That’s possibly why their second place team finish this year doesn’t come with the enthusiasm as it might with other schools.

“I always say that I love the state tournament and I hate the state tournament,” Park Hill coach Bill Erneste said. “I love it because it gives kids the opportunities to achieve their dreams and goals. I hate the state tournament when they come up short.”


Finishing second with 144 team points to champion Blue Springs’ 164 points, Park Hill has plenty to be proud of, including the placement of eight out of their total 11 qualifiers in the top five of their respective weight brackets. The Trojans racked up team points early with 10 wrestlers winning in their opening round matches, giving Park Hill a lead early in the tournament, but were gradually passed by Blue Springs which had four finalists compete for titles.


“Overall, it was a decent weekend,” Erneste said. “I loved our team’s effort; we just need to continue to get better each year.” 

While sophomore John Erneste at 113 pounds and junior Russ Coleman at 132 won their first three matches, setting them up for state title bouts, other Trojan wrestlers who fell in quarter and semifinal matches battled back for strong finishes. They included third place finishes from KeShawn Hayes at 106 and Nolan Smith at 285, fourth place finishes from Hunter Roberts at 120 and Malik Colding at 160, and fifth place finishes from Colston DiBlasi at 126 and Connor Shene at 145. These finishes played a large part in the point accumulation that built up to their second place finish.


Park Hill was not able to bring home an individual champion as Erneste and Coleman fell in their respective matches. Erneste improved on his third place finish last year, while Coleman has been a runner-up the past two seasons, with a state title barely out of his reach once again.

“He takes second again,” Erneste said of Coleman. “The thing about Russ is, he’s a fighter. He’s the one kid I know, whose back is against the wall and comes out swinging. He’s going to work even harder and get even crazier in his training, because he knows he has one year left. It’s unacceptable in his mind, but he’s going to get better and win a state championship his senior year.”


“I’m very proud of John to get to the finals, it’s his first time there,” Erneste said of his son. “The progression keeps going, so we just need to work hard this summer, come back and swing again.”

For Park Hill who will return the core of their lineup next year, it will be about turning good to great and it will start from within by building their top wrestlers into what Erneste likes to call ‘guns’.

“All second place is, is a measuring stick. On our ride home, we’re already going to be thinking about next year. Blue Springs got it done, Park Hill didn’t,” Erneste said. “We had a few guns, we just didn’t have eight (like Blue Springs). We couldn’t match them gun to gun. Next year, we need to take some of our good wrestlers and make them guns. Then, we’ll be better.”

PHS wrestling takes ninth, places two

Advancing six wrestlers to the state tournament last year for Park Hill South was an achievement of its own, but this year advancing was not the question. It was how many would qualify and what they would do with it once they got there that counted most. This was the mantra Coach Dan Dunkin and his Panthers had throughout the year and once the final medals were handed out, they had moved the program one leap forward, resulting in South’s best finish in school history.

“Clearly, we did better than last year,” Dunkin said. “If you watch our matches, we’re all going after people and definitely improving. Most of our guys are juniors so hopefully next year it gets even better.”

While Dunkin knows their 50.5 team points, good for ninth in Class 4, weren’t nearly enough to bring home a top four trophy, Park Hill South did bring home a fifth place medal at 195 as senior Nick Gillespie finished out his career with a victory. Gillespie pinned his first opponent of the tournament in just 1:27. Despite falling in the quarterfinals, he battled back by winning two of his next three matches, capping it off a pin in the fifth place round to reserve his place at the final podium.

Perhaps the highlight for Park Hill South was Chase Gray’s second place finish at 182. Gray won several tough matches in impressive fashion on his way to the title match, but wasn’t able to secure the state title falling 5-0. The second place finish accounts for Park Hill South’s highest individual finish in school history and the first to compete in a title match.

While Park Hill South had five wrestlers win in the first round, they hit some roadblocks in the quarterfinals. Nonetheless, several Panthers battled back for wins in the wrestle-back rounds, which contributed to the team point totals. Easier said than done on the state’s highest wrestling stage.

“We ran into some obstacles, but most got one or two wins,” Dunkin said. “They wrestled tough, but everyone down here is tough.”

