Trojans are district champs, wait for Staley/Fort Osage winner in sectionals

To the victor go the spoils as the old saying goes. Park Hill’s three game winning streak came right on time as they swept through district play to claim their tenth title in eleven years by beating St. Joe Central 31-20 last Friday. They’ll also reap the benefits of a well-earned bye week. The winner of Wednesday’s Staley/Fort Osage regional round game will advance to play the Trojans in the sectional game to be played Monday, November 8th at Park Hill. While Park Hill (7-3) is no stranger to district championships, they’ll be looking to win their first playoff game in four years.

Although being in this situation is nothing new for a Greg Reynolds led football team, for this particular group they’ve overcome what they see as lowered expectations coming into this season compared to years past.

“It’s great, you can’t put anything on it,” Quarterback Nate Wilson said. “Everyone was talking this season about us being down. It’s not only about proving it to everyone else, but also proving it to ourselves as well.”

“I don’t know if people were expecting a down year, but maybe they weren’t expecting what we were last year because of the senior class lost. This year’s senior class really came together and did some things. The guys returning had something to prove. I guarantee not one person out there thought we’d beat Staley to win a district championship,” Reynolds said.

Not at complete strength for most of the season, Park Hill saw more injury problems last Friday night against Central as running back Trace Norfleet and lineman Ondre Pipkins left the game early. But before his departure, it was Norfleet’s 42 yard touchdown reception from Wilson that put the Trojans up 13-0 following two Neal Sampson field goals (25, 24 yards). Then, it was Jordan Wang’s two touchdown runs of 33-yards a piece that put the Trojans up 31-7 going into the third quarter.

Wang, who has been a firecracker on both sides of the ball for the Trojans this season, is one of Park Hill’s most vocal leaders on the field. The unique way he gets pumped up prior to kickoff and his yells to shake off a hard hit are something that keeps him and his teammates’ adrenaline running.

“It just comes natural to me,” Wang said of his leadership approach. “It’s just like family, got to watch out for your younger brothers and teach them your ways.”

“We both got fired up tonight, but we always give him a hard time before kick off because he’s jumping around and everything,” Wilson said of his teammate.

Two late touchdowns weren’t enough for Central as the Trojans sealed a 31-20 victory. No matter which opponent Park Hill faces next Monday, they’ll be familiar with the opposition. A potential Staley (8-2) rematch from just a few weeks ago could be in the works or a fourth consecutive playoff meeting with Fort Osage (7-3). Neither opponent will be taken lightly by the Trojans, but their immediate concerns are internal and focused on self-improvement and the ever-important factor of concentration.

“I think get healthy is a big thing,” Wilson said. “Concentrate on ourselves more than the other team and really gain our focus back.”

“We’re just going to work on the little things,” Reynolds said. “On Friday nights, it comes down to the guys on the field. When you get into the playoffs, and you’re playing in the second round you’re going to be playing good teams and if you’re not close to perfect you can lose.”

Fall Roundup: Oct. 25-30

Park Hill Boys Soccer
Park Hill Soccer earned their second consecutive conference title last week as they completed an undefeated conference schedule by beating St. Joe Central 6-1 with two goals a piece from David Zdvorak and Nick Shephered along with goals from Ray Lee and Kevin Madera. They followed it up with a 2-0 win over North Kansas City with both goals coming from Zdvorak. Park Hill completed their regular season 21-2-1. They'll play Tuesday night against the winner of the Staley/St. Joe Central game in hopes of playing for the district title Thursday night at Staley High.

Park Hill Girls Cross Country
After placing first in the district meet two week's ago, Kim Rau again led the Trojans at the sectional meet this past weekend as she finished 16th overall. As a team, Park Hill finished last in eighth place with 166 team points. The state meet will be held this Saturday, November 6, in Jefferson City at the Oak Hills Golf Center.
 
