Scott wins Otis Taylor Award

Displaying some of the most sure-handed skills for a receiver in the metro area over the last two years, Park Hill South’s Craig Scott broke every school record there was for a receiver during his high school career. Not only was his athleticism appreciated by his teammates and coaches in a season where the Panthers compiled a 7-5 record and district title game berth, but he also caught the eye of the committee who hands out the Simone Awards, who recognized him as a finalist for the Otis Taylor Award for the metro’s top receiver.

Capping off his senior season two weeks ago, Scott was announced as the award’s winning selection in front of a locally televised awards show at Blue Springs High School. Full of gratitude, Scott said it was a great honor to receive.

“It was just really a blessing,” Scott said. “It felt good to know all the hard work I put in was coming back to me now.”

With 131 catches, 1937 yards, and 32 touchdowns in three years at the varsity level, in talking with Scott, he doesn’t necessarily come off as the stereotypical image of a standout wide receiver. Mild-mannered, poised, and humble, Scott says he doesn’t necessarily enjoy bragging about himself in the limelight.

“Most people think receivers are really cocky (some are), but I don’t personally think I’m like that because I don’t like talking about the attention I get and my stats,” Scott said. “I try to be just a normal kid off the football field.”

While his hands are described as some of the best by those who’ve watched him play, he says the key is concentration that starts well before the opening kickoff.

“It kind of starts in pre-game, I pray a lot,” Scott said. “That helps me focus throughout the game because when you’re able to focus before the game, it takes away how difficult a situation might be during the game.”

Scott has always been an athlete, playing basketball and running track in addition to football, but hitting a growth spurt and gaining speed made being a wide receiver became his ideal focus. Looking back at a sophomore year where he gained his first varsity experience, Scott said it was an opportunity he truly appreciates.

“At such a young age, I was just playing football for the fun of it, but when I look back I see how blessed I was to have that opportunity,” Scott said.

At 6’1” 170 pounds, Scott certainly has athletic ability, but Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox says it’s his consistency and approach to practice that makes him such a reliable target.

“As a head coach, I like him for his consistency. We didn’t have to worry about him missing a rep in practice, being hurt, or being sick,” Simcox said. “He’s always the same, so you know what you’re going to get. And that’s part of the reason he’s so good is because of the way he practices. He caught 71 balls this year, but he probably caught 10,000 balls in practice.”

Good hands are one thing, but positioning is often an intangible that is hard to find in high school receivers.

“His spatial awareness relative to defenders is a gift, not necessarily something you can teach. In three years, in all the times we’ve thrown to him, I think there was only two times where it was intercepted. He’s going to catch it most of the time, but if he doesn’t he’ll make sure a defender doesn’t.”

Having attended summer camps across the Midwest this past year where he received interest from colleges around the country, Scott knows he wants to play football next year at the next level. Still weighing his options with visits to Kansas State, North Iowa, Idaho, and Tulsa scheduled in the coming weeks, he will make a official decision in January. Like most skilled receivers, he’s looking for a school with a team that can best help him do what he does best: catch passes, lots of them.

“I’m looking for a good coaching staff, but also a place where I can fit in,” Scott said. “I don’t want to go somewhere where I’ll be blocking 3-4 plays and then maybe catch a pass occasionally. I want to go to a program where I can show what I can do on the football field.”

Simcox believes his former wide-out has a chance to contribute immediately with some of his skills already where they need to be to earn playing time.

“He is going to come in as a pretty polished receiver. He’s going to have to get stronger and faster to play at a high college level, but in terms of ball skills and route running he’s pretty good. If he goes to the right place, he could play right away. He’s an outside receiver, so he’s best on deep fades and go-routes.

Panthers fall short in district finale, end season as runner-up

Park Hill South was hitting their stride at the right time as they ended their regular season and went into the postseason. Their number three seed in district play made them an ideal team capable of making some noise in district play by upsetting a team or two. After a 34-23 win over Kearney last Wednesday, the Panthers came up just short of another upset Monday night as they stuck with defending state champions Staley, before falling 31-21 in a highly competitive matchup.

The two battled for two and a half quarters before Staley eventually gained a strong hold control on the game, partially credited to an almost unstoppable offense in short yardage situations.