Other Park Hill South wrestlers competing at the Missouri State Wrestling Championship last weekend were Alex Fortuna (1-2), Jimmy Carpenter (0-2), Justin Haughenberry (2-1), Kendic Cook (0-2), Adam Weatherly (1-2), and George Barth (1-2).

Winter Roundup; Feb. 13-19

Park Hill Girls Basketball

…completed their regular season with two conference wins against Lee’s Summit West and Ruskin to improve their record to 13-10 overall. Park Hill took a 24-6 lead in the first half against Lee’s Summit West and held it through the end of the game as they won 55-36. Kyleesha Weston scored 23 points and Micalla Rettinger scored 11.  The Lady Trojans scored 18 points in each of the first two quarters to build another impressive halfime lead 36-9 over Ruskin and wouldn’t look back as they secured the 51-20 victory. Weston led in scoring with 18 points while Dominique Broadus contributed 15 points.

They compete against St. Joe Central in the district semifinals Wednesday evening at Park Hill.

Park Hill Girls Swim

One of Park Hill’s ace swimmers all season, senior Brynn Guardado, completed her senior season at the state swim meet last week. She placed eighth in both the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle events.

Park Hill South Girls Swim

…finished eighth in the 200 yard medley relay last weekend at the state swim meet. Members of that team included Mariah Bryant, Rachael Norfleet, Helen Yeater, and Miranda Henderson. The 200 freestyle relay placed ninth which included Olivia McLain, Henderson, Shannon Brouk, and Bryant. Yeater also finished 15^th in the 100 butterfly.

Park Hill South Boys Basketball

…despite losing a close game to Belton by a score of 52-51, Park Hill South ended their regular season with a 60-51 win over Winnetonka to improve to 17-8 on the season. They were led in scoring by Payton Meek with 22 points.

Park Hill and Park Hill South were competing in the district semifinals as The Citizen went to press Tuesday evening.

Park Hill Boys Basketball

…ended their regular season on a five game losing streak, capped off last week with losses to Truman and Grandview. Hanging close in the first quarter, Truman outscored the Trojans 22-10 in the second quarter on the way to a 65-55 win. Connor Farmer led in scoring with 16 points for Park Hill. Grandview jumped out the gate early and led the entire way as the Trojans fell 73-51 in their finale. Santo Smiraldo posted 14 points for Park Hill as they end their regular season with a 6-17 overall record.

Park Hill and Park Hill South were competing in the district semifinals as The Citizen went to press Tuesday evening.

All Park Hill Board is guilty of: lack of communication

Being so close to an incompetent and chaotic Kansas City Missouri School District, it’s easy to understand the pride southern Platte County has in the quality and reputation of the Park Hill School District. As a Park Hill graduate myself, I’m very supportive of the district and know the value it represents to our community. At times it can seem the educational priorities and culture established here over a long period of time can be fragile and gone in an instant. With something important to so many, it’s easy to get emotional and jump to conclusions if someone causes us to believe the district may be in jeopardy. The recent controversy over the Park Hill School Board’s handling of their selection of the replacement for retiring Superintendent Dr. Dennis Fisher is a good example.

There are a few things which seem pretty clear to me. First, the board took their responsibility of picking a superintendent very seriously, putting countless hours into the selection process. Second, many Park Hill patrons wanted the job to go to Deputy Superintendent Mark Miles, who by most accounts is a stand-up guy and has done many good things for the district. Third, when the field was narrowed, the board did not solicit public input as it had at the beginning of the process nor did it effectively communicate updates to patrons on their progress. This was not in an effort to be disingenuous. Fourth, Dr. Scott Springston was selected as the final candidate and will be the next Superintendent, not the internal candidate Dr. Miles. This resulted in a social media frenzy fueled by an upset contingent of parents, former board members and a handful of elected officials.

Having participated in my share of interviews both as the interviewee or the interviewer, including a recent public appointment, I understand conducting such a search process can have limitless formats. It can be a very difficult task to narrow the field to one candidate in the end. Ultimately, any process chosen can be scrutinized. The difficult job Park Hill had at hand in this case was keeping candidates’ consideration private in respect to their current employment. The delicate legal aspects in regards to personnel matters like this can only be explained by their potential for lawsuits, another area we don’t want to be like Kansas City. Nonetheless, maintaining private considerations for the candidates while keeping patrons updated on the progress could have been achieved.

