Trojans finish 3rd in State after historic run

No matter what the outcome would be this past weekend at the state finals in St. Louis, the Park Hill Soccer team knew they would be concluding their exciting run. The only thing left to be determined would be the title on the trophy they would bring home. As noted over recent weeks, the Trojans haven’t been to a final four since 1993 when they finished second. An enthusiasm not quite seen since that time has begun to surround the program of late, including support from both young and old alumni, former players, parents, teachers, and community members. All witnessed the Trojan’s journey in becoming the only Kansas City high school soccer team, other than Rockhurst, to reach the state finals since 1996.

The goal of returning with a state championship would prove to be a daunting task as they went up against Saint Louis University High, a private school with a proven soccer history, in the semi-final round. In typical Trojan fashion, they fell behind early when SLUH’s Dominic Hewitt scored on a corner kick at the 15 minute mark. Other than the early score, the Trojans were able to control the ball most of the first half and seemed to be right where they wanted to be with some of the early opportunities they were seeing on the offensive end. But unlike their ability to come back strong all season, the Trojans were never able to answer. SLUH came out firing in the second half with two quick goals in a three minute span which dampened any hope of a Trojan resurgence. A fourth goal was scored with under four minutes to play to end the Trojans’ title hopes with a 4-0 defeat.

After the disappointing lost on Friday night, the Trojans didn’t have too much time to sulk. A matchup with Columbia Hickman to determine the third place finisher would take place on Saturday. The physical and emotion play the Trojans had displayed all year was definitely on display in their season finale as Park Hill’s Austin Melott was ejected from the game late in the first half which disadvantaged the Trojans to playing a man down. The ejection must have sparked a second half surge, the Trojans were able to match the Kewpie’s first half goal from Brian Wilcox with one of their own early in the second half when Neal Sampson tied it up.

Although the Trojans controlled the ball twice as long as Hickman, they couldn’t take advantage of some of the shots they had deep on the Hickman side of the field. After being on the defensive end very little during the game, the Kewpies were able to provide a scare in the final seconds, but goalkeeper Shane VanHooser was able to come up with the save. Unfortunately, overtime was not played in the third place game, which resulted in a 1-1 final as both teams finished in the record books as tied for 3rd place.

For Park Hill, an extraordinary season ends, but with it comes high expectations for next year as they return a good amount of their starters and most likely the hunger for another shot at a state title.

Park Hill Soccer is Final Four bound

To the tune of the Black Eyed Peas song “I Got a Feeling,” the public address announcer stated in a dramatic fashion at halftime, “One of these teams will be advancing to the state semifinals next weekend.” At the time, it was a 1-1 tie between Park Hill (25-5) and Lee’s Summit North (17-6-1) in a state quarterfinal game, but in the end it would the Park Hill Trojans finishing the lyrics with “tonight’s gonna be a good night” as they advanced with a 4-1 victory.

This sets up a final four, state semi-final meeting against Saint Louis University High (SLUH) in St. Louis this weekend. The semi-final game will be held Friday evening at 7 p.m. at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, MO, just outside St. Louis. A school with a strong soccer tradition, SLUH is 20-6-1 on the season coming off a victory against McCluer North in a 3-1 score. The winner will matchup against the winner of the Columbia Hickman and Christian Brothers College game in the championship game at 6 p.m. on Saturday preceded by the third place game at 1 p.m.
As was printed last week, the Park Hill Trojans were preparing for a sectional matchup with Winnetonka where they went on to win 2-0 with goals from Sam Shepherd and Neal Sampson. A likely game against Rockhurst was never realized though, as Lee’s Summit North upset the defending state-champions, 2-1 after penalty kicks in overtime. This set the Trojans up for their first opportunity to advance to the state semi-finals since 1993.

A physically tough and emotionally driven Park Hill team fell behind early when Lee’s Summit North’s Michael Oakley scored with just under thirty minutes to play in the first half putting LSN up 1-0. But the toughness they’ve displayed all season wasn’t dampened, as five minutes later David Zdvoark scored on a breakaway to tie the score at 1-1.

“I think our first goal was the biggest one, to know we were still in the game because it could have allowed doubt to creep in,” coach Dustin Sollars said.
The Trojans were able to control the ball steadily a majority of the game, but a few LSN breakaways caused some scares throughout the game. A tenacious defense turned many of those stops into offensive opportunities and those were exploited in the second half. An Austin Melott goal at the 32 minute mark gave the Trojans momentum and a lead they wouldn’t lose. Goals from Ray Lee and Zdvorak in a two minute span late in the second half capped off the victory for the Trojans, sending them to St. Louis to compete not only with the other three schools in the final four, but with themselves and history.

Park Hill is now one victory away from matching the best finish in school history, a 2nd place finish in 1993.

“It’s a big deal for us,” Sollars said. “Especially when they look at the guys from ’93 coming to speak about it at practice and wishing they could still be out there.”

“Anytime you’re trying to match up with history, it gives them a little something extra to play for,” Sollars added. “A spot in history, a spot in the books.”

“This is a special team with a good mix of talented players that want to play for each other,” Sollars said of their intangible traits. “You can’t teach emotion and physicality.”

Park Hill Soccer learns history, makes it

Some players on the Park Hill soccer team weren’t even born the last time they won a district championship back in 1993, something in the back of their minds as they met the Park Hill South Panthers in the district final last Wednesday. Both teams came into the match riding high after finishing the regular season on hot streaks and gliding through the first rounds of the tournament, but the Trojans pulled away after a back and forth game to claim the title with a 4-2 victory.

In typical Trojan/Panther soccer style, the match was very physical with its fair share of adrenaline clearly visible. It started with Joe Sbarro drawing a penalty kick which Jacob Fischer converted to put the Panthers up 1-0. Park Hill tied it up when Ray Lee assisted a Quenton Noble goal with about two minutes to go in the first half. South’s Sbarro drew another penalty converted by Fischer after a Trojan goal by Ray Lee to create a 2-2 tie in the second half. Park Hill broke away with less than 15 minutes to play when Lee scored a long distance goal and Zdvorak converted another Lee assist to bring the score to 4-2.

“We were too direct down the middle and got away from our wing play,” said South coach Joe Toigo about his team’s second half. “I think some of that can be contributed to the pressure their team was putting on the ball.”

Park Hill will now take on a familiar opponent in the sectional round Tuesday, Winnetonka. The Trojans won the season series 2-1, but the Griffins are coming off several wins including an upset of number one Liberty in the district final. Both teams are playing inspired soccer and peaking at the right time.

For the Trojans, to be in the playoffs has been on their minds since they were defeated by the Panthers to end their 2008 season.

“Revenge is a component of any good rivalry,” Park Hill coach Dustin Sollars said.

History hasn’t been on their side in the past, but Coach Dustin Sollars has made it a point to convey what this year’s team could mean to the school. He turned a portion of practice each day into somewhat of a history lesson where they talked about some of the school’s most successful teams, brought in former players, and even challenged them to find the last first place trophy won in the building to demonstrate how long ago it was.

What’s made this year’s team stand out from years past? Sollars believes it comes from players who are loyal to each other, willing to listen and work hard to try new things.

“And it doesn’t hurt that we’ve got some pretty talented players with us,” Sollars added.

The reward for a potential victory against Winnetonka would be a likely matchup against the number one ranked team in the state, Rockhurst, who has been a soccer powerhouse in recent years. Like any team looking to make their mark, Park Hill will have to go up against the best in order to reserve the place in history they hope to earn.

“I bumped into an old coach of mine and he reminded me of a quote by Lou Holtz,” Sollars said of his team’s accomplishments looking forward. “Goes like this, ‘If what you did yesterday was big, then you haven’t done much today.”

Park Hill beats Park Hill South in 2OT thriller

Who said soccer wasn’t a contact sport? It certainly was last week as Park Hill took on Park Hill South with a packed Park Hill District Stadium on hand. With half the stands peppered purple and the other red, fans were able to see what has turned into one of top soccer rivalries in the area.
An evenly balanced game throughout the first half included several opportunities for both teams, but quality saves by goalkeepers Shane VanHooser of Park Hill and Kurt Ehlers of Park Hill South kept the score 0-0 going into halftime.

“We had a lot of opportunities one on one with their goalkeeper,” said South coach Joe Toigo. “A lot of their shots came from a distance.”
No love was lost in the second half. Both teams received multiple yellow cards after small pushing matches occurred at various points. Park Hill coach Dustin Sollars talked about how very little it matters which team is better from year to year. A very successful team can come in and it’s always close no matter what.

“Throw everything out the window for Park Hill and Park Hill South, and hope you can make it through with as few cards and little blood as possible,” Sollars said.
South started off the second half aggressively, this led to Michael Combs receiving a ricocheted ball off the post and putting it in for a goal at the thirty-seven minute mark. The Panthers controlled the ball for the majority of the second half, but the Trojans added some late theatrics to the game when David Zdvorak used a free kick to assist Quenton Noble with a score with three minutes to play. Regulation ended with a score of 1-1.
Both teams came up empty in two overtime periods, which led to a series of penalty kicks to decide the match. An enthusiastic crowd was on their feet as each kick resulted in one half of the stadium erupting in enthusiasm while the other groaned. After a South miss on the fourth round of five penalty kicks, Park Hill’s Ray Lee scored what would be the game winner. VanHooser saved the day, as the public address announcer said so many times throughout the night, when he blocked Cody Mortensen’s kick from going into the goal to give the Trojans a 2-1 victory via 4-3 in penalty kicks. Trojan faithful went crazy as the players celebrated on the field, and then came to thank their loyal fans for enduring the two and a half hour match.
“I thought we played well, but lost our composure at the end,” Toigo said. “No matter if we win or lose, we’re always looking for things to work on.”

After last week’s game, both Park Hill and Park Hill South come into this week with records of 3-3. Both teams face strong schedules throughout the season, including against each other, which will allow them to face top competition between conferences games leading into district play.

For Park Hill, the game against South was their third game in three days and it could have been an easy let-down game, but the adrenaline of playing their rival gave them an extra boost.

“I think that’s one of the reasons our guys were able to step up and play tonight,” Sollars said.

Park Hill soccer team ready to kick it into high gear

At 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 10 the Park Hill Men’s Soccer team kicked off their season at Park Hill District Stadium by continuing a tradition started last year, appropriately named Midnight Madness. As the name unexpectedly entailed, the evening brought about weather almost straight from the book, "Frankenstein", with scattered rain and thunderstorms in the area. It accomplished its goal of giving players, parents, and families an eventful start to the season.

“The whole idea is that we’re really excited," third year head coach Dustin Sollars said. "The state says we can practice on August 10th, so we’re going to be there at 12:01 a.m. and jump right out there."

After having one of the better seasons in recent memory last year by winning a hand-full of tournaments, being conference runners-up, and compiling a 16-7 record, the Trojans are looking to field another strong and competitive team again this season. Sollars talked about the important steps his program has taken and how they are looking to take another step up this year.

“The kids are starting to see success and that we can really start winning," Sollars said. "They’re working harder to be a part of it."

Park Hill will be led by returning starters seniors Chris Cline, Casey Johnson, and Austin Melott, who was named to the All-Conference, All-District teams. With a senior class of six, the Trojans will rely heavily on returning a varsity experienced junior class including Ricardo Garcia and Joel Gordon along with All-State Honorable Mention Ray Lee, All-District Quenton Noble, and All-Conference/All-District David Zdvorak, last year’s leading scorer. Fernando Garcia and Parker Melott will return as sophomores after contributing last year as freshmen.

“Our strength is likely to be up top, more attack heavy," Sollars said. "Our leading goal scorers are returning, but overall I think we will have a fairly balanced team.”