“We held them a couple times on third and long, but most the rest of the time it was third and short and they kept sustaining the drives,” Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox said.

After looking flat on their first offensive drive, Park Hill South was forced to match the intensity of an early Staley touchdown when they put together a 10 play, 76 yard drive ending with a touchdown run from Myles Hammonds. A failed extra point gave Staley a 7-6 advantage.

The second quarter would follow a similar format as Staley quarterback Trent Hosick would drive his team down the field and cap it off with a touchdown run, the first of three he would have on the night. It would be Park Hill South receiver Craig Scott who would awaken the Panthers’ enthusiasm on the ensuing drive when quarterback Shaefer Schuetz launched a passed that was tipped by a defender, but acrobatically pulled in by Scott, who would scamper 63 yards for a touchdown. A two-point conversion tied the game at 14-14 and brought forward the idea the Panthers might be able to realize their postseason magic once again.

Staley would add a field goal as time expired in the first half to take a 17-14 lead into the locker room.

A nine play, 66-yard drive in the third quarter that concluded with another Hosick rushing touchdown put Staley up 24-14 and seemed to put the Panthers on their heels. With about eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Park Hill South faced a pivotal fourth and two play deep in their own territory. Choosing to go-for-it in hopes of mounting a comeback, the fourth down attempt failed, giving Staley an ample opportunity to extend their lead and put the game out of reach. It took just two plays, as Hosick added his final touchdown of the night and gave Staley a 31-14 lead. Hosick would finish the night with more than 140 yards rushing and 130 passing.

“We were inconsistent in the run game tonight. Offensively, if we can throw it, we can run it, but we have to be able to do both,” Simcox said. “They’ve got some good players (Staley), they’re a good team.”

Park Hill South’s Kyle Reardon would catch a touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late as Staley went on to win 31-21.

Park Hill South ends the year with a 7-4 record.

“One of the things we try to tell them is to try to have them take something away with them other than just football,” Simcox said. “We always want to win the last game, but there’s only one team that can do that.”

Panthers easily handle Northmen

Scoring in just about every way imaginable in their 56-8 stomping of Oak Park last Thursday in the opening round of district play, Park Hill South (6-4) now looks to their matchup with the Kearney Bulldogs (6-3) Wednesday night in the district semifinals. The Bulldogs received a first round bye and will be well rested to host the Panthers. Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox says his team will face an opponent with a long history of success, but one he can also see glimpses of his own team in based on the balance of their offenses.

“They’re used to winning and they’ll expect to win, no question about that,” Simcox said. “We haven’t played them in a long time so we’re going to have to study up a bit. In some ways they’re a lot like us on offense. They run more of a double-slot where they’re able to do what the defense gives them, so they’re pretty balanced.”

That balance was on full display last week in their opening round playoff game against Oak Park. If there was any doubt Park Hill South would be able to carry the momentum from their 45-14 win over Park Hill last week into this week’s first round district game against a struggling Oak Park team, it was quickly put to rest.

“We want to be efficient and we know we can’t be on an emotional high every week, but it can’t affect our efficiency,” Simcox said of coming off the previous week’s rivalry game.

The Panthers stuck with the legs of running backs Myles Hammonds and Ronnie Bertelsmeyer to rack up a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Bertelsmeyer punched in a two-yard touchdown run in between Hammonds touchdown runs of 4 and 37 yards. That lead would eventually build into a 35-0 at halftime after Hammonds added his third touchdown and receiver Nick Griffith pulled in a 62 yard pass from quarterback Shaefer Schuetz.

Runs of 20 yards from Craig Scott and 15 yards from Corey Land produced two more touchdowns in the second half to widen their lead to 49-0. With a running clock in the second half, Oak Park was able to put their first points of the game on the board when Joe Anderson took a double handoff that went 25 yards for a touchdown.

Freshman Collin Faro posted the game’s last points with a two yard touchdown run in the game’s final minutes to bring the contest’s final score to 56-8. The Panthers would combine for 467 yards of offense and did so fairly evenly between their playmakers as Hammonds ended the night with 97 yards on nine carries while Bertelsmeyer compiled 67 yards from seven carries. Scott who added a touchdown on the ground, caught five passes for 115 yards.