With that said, the process was not illegal, unethical, immoral or rushed. It was simply a political mistake: a failure to communicate. The board wholly admits it. So, as many people have asked me over recent days, why are some so upset? Aren’t there worse things by far that happen in our county and municipal governments where no one even cares to notice? Yes, but it really comes down to the intricate world of school board politics — those who participate in it, and those who unknowingly become a pawn in it.

There may be parents who were disappointed in the lack of communication and involvement. This expectation was set by regular examples of district outreach on things ranging from simply naming a new school to the input solicited on targets for tough budget cuts. When you ask what color the drapes should be, be prepared to be told how the whole room should look. There are also parents who’ve developed a close relationship with Dr. Miles and truly see him as the best choice, despite not knowing the alternatives. This is all understandable to a certain degree, but this was hardly the coup d’état of the school district some may infer. In fact, many administrators have worked in the district since Dr. Fisher’s predecessor and will continue to. A new superintendent is rarely the dramatic house cleaning we commonly see with a new President or Governor.

Either way, there were an influential few who wanted to fight this battle. Whether it was current or former board members, or other elected officials, claiming the process was done in “secret” and with “closed doors” was like yelling fire in a theater to Park Hill patrons. The process, started in October, had never been questioned until word spread Dr. Miles was not selected two weeks ago. Had their preferred choice been selected, there likely would not have been any scrutiny.

In a country where education scores are falling compared to the rest of the world, Park Hill must continue to expect more than being the best according to state standards, because they are just that, standard. Former Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson once said, “All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions.” In their decision, that’s what board members did in this case. They knew their decision would be unpopular, but still thought it best. At every level of government we ask our leaders to have backbone and do the same. In this situation, we’re seeing why it doesn’t happen often. It’s not easy to do, especially when you listen to the emotional disapproval. Threats of redemption in April’s school board elections were sharp, but hollow, as the two seats on the ballot are held by members not seeking re-election.

Board members selected for what is not likely Dr. Springton's resume, but his intangibles. In other words, it is not on where he’s been, but where he wants to take us. It’s now up to him, not the Board, to prove to us he was the right selection. One thing not in doubt, even from those most critical, is the support he’ll receive towards his success once he arrives. Park Hill patrons can’t afford anything different.

Time To Shine: Park Hill, PH South send 19 to state

For a second straight year, the only word to describe how the Park Hill and Park Hill South wrestling programs performed at the Class 4, District 4 tournament remains the same: domination. Park Hill, with 246 team points, ran away with first place while Park Hill South, with 164.5 team points, secured a safe second place finish ahead of Lee’s Summit West. The two teams will send an impressive collection of 19 wrestlers to the state tournament this weekend in Columbia with 11 coming from Park Hill and eight from Park Hill South. For both teams, it represents an improvement from their 2011 results as both are represented by two more qualifiers than last year, giving each a better chance at the ultimate goal, a state championship.

For Park Hill, the 11 wrestlers they’ll have wrestling at state puts them in a strong position for the Class 4 title come Saturday night. If a handful of returning qualifiers get the redemption they seek after second and third place finishes last year, Park Hill may even be the favorite. As has been the case most of the season, the Trojans were led strong and early by their lighter weight classes. Starting with freshman KeShawn Hayes at 106, Park Hill started the title round by winning first place medals in the first seven championship matches. Hayes, John Erneste (113), Hunter Roberts (120), Colston DiBlasi (126), Russ Coleman (132), Derrick Rens (138), and Connor Shene (145) were Park Hill’s individual district title winners and will receive high seeds in the state bracket.

“We’re pretty happy with the way things turned out,” Park Hill coach Bill Erneste said. “You always want to advance all 14 of your guys, but for the 11 we qualified, they’re not satisfied yet. I always tell my guys to enjoy it because this is what they’ve been working towards.”

Several of Park Hill’s qualifiers battled back or upset higher seeded opponents to earn their ticket to state. Malik Colding (160) and Nolan Smith (285) had strong showings with third place finishes in their division while Nick Harper (152) and Nolan Anderson (170) qualified for state with fourth place finishes.

“I’d say we wrestled smart, not necessarily well,” Erneste said. “If we can combine those two this weekend, we’ll be in good shape.”

