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.”