Park Hill thumps Ruskin, looks to Kearney

Two consecutive wins fueled by strong second half play, including Friday’s 56-14 win over Ruskin, lead Park Hill (3-2) into this Friday’s matchup against Kearney (3-2). Kearney is coming off a devastating 28-27 loss to Platte County which saw the Pirates come back from a 27-0 second half deficit to win in the game’s final moments. Park Hill and Kearney haven’t played against each other since 2001 when both teams met in Class 4 district play, so there will be a certain amount of unfamiliarity between the two teams, this time as Class 5 district opponents again.

“I don’t know what to expect, but I know they’re a good team. They’re very physical and like to run the ball,” Park Hill Coach Greg Reynolds said. “It’s going to come down to taking care of business on the front lines and tackling. I think it’s going to be a pretty even game when it comes to talent level. Turnovers can be big in games like this. Bottom line is it’s a district game and will help us in seeding.”

Kearney will present a significantly more challenging opponent than the one Park Hill faced in Ruskin last week. The Trojans came in as a strong favorite and looked like it early as they drove the field on their opening drive for quarterback Clay Ford to run in the game’s first touchdown to put Park Hill up 7-0. Stefan McCarthy would tack on a 39-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0, but the Trojans would squander several chances to increase their margin in the second quarter after two fumbles and failed fourth down conversion. Ruskin would break loose a 64-yard run for a touchdown before halftime to make the score 14-7 going into the break, a surprisingly close game for observers at the halfway point.

“We fumbled the ball at inopportune times after big plays and made mental mistakes on short yardage plays,” Reynolds said of the first half. “I think some of our kids were trying to hit a home run each time instead of just doing what they do. Making moves for touchdowns instead of just getting what you can get.”

The second half would be a different story, much as it was the previous week in Park Hill’s comeback victory over Ruskin.

The Trojans came alive in the third quarter as they scored touchdowns on their first four possessions, all the first six minutes of the quarter. Park Hill would add another touchdown before the end of the period. All in all, scores were recorded from Kenyatte Harris, who would score touchdowns on runs of ten and 29 yards, a ten-yard touchdown pass from Clay Ford to Austin Truvillion, and McCarthy who added to his earlier touchdown total with two from a 19-yard run and 16-yard reception. Before it was all said and done, the Park Hill offensive would produce 35 third quarter points, giving them a 49-7 lead going into the fourth.

“That might just be the way this team is, we have moments when we loss focus. We don’t have the amount of experience to stop it once it starts,” Reynolds said. “But what we were doing (in the second half), that’s what we should be doing.”

While Ruskin saw success with the screen pass in the first half early and often, they were unable to convert it into the points they needed in the second half. Eagles quarterback Kiestan Burrell was 20 for 37 passing and threw for 189 yards with a touchdown.

Ruskin’s Terrello Holden pulled in a 46-yard touchdown reception to narrow the game’s margin, but Park Hill’s Carter Bates would record the final points of the game with a five-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter as the Trojans run away with a 56-14 victory.

Harris would end the game with 20 carries for 157 yards rushing and two touchdowns while his running back counterpart McCarthy would contribute 62 yards rushing and three touchdowns (two runs, one reception). Ford was eight for 13 passing for 121 yards with three touchdown passes on the night leading the Trojans to an offensive night which totaled 397 yards.