Park Hill Boys Swim and Dive
Park Hill Swim and Dive pulled away with their second consecutive conference championship this past weekend as they racked up 598 points to land in front of Lee's Summit West followed by St. Joe Central. First place finishes came from Chris Greger in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle, Toby Parker in the one meter dive, Ben Svoboda in the 100 yard butterfly, Bryce Kober in the 100 yard breaststroke, and the 200 yard freestyle relay. The state swim meet is next weekend at the St. Peters Rec-Plex

Proposition A debate politically framed, not focused on solution

When voters go to the polls to vote between two candidates they weigh a number of issues. Unfortunately, many voters aren’t given a fair shake during the campaigns when it comes to a full and accurate understanding of where a candidate stands on each issue. Although ballot initiatives are usually single issue questions, it’s hardly any easier to weigh the implications. With the mid-term elections next week, many are focused on individual candidates and not as much on ballot initiatives also being decided.

Proposition A has to do with municipalities and their ability to decide whether to implement an earning tax on those who live and work within the city limits. Cities all over the country, both big and small, have a variety of mechanisms for collecting revenue to provide services to their citizens. Kansas City and St. Louis use an earnings tax and are currently the only cities in the state to have such a tax at one percent. Passage of Proposition A would prevent other cities from implementing a similar tax along with require Kansas City and St. Louis to vote every five years on whether to keep the tax starting this upcoming spring.

Proponents of Proposition A could have several reasons for supporting it. Currently, people who don’t live in Kansas City, but commute from surrounding communities such as Platte City, Blue Springs, or Belton to work within the city limits, are taxed at one percent, the same amount as those who live in the city limits. Others may believe the tax is unnecessary and the city’s services aren’t justified with the revenue they collect from it. Also, voters in rural areas may support Proposition A to prevent their city or town from implementing an earnings tax in their area.

Opponents of Proposition A see potentially severe budget problems if the measure passes. The current earnings tax represents about 40% of Kansas City’s total revenue accounting for nearly $200 million to provide a number of city services including trash pick-up, snow removal, street repairs, and emergency personnel such as police officers and firefighters. They believe repeal would require substantial increases in property and sales taxes to make up for the shortfall.

While my description of both sides of the issue only brushes the surface, the debate that should have taken place hasn’t happened yet. The truth is, like most ballot measures, this is political and was placed on the ballot counting on a high turnout among people likely to support it. The issue at hand should not be an argument of anti-tax vs. pro-tax, but more of a discussion of why the current tax hasn’t resulted in quality services from Kansas City and how they need to be improved, not eliminated.

I agree with the idea in Proposition A that other cities in Missouri should not implement earnings taxes because none compare to Kansas City and St. Louis when it comes to their economic impact on the region. People come to Kansas City to work, live, and play. Therefore, they use city services in some form or another. Poor leadership, particularly in recent years, has seen a decline in services, but the idea that the earnings tax is bad for business pales in comparison to the alternatives since the thought that the city will purely cut its budget by $200 million is unrealistic. If anything, increased property taxes will result in a heavier burden for homeowners and businesses because those who lease space for their work or residence are almost always charged for increased taxes that are passed through in the form of higher rent.

While I believe keeping the earnings tax is important not just for Kansas City, but those municipalities surrounding it, I do hope the threat of losing it creates the sense of urgency needed to provide the region’s center of commerce functional and effective services to those who contribute to it.

Veteran legislators Rucker, Schaaf fight for State Senate seat

The 34th Missouri State Senate District continues to be one of the area’s most heated races heading into Election Day. It features two State Representatives from the St. Joseph area fighting to succeed Sen. Charlie Shields, who is term-limited. Democrat Martin Rucker and Republican Rob Schaaf are campaigning to represent the district encompassing both Platte and Buchanan Counties as they hope to become the area’s top leader in Jefferson City. One thing for sure is the area’s next State Senator will be a 1975 graduate of Central High School as both were classmates together.

Rucker, 53, attended Central Wyoming College and Missouri Western State College after high school. He has worked at Silgan Container Corporation for 32 years and is a member of the St. Joseph School Board. He and his wife, LaVell, have four children, Bill, Micah, Michael, and Martin II. Michael is a retired NFL player while Martin II is currently a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Rucker was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005 and represents southern Buchanan and northern Platte County.

Rep. Martin Rucker

“This election is about values and integrity. As a State Representative I made a point of working across the aisle and representing all the people of my district,” Rucker said. “I felt it was my duty to take the next step, to ensure that all the people of the 34th get the same representation.”

Schaaf, also 53, attended Missouri Western State College and Saint Louis University. He has practice family medicine in St. Joseph since 1985. In 2004 he helped form the Missouri Doctors Mutual Insurance Company where he serves as Chairman. His wife and he have two children in Robert and Renee. Schaaf was first elected to the House in 2002 and represents the 28th District in northern Buchanan County.

Rep. Rob Schaaf

With experience as legislators, both candidates were asked what they believed their top two accomplishments have been. Schaaf responded by referring to the 2004 Missouri Hospital Infection Control Law requiring disclosure of hospital infection rates on the internet and the 2007 Missouri Healthnet reform bill which he says included provisions to help patients.

“As one of the few health experts in the House, I have had a hand in most health related legislation. Now, with the legislative experience I have, I would like to focus on creating jobs by helping businesses through lowered health care costs and tax relief,” Schaaf said.

Rucker replied with the 2005 passage of pro-ethanol legislation that increased incentives for the agriculture community and recently championing the Kansas City Chiefs Training in St. Joseph.

“The economic impact of this legislation will be felt in our communities for years to come,” Rucker said. “It’s nice knowing I can hang my hat on common sense solutions like these.”

As a State Senator, being a leader with ideas is important. So when asked for two unique policy ideas, they presented something other than standard ideological solutions.

“First, we should make our health care system more competitive in order to bring down the cost of healthcare for everyone,” Schaaf said as he mentioned requiring patients be told the estimated cost of medical treatments in advance and abolish the requirement of government permission for constructing new hospitals.

“I’d like to help get Governor Jay Nixon’s ‘Gown to town’ legislation passed, so that we can begin creating competitive job training programs and incentivize small business growth by promoting hard work throughout a student’s educational career,” Rucker said.

This race has grown more heated in recent weeks and it’s obvious when you begin to ask each candidate what separates them from their opponent.

“I have strong family values, the kind of values that would never allow me to vote to cut thousands of seniors, parents, and children off Medicaid,” Rucker reiterated. “I think the integrity and character I’ve served with in the House is what really separates us.”

“His political philosophy is much more liberal than mine. The best way to contrast our differences is to study our voting records,” Schaaf said as he provided a list of issues.

In the end, voters hope candidates make the case for why they should be elected and not why their opponent shouldn’t as the next State Senator will have a large role in providing leadership to the area’s six state representatives and serving as a strong voice in Jefferson City as each attempts to be promoted to the next level of state government.

Trojans control own destiny, playoff future

With their 27-14 win over Oak Park last week, the Park Hill Trojans (6-3) are in the familiar situation of having the opportunity to clinch a district title this week against St. Joe Central (5-4). Not only is Park Hill looking to hang a sixth consecutive district banner, but a win will result in a first round playoff bye for the Trojans who would happily take the time off to rest and hopefully gain players back from injury. Although Central is coming off a tough 37-0 loss to Staley, they’ll try to give the Trojans some problems when it comes to reading their formations.

“They like to run a lot of different stuff, similar to a Missouri Tigers offense,” Coach Greg Reynolds said. “They try to run sets that put you out of position. It’s going to be two physical teams, but they like to spread it out more where we like to pound it a little more.”

Coming off a dramatic late game touchdown to beat top-ranked Staley the week before, it seems the Trojans came out against Oak Park somewhat flat last Friday night. Several penalties along with some injuries incurred throughout the game disallowed either team from getting into an offensive rhythm.

“It’s combination of everything. When you get a big win like we did, you have a high feeling of a victory and it takes a lot to get over it,” Reynolds said. “They’re always a team that causes us trouble. Mentally, in games like that you have to stay focus.”

Park Hill jumped to a 21-0 lead in the first half on the heels of two Trace Norfleet touchdowns (29, 62 yard) with an agile 16-yard score from fullback Blake Downs in between. But the Trojans fell asleep on the last play of the first half when David Wingerson’s 78 yard touchdown reception put the Northmen on the board at 21-7.

Downs added a 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before Oak Park added a score in the fourth quarter to bring the final to 27-14. Those 13 points will come in handy for Park Hill in a possible tie-breaker situation. If Park Hill losses this week and Staley presumably beats Oak Park, there will be a three-way tie for the district title broken by each team’s margin of victory. Park Hill currently stands at +16, Staley at +10, and St. Joe Central at 0. Of course for Park Hill, winning next week will avoid that scenario.

Even though the Trojans’ season will likely be extended several weeks, last Friday was Senior Night and, as with any team, it is unique in its own way. With a small Senior class of 17, only about 10 of which have been in the program all four years, their coach says they’re different than other classes he’s had and have done some good things.

“A couple kids sucked it up when they were banged up tonight. They’ve done what we’ve asked them to do,” Reynolds said. “When you’re in a position to go to the playoffs it’s usually based on what your seniors do.”

Fall Roundup: Oct. 18-23

Park Hill Cross Country
Freshman Kim Rau ran away with the Class 4 District 8 meet last weekend at Scottsdale Park in Liberty as she placed first, a whole 18 seconds in front of the meet's second place finisher. Other runners included Brooke Bischof (12th), Maggie Lanham (21st), Chelsey Lewis (24th), Joanna Grauberger (26th), Maddie Bischof (30th), and Maddie Hemphill (31). As a team, Park Hill finished fourth, just a single second on average behind third place finisher St. Joe Central.

The Park Hill Boys finished seventh with top runners including Nathan Huffer (19th), Kainen Utt (31st), and Andy Iverson (39th).

Park Hill Boys Soccer
The Trojan soccer team defeated their most serious threat to the conference title in Lee's Summit West last week 3-0 with goals from Ray Lee, David Zdvorak and Cole Walker. The shutout is credited to Shane VanHooser. Park Hill is 19-2-1 on the season and can wrap up an undefeated conference season against North Kansas City this week. District play begins next week with the Trojans as the top seed. On Tuesday, November 2nd they will face the winner of the #4 Staley/#5 St. Joe Central game from the previous night. A win will match Park Hill against the winner of the #2 Park Hill South/#3 Oak Park game for the district championship Thursday, November 4th at Staley.

Park Hill Girls Tennis
Park Hill's exciting team run to the final four of the state playoffs ended just short of a chance to play for a state title last week as the team fell to Columbia Rock Bridge 5-2 in the semi-finals. Suzanne Barth and Kate Skorija won their singles matches, but Rock Bridge claimed four straight matches to need only one doubles win to clinch the victory. For third place against Parkway Central, Park Hill came out hot winning five of the six singles matches to claim victory at 5-1.

Individually, junior Suzanne Barth's dream of a state title fell short as she saw an early round exit when eventual state champion Lindsey Whitehead of Ladue Horton Watkins won in straight sets at 6-2, 6-3. Kate Skorija and Brooke Barnard also were eliminated by a Ladue team in the doubles tournament as they lost 6-3, 6-2 to Camden Newton and Annie Kopp.
 
Park Hill Volleyball
Park Hill Volleyball's season came to an end on Monday night with a loss to Oak Park in the first round of the district tournament. They fell 2-1. After winning a close second game to force a third 25-23, the Trojans couldn't keep up with Northmen as they fell 25-17 in the final game. They finish the season 14-16-1.