Park Hill has been in the figurative shadow of a strong Blue Springs team most of the season which before last weekend was the leading contender for the state title as the top ranked team in the state, but an upset or two in their district tournament last weekend left Blue Springs with eight wrestlers qualifying to advance, giving a possible advantage to Park Hill’s 11 going into the tournament’s opening rounds. Erneste still sees his team as one that has something to prove.

“I’d say they’re still the favorite (Blue Springs), they’ve got some strong guns that are probably going to do real well,” Erneste said.

For Park Hill South, the conference championship that came with such jubilation last year was repeated, but just a means to an end this season as the Panthers continue to be right on schedule for where they set their goal at the beginning of the season: a focus on the state tournament and returning home with state medals.

Captains Chase Gray (182) and Nick Gillespie (195) won district titles for Park Hill South.  Coach Dan Dunkin gave credit to both, saying both seem to always find a way to win no matter who the opponent may be.

“Chase has broken the career winning record for wins at Park Hill South in just three years. He’s a junior, so he has another year to completely blow it out of the water. He keeps finding ways to beat good kids. He’s not flashy, but doesn’t make any mistakes,” Dunkin said. “Nick can do a lot of different things, with bigger guys I think it’s hard to adjust to him.”

South had a handful of runners-up including George Barth (126), Jimmy Carpenter (132), Justin Haughenberry (145), and Adam Weatherly (152). Kenric Cook (170) took third while Alex Fortuna (113) qualified for state with a fourth place finish.

Park Hill South will see an improved state field position compared to last year where most of the wrestlers were athletes who squeaked in with state qualifications. This year, as demonstrated by their strong district finishes, the Panthers will see a more advantageous bracket with two one-seeds and four two-seeds.

“We’re going to get seeded a lot better. If we get down there, get some good spots, then anything can happen. There are a lot of good wrestlers out there,” Dunkin said. “A lot of our guys were there last year. The expectations are different and we can feel it.”

Winter Roundup: Feb. 6 - 12

Park Hill South Boys Basketball

…after getting stumped 55-35 by Raytown South earlier in the season, Park Hill South had a tough task in front of them last Friday night as the two squared off for what would be the outright claim to the conference title. Taking advantage of Raytown South’s early shooting slump, the Panthers built a 25-19 halftime lead on the heels of good free throw shooting and few turnovers. Raytown South would not stay cold for long as they went on a 20-9 run in the third quarter giving them a lead they would not give up.

“They weren’t hitting them early, but 20-9 in the third, that’s the ball game right there,” Park Hill South head coach John Sedler said.

A handful of missed free throws and turnovers, which had gone in the Panthers favor in the first half, did not in the second as Raytown South pulled out the victory 45-42. Anthony Woods led in scoring with 14 points while Payton Meek added 12 points.

“We fought back, had our chances. Missed a couple free throws, and gave them a score on an inbounds play,” Sedler said. “Two pretty good teams here tonight. They had their looks and made them, we had ours and didn’t.”

Park Hill South, 16-7 on the year, now looks to a district semifinal matchup with Park Hill Tuesday night. While South has won the previous two meetings, a situation when both teams are fighting for a chance to continue their season, rivalry games come with added emphasis.

“Playing them at their place, I’m sure it’ll be emotional and exciting,” Sedler said.

Park Hill Boys Basketball

..fell to 6-15 on the year with two tough losses last weekend to St. Joe Central and Lee’s Summit West. Despite going neck and neck with St. Joe Central early in the week, the Trojans only scored five points in the fourth quarter as they fell 54-47. Marcus Cross and Connor Farmer led in scoring with 11 points apiece. Facing one of the top teams in the metro Friday night, Park Hill faced an early deficit, eventually going into halftime down 32-17 before losing 70-48. Farmer and Santos Smiroldo led in scoring with 12 and 14 points respectively.

Park Hill wraps up their regular season this week and looks to a district semifinal matchup against Park Hill South, a team they’ve lost two close games to this season, and a game which is sure to fill the gym at Park Hill where the tournament is being hosted.

