PHS boys hold off another Park Hill battle

Last time the Park Hill and Park Hill South boys basketball teams met, it was Park Hill South which jumped out to an early lead and held off a frantic Park Hill comeback for a 51-47 Panther win. The roles would be similarly flipped last Thursday in the rematch as Park Hill (3-17) jumped out to a 18-13 lead over Park Hill South after Landry Shamet hit a three-pointer at buzzer to end the first quarter. Shamet would end the game with 20 points.

“The thing that makes Landry special is, first, he loves basketball and then he wants to win really bad,” Park Hill coach David Garrison said. “For him to step up in this game, It’s sign of good things to come from him.”

In front of a full crowd at Park Hill, the home team would maintain their lead, going into halftime with a 30-27 advantage. That’s when the Panthers would come alive though as Hudson Welty hit a three-pointer early in the third quarter to give Park Hill South their first lead. It would be a sign of things to come as Welty would end up scoring a game high 23 points and lead the Panthers to a 45-35 lead going into the fourth quarter.

“We had to get him the ball, he hit some threes. If we wanted an advantage in the paint, we had to do that. It was a great atmosphere,” Park Hill South coach Rick Zych said. “We were outplayed in the first half, but we really came out with some intensity in the second half. We really played well in the third quarter.”

Park Hill felt they made some bad decisions and lost their focus in the third quarter.

“We got out of sync in the third quarter, didn’t get off very good shots,” Garrison said. “If you give some teams easy buckets, it makes it difficult.”

Park Hill South would weather a Trojan comeback attempt, but it would fall short as the Panthers took the two teams’ second matchup 57-54. While they won’t be seeing each other the rest of the regular season, the two could potential meet in the district tournament in two weeks. Garrison said if that were to be the case, they would look to last year for inspiration when the Trojans ended Park Hill South’s season after previously losing to them twice in the regular season.

“Last year we played twice and lost twice by similar advantages, but were able to get a win in the district tournament,” Garrison said. “We’ve got kids who have seen that happen.”

Park Hill South (15-6) beat Truman on the road in conference play earlier in the week 63-53 and is looking towards the possibility of a top seed in the district tournament. While in good position, they believe there are still improvements to be made.

“Hopefully, we’ll be the number one seed,” Zych said. “We have to work on rebounding and taking care of the ball. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re making some strides.”

On the other side, Park Hill (3-17) hopes to keep their focus and remind themselves of the possibilities district play can bring. In order for that to happen, it will take some more stability and consistency.

“We have stretchs were our decision making isn’t very good and have moments where we just breakdown and someone forgets their responsibility,” Garrison said. “We have two options for this season. When it doesn’t work out, we can make the choice to either pack it in or choose to build on it and carry it into districts.”

Liberty North dials Park Hill South's number - again

The Park Hill South boys basketball team has played high quality to start the first half of their season, compiling an 8-2 record. However, they have yet to find a winning combo to overcome the tenacity of the Liberty North Eagles who are responsible for the Panthers’ only two losses on the season, both of which have been for tournament titles. The most recent came over the weekend in the championship game of the Cardinal Division at the annual William Jewell Holiday Tournament in a match-up of two talented and physical teams where the Eagles got the best of the Panthers 44-36.

“We need to play games like this. They’re a good competitive team who is battle tested in the state tournament,” Park Hill South coach Rick Zych said. “We have good kids, but have a way to go and need to keep improving. We talk about what our goals are and one of them is to be better in February than we are right now.”

Park Hill South handedly took care of Ray-Pec in the first round of the tournament 52-29 before edging out Blue Springs in a highly competitive semifinal contest 49-44.

In a packed field house resembling a playoff atmosphere, both teams came out of the gate with poised offensive possessions. Liberty North would capitalize on a few key Park Hill South turnovers to earn a 12-5 lead after one quarter. Park Hill South narrowed the lead to a 20-16 score at halftime, but couldn’t get their shots to fall to create any momentum going in the second half going 8-for-28 from the field. Unable to take advantage of a team foul advantage in the fourth quarter, the Panthers struggled down the stretch from the free throw line going 5-for-12.

Down by 14 at one point in the fourth quarter, Park Hill South battled back to within six with under two minutes to play before Liberty North was able to secure the final victory.

Brinkley Jolly, who gave the Panthers trouble in the post all night, led the Eagles with 17 points and was named the Cardinal Division’s most valuable player. Park Hill South’s Anthony Woods, who led the team in scoring with eight points, made the All-Tournament team while Payton Meek was awarded the Hustle Award in the division.

“We’ve played two competitive games against them.” Zych said. “They’re a little more physical than we are right now. Their post player outplayed our posts. He hit some tough shots too, but I was proud of the way we competed.”

Zych says there were a lot of positives to take away from the tournament, but most is important is what lay ahead in the conference schedule, which will lay the groundwork for their ultimate goal, a district title.

“I think with three games on back to back to back days we learned a lot about ourselves and our personalities,” Zych said. “I was telling the guys that the season is a journey. I’ll trade some second place tournament trophies for a district championship.”

Park Hill South plays at Liberty on January 8^th before hosting Staley at home January 11^th.

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Park Hill’s early season struggled continued last week at the William Jewell Holiday Tournament. Drawing a tough match-up in the first round against Rockhurst on Wednesday, the Trojans fell behind early and found themselves in a 40-16 hole at halftime. It was a margin Park Hill would not be able to make up as they eventually fell 70-44. The next morning against Harrisonville, they would give up an early lead as well with the Wildcats taking a 23-16 lead into the locker room at halftime. This time, the Trojans would fire back with a 12-4 run in the opening minutes of the third quarter, gaining a brief 28-27 lead. Harrisonville would have the last say though as Matthew Pringle would rack up 26 points on the Trojans as they edge out a 55-48 win.

Park Hill falls to 2-8 on the year and will next see action January 8^th at Liberty North

Park Hill, South look to Jewell Tournament

The William Jewell Holiday Tournament features some of the best high school basketball action and teams from around the metro year to year. 2012 will be no different and will provide some steep competition for Park Hill and Park Hill South who will be a part of the 24 team field, competing in separate brackets.

Park Hill came into their opening round matchup against Rockhurst (4-2) Wednesday afternoon after a slow 2-6 start to the season, but went into the Christmas break with an impressive win over North Kansas City (59-37), which they hope will give them some positive momentum to take into the tournament.

The Trojans have looked to sophomores Landry Shamet and Devonte Thornton to lead them offensively in the early season. Thornton led Park Hill with 15 points in their win over North Kansas City last week. Both have strong growth potential in the coming years. While Thornton will scrap down low, Landry can be a threat from the outside as well as attack the basket.

“He’s a very heady basketball player, a good shooter, and very good at getting himself to the basketball,” Park Hill coach David Garrison said. “He jumps really well, which I think surprises some people. I think as he gets older and stronger, he’ll be a good player for us.”

Park Hill has seen some tough competition in the early season, which they believe will benefit them as they face the heart of their conference schedule starting in January.

“We’ve played some really good teams before Christmas,” Garrison said. “Blue Springs, Blue Springs South, Jefferson City. This (tournament) is going to be another tough test for us.”

Depending on the outcome of Wednesday night’s game, Park Hill will next face St. Pius X or Harrisonville. Other possible opponents in the Trojans final game could include Kearney, Raytown, Truman, or Liberty.

In addition to having the potential to shoot the ball really well at times, Garrison said another key factor is their defensive pressure away from the ball.

“We’re really trying to emphasize our off-the-ball pressure defensively. We’ve put forth a good effort, but sometimes we let the ball go by us. We’re doing better, but that will be critical for us,” Garrison said. “We’re a work in progress and I think as we keep doing that, when we get into conference play, we’ll be playing a lot better.”

Garrison said seniors Keaton Anchors, Austin Truvillion, and Ricky Trammell have all contributed in different roles and with more confidence they’ll become even better.

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Park Hill South goes into the William Jewell Tournament as a two-seed with their 6-1 record and will match-up against Ray-Pec (2-4) in the Cardinal Division’s first round at 6pm Thursday. With a win, the Panthers hope to play Blue Springs the next day for the right to a title game appearance.

Park Hill South’s most recent victory came in a close 63-54 win over Belton on the road before a one week break leading up to this week’s tournament.

Under the leadership of first year head coach Rick Zych and a number of experienced players, Park Hill South got off to a hot start in the first half of their season. Combining a sometimes devastating balance between their physical post presence and soft outside shooting touch, the Panthers have positioned themselves as a team to watch in this tournament as well as going forward the rest of the season.

Park Hill South has strong first half of season

Following Park Hill South’s 75-60 win over Lee’s Summit last Friday, head coach Rick Zych told his team that on some nights they could beat some of the best teams in the city, but on others they could also lose to the worst. With a 5-1 record so far in this early season, the high expectations Zych seeks from his battle-tested squad have fared well with some impressive play leading up to the Christmas break.

After a run through the Liberty North Tournament which included wins against Pembroke Hill and Kearney, the Panthers came up just short of bringing home the championship trophy two weeks ago with a 50-40 loss to Liberty North, their only blemish so far this season. Park Hill South will now look towards the always competitive William Jewell Holiday Tournament where they will see first round action against Ray-Pec on December 27^th at 6pm.

Leading up to Friday’s game, the Panthers had a full week of practice to make some tweaks in their game, which allowed them to come out full throttle against Lee’s Summit as they built a 12-3 lead in the opening minutes and closed the first quarter with a 31-12 advantage.

“We had a lot of practice this week, but we hit a lot of shots tonight and came out ready to play,” Zych said.

Out-sizing and out-rebounding Lee’s Summit with the help of Allan Hyatt and Robert Lane, Park Hill South felt they found themselves in mismatches at certain points, but it ended up playing to their advantage as they maintained their lead at halftime, 45-29.

“We played hard and they were a difficult team to guard because we’re so big. Some of our 6’5”-6’6” post players were playing guards,” Zych said. “We executed on offense and got the ball where we wanted it.”

Park Hill South had five players score in double digits with Hudson Welty leading the way with 17 points. Anthony Woods added 14 points while Payton Meek put up 13 with Lane and Hyatt adding 12 and 10 points respectively a piece. Welty pulled in eight rebounds along with Lane’s seven. Even with their strong start, the Panthers know they have to play better to be where they want to be at the end of the season.

“We just have to keep getting better,” Zych said. “We saw some teams at the tournament and knew we just had to get better.”

Winter Preview: Park Hill South Boys Basketball

New head basketball coach Rick Zych starts his first year at Park Hill South this season with plenty of success to grab his players’ attention. In 16 years as the head coach at Bishop Miege, the Stags played in five state championship games, winning two state titles. Now on the Missouri side, Zych will take the reins of a Panther basketball program that went 17-9 last year with a young group of talented players. The core of that team returns this season with heightened expectations from their new coach as well as themselves.

“They (the players) won a lot of games last year. They’re expecting success this year, and they know they have to work hard to get it,” Zych said. “We had a lot of sophomores that competed at a high level so we have some experience.”

Senior point guard Anthony Woods is expected to be one of the area’s most dynamic players this season.

“He’s worked real hard in the offseason and has a real good feel for the game. He’s probably one of the better defensive point guards, is real physical and moves his feet,” Zych said of Woods. “Offensively, there aren’t a lot of things he can’t do. He can take us about as far as he wants to go.”

Also joining Woods for their senior seasons will be Mikel Blake and Spenser Braymer who says will be looked upon early for leadership.

“They’ve been around and they are a big part of this program,” Zych said. “You’re only a senior once so there will be some weight on their shoulders.”

The Panthers will have considerable size with juniors Hudson Welty, Payton Meeks, Robert Lane and sophomore Alan Hitt, all of which are taller than 6’4”. Not only do they present a threat near the basket, but they’re versatile, making them dangerous on the perimeter as well.

“We are expecting big things from them. We’ve got some size and should utilize that,” Zych said. “If we stay out of foul trouble it will allow those guys to step out every once in awhile.”

Zych says he’ll bring a similar playing style to what he used at Bishop Miege, which was a fast-paced, up and down approach, but he also understands that each team is different.

“Every team is different; you can’t really compare it to Miege. This is the Park Hill South team of 2012-13 and we’re excited about it,” Zych said. “We’re going to try to get up and down a bit. Hopefully we’ll have the personnel to do it, but to make it work on offense you really just have to make shots and rebound, which we have to guys to do.”

Park Hill South hosts Lee’s Summit (Dec. 14) then travels to Belton (Dec. 18) before competing in the William Jewell Tournament between Christmas and New Year’s.

New, yet old

Last month, Park Hill South boys’ basketball announced Rick Zych as their new head coach bringing what the Panthers hope will be renewed and re-energized leadership to a program which has been at the edge of greatness several times over the years. With two Kansas state championships in five title game appearances as head coach of Bishop Miege the last 16 years, Zych has the resume and vision to put South on the map as a perennial contender in Missouri. In addition to his teams’ successes, he’s also coached some of the metro’s top players including Kansas starting guard Travis Releford. Zych is no stranger to the Park Hill School District though. He takes over the coaching duties from Athletic Director John Sedler, much like he did when Sedler hired him in 1992 as head coach at Park Hill.

“I've known John Sedler for many years and respect him,” Zych said. “I wanted to jump at the opportunity because it’s an excellent school district and they've got some good players. Mostly based on the respect I have for John, the school district, and Principal Dale Longenecker is what lured me in.”

Zych, whose daughter is graduating from Bishop Miege this year, thought it was a good time to move on to something different and wanted to look into getting back to a really good public school district. With a team returning several key players from a 17-9 season, Zych saw Park Hill South as an ideal place to build another winner, this time on the Missouri side of the state line.

“They're fine young men and have some great young players there. We're moving to a bigger league and the schedule might be different than it was last year. I think they gained some confidence last year which will help,” Zych said. “I think Missouri basketball is more physical. Kansas basketball is probably more athletic. Missouri has a lot more size than Kansas usually does.”

Bringing a fact paced style which uses a lot of players, Zych has a vision of the program he wants to build and he knows where it needs to start.

“From day one, you have to make it important not just to the players, but to the whole school. That will be our staff's job to go out there and sell the program. That starts with grade school coaches and so on. Your best spokespeople will be your players and that's why they need to be good kids and well-respected in the community,” Zych said. “Some of our best players are our most responsible and charismatic kids. People want to come watch those kind of kids play. We want playing at Park Hill South to be an adventure and an experience, not just for us, but for our opponents and make it difficult to play here.”

As far as building that kind of culture, Zych says it is going to take time, but it starts with the players. Each player will have a role to fill and it may not necessarily be that of scorer.

“We play a lot of guys and try to get the ball to our best players. I told the guys that shooting is not an equal opportunity situation. We need someone to be our best rebounder or our best defender. That is what goes into forming a true team and finding your roles,” Zych said.

With his record and impressive list of former players, which includes those who’ve won and been nominated for the DiRenna Award (Kansas City’s top basketball player) and gone on to play division one college basketball, Zych says he’s been lucky to have had such talent.

“When we talk about ‘this is the kind of player you can be’ and compare it to those players, I think kids react to that,” Zych said. “I brought my whole staff from Bishop Miege. We've had teams that have overachieved and underachieved. That's the fun of it. And we're looking forward to doing that again, this time at a different school.”

One thing that stands out to Zych which has held true over the years is the quality of play his teams have at the end of the season.

“I think our teams at Miege were known for one thing, playing real well at the end of the year. Sometimes parents and others don't understand that, but you have to realize the big prize comes at the end of the year,” Zych said. “14 of 16 years making it to the state tournament. When you get that reputation, you get kids to believe in it and word spreads pretty quickly. When you win it’s easier to ask for a commitment and it kind of snow balls from there.”

In the end, he looks back to the players who he says win the games, not him.

“It’s all about players,” Zych said. “You can have John Wooden there, but without them it makes it difficult.”

Park Hill South grad big part of Ohio's March Madness

While the basketball season has ended for most area high school and college players, Platte County still has one local player competing on the hardwood, and he’s doing it on college basketball’s biggest stage. Ohio University junior forward Ivo Baltic, a 2009 Park Hill South graduate, has been a key member of a Bobcat squad that has amassed a 29-7 record and Mid-America Conference (MAC) conference tournament championship this season. It earned them a trip to the NCAA Tournament where last week, as an underdog 13^th seed, the Bobcats fueled March Madness with not only an upset over the fourth seeded Michigan Wolverines 65-60, but two days later another win over 12^th seeded South Florida 62-56. The wins propel them towards an unlikely trip to the Sweet Sixteen and matchup against perennial power house, number one seeded North Carolina this Friday night in St. Louis.

“I don’t think seeding really means a lot. Our mindset was we just wanted to advance,” Baltic said of the upsets. “In the locker room, we have this board that says: graduate from Ohio University, win the MAC championship (regular season and tournament), make it to the NCAA Tournament, and advance in the tournament. These are our goals and we’ve been able to pretty much accomplish them so far.”

Averaging 8.9 points and 5 rebounds per game this season, it’s Baltic’s second appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2010, as a freshman he played every game in a season where 14^th seeded Ohio upset the third seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the first round.

“We weren’t expected to do good things then, this year is a little different because we’ve been pretty successful the whole season,” Baltic said. “This year we’re in the Sweet Sixteen, which hasn’t been done since 1964 so it’s been a good year for us, but we just have to stay hungry and humble.”

It’s a scenario the Ohio University coaching staff painted for Baltic when he was recruited out of high school and one that stood out compared to other schools he was being pursued by at the time. Baltic says Ohio told him not just the positives, but also the potential negatives of college basketball life.

“The whole coaching staff, they pretty much told me we could do some special things with my time here,” Baltic said. “The difference was they told me the ups and downs of what could happen instead of just the positives.”

The former Park Hill South standout was nominated as a McDonald’s High School All-America his senior year when he averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds per game for the Panthers. His talent and ability is still visible around Park Hill South in the form of plaques and recognition as he remains the school’s all-time scoring and rebound leader. Long-time Athletic Director John Sedler says Baltic is the best he’s ever watched.

“In my opinion, he is the best player to graduate from the Park Hill School District,” Sedler said. “He is a multi-skilled (hybrid) player that is effective on the perimeter as well as in the post area.  Today’s game really fits his skills; with all of the spread sets and dribble penetration being used he is very comfortable.”

Baltic echoes the description by calling his playing persona as a ‘versatile big’ by being willing to play whatever role the team needs.

“I can be whatever my team needs me to be. I think that’s a sacrifice anyone on our team is willing to make.”

Sacrifice is something Baltic is very familiar with when it comes to basketball. ‘Basketball junkie’ and ‘gym rat’ are just two of the words used to describe his work ethic, both past and present. At a young age, Baltic knew basketball was his way to college.

“Growing up, my parents didn’t really have a lot of money. We came from overseas. Just getting into college was going to be pretty hard,” Baltic, who was born in Bosnia, but has lived in Kansas City since second grade, said. “I didn’t think I could just get in by academics or money by themselves. I just worked my butt off every day. Fridays and Saturday nights when kids were out going and stuff, I was in the gym.”

Rattling off nearly a half dozen of his former Park Hill South coaches, Baltic gave credit and appreciation (both big and small) for the support he’s received in the past and to this day.

“I just appreciate all the love I’ve gotten from my family, former teammates, former coaches, and all the people who really helped me get here,” Baltic said. “Even people like the janitors at my high school, who would sometimes turn on the lights for me just so I could shoot in the gym. It’s just the little things like that I’m real thankful for and blessed to have the opportunity to be doing what I’m doing.”

Even at 21 years old and a possible professional career ahead of him, he offers a lesson in discipline, as he commonly does with his ability to solve a Rubik’s cube in nearly a minute, mentioning his desire to continue playing the game after college before quickly returning to the immediate task in front of him.

“I just want to stay around the game after I’m done here (at school),” Baltic said. “To be honest, I’m just focused on this season and winning. Too many times people think too much about the future and they forget to live in the present.”

Park Hill avoids trifecta sweep, but falls in district title game

The old saying ‘It’s hard to beat a team three times’ is commonly used to describe how difficult it is for a team to beat another they’re generally considered the favorite over after having already won two previous games. This was the case coming into last week’s district semifinal game between the Park Hill and Park Hill South boys basketball teams as Park Hill South, with an impressive 17-8 season, came into their district semifinal game against Park Hill with two wins against the Trojans already this season. On the other side of the court was Park Hill, coming into the game after a tough regular season which gave them with a 6-17 record. Having only lost by a combined eight points in their two previous losses to the Panthers, they were two outings in which the Trojans displayed an unmatched amount of fire and passion. The third and final meeting would be no different.

With elimination and the end of the season on the line, the two rivals battled back and forth nearly every minute of the game. The atmosphere had the passionate feel most matchups bring between these two teams, but with the added tension of its playoff implications.

Despite being an underdog, Park Hill took a 16-11 lead into the second quarter which was narrowed to a slim 29-28 going into halftime. Park Hill South would pull ahead by seven late in the second half, but a Park Hill comeback put this year’s Park Hill/Park Hill South finale in the books as a classic. Each basket meaning more and more as time ticked away in the second half, Park Hill’s Keaton Anchors secured a turnover with just seconds remaining in the game and took it in for a layup to put the Trojans up two. Marcus Cross would add another point from the free throw line. Park Hill South guard Anthony Woods, who had been in foul trouble early in the game, took an inbound pass from under the basket, but his three as time expired fell short giving Park Hill the upset and 56-53 district semifinal victory. Garrett Wooldridge led in scoring for Park Hill with 15 points in the victory, which set up a district title game matchup with St. Joe Central.

While the Trojans came out with the same passion they had against Park Hill South, the athleticism of St. Joe Central was tough for the Trojans to compete against. In fact, Park Hill pulled ahead of the Indians in the first quarter resulting in a 15-11 lead. The spark was short lived as St. Joe Central would win the next three quarters. Park Hill remained within striking distance, but couldn’t quite get close enough to regain the lead as the Indians gradually increased their lead each period on the way to a 68-51 victory over Park Hill. Connor Farmer led the Trojans in scoring with 18 points.

“We came out with a lot of enthusiasm,” Park Hill Coach David Garrison said. “In the second quarter things got tough and we had some turnovers which led to some baskets. That’s one thing we knew we couldn’t do.”

Park Hill ends the season with a second place district finish and 7-18 overall record. For Garrison, the Trojans’ tough schedule presented two options for a senior laden team.

“The main thing our kids did is they kept competing. That’s something we really appreciated,” Garrison said. “When you’re having a season you’re not really happy with, there are two things you can do. You can roll over or you can continue to fight and compete.”

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.

Steady Hand: Longtime PH South AD has been a calming influence for a young Panthers squad

The Park Hill South boys basketball team started the season with losses in two of their first three games. It was a start expected out of a young and untested team, led by a new coach, that had less than a combined 40 varsity points returning from last year. Those thinking the Panthers might be in for a long year have been proven wrong, though.

After rattling off seven straight victories, starting with a 43-31 win over Staley on Dec. 8 and including an overtime victory against Liberty 44-43 in the opening round of the Bank Midwest /William Jewell Holiday Classic last week, their streak came to an end against a previously undefeated St. Joseph Central squad in the tournament semifinals, 58-52. Park Hill South rebounded and closed out the first half of their season and the 2011 year with a 52-49 third-place game victory over Fort Osage.

The Panthers’ start is a promising sign not only considering their youth, but also because of the tough adjustments that sometimes come with a new coach’s first year. Long-time PHS athletic director John Sedler isn’t the typical first year coach, though. In fact, if there was anyone more reliable to maintain the high standard of basketball Park Hill South has set for itself over recent years it would be Sedler, someone with a strong reputation as a coach and administrator in the district.

So when Park Hill South found itself in the situation of not having a head coach weeks before school started this past August due to the sudden resignation of former coach Anthony Perry, who now faces charges that he tried to initiate sexual contact with a student, it was only natural Superintendent Dennis Fisher and Principal Dale Longenecker looked to Sedler to lead the program.

For Sedler, 56, a graduate of the Park Hill School District and Alumni Hall of Fame inductee, it was a chance for him to return to coaching. He previously coached for 10 years at Park Hill before becoming athletic director at Park Hill South in 1998 where he said he has a more direct role in shaping kids lives, the reason he started coaching in the first place.

“I got into this business because I like kids number one,” Sedler said. “These guys have a great passion for basketball which has made it an easy transition.”

It would’ve been easy to implement a whole new system tailored to Sedler’s preference, but with the help of assistants Dillon Higdon and Tracy Mangels the Panthers are building on what was already in place.

“One of the exciting parts was that Coach Higdon and Coach Mangels were returning so we were able to keep most of what they did last year, so we didn’t just get rid of everything, but wanted to build on what they already had in place,” Sedler said.

Sophomore guard Anthony Woods who averaged 15 points a game in the William Jewell Tournament last week contrasted Sedler’s style and echoed his thoughts on the team’s progress.

“He’s been great. I mean he’s a really calm guy, which is a little different (than last year),” Woods said. “We just want to play hard and with intensity. We’re not really worried about wins and losses, we’re worried about going out and playing the way we’re supposed to.”

With the completion of the first half of their season, they’ve passed the point where youth can be used as an excuse for inconsistency and look to what will be a tougher second half schedule.

“We’ve quit talking about being young, because no one cares, there’s no excuses anymore, they’re varsity players so they have to play like it,” Sedler said. “We’re definitely getting better, everyday.”

Park Hill South starts 2012 with two homes games including a rematch against Liberty Wednesday followed by Raytown Friday night before going on the road next week against Raytown South. In the meantime, neither Sedler nor his top guard believes their work is complete.

“We have a bunch of great young kids with great attitudes, they’ve been very receptive. It’s great working with them. They know they’ve got to get better,” Sedler said.

“We’re been working on trying to gel and keep everything together,” Woods added. “We need to cut down on the turnovers and keep our defense up so we don’t get lackadaisical.”

PH South boys basketball: new coach, new roster

Park Hill South is a basketball program that prides itself on defense. It’s been defense which has been such a big part of netting them two district titles in as many years coming into the 2011-2012 season. It will be much the same this year as athletic director John Sedler takes over the head coaching duties of a team that doesn’t return a single letterman from last season and will be starting with an almost entirely new slate of varsity players.

“The mainstay of our program has always been our defense and we’re trying to keep it that way,” Sedler said. “We had a couple sophomores last year that played a couple minutes here and there, but we have less than 40 points scored in a varsity game coming back. Our seniors have just as many varsity minutes as the freshmen, so we’re trying to get them to mesh into what’s best for the team.”

What the Panthers lack in experience, they hope to make up for with athletic ability and that will start at the point guard spot with sophomore Anthony Woods, who gained some experience at the varsity level at the beginning of last season and will provide South with a basketball savvy leader.

“At the high school level, any team that doesn’t have a good point guard is going to struggle because you can’t get from point A to point B. At Park Hill South we’ve been fortunate to have those in the past, now we have Anthony Woods and I feel really strong about his abilities,” Sedler said.

Joining him in the backcourt will be Payton Meek, Spenser Braymer, and Mikel Blake. With a history of tall, natural post players, the Panthers will see a slight change in that this season with a pair of 6’4” power forwards including Hudson Welty and Robert Lane. Senior Dylan Huber and freshman Allan Hyatt will also be in the rotation down low.

“Our 6’4” kids have become our post players, which is something different, we’re not that big, but they’ve given us some good options inside. Those four guys will make the nucleus of our interior and they’ve gotten better and better,” Sedler said. “I’d say most of our posts are what you would call a hybrid, they can step out.”

Having been an athletic director and coach in the district for more than 20 years, Sedler knows what it takes for good teams to win and he boils basketball success down to a basic philosophy.

“Generally good teams rely on the intellect of their perimeter players and effort of their posts,” Sedler said.

The Panthers will for the most part be growing up on the basketball court this winter and with early games against William Chrisman and Rockhurst, they’ll find out fast how steep that learning curve will be. It won’t be so much about their opponent as themselves though.

“In our league, every game is going to be a dog fight. But it’s more a matter of us than our opponents, how we play,” Sedler said. “We’re not sure what the strength is. The potential is there to be competitive.”

Park Hill South head basketball coach resigns

Park Hill South High School varsity head basketball coach Anthony Perry has resigned from his coaching and physical education teacher positions with the school. He also served as an assistant coach on the track and field teams.

Park Hill South Athletic Director John Sedler confirmed the resignation earlier this week only saying it had been issued two weeks ago and at the time he had been on vacation. With this week being the first in a new school year, questions have arisen to the circumstances behind Perry's sudden departure and whether the resignation was on personal grounds or from a situation involving his responsibilities with the school. Calls to district administrators went unreturned as of Tuesday evening.

As far as the basketball program is concerned, Sedler said there were still some things to be sorted out, but indicated there would be a new head coach in place by the beginning of preseason workouts in November. He did not say whether a new coach had been decided upon, if a search was underway internally within the school, or if the position would be opened up to outside applicants. Sedler also did not rule out the possibility of an interim head coach filling the position for the 2011-2012 season until a more long-term replacement would be named.

Park Hill South wins second straight title with defense, advances to sectionals

There were two similarities between the 2010 Class 5 District 16 boy’s basketball tournament and the 2011 tournament that crowned its champion last week. For Park Hill, it’s something they won’t look back on fondly as the Trojans came into both as a top seed (#2 in 2010, #1 in 2011), only needing wins against teams they had beaten earlier in the season to earn their first title since 1995. On the other hand, for Park Hill South it will be a testament of being in top form at the right time despite not being favored to advance as a lower seeded team (#4 in 2010, #3 in 2011).

The Class 5 District 16 tournament that concluded last Friday night was déjà vu all over again for the top seeded Park Hill Trojans and third seeded Park Hill South Panthers. In the 2010 district tournament, Park Hill was upset in the second round despite being the two seed to put a premature end to the Trojans’ season while Park Hill South, seeded fourth, ended up taking the district title plus more as they advanced all the way to the state semifinals. After coming away with a slim victory several weeks ago against the Panthers, Park Hill was thought to have the advantage going into the district title matchup between the two. But at the end of the night, it would be Park Hill South again taking home the district title leaving Park Hill empty handed for a second straight season.

Park Hill’s De’Aris Flint gave the Trojans their only first half lead with his breakaway layup for the games first basket, but Park Hill would be plagued by key turnovers caused by a tough Park Hill South defense throughout the game preventing the Trojans from gaining any substantial momentum. When Park Hill was able to get to the basket, South’s Adam Schemenauer was instrumental for the Panthers as he had several huge blocks early in the game. He also added offensively with 19 points on the night.

“He’s a great player and better athlete than he gets credit for,” Park Hill South coach Anthony Perry. “We ask him to be a game changer, that’s his job in making teams adjusting.”

With a 21-17 lead at halftime, Park Hill South briefly gave up the lead when Nathan Wilson hit a three pointer at the 2:30 mark in the third quarter, but carried a 31-29 advantage into the final quarter. It was in that fourth quarter when a relentless Panther defense finally took its toll on the Trojans. While Park Hill had managed to only be down by a small margin the majority of the game, scoring just five points in the fourth quarter allowed Park Hill South to extend their lead as the clock wound down with their ability to convert free throws. With the 48-34 victory, the Panthers advanced to a sectional round game against Liberty on Wednesday at the Independence Events Center.

Perry’s team has now won two district titles in as many years after suffering losses to district opponents during the regular season. He says the season is a process his team goes through that allows them to excel at the right time.

“It takes time for the kids to grasp it,” Perry said. “We take our lumps throughout the year, so at the end they know what we want as a coaching staff and we know what to expect.”

The trend will be tested again against Liberty as the Panthers held a 14 point lead in the fourth quarter earlier this year before relinquishing it in the face of a 65-60 loss.

“We were up by 14 in the fourth quarter,” Perry said of the Liberty game. “It’s huge because the simple fact is we know we can play with them. We have to do good things, execute and play well.”

A victory Wednesday evening will lead to a quarterfinals matchup Friday at 6 p.m. with the winner of the Ruskin/Lee’s Summit North game. South has not faced either team this season, but Perry believes there are two basic things that make his team a competitor and capable of advancing through the state playoffs.

“We’ve got three guys with a lot of experience, they know what it takes to be competitive when you get this far,” Perry said of his leading scorers’ past experience. “The biggest thing is that the kids believe in us. We’ve been blessed to have kids that don’t fight the system.”

Winter Roundup: Feb. 14-18

Park Hill Boys Basketball
The Park Hill boys basketball team was able to snap a four game lossing streak last Friday as they defeated Belton 73-56 in their final game of the regular season to improve to 15-10 on the year. With their top seed in the Class 5, District 16 tournament, the Trojans will face the winner of the Staley/Oak Park game in the semifinals of the tournament Thursday evening. A win would set up a title game against the Park Hill South/St. Joe Central winner on Saturday night at Oak Park High School.

Despite their fall from the top of the conference leader board over the last two weeks, Coach David Garrison hopes the victory on Friday night puts Park Hill on a new path towards winning a district title. A strong class of seniors will be the Trojans' key any title run and a disappointing semifinal loss to Oak Park last season will play into their minds as a source of motivation. Park Hill defeated Oak Park, Staley, and Park Hill South earlier in the season while the Trojans split their series with St. Joe Central. One thing Garrison knows is that with the teams in the district it will be very competitive.

"It's going to be a tough district, everyone has a chance to win it," Garrison said. "It's going to come down to whoever can get hot and execute in the 4th quarter of the game."

Park Hill guard Chris Nsenki scored his 1,252nd point of his career on Friday night. Currently, he is the third highest scorer in school history and only one of four players to have scored over 1,000 points.

Park Hill South Boys Basketball
As of press time, Park Hill South's district semifinal game against St. Joe Central was undetermined. The third seed Panthers have not faced the second seeded Indians this season. Coming into this week, the Panthers had won three of the previous four games. The defending district champs are 15-8 on the season after winning both of their final two games last week against Belton (78-47) and Winnetonka.

“The win gives us a share of the conference title with Raytown South,” Park Hill South Coach Anthony Perry said. “We finished up 8-2 in conference.”

“Our district should be very competitive with a number of teams having a chance to win it,” Perry said. “The players are very excited about the conference title and are looking forward to competing in districts.”

Park Hill South Girls Swim/Dive
The Park Hill South girls swim and dive team came home with a tenth place finish at the state swim meet last weekend. Their strength all year, the Panthers did particularly well in the relays with second and third place finishes from their 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley. The two relays are made up of Lyndsay Ryan, Rachael Norfleet, Mary Cate Reinert and Mariah Bryant in the medley along with Ryan and Bryant with Olivia McLain and Miranda Henderson in the freestyle. Park Hill South tied in team points with Blue Springs, the second best finish for a team from the Kansas City metropolitan area behind Notre Dame de Sion's sixth place finish.

Winter Weekly Recap: Feb. 7 - Feb. 12

Park Hill Boys Basketball
The Park Hill boys basketball team came into last week in the driver's seat of their suburban conference title hopes, but three games later they come into this week out of contention and on a three game lossing streak. A close loss on the road against St. Joe Central 60-58 was followed by a home loss against Ruskin 70-59. It was their hope that they could close out the week on Senior Night with a win against Lee's Summit West. Park Hill came out slow as they fell behind 14-4 going into the second quarter. A contentious crowd and high emotions led the Trojans to a series of turnovers and fouls in the second and third quarter falling down by as much as 23 points. While the Trojans were able to cut the lead in the fourth quarter, the Titan clock management on offense eventually created some easy baskets against a frustrated defense to extend the lead to a final score of 67-46. Top scorers Chris Nsenki and De'Aris Flint were held to just 12 points a piece on the night. Park Hill is now 14-9 and will conclude the season at Belton Friday night before the district tournament begins next week at Oak Park.

Park Hill South Boys Basketball
After a victory against Raytown earlier in the week, the Park Hill South boys were hoping to make it a sweep of the district when they went against Raytown South last Friday night. It wasn't meant to be as the Cardinals gradually expanded their lead throughout the game to eventually win 68-57. Adam Schemenauer scored 19 while Christian Hildebrandt added 15 points. The Panthers are now 13-8 on the season with a regular season finale scheduled Friday night at home against Winnetonka for Senior Night.

Park Hill South Girls Basketball
A 57-48 win over Belton earlier in the week didn't create any momentum for the Lady Panthers against Kearney later in the week. While South only trailed 13-8 at the start of the second quarter. They were shutout in the second quarter and held to a single point in the third before matching the Bulldogs' 15 points in the fourth quarter of what ended up being a 48-24 loss. Brandi Weymuth led in scoring with six points. South is now 8-13 and will conclude the regular season at Raytown before heading into the district tournament next week.

Park Hill Girls Basketball
The Park Hill girls had a tough week last week after two losses to Oak Park and St. Joe Central. A close 37-31 loss where Kyleesha Weston led with nine points must have motivated the Lady Trojans to come out strong against St. Joe Central. Park Hill got in front of the Indians early as they took a four point lead into halftime against a talened Central team before a 180 degree turn in the second half left the Trojans again on the wrong side of a 45-31 score. Park Hill went scoreless in the third quarter. Weston led with 11 points. The Trojans are now 8-13 and will play Ruskin on Thursday for Senior Night.
"Senior night will be fun and a very rewarding experience for the kids," first year coach Aaron Neeser said. "They have bought into me and what I am trying to do with the program from day one. I appreciate their leadership and energy that they have brought to this team. I wish them well in the future."

Park Hill/Park Hill South Swim & Dive
State swim meet this weekend at the St. Peters Rec Complex in St. Peters, Missouri.

Winter Weekly Recap: Jan. 24-29

Park Hill Girls Basketball
The Lady Trojans fell in a close game against North Kansas City late last week as they lost 46-44. Kyleesha Weston had a stellar performance as she scored almost half of the Trojans' points with 20 along with freshman Dominique Broadus's 10 points. With a 6-8 record, they are competing in the North Kansas City Tournament this week.

Park Hill South Girls Basketball
The Park Hill South Lady Panthers went through a week of give and take last week as they suffered a heavy 56-36 loss to Raytown earlier in the week, but came back in a big way by beating Ruskin 56-16. Stephanie Griffith led South in their loss to Raytown with 15 points while Tori Kerr scored 10 points in their victory over Ruskin. At 7-9, they are playing in the North Kansas City Tournament this week.

Park Hill/Park Hill South Boys Basketball
Leading up to last Friday's rivalry game, Park Hill South won an impressive 47-32 victory over Oak Park. The Park Hill boys weren't as lucky, as they fell just short of beating Liberty 48-47 after giving up a lead late in the game.

Park Hill South Wrestling
The lower weight classes of the Park Hill South wrestling team outlasted the heavier classes of the Lee's Summit West Titans last week as South took a hard fought 40-36 victory. With pins from Alex Fortuna (112), Bret Rounkles (119), Jimmy Carpenter (125), and Alex Weatherly (130), Nick Gillespie's pin in the 171 weight class carried the Panthers over the edge in a dual where Lee's Summit West's otherwise heavier wrestlers were racking up points for the Titans. They will compete in the Lee's Summit North Invite this weekend.

Head coach Dan Dunkin says this year the injuries have created even more opportunities for different athletes to wrestle on the varsity level including freshman George Barth and junior Nick Gillespie who have been able to step into varsity roles as needed. Usually at the JV-level, Cody Hodges picked up four varsity victories last weekend at the Liberty Invitational on his way to a sixth place finish. Fortuna placed third (103), Weatherly second (130), Chase Gray third (171), DJ Dewit fifth (145), and Bret Rounkles fifth (119).

Clash for a cause: Park Hill, Park Hill South primed for rivalry game that will raise money for the American Cancer Society

The Park Hill and Park Hill South boys basketball teams will face off on Friday night after coming off just barely missing out on tournament titles in the Basehor-Linwood and North Kansas City Tournaments this past weekend. Their second place finishes leave an unfulfilled gap of accomplishment for what will already be a contentious rivalry game between two of the hottest teams in the metro this season. Not only will the game itself be a matchup of two solid squads, but it will also bring together two fan bases for a worthy case as they raise money for the American Cancer Society.

“It’s a great chance for people to contribute along with our hoops club having a raffle,” Garrison said of the opportunities available to donate. “It’s the first year we’ve done it. The Great Kansas City Basketball Association has made it a goal to raise money for the American Cancer Association.”

"Friday’s game should be a fun night," Siouth head coach Anthony Perry said. "Park Hill is playing good basketball and it should be a competitive game.  Last year we had a game against Staley to raise funds for cancer and it was a great event for a great cause.  So I called David and asked him if he’d be interested in doing the same thing for our game and he agreed.  Everyone knows someone who has dealt with cancer and I’m excited about having the opportunity to help."

Park Hill (12-5, 4-1) and Park Hill South (12-6, 6-1) are two teams with considerable talent and experience. One key area to watch will be South’s Christian Hildebrandt and Park Hill’s De’Aris Flint, two of the most athletic players on the court. Hildebrandt’s three point capabilities make him a threat against what will otherwise be a physical and agile matchup between the two forwards. Another pair to watch will be Park Hill’s Anthony Walters and South’s Rocky Benson. The two point guards have displayed strong ball handling skills thus far along with the ability to be aggressive to the basket. Additionally, expect to see Benson handling defensive duties against Park Hill’s top-scorer Nsenki from time to time.

“It’s going to be a great game. They’re well coached and have got a good group back from last year and a good group of newcomers filling in,” Garrison said of Park Hill South’s squad.

The Trojans and Panthers featured similar paths to their respective tournament championship game appearances last weekend. Park Hill forced overtime in their semi-final game against Maryville before finally pulling out the victory 57-55 to advance to the title game against host school Basehor-Linwood. The home school crowd put the Trojans in a hostile environment, one in which they might not encounter all season with the nature of small-town Kansas basketball. A foul infested game, Park Hill simply was unable to rebound effectively and convert free throws to overcome Basehor-Linwood’s relentlessness. On top of that, the Bobcats were able to hold leading scorer Chris Nsenki to just 12 points. Despite not performing in several key areas, the Trojans were able to only be down by as much as 13 points in the second half before eventually falling 53-45 after cutting the lead to just three late in the game. De’Aris Flint led the Trojans with 13 points.

“I think we lost rebounds 11-2 in the fourth quarter and that’s when you have to do your best,” Coach David Garrison said. “When one part is off, you can’t have another off. We have to play through things, whether that is the crowd or a call. We can’t let that affect us when we’re playing against the hometown team. We can’t let things beyond our control affect our game.”

Garrison said the opportunity to play in Kansas against teams they’re not familiar with was a good thing.

“I think it’s a good break between the beginning of the conference season and the end,” Garrison said. “It’s a good chance to play teams you usually don’t see and is a nice change of pace.”

For Park Hill South, it wasn’t the semifinal game, but the title game that required overtime against Truman. In what appeared to be a tight game throughout, Park Hill South faced a 26-25 halftime deficit before regaining the lead going into the fourth quarter by just a point at 40-39. Over time was forced in the fourth, but the give and take experienced the entire game ended in the Patriots’ favor with a close 55-54 Truman victory. Christian Hildebrandt has 23 points along with Adam Schemenauer’s 14.

Panthers experience change of pace

Run and gun.

A fast paced basketball approach of quick scores from aggressive offense and applying tough pressure on defense.

This is the style Anthony Perry and his Park Hill South Panthers have played for the better part of a decade. Last year, it led them to a Final Four appearance in the Missouri Class Five playoffs. With three core players returning from last year’s team and several players stepping up into strong supporting roles, South has now switched from the role of David to Goliath. But in the heart of a tough conference schedule, the Panthers have had to do something they haven’t done in quite a while: slow down.

With the loss of starting point guard Anthony Woods for the season, shooting guard Rocky Benson has moved to the top of the key to run the Panther offense. One of the Panthers’ top scorers, Benson’s role will now change with a newly oriented Panther offense.

“He’s had to change the way he plays. Usually our two-guard scores and plays defense against the other team’s best player,” Perry said. “With him at the point, we can’t wear him out on defense. His has to make sure the offense runs the way it’s supposed to.”

Plagued by injuries, the Panthers don’t have the depth they usually need to run their high-paced offense. The return of 6’3” Kendrick White to the lineup, which Perry describes as part of the heart and soul of his team, allows the Panthers to turn their focus to more of a half-court approach and use their size to attack the basket down low. Along with White, 6’9” center Adam Schemenauer and 6’4” forward Christian Hildebrandt make up a sizable and athletic post combo.

“Especially when you have the size we have. We’d be dumb not to look to the inside. You notice it more now because we’ve lost a transition guy,” Perry said.

On display last Friday, they hosted an outmatched Belton Pirate squad. Focusing on the post early and often, South guards looked twice, sometimes three times into the post to get the right look they needed. Although this only left the Panthers with a 10-8 lead after the first quarter, it was hard to shake old habits as they naturally turned to their fast-paced full-court game which extended their lead to 26-10 at the half. The second half was perhaps a leading example of how dangerous Park Hill South could be down the stretch as they combined their new post focus and potentially explosive full-court game with the athletic ability of Hildebrandt, one of the most difficult match-ups for an opposing team. South extended the lead to a final 54-19 victory. Hildebrandt scored 24 points, outscoring the entire Belton team. Benson and Schemenauer contributed eight points along with White’s seven.

“He does a good job, very unselfish player. He could come down and shoot the ball every single possession, but he picks out his opportunities. He allows his teammates to get into the flow of offense before he chooses his shots,” Perry said of Hildebrandt.

The key to seeing success when districts come around is combining their multiple threats with the ability to compose themselves and make the decisions necessary to carry them out.

“Force ourselves to be mentally disciplined is our goal. We understand what we need to do offensively and defensively,” Perry said. “Now it comes down to every possession being disciplined enough to do it.”

Winter Weekly Recap: Jan. 10-15

Park Hill Boys Basketball
The day off of school due to snow affected Lee's Summit West more last Tuesday as they hosted Park Hill in a suburban conference battle. Park Hill trailed by a score of 28-20 before mounting a 21-5 third quarter leading them to a key 62-49 victory. Connor Farmer has emerged as a scoring presence for the Trojans as he posted 17 points along with Chris Nsenki's 17. De'Aris Flint added 12. To close the week, Park Hill had a chance to knock off a talented Truman team, but were unable to gain any momentum as the Patriots outscored the Trojans in each quarter for a 60-5 win. At 11-4, Park Hill will be in a conference battle with Truman and Lee's Summit West down the stretch as their second meetings could make a difference in who claims the title. Park Hill will compete in the Basehor-Linwood Tournament this week followed by what is sure to be a great matchup at Liberty on Tuesday and rival Park Hill South on Friday.

Park Hill South Boys Basketball
After two tough losses the prior week, the Park Hill South Panthers came back strong last week as they scratched out a nail-biting victory against conference opponent Raytown South 50-49. Christian Hildebrandt scored 16 along with Adam Schemenauer's 13. Outmatched in almost every aspect, the Belton Pirates received a tough task in traveling to South last Friday night. Although, close in the beginning the Panthers held Belton to just 19 points the entire game. Hildebrandt scored 24 points in an impressive performance that outscored the entire Pirate roster. The Panthers are now 10-5 and are playing in the North Kansas City tournament this week before facing off against Oak Park Tuesday and Park Hill next Friday night.

Park Hill Girls Basketball
The Lady Trojans only game last week as a rough one as they suffered a defeat at home against Lee's Summit West 63-38. Facing a tough Titan team, the Trojans fell to a 36-13 halftime deficit after West outscored the Trojans 23-7 in the second quarter. Park Hill's top average scorers, Kyleesha Weston and Helena Hudson, weren't able to break double digits with nine and eight points, respectively. The Trojans were able to turnout a better second half, going toe to toe with Titans in the third and fourth quarters, b the damage was done. Park Hill is participating in the Basehor-Linwood Tournament this week. They are now 5-6.

Park Hill South Girls Basketball
The Park Hill South Girls lost a close one last Thursday night against Fort Osage 34-30. Taking a 12-11 halftime lead, the Panthers extended their lead to six going into the final quarter, but Fort Osage's 14 points compared to South's four in the fourth quarter hurt the Panthers most. Stephanie Griffith led South with seven points along with Courtney Shelton and Mallory Ross's five points.

Park Hill Wrestling
After some frustrating dual losses early in the season, the Park Hill wrestling team bounced back in a huge way last weekend as they brought home the Capital City Wrestling Title from Jefferson City. Competing in a field of 11 teams from across the state, Park Hill racked up 238.5 team points and won four of the five championship matches they wrestled in. First place medals were awarded to Michael Olsen (112), Bricker Dixon (125), Russel Coleman (130), and Preston Crouse (145). John Erneste lost a hard fought dual in overtime at 103 for a second place finish. They compete in the Winnetonka Tournament this weekend.

Winter Weekly Recap: Jan. 3-8

Park Hill Boys Basketball
The Park Hill boys added two victories to their total last week to improve to 9-3. The two Suburban Middle Six victories against North Kansas City and St. Joe Central make the Trojans 3-0 as they head into an important three week stretch featuring a heavy conference schedule and the Basehor Linwood Tournament. En route to an 85-73 victory early in the week against North Kansas City, the two teams went into the fourth quarter tied at 66 before earning the final margin in a 19-7 final period for the Trojans. Chris Nsenki scored 31 along with Anthony Walter's 17, De'Aris Flint's 13, and Connor Farmer's 10 points. Park Hill was firing on all cyclinders Friday night against St. Joe Central as Coach David Garrison said it was one of the best performances his team has turned out all year as they defeated the Indians 77-60. The Trojans got out to a 36-22 halftime score before eventually extending it to as much as 22 in the third. Nsenki led in scoring again with 21 points along with Walter's 19 and Flint's 18. Park Hill benefitted from a tough defense that defended the paint fairly aggressively.

"It was really two things, our perimeter defense did real well at keeping the ball out of the paint, but then when it did get to the point we were working our tail off defending it," Garrison said.

With the loss of senior Brady Kreitzer for the season, Garrison says there are two players that he'll look to fill the void with Connor Farmer and Tre Durham.

"Between those two guys, just depending on the kind of matchups looks like, they'll be the guys that need to step in and play," Garrison said. "He's (Farmer) gonna sit on the block for us, he's going to rebound and score at the basket while Tre's a ball handle and will play the point for us, which takes pressure off Anthony (Walters), so he can score for us more."

With anywhere from 7-9 players that could start for the Trojans, depth has not been a problem. Garrison tries to use his players in situations that allow them to be most effective.

"It's a chess match, sometimes we try combinations that don't work, but other times its great. One thing we know with the people we have here, they're going to battle and not take any plays off," he said.

Park Hill Girls Basketball
After a 40-12 win over Liberty North earlier in the week, the Lady Trojans hoped to gain their first conference win against Truman last Friday night. A 23-11 halftime deficit put the Trojans behind in the first half, but they closed the margin in the third to narrow the lead to just 32-25. After playing a man defense in the first half, the second half was when Truman threw a zone at Park Hill. Although reacting to the defense and running their sets fairly under control, they weren't able to penetrate the basket enough to score as much as they would have liked.

"We didn't have the confidence to step up and make a shot," coach Aaron Neeser said. "We gave up the same number of buckets, they just got to the line more."

An intense fourth quarter cut the lead to as close as four, but the Patriots pulled away for a 42-30 victory. The Trojans are now 5-5 with a game against Lee's Summit West Thursday evening.

"I think what I'm most satisfied about is that they really care about each other. Usually when you have a new coach, you have a transition period where you struggle a little bit, but they're really buying into what we're doing. I like how hard we compete, we just have to get better at the little things," Neeser said.

Park Hill South Girls Basketball
The Lady Panthers improved to 4-6 on the season with a win on Thursday night against Belton 56-44. South outscored Belton in three of the four quarters before widening the margin with an 18-10 final quarter. They'll travel to Fort Osage on Friday night.

Park Hill South Boys Basketball
The Park Hill South Panthers hit a rough patch this week with two tough opponents in the likes of Liberty and Raytown who both dealt them close losses. The Wednesday night effort at Liberty left the Panthers with a 65-60 defeat. Traveling to Raytown on Friday evening, the Panthers found themselves with a 10-point fourth quarter deficit, but battled back before falling 66-63. Christian Hildebrandt led in scoring with 20 points along with Adam Schemenauer's 19. South is now 8-5 with a home game against Belton to conclude the week on Friday night.

Park Hill and Park Hill South Swim/Dive
Park Hill South ran away with their own invitational this past weekend at the Park Hill Aquatic Center as they racked up 298 points in the 15 team field of competition. Park Hill finished fifth with 105 points.

Top performers for the Panthers were first place finishes from the 200 yard medley relay team of Lyndsay Ryan, Rachael Norfleet, Mary Cate Reinert, and Mariah Bryant, Bryant in the 50 yard free, Hannah Bortnick in the one meter dive, the 200 yard free relay team of Shannon Brouk, Olivia McLain, Miranda Henderson, and Bryant. South will attend the Center Invitational over the weekend.

Top performances from Park Hill came from Brynn Guardado with first place in the 200 yard free and third in the 100 yard free, and Eleanor Parrott with third in the one meter dive. Park Hill has a meet at Raytown Wednesday evening and another next week at St. Joe Central.