Simcox talked about his team’s depth and how that has helped them not only fill in when injuries occur, but also how it creates options to spread the ball around.

“That’s the advantage of having numbers to where kids are competing against each other in practice for positions, for playing time,” Simcox said. “In a game like this one, it really pays off.”

Park Hill South claims second straight King of Hill title

After a decisive 45-14 Park Hill South victory over Park Hill at last week’s King of the Hill rivalry game, the Panthers and Trojans now head into Week Ten, the first round of district play, where each will be faced with the situation of winning to advance or losing to end their season. Park Hill South (5-4) notched the third seed with their win and will host sixth seeded Oak Park (1-8). Park Hill (3-6), the fifth seed, will travel to fourth seeded St. Joe Central (5-4) in a rematch of their contest two weeks ago where the Indians pulled out a 32-29 victory.

It took a full quarter for both teams to shake off what might be described as the adrenaline of the rivalry atmosphere before the first points were posted last Friday night. After being denied on a fourth and goal play late in the first quarter, Park Hill South would come back on the next drive with a short field to score on a four-yard touchdown run from Myles Hammonds to give them a 7-0 second quarter lead. Park Hill would struggle to gain offensive momentum most of the night, particularly in the first half, but their defense would hold Park Hill South to a modest 10-0 half lead after the Panthers added a 34-yard field goal late in the second quarter.

“We thought that if we could run at them early and be physical with them, it could pay off,” Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox said. “Defensively, we wanted to take away what they wanted to do by stopping the run.”

Park Hill South did just that by building a first half lead, putting the pressure on Park Hill to create momentum coming out of the locker room for the second half. It would be Park Hill South turning up the heat though, as they scored touchdowns on all four possessions of the third quarter to build an insurmountable 38-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. Through the air and on the ground, the Panthers displayed one of their most balanced offensive performances of the year. True to form, Park Hill South would use the legs of Hammonds to run the ball to set up the four scores that Panthers receivers Logan Gillespie, Craig Scott (2), and Robert Lane would pull in for touchdown receptions. Hammonds would end the night with 184 yards on 27 carries.

“If we can keep them from cheating on our run game, we can run it. If they cheat, then we’ll throw it to the outside,” Simcox said. “The game’s always a little bit easier on offense when you can do a little bit of both.”

Park Hill’s lone score until late in the fourth quarter came from a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Kenyotte Harris in the third quarter.

But Park Hill’s defense just couldn’t stop the resilient Park Hill South offense as the Panthers would cap off the third quarter scoring their fourth straight touchdown in as many drives. Ronnie Bertlesmeyer would put the icing on the cake with a short touchdown run in the fourth quarter to extend Park Hill South’s lead to 45-7.

Quarterback Clay Ford would add a short touchdown run in the game’s final minutes to narrow the margin to 45-14. The night would be the Park Hill South’s though as the Panther faithful stormed the field to celebrate clinching their second King of the Hill title in as many years. Simcox told his team following the game that he hoped it was an opportunity for the program to look forward to bigger things.

“Because we’ve lost so many games to them over the years, it’s hard for our kids to get over it,” Simcox said. “As a program, we have to look to bigger things. This will always to be big, just as long as it doesn’t affect your next game.”

Trojans, Panthers ready for King of the Hill

The annual King of the Hill football game this Friday between Park Hill and Park Hill South takes on new significance with the two squaring off in a regular season finale which could directly affect their seeding in the district tournament, a new postseason format in Missouri, which starts next week. Both the Panthers (4-4) and Trojans (3-5) are coming off close Week Eight losses with Park Hill losing to St. Joe Central 32-29 and Park Hill South losing to Liberty North 24-21.

Familiar with each team’s style of play, perhaps the main point of preparation will be to maintain focus for a game that’s buildup has players and students full of anticipation days and weeks leading up to kickoff. Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox says his team can’t let the game against their rival serve as the sole highlight or lowlight of their season.

“I told our kids a couple years ago that the sooner we quit making a big deal about this game, we’ll be a lot more successful at winning it,” Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox said about his team, which last year beat the Trojans for the first time in seven years. “We can’t treat this any different than any other game. We can’t allow this to be our season each year. It’s a big game for our kids, our school, and community, but as far as preparation goes there isn’t much difference.”