Park Hill Girls Basketball

…split their two scheduled games last week to extend their record to 13-10 coming into the last week of the regular season. Park Hill lost a close conference game to Truman 51-48 to begin the week where a 17-4 third quarter gave Truman the lead and the victory. Bethany Sullinger led in scoring with 15 points while Kyleesha Weston added 12 points. The Trojans came back the next night and secured a 42-28 victory on the heels of 18 points from Weston. Park Hill only allowed ten points in the first three quarters combined.

Park Hill will host the district tournament next week as the three seed and will take on St. Joe Central in the semifinals Wednesday evening. A win would give the Trojans a chance to play for the district title Friday night.

Park Hill South Girls Basketball

…come into the last week of the season with a 15-8 record after a win and lose last week. A 67-12 thumping of Belton was aided by 12 points apiece from Madeline Homoly and Anna Courtney. South could not overcome an earlier deficit despite only being down 23-22 at the half against Kearney as the Bulldogs pulled away to a 59-46 victory. Mackenzie Stout led the Panthers in scoring with 11 points.

While Park Hill South has the second best overall record going into the district tournament next week, the Panthers were given the fourth seed due to their head to head results against teams in the district. They play Oak Park on Monday in the first round for a right to take on top seeded Staley Wednesday night in the district semifinals.

Trojans, Panthers ready for districts, state

Going into the district tournament this weekend followed by the state tournament the following weekend is always Park Hill wrestling coach Bill Erneste’s favorite time of the year. Not only is it when championships are won and lost, but it’s also when you see the progress made since last season, usually compared to how the team and individuals finished this time last year.

“This is the time of year I love, it’s the most exciting time to find out if all your hard work pays off,” Erneste said. “Some of these guys started working last March to prepare so they can do better than they did last year.”

Park Hill placed first in districts last year before going on to place third at state. This was after rebounding from a couple rough duals earlier in their schedule. Erneste sees similarities between last season and this season and feels good about having the right team in place for success.

“I would say last year’s team and this year’s team definitely have parallels,” Erneste said. “As long as we have the whole team put together exactly the way we want them, I’m going to be very pleased. That’s my only job this week, to get the horses to the show. Once we get there, it’s just time to perform.”

It’s rare for Erneste, when talking about his lineup, to single out any one wrestler. A common theme with this year’s team is a hunger for a title, evident in almost every wrestler’s story. Starting at the lower weights, Erneste describes freshman KeShawn Hayes’s several youth titles and desire to win one now at the varsity level, his son John wanting to compete for a title this year after a third place finish last year at state, and freshman Hunter Roberts who has had a lot of one point decisions this year, winning them all. Similar stories resonate up and down the Trojan roster, whether it be an underclassmen looking to establish themselves or a senior looking for their last chance to go out on top.

“The best way to describe our feelings going into districts and state is we have a careful confidence,” Erneste said. “We’re not going in there expecting people to bow down, but we’re going to be prepared. We’re not going to overlook anyone.”

Park Hill has won five state titles under Erneste’s watch and he says there is no one way to win a championship. Sometimes a highly talented team can help, but it starts with one basic formula.

“We’ve won five titles and all of them have been different. Sometimes you just win it with your guns,” Erneste said. “When we changed to the four class format, it started to come down to placing eight guys at state and putting four of them in the finals. That’s kind of how we’re looking at it this year.”

First and more importantly, is districts at Ray-Pec this weekend, where the Trojans hope to place and qualify as many wrestlers as possible to earn them a trip to the state tournament next weekend in Columbia. With everything on the line, the competition should be top notch.

“Anytime it’s a district tournament where if you win you’re moving on and if you lose you’re done, so there are going to be some good matches,” Erneste said.

Park Hill South Wrestling
Returning five state qualifiers from last year’s conference championship and district runner-up team, Park Hill South wrestling isn’t going into the district tournament this year as quite the underdog they were this time last year.

Captains Brett Rounkles, Nick Gillespie, and Chase Gray are looking to lead a Panthers team into districts this weekend with a chance to match and possibly beat their performance from last year. Joining them will be the remaining two qualifiers Alex Fortuna and Jimmy Carpenter.

As Park Hill South coach Dan Dunkin said at the beginning of the season, this is the time of year they focus on the most. While last year’s success was newfound, this year’s success, which they’ve shown in multiple capacities throughout the year, is geared towards the state tournament and advancing as many Panthers out of districts as possible.

Park Hill upsets Lee's Summit West for conference title, but DQ creates tie

Going into last weekend’s Suburban Conference Red Division girls swim meet, the Park Hill Trojans had a steep task in front of them. Upsetting Lee’s Summit West who has never lost a conference meet since the school’s opening in 2004 and placing higher than their rankings in individual events would take a special performance across the board.

“It’s been four years since we won our last title,” Park Hill coach Karl Haley said. “Going into the meet, LSW had never lost a conference meet. We really wanted to end that streak.”

Things fell into place throughout the day with stellar finishes from swimmers in all events. Trojans swimmers took first in seven events including the 200 free and medley relays, Madison Heydinger in the 50 and 200 free, Brynn Guardado in the 500 freestyle and 200 IM, and Abigail Hill in the 100 breast stroke. Going into the final event, the 400 free relay, Park Hill was up an impressive 40 team points going into one of their stronger events. But a technicality would slightly alter what at the time was the Trojans’ for the taking.

“We got disqualified because of the ‘jewelry rule’. Girls have hair ties all the time and as long as it’s under their cap its usually fine, but one girl left it on her wrist,” Haley explained. “It’s fairly rare, they usually give them the benefit of the doubt and if the official sees it they’ll tell them to take it off. It was one of those things where she was the last one on the relay and no one was paying attention until it was too late.”

So while Park Hill finished first in the relay which would have given them an 80 point advantage at the end of the meet, their first place points were awarded to Lee’s Summit West, the second place finisher. This gave the Titans 40 points, bringing them even with the Trojans at 544 team points apiece. Good enough for a tie and making both teams rare co-conference champions.

“It’s too bad it was one of those things that ended up making a difference in the ending. I think the rule is mostly geared towards contact sports,” Haley said. “It’s one of those things you never hear about (co-champs). You see ties in events, but usually never overall as champions.”

Nonetheless, while Park Hill did not end Lee’s Summit West’s streak, they can now claim a conference title in girls swimming, something they would not have done if they lived up to the seeds they were set in to start the meet.

“Going into the meet, if we were to finish in the place we were seeded, we wouldn’t have won,” Haley said. “It was definitely the best meet of the year. Everyone had their best times of the year and did outstanding things.”

Brynn Guardado and Madison Heydinger will be the only Trojans competing in individual events at the state meet next weekend, but while Haley says they led the team this year and were the ‘go-to’ girls, it was a supporting cast that made the title possible who were just short of qualifying for state. They included Lynn Huynh who finished second in the 200 freestyle, Lindsey Horstmann who finished second in the 100 freestyle and third in the 50 freestyle, and Jasmine Jones who finished second in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke. A complete team effort.

“It’s hard to point out one event,” Haley said. “I can look to every event and point out one or multiple swimmers who proved so much and made a huge difference in the point swing for us."

Winter Roundup: Jan. 30 - Feb. 6

Park Hill South Girls Basketball
…after a disappointing loss to Park Hill in the first round of the North Kansas City tournament last week, Coach Jenny Orlowski described it as the worst game the team played all year. With that game in mind, the rest of the week the Lady Panthers stormed through their remaining two games by gaining convincing victories against Platte County and St. Pius X. Jessica Lee who has been a significant source of scoring of late for South scored 20 points in a 67-37 win over Platte County. Madeline Homoly one-upped that performance with a 23 point outing against St. Piux X the next night leading South to a 71-56 victory.

Park Hill South is now 14-7 and plays away games at Kearney and Fort Osage before concluding the regular season at home on February 16th against Raytown.

Park Hill Girls Basketball
…split their final two games of the NKC tournament. After a 43-32 win over Blue Spring South in which Dominique Broadus scored an impressive 20 points, the Lady Trojans squared off against the host school Hornets with a chance for the tournament title. Falling behind early, Park Hill wasn’t able to narrow the margin in the second half as North Kansas City came away with a 46-28 victory. Kyleesha Weston led the Trojans in scoring with eight points.

Park Hill improves to 12-9 on the season and plays a pair of road games against St. Joe Central and Lee’s Summit West before they conclude the season against Ruskin at home next Friday.

Park Hill South Boys Basketball
…with a close 66-62 conference victory over Fort Osage early last week, the Park Hill South boys enjoyed a deserving break for the rest of the week after winning five of their last six games. Now 15-6 on the season, the Panthers host Raytown South at home Friday, for a possible share of the conference title, and Belton next week before ending the regular season at Winnetonka on February 17th.

Park Hill Boys Basketball
…continued what has been an up and down season last week as they split their two scheduled games. Battling back from an early deficit, the Trojans came back in the second quarter to build a four point leading going into halftime. They would gradually build that to six and take away a 58-52 victory. Marcus Cross led in scoring 14 points while Keaton Anchors added 10 points. Plagued by turnovers, Park Hill was never quite able to pull even with North Kansas City last Friday as they fell 64-57.

Park Hill is now 6-12 on the season. They travel to Lee’s Summit West Friday and Truman Tuesday before wrapping up the regular season at Grandview next Wednesday.

Park Hill South Girls Swimming
….continued rolling through their season with a first place finish last weekend in the Suburban Conference White Division swim meet. They racked up 637 team points, pulling away from Winnetonka, who finished a far second with 390 points. Earning the Panthers first place points in the competition were the 200 and 400 free relay teams which included swimmers Olivia McLain, Miranda Henderson, Shannon Brouk, Mariah Bryant, Olivia Rea, and Samantha Burford. Also getting first place finishes were McLain in the 200 individual medley, Helen Yeater in the 100 butterfly, Bryant in the 100 backstroke, and Shannon Brouk in the 500 freestyle. Backing those performances up with second place finishes were Taylor Brouk in the 200 freestyle, Shannon Brouk in the 200 individual medley, McLain in the 100 butterfly, Henderson in the 100 freestyle, Samantha Scott in the 100 backstroke and Norfleet in the 100 breaststroke. Mariah Ramirez (200 IM), Henderson (50 free), Christina McOsker (diving), Dani Lake (100 butterfly), and Norfleet (100 free).

Park Hill South will compete in the state swim meet next weekend in St. Peters, Missouri.

Park Hill girls upset Park Hill South in NKC opener

The Park Hill Lady Trojans pulled off a mild upset of rival Park Hill South to kick off the North Kansas City tournament Monday afternoon by a score of 63-46. While Park Hill was aided by their leading scorer Kyleesha Weston, the difference maker could have been Bethany Sullinger's 24 points, 18 of which came from three-point range.

"We played really well, limited their offensive rebounds and made shots," Park Hill Coach Aaron Neeser said. "Beth shot the ball with a lot of confidence."

Park Hill South was led in scoring with ten points a piece from Anna Courtney and Morgan Keesee. Park Hill improves to 10-8 on the season while Park Hill South falls to 12-7.

Frantic finish on The Hill: Controversial technical foul call adds fuel to fire of Trojans-Panthers rivalry

A packed house was on hand last Friday at Park Hill South for not only the rivalry boys basketball game between the Panthers and Park Hill, but also the festivities that came with courtwarming weekend. Both schools’ fans came out in full and the game that played out between the two teams would not disappoint as the rising temperature in the gym matched the competition on the court.

Park Hill came into the game an underdog, but jumped out the gate to start the first quarter amassing a 9-2 lead at one point in the before Park Hill South narrowed the margin to a one point deficit at 17-16 going into halftime. While Park Hill came out clearly motivated, this was escalated by their quality start. Just one sign the games between these two teams rarely need inspirational speeches to get the players fired up.

 “This isn’t a game where I have to worry about them playing hard. There’s a lot of passion and enthusiasm that comes with this game,” Park Hill Coach David Garrison said.

The second half would see the same rugged and physical play as the first with Park Hill maintaining a slim lead throughout. Despite the early deficit and a third quarter Park Hill run which put the Trojans up by five going into the fourth quarter, Park Hill South was beginning to find a better rhythm and would provide the spectators with quite a finish.

“We finally found some chemistry and moved the ball when we needed it the most with that group we had out there to end the game,” Park Hill South Coach John Sedler said.

                                                                                          

When Park Hill South point guard Anthony Woods dribbled down the court with eight seconds remaining down 40-38, he took a similar shot in a similar situation that he had just two weeks ago against North Kansas City, one he made to win the game for the Panthers. Friday though, he was fouled behind the arch, giving Park Hill South’s leading scorer the opportunity at three free throws to potential tie and win the game. Woods would make his first two shots to tie the game at 40 a piece, before missing the third sending the game into overtime.

 “He’s improved his free throw shooting a lot. Anthony’s been getting more comfortable there,” Sedler said. “He finished 8 for 12 on the night.”

The first basket of overtime would account for Park Hill South’s first lead of the entire game and it wasn’t a lead they would give up. As the seconds ticked down, overtime seemed like it would end in similar fashion as regulation, but what was an intense rivalry game throughout ended on somewhat of a controversial note.

With six seconds remaining, Park Hill called timeout to inbound the ball under their own basketball down 48-45, but as Park Hill guard Zach Anderson walked off the court, he was called for a technical foul. Few people were aware of the call or what warranted it until play resumed with Park Hill South, not Park Hill, shooting two free throws and gaining possession. Park Hill South would make their free throws to seal the victory at 50-45. Neither coach saw nor could later confirm the reasoning behind the questionable call.

Park Hill South was led in scoring by Woods and his 22 points along with Robert Lane’s 17 points. The Panthers improved to 14-6 on the year after a win against Oak Park 40-37earlier last week. Park Hill was led by ten point performances by Anderson and Connor Farmer. The Trojans fall to 5-11 on the year, but believe the loss won’t prevent them from going into districts playing at their peak.

“This isn’t going to take the air out of us. Our record may not be where we want it to be, but we’re getting to where we want our goal to be which is to be playing our best at district time. Right now, we’re taking the steps to get there,” Garrison said.

Park Hill South has the rest of this week off while Park Hill hosts North Kansas City Friday.

Winter Round-up: Jan. 23-30

Park Hill Girls Basketball

…after a thrilling overtime conference victory against Ruskin earlier in the week 48-44, the Lady Trojans found themselves on the wrong end of an overtime result to end the week against North Kansas City 53-48. Kyleesha Weston had nearly half of Park Hill’s points in both games with standout performances of 24 points and 22 points, respectively.

Park Hill was 9-8 coming into Monday’s opening round North Kansas City Tournament game against Park Hill South.

Park Hill South Girls Basketball

Thinking a conference loss in January might have ended Park Hill South’s hopes of a league title this season, the Lady Panthers came storming back into the picture last week with two wins, one of which was an upset of conference leader Raytown. Down by more than twenty points going into the third quarter, South went on a 22-7 run in the fourth quarter to edge the Blue Jays 57-33. Jessica Lee was a big part of that comeback with ten of her team leading 20 points coming in the final quarter. She pulled in eight rebounds and show 12 of 16 from the free throw line. Madeline Homoly contributed ten points and six rebounds.

“It was truly an outstanding night for her,” Coach Jenny Orlowski said of Lee’s night.

Traveling to Raytown South later in the week, Park Hill South pulled out a close 39-37 win without point guard Samantha Roy. Not having their top leader had its drawbacks as the Panthers didn’t feel they ever quite reached their rhythm. Mackenzie Stout led with nine points. A win, nonetheless, South went into the North Kansas City tournament Monday facing Park Hill.

Park Hill South is now 12-6 with a 6-3 conference record, currently putting them in third place of the league as they head down the stretch run of their regular season record.

Park Hill South Wrestling

brought home a second place finish in the Liberty Invitational last weekend with a combined 292.5 team points. Park Hill South was second to Kearney, who dominated the tournament and took nine of the 14 first place medals. Coming home with individual tournament titles were Chase Gray at 182 and Nick Gillespie at 195 who both went 7-0 on the day. Kenrick Cook (170) and Jimmy Carpenter (132) fell in their title matches finishing as runners-up. Brett Rounkles (132) placed third while Ryan Proffitt (138) and Adam Weatherly (145) placed fourth in their weight classes. Park Hill South is off this week before they compete in a tri-dual against Winnetonka and Liberty Tuesday before preparing for the all-important district tournament at Ray-Pec next week.

They are now 11-3 in duals on the year with their final two conference meetings coming against Belton and Winnetonka.

 

Park Hill Wrestling

…dominated in their only competition last week as they defeated Ray-Pec and Liberty in convincing fashion. The Trojans beat Ray-Pec 69-3 and followed that up with a 71-6 win over Liberty.