Park Hill Girls Golf
Stephanie Atkinson and Bailey Warlen competed in the State Golf Tournament at Twin Oaks in Springfield October 17th – 19th. Atkinson finished ranked 40th and Warlen ranked 83rd. Atkinson shot a 91 on day one and a 88 on day two for a combined score of 179. Warlen shot a 102 on day one and a 104 on day two for a combined score of 206.

Grill remains positive about re-election, challenger Schieber on the attack

State Representative Jason Grill is running for a third-term in Missouri’s 32nd district encompassing southern Platte County. While Grill ran unopposed in 2008, this election cycle he’ll find a challenger running against him in Republican Ron Schieber. Both have been talking to voters over the recent months to convince them that they should be the one to represent them in Jefferson City.

Grill, 31, is a lifelong resident of Platte County where he graduated from St. Pius X High School, Saint Louis University, and University of Missouri School of Law. He has served in the legislature since first elected in 2006 and has most recently on the House Ways and Means, Judiciary, Real ID, and Financial Institutions committees where he served as a ranking member. He currently resides in Parkville.

Rep. Jason Grill

“If re-elected I look forward to continuing to serve on influential House committees, as well as potentially filling a seat for our area on the Economic Development and Job Creation committee. The relationships I have built with Republicans and Democrats will be instrumental to our community and our state,” Grill said.

Although Schieber did not respond to several requests for information from The Citizen, his website indicates he grew up in Maryville, Missouri and is a 1983 graduate of Northwest Missouri State University. He’s been a resident of Platte County since 1993 when he moved here with his family. He and his wife, Stephanie, have five daughters in Rachel, Kelsey, Heather, Madison, and Alysa. Schieber has worked in the finance and banking industry, most recently as a home mortgage consultant with Wells Fargo.

When not serving in the legislature, Grill, is an attorney at King Hershey, a law firm which specializes in economic development, public finance, and commercial transactions. He says his work in the private sector has fueled his interest in improving the way the State of Missouri provides incentives to businesses and promotes job creation in the legislature.

“There are a wide range of innovative options available to produce revenues for Missouri which include stopping the loss of businesses moving to Kansas,” Grill said.

Jobs have been a focus of Schieber’s, with his campaign indicating tax cuts across the board and less regulation are a few of the ways Missouri can create jobs. As a former member of the Park Hill School Board, Schieber also believes he can be a strong advocate for education and student achievement. Even though Schieber has taken a broad approach to the two main issues of jobs and education, Grill contends his record shows those are already two of his top priorities which is why he’s earned endorsements from the National Federation of Independent Business and several education organizations including the Missouri National Education Association.

Grill has committed much of his campaign to telling voters about what he believes are some significant accomplishments and measures he has helped pass in the legislature over recent years including being a lead sponsor on a bill passed into law that now requires insurance companies to cover treatments for children with autism.

“As a fiscal conservative, I’m proud to have supported balanced budgets without raising taxes and responsible economic policies which include co-sponsoring a balanced budget resolution at the federal level,” Grill said.

Contrarily, Schieber’s website makes it clear that he believes Grill’s approach is self serving which has resulted in, with less than two weeks to go until Election Day, the Missouri Republican State Committee funding several negative ads through television, phone, and mail to attack Grill with comparisons to President Obama along with ‘big government liberals’ over the last week. In a district which tends to lean moderately Republican, it is yet to be seen how the ads will affect the race and how Grill will choose to respond, but voters can be sure they aren’t being taken for granted this cycle.

Caldwell, Higdon face off for open 29th District seat

With State Representative Martin Rucker running for the State Senate, the 29th Missouri House district seat which encompasses southern Buchanan and northern Platte Counties is an open contest pitting Democrat Bill Caldwell against Republican Galen Higdon. Both candidates bring a long history of community involvement in and outside of their respective careers.

Caldwell, 65, of Dearborn, is a 46-year veteran of Trans World Airlines and American Airlines where he has held a variety of positions within those organizations including opportunities to work with NASA on the Apollo 11 launch team, the city of New York in the aftermath of the tragic crash of TWA Flight 800, and other projects in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration. Along with activities related to his work at TWA, he has been an advocate on the state level for workers’ rights and workforce development. Caldwell distinguishes himself as a moderate Democrat with conservative stances on gun control and fiscal issues. Bill and his wife, Marie, have been married for 44 years and have one daughter.

Bill Caldwell

“I think my experiences of working at many different jobs for my employers over the years, gives me a perspective that makes me the best candidate,” Caldwell said. “I have held many positions of trust and have worked all over the world for TWA having received many awards from my employer as well as outside the company.”

Higdon resides in St. Joseph and is recently retired after a 30-year career as a deputy of the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department and has been active in specialized law enforcement education throughout his career. He served as a member and later Vice-President of the Missouri Sheriff’s Association as well as a member of the Mo-Kan Regional Council of Government Transportation Advisory Committee. Higdon says he has a conservative approach with a desire for smaller government. Galen and his wife, Lou Anne, have been married for 36 years and have three daughters along with four grandchildren.

Galen Higdon

“I have spent my entire life serving the residents of the community as a law enforcement officer,” Higdon said. “I saw another opportunity to serve the people of my community, and decided to announce my candidacy to fight for the citizens of the 29th District in Jefferson City.”

The candidates’ top issues parallel closely their careers. Higdon’s work in the public safety field makes it one of his top concerns, but his belief that education should be the top priority in the state legislature is something that has earned him support from the Missouri State Teachers Association. Overall, Higdon says he would represent the interests of his constituents.

“I would work to become a vocal leader who fights for the interests of Platte and Buchanan Counties in the State legislature,” Higdon said. “I do not have a specific agenda going into this election and would focus my efforts on working for the betterment of the citizens of the 29th District.”

On the other side, while Caldwell believes education is a priority and has earned the endorsement of Missouri Association of School Administrators, he thinks the tough economic times call for work on economic recovery and job creation.

“This would be a continuation of my work on the Northwest Missouri Workforce Development Board which I have served on for many years,” Caldwell said of his background in economic development.

Two distinguished careers in their respective fields leave voters with a decision between two long-time residents of the area, both with experiences that have shaped their view of the purpose and role of government, along with dedicated time spent in the community outside of their careers.

Trojans bounce back in big way

It was quite a difference a week made for Park Hill between a bad loss to Lee’s Summit West two weeks ago and an exciting come from behind win against Staley last Friday night. The Trojans (5-3) will now head into the second week of district play against a struggling Oak Park (3-5) team currently going through a four game losing streak and playing with a number of underclassmen in key positions. While inexperienced, Park Hill expects a power running format with a potent play-action threat from a Northmen squad that has the ability to surprise teams.

Park Hill’s 27-24 victory over Staley didn’t necessarily come from the Trojans doing anything special, but simply not giving the other team more opportunities.

“We didn’t make a lot of mistakes,” Reynolds said. “We had one turnover and that really turned out to effectively be a long punt.”

With starting running back Trace Norfleet sidelined due to a hand injury early in the first quarter, the Trojans weren’t able to heavily rely on a usually consistent running game. This left the ball in the hands of senior quarterback Nate Wilson who completed 10 of 20 for 160 yards with one interception and a touchdown. The touchdown was timely for the Trojans as it came on the final drive of the game as they drove 69 yards in until three minutes to take the final lead of the game on a 25-yard pass to Jake Jones to pull Park Hill ahead 27-24.

Reynolds says his quarterback is an emotional and vocal player, but it’s consistent and more favorable than random outbursts of emotion you sometimes see from other players.

“He wears his emotions on his sleeve, but he probably understands what I expect out of a quarterback more than anyone I’ve coached,” Reynolds said. “He’s been a part of Park Hill Football since he was in little league and he’s a kid that wants to do well and wants the team to do well.”

A Trojan team that has struggled on special teams at various times this season redeemed itself when Jordan Wang returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Park Hill went into halftime with a 20-14 lead. Staley scored ten unanswered points in the second half to make the score 24-20 before Wilson’s touchdown pass to Jones put the final digits on the board.

“Again, we didn’t really do anything great on that drive, we just didn’t kill ourselves. That happened for us a lot throughout the game,” Reynolds said.

Although simply not making mistakes can definitely help a team win, it was something more than that for Park Hill who has a strong tradition of district success. The Trojans have gone 31-3 over the past 11 years in district competition and only one of those years has Park Hill been absent from the state playoffs.

“Every Monday when we watch film I make a goal list for the offense, defense, and special teams. I usually put something at the top in regards to how important that week’s game is. This week we talked about tradition, one of the things I’m most proud of in our 11 years here is our record in district play. It’s what we talk about more than anything else, those last three games.”

Fall Roundup: Oct. 11-16

Park Hill Volleyball
Park Hill Volleyball went 1-2 last week with their sole victory coming against North Kansas City in a three game series (25-23, 22-25, 25-21). The Trojans fell to Kearney (21-25, 18-25) and Winnetonka (16-25, 19-15). They wrap up the regular season this week and head into district play next Monday as a five seed with a rematch against four seeded Oak Park who they faced in the second game of the season. Coach Lindsey Hood believes it will be a much closer match this time around. A win would mean a matchup with first seeded Kearney. They are 13-15-1 on the year.

"We feel like we are much better than what we were then and I'm sure Oak Park is the same way. Oak Park's Candy McCall and I are great friends and I hope we play them better than we did the first time," Hood said. "At this point it's survive and advance and that's what we hope to do for as long as we can."

Park Hill Girls Tennis
Although Lee's Summit West ended the Park Hill girls tennis team's streak of conference championships this season with a 7-2 victory earlier this year, the Trojans knew there was a chance they'd have an opportunity at redemption if they did their part in making their way to the state playoffs. Redemption was putting it lightly last weekend as Park Hill not only beat rival Park Hill South in the sectional round, but also went on to pull off what many consider an upset of Lee's Summit West in the quarterfinal round to advance to the Final Four of the Missouri Class 2 playoffs. Against Park Hill South, Suzanne Barth battled Michelle Royle to a 7-6, 6-3 victory while Kate Skorija and Brooke Barnard defeated Marie Gehrke and Mary Kate Reinhart 6-1, 7-6 to advance Park Hill past the Panthers 5-3.

In the quarterfinal round over the weekend as Barth cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 victory over the Titans' number one singles player along with wins from Skorija, Barnard, and Sammy Young to lead Park Hill to a 5-2 victory over Lee's Summit West. Park Hill will travel to the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield this Thursday morning to take on Columbia Rock Bridge in the semi-final round at 9 a.m. where a win will put Park Hill in its first state team tennis title match in school history against either Parkway Central or Ladue Horton Watkins at 1 p.m.

Park Hill Boys Soccer
When the Park Hill soccer team upset traditional powerhouse Rockhurst, both teams knew the rematch this year would be something neither would took for granted. Their victory last week represented another test passed for what has been an unstoppable Trojan soccer team this year as Park Hill beat Rockhurst 3-1 on the backs of goals from Matt Russell, Ray Lee, and Joel Gordon. A weekend road trip to St. Louis resulted in much the same way with two wins against Parkway Central (4-0) and Parkway West (1-0) with goals from Lee, Parker Melott, David Zdovrak (2), and Sam Shepherd. Shane Van Hooser earned the shutout in both games. Park Hill is now an impressive 16-2-1 with only a handful of conference games remaining before district play begins on November 1. Although recently ranked sixth in the state, the defeat of fourth ranked Rockhurst should move the Trojans up the polls most likely behind three strong St. Louis schools.