Park Hill coach Greg Reynolds’s focus was also on the season as a whole and said big games usually have more to do with execution than what the other team does.

“We have to worry about us,” Reynolds said. “It doesn’t matter about anyone else.”

That’s not to say the teams haven’t been following each other’s progress and already have an idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are. Reynolds pointed to Park Hill South’s offense, which can go at you on the ground and through the air, while Simcox says Park Hill has gradually focused more on their run game throughout the season.

“They’re a very balanced offense because they have two receivers who can run good routes,” Reynolds said. “They want to pound the ball at you with their tailback.”

“They’re going back to the run game which is what they’ve done for years, where they were more spread out to begin the year,” Simcox said.

Last week Park Hill believed combining a bend, but don’t break defense and steady offensive run game would give them the edge they needed against a versatile St. Joe Central team. They briefly followed that script to build a 14-0 lead in the first half, but it would be short-lived as the Indians would battle back for a 32-29 win in a frustrating night for the Trojans. Kenyatte Harris gave the Trojan running game a reliable hand as he contributed three touchdown runs, ending the night with 191 yards on 25 carries. In the end, St. Joe Central would rack up 536 yards of offense against the Trojans.

Reynolds said the hope he has for his young squad is that he can look back and say they improved throughout the year and learned to understand the game better.

“My only goal is that by Week 10 our kids have gotten better than where we started,” Reynolds said. “Even with our seniors, I want them to understand how to play the game.”

In Liberty last week, Park Hill South did a good job of limiting Liberty North running back Antwynn Beavers to just 78 yards, but left themselves vulnerable to the pass in the close, down-to-the-wire game. The Panthers battled back from a 14-0 second quarter deficit to pull ahead of Liberty North 21-17 early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Shaefer Schuetz connected with receiver Craig Scott for a ten-yard touchdown pass, his second of the night. The Eagles would respond with the game’s final scores though, a touchdown with about two minutes to play which would hand the Panthers a 24-21 loss.

“We weren’t very good on offense in the first half and not very good on defense in the second half,” Simcox said. “We were really concerned about their running back so we did some things to make sure he didn’t get away from us. We knew we would give up some in the passing game, but not as much as we did.”

Panthers look to contain Liberty North running game

A 24-6 win over St. Joe Central (3-4) last week gave the Park Hill South (4-3) football team a boost in the district standings, putting them in contention to play for a coveted first round district tournament bye over the next two weeks. While a highly anticipated matchup with Park Hill is on the horizon for the regular season’s final game Oct. 19^th, the Panthers must first focus on the immediate task at hand which is traveling to face Liberty North (3-4). Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox says threat number one is the talented speed of Eagles running back Antwynn Beavers who ran for 254 yards in Liberty North’s 33-22 win over Platte County last week.

“He’s probably faster than anyone we’ve got,” Simcox said. “We’ll have to do a good job of scheming against him so he doesn’t get away from us.”

It will go from one defensive focus to another as Park Hill South shutdown a pass-heavy St. Joe Central offense last week, preventing the Indians from scoring until late in the fourth quarter. With district implications on the line, both teams knew their postseason outlooks would be affected by the result.

Park Hill South posted their first score on the opening drive when quarterback Shaefer Schuetz connected with receiver Craig Scott for a 17-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. While the Panthers were frustrated with their defensive efforts early in allowing several first downs, they were able to prevent St. Joe Central from scoring on their most productive drive of the first half.

“Their offense is pretty dynamic, so we tried to hold on to every (offensive) possession as long as could. We don’t like giving up yards in chunks like we did. It turns the game into something we don’t want it to be,” Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox said. “It’s hard to play defense knowing you’re going to give up some plays, but if you make them snap the ball one more time and do that enough, it’s tough for the other team to keep it going.”

Myles Hammonds tacked on a two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to increase the Panther lead to 14-0 going into halftime.

Jacob Sneden put a 36-yard field goal through the uprights with under five minutes left in the third quarter to increase the Panthers’ advantage to 17-0. An early fourth quarter 32-yard pass from Schuetz to receiver Nick Griffith set up a one-yard touchdown run from Hammonds, his second of the night, to increase the lead to 24-0. Hammonds would finish the night with 40 carries for 125 yards. Another Panther who had a big night was Scott who pulled in seven receptions for 123 yards despite finding himself in double coverage most of the night.

“When they do that, we have to be able to run it, and tonight we did it,” Simcox said.

Critical district game awaits South after loss

With their 31-6 loss to undefeated Lee's Summit West last Friday, the Park Hill South Panthers (3-3) saw their three game win streak snapped and will look to begin anew this week as they host St. Joe Central (3-3). Both teams have had similar seasons, having seen promising signs of momentum come and go. This game will be an opportunity for the winner to record a victory over a competitive opponent for their postseason resume.

While Coach Mark Simcox says his team didn't play as bad as the score may indicate, it was the big play ability of Lee's Summit West that had the most effect on the game. Having given up a punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter to put Park Hill South in an early 10-0 hole, Lee's Summit West found the end zone one more time before halftime to give the Titans a 17-0 lead.

Park Hill South's main focus coming into the game was on shutting down the Titan run game, which it did accomplish with some effectiveness, but this left the Panthers vulnerable to the deep pass as Lee's Summit West quarterback Thomas Ganaden would finish with 237 yards passing on the night.

Offensively, the Panthers struggled throughout the night. Other than a red zone threat in the third quarter which eventually ended with an interception, Park Hill South's only opportunity to score came when Carson Reid connected with Nick Griffith on a one-yard route for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to narrow the final margin to 31-7.

PHS extends win streak to three

After outscoring their opponents 111-6 over the previous two games including last Friday's 41-0 win over Grandview, Park Hill South (3-2) will see a significantly different level of talent this week as they travel to Lee's Summit West (5-0) to take on one of the top-ranked teams in the state. The Panthers are not naive about the quality of their opponent, but hope they can use the momentum from their three game winning streak to take another step forward this week.

"We've been watching video to find some things we might be able to do. There are some things that look good for us on paper, but they're talented and really good. They've got a lot of kids that can run. We think we have some things we can do," Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox said. "It (Friday's win) definitely helps us confidence-wise. That was something we were concerned about with our 0-2 start, but now we've won three in a row and they're feeling better about themselves. We think we're better than we were three weeks ago, so we'll see."

There were many things to point to which led to the Panthers 41-0 victory over Grandview, but the damage that resulted in an old-fashioned stomp down was mostly done before the Bulldogs could even run a successful offensive play from the line of scrimmage. A Grandview penalty before the game even started due to unsportsmanlike conduct gave Park Hill South good field position after they returned the opening kickoff. Myles Hammonds would put the game's first points on the board with a one-yard touchdown run, his first of two touchdowns on the night. Grandview would then fumble the first snap of their first drive to turn the ball over to the Panthers, who would score on a ten-yard Shaefer Schuetz touchdown pass to Craig Scott. The Bulldogs would do it all over again on the next possession, fumbling the ball for a turnover, which led to another Schuetz-to-Scott touchdown connect.

Park Hill South was up 21-0 having had only a mere six minutes expire off the game clock.

"We were up 21 points, so at that point there wasn't too much left," Simcox said. "I think they would have been better, but when you get down 21-0 without really running an offensive play, it just kind of got away from them I think."

The Panthers would improve their lead on the defensive end with two interceptions returned for touchdowns, the first by Alex Augspurg was a 38-yard return in the second quarter, while the second was a 45-yard touchdown play by Bryan Robinson early in the second half.

Shelving their passing game as the game became out of reach in the second quarter to limit Schuetz and Scott's potential stats, they used Hammonds on the ground to use up the remainder of the clock before he ended his night with 26 carries, good for around 100 yards and two touchdowns. All in a good night's work for an overall quality effort for the Panthers.

Panthers roll in homecoming blowout

Following an impressive 70-6 homecoming victory over Ruskin last week, Park Hill South (2-2) will travel to Grandview (2-2) to face a team the Panthers don’t know a lot about, but know they have historically been a team that finds itself on different sides of high scoring games with an offense that has the potential to tally up yardage if not defended seriously. With the Bulldogs playing on newly installed turf, Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox believes they’ll be ready for the Panthers, but that the focus must still remain internal.

“We haven’t seen them (Grandview) much, except a few plays. We’re playing at their place, so they’re going to be excited,” Simcox said. “We’re going to worry about us, which is what we try to do all the time.”

The Panthers will be looking to get the offensive productive they got last week against Ruskin which featured a version of the balanced pass and run game they have been hoping would come together for a lethal combination all season. While they would score 42 points in the second quarter, Simcox said the team came out a little timid in its first couple drives, something the Panthers have been working on to improve.

“We still came out and played tight in the beginning, but after a couple series we started playing like we have in practice, which we hadn’t been doing,” Simcox said.

That’s about the only critique you could offer at first glance of their Week 4 performance though as the Panthers would put points on the board first when Myles Hammonds took a three-yard handoff into the endzone to put the Panthers up 7-0 late in the first quarter. Ruskin’s Kaymon Lunn took the ensuing kickoff the length of the field for a touchdown. The Eagles missed the extra point, leaving Park Hill South up 7-6 and indicating the game ahead might be an offensive shootout. That would be true only for the Panthers from that point forward as quarterback Carson Reid hit receiver Craig Scott on the opening drive of the second quarter for a short four-yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers up 14-6 and off to the races. It would be the first of six scoring drives that would result in touchdowns for Park Hill South.

A combination of special teams and defensive turnovers going the Panthers’ way put them in ideal field possession to capitalize and eventually extend that lead to 49-6 before halftime. Simcox says in order for their strengths to be utilized, offensive rhythm has to be consistent.

“Our offense is a lot about rhythm,” Simcox said. “Trying to get the proper mix (of run and pass) where one compliments the other, but we’re getting closer to that. We’re throwing when they don’t necessarily expect us to throw it and we’re running when they don’t think we’re going to run it. So it’s getting a little more balanced.”

By the time it was all said and done the 70-6 final score made it evident the goal of balanced rhythm had been accomplished as a number of Panthers would get in on the action at some point or another. Quarterbacks Shaefer Schuetz and Carson Reid would combine for five touchdown passes for 110 yards. Receiver Craig Scott pulled in three receptions for 42 yards, all of which for touchdowns while running back Myles Hammonds ran the ball 15 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Ronnie Bertelsmeyer and Derrick Cook would record touchdown receptions in the second half while Zac Ricketts and Kyle Reardon would add touchdown carries as well.

With such a wide-margined win under their belts, Simcox made clear it would only be beneficial if it contributes towards the long-term and makes them better for the second half of their season.

“If we did what we’re supposed to, then it’s something we can build on and move forward with,” Simcox said.

South gets first win, ready to Homecoming

After their 19-15 win over Truman last week gave them their first win of the season, Park Hill South comes into this week’s Homecoming matchup against Ruskin looking to string back-to-back victories together to build much-needed momentum towards the second half of their season.

Ruskin (0-3) is coming off a 49-13 loss to Platte County last week where they were able to compile 203 passing yards and score on big plays.

“They’re athletic — they always are,” Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox said of Ruskin. “They’re going to be better than the previous week, and I’m glad we’re playing them towards the beginning of the season, not the end. It’s another home game for us, so we’re looking forward to Homecoming and all of the festivities that come with that.”

Simcox said clinching their first win was relieving so they can come into this week more comfortable and able to focus on the immediate opponent at hand.

“It’s going to allow us to relax a bit,” Simcox said. “Kids have expectations and they put a lot of pressure on themselves. When you lose you don’t feel very good about it, and we didn’t feel good about those first two losses.”

Park Hill South and Truman came into Friday night’s game looking like two similarly-matched teams. Truman established itself first with a steady and methodical initial drive which produced the first score of the game when Demetric Dinwiddie took a short handoff for a touchdown to put Truman up 7-0 late in the first quarter.

Things would continue to go Truman’s way as they intercepted a Shaefer Schuetz pass on the following drive and returned it 43 yards to the Park Hill South 30-yard line. But that would ignite the Panther defense. They proceeded to force a Patriots turnover on downs and limited the Patriots to only 61 yards passing and 62 yards rushing on the night.

Park Hill South’s offense took over and followed a consistent script in all three of the Panthers’ scoring drives — running back Myles Hammonds would carry the Panther offense down the field before Schuetz connected with receiver Craig Scott for a short-range touchdown pass. Hammonds, who gained 215 yards rushing on 45 carries, was playing in his first complete game since suffering an ankle injury last year.

“We’re a different team when we have him,” Simcox said. “I’m sure he got tired. When you have long drives that’s what happens.”

The Panthers first score would come late in the second quarter when Schuetz connected with Scott on a five-yard out pattern, good for a three-yard touchdown pass. The point after attempt failed, giving Truman a narrow 7-6 halftime lead.

Park Hill South continued with what worked in their first drive of the second half for their second score on the same play the Panthers scored with the previous time another Schuetz-to-Scott touchdown pass. Missing the point-after once again, Park Hill South edge ahead to a lead of 12-7.

“That particular short route, we look at as an extention of our run game,” Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox said. “That’s something we think we can get three or four yards from eight out of ten times. He (Scott) runs it really well and it’s hard to defend.”

Truman’s Dinwiddie would score again when he received the ensuing kickoff and took it 92 yards for a touchdown to put the Patriots back on top. With a two-point conversion, Truman went up 15-12 late in the third quarter.

Feeling some of their best offensive rhythm of the season, Park Hill South received the ball on the ensuing drive. This time it was Schuetz escaping the pocket athletically to get the ball to his top receiver, Scott, for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Park Hill South had regained the lead 19-15. Schuetz would finish 11-of-16 for 129 yards while Scott would record six receptions, 44 yards, and three touchdowns.

Looking to work the clock late in the fourth quarter, Truman forced a Panther fumble and turnover at the 2:38 mark earning themselves one last chance to regain the lead. Park Hill South would pull out all the defensive stops to gain the ball back and then use every means necessary to grind out the last seconds on the clock including a fake punt on their last play to finally clinch their first win of the season 19-15.

“Getting a win no matter how you get it is still better than the alternative,” Simcox said after the game. “Our kids feel so much better about what we’re doing. It’s always better to start a week by building on what you’ve done than fix things from the night before.”

Panthers face Truman in search of first win

Coming into the season, Park Hill South (0-2) knew they’d be tested right away against two high quality teams in Fort Osage and Blue Springs. Having played and lost those games, they head into Week Three looking to their next game against Truman as a key point in their season looking to rebound. Truman also comes into the contest with a 0-2 record after Liberty North scored a late touchdown to hand them a 12-6 loss last weekend. Head coach Mark Simcox says Truman offers the Panthers a more similarly-matched opponent than they’ve seen so far this year.

“They’re a lot more our speed, we match up a lot better with them,” Simcox said.

While he didn’t see his team play as well as he would have liked, Simcox did say he saw improvement in last Friday’s rain soaked, 35-14 loss to Blue Springs. They didn’t do themselves any favors either though as Blue Springs scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, the first of which came after the Panthers had a punt blocked on their first drive of the game. Both scores came from Blue Springs running back Dalvin Warmack who ended the game with 136 yards on 19 carries.

Things didn’t get much better in the second quarter as Blue Springs blocked another Park Hill South punt which resulted in a safety and a lost fumble led to another Blue Springs touchdown right before halftime increasing their lead to 27-0. Late in the game, Park Hill South was finally able to do what few teams in the metro were successful at last Friday: pass the ball. Quarterbacks Shaefer Schuetz and Carson Reid were both able to complete touchdown passes (82 and 21 yards) to put the Panthers on the border.

“We obviously allowed too many (points) and didn’t score enough, but last week we acted like we didn’t prepare very well and made an unbelievable amount of mistakes on both sides of the ball,” Simcox said. “This week, we got beat by a good team, but didn’t do a whole lot to help them out. So I think we made some big improvements and if we continue to do make improvements we’ll be fine.”

Panthers look to second straight tough opponent

After a tough week one loss last Friday to Fort Osage 28-0, Park Hill South travels to Blue Springs to take on a Wildcat team coming off a convincing 56-13 victory over St. Joe Central. Taking on the second-ranked team in Missouri’s biggest class won’t make things any easier for the Panthers in Week Two. Focus number one will be on a Blue Springs program that has been notorious for their strong running attack, one which was led last week by running back Dalvin Warmack who rushed for 150 yards and four touchdowns last week.

“We know they (Blue Springs) are going to be good, physical, and big. I know they have almost everyone back from last year,” Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox. “We have to go in there and do what we do. Right now, we have to fix our things.”

 Despite the struggles in Week One, Simcox believes that if they are able to fix some of their own mistakes, the Panthers see potential opportunities they can take advantage of Friday night.

“There are some things we think we’ll be able to do,” Simcox said. “They’re a different kind of defense. They’re bigger (than Fort Osage), but I’m not sure they’re as active.”

In a rematch of their district finale loss last year to Fort Osage, Park Hill South fell again by the same score of 28-0. The loss featured a Panther defense that was unable to counter the versatility of Fort Osage senior quarterback Steven McBee who went 12-21 passing for 97 yards, but also grinded out 107 yards on 16 carries. McBee scored all three of the Indians’ touchdowns.

With star running back Myles Hammonds out due to injuries, the Panthers were forced to run the ball by committee which did not prove effective. Up against a tough Indian defense which only gave up 81 yards, Park Hill South was only gained two first downs in the first half. Unable to gain any traction in the running game prevented the Panthers from opening up the field to pass to deep threat wide receiver Craig Scott.

"We have to find a way to run it, they're not going to let us throw it to our best two offensive players," Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox. "They're an awfully good defense; we'll see a lot of defenses like that, but not necessarily better than that."

After their defense forced a Panthers four and out on their first drive of the game, the Indians went 60 yards in 11 plays to score the game's first points after a McBee two-yard touchdown run. They added a two point conversion on to make the score 8-0 early in the first quarter.

With an 18-0 lead coming into the second half, McBee put the game's doubt out of mind after a 64-yard touchdown run. Park Hill South fumbled the ensuing kickoff which led to Fort Osage kicker Hayden Baumgartner converting his second field goal of the night off a Panther turnover, extending the lead to its final 28-0.

FALL PREVIEW: Park Hill South Football

A 3-1 start in 2011 put the Panthers on the path towards reaching a second straight playoff appearance. However, a perfect storm of injuries coupled with an inexperienced group of young starters caused Park Hill South to stumble to a 1-5 finish, leaving them without a postseason berth at the end of the season. Learning from that experience with a majority of those same players returning in 2012 is something head coach Mark Simcox believes will yield positive results.

“At various times last year we started seven sophomores, so we have a lot of guys that played a lot of games,” Simcox said. “We’re not teaching anymore. The players know how we do things, so we can focus more on the football stuff. Everyone is more comfortable.”

The Panthers have a strong defensive lineup comprised of seven returning starters including two of its key pieces coming in the form of Robert Lane and Cody Kildow, athletes who can at times act as either linemen or linebackers, giving a high degree of flexibility to adjust to opposing offenses. Joining them will be core inside linebackers Austin Miller and Kenrick Cook.

While the experience and strength may be on the defense, Park Hill South will have a number of talented options on the offensive side of the ball to present a dangerously balanced attack. Splitting time equally at quarterback last year were junior Carson Reid and sophomore Shaefer Schuetz, but in 2012 Simcox says the Panthers will have one quarterback leading them with the other in ready reserve.

“We’re going to ask them both to do more than they did last year,” Simcox said. “Doesn’t matter who it is coming into week one, we’ll always try to have our back-up get a series or two a game.”

Whoever wins the quarterback job will be handing off to the versatile senior running back Miles Hammonds who, when healthy, last year provided Park Hill South with the speed and power for a strong running game. Leading the way for him will be an offensive line featuring Cletus Gilmore, Seth Cline, Cody Kildow, Isaiah Jones, and Cody Batton. Simcox says his linemen on both sides of the ball bring more size than they had available last year, which when combined with their other weapons, puts them in a position to match-up well with top competition.

“With our players being in the program long enough, our size, and our strength, we look like a big Class 5 team,” Simcox said. “We don’t have Division One players all over the place, but as a real solid high school football team, I think we’re in a good place.”

One of those weapons will be senior wide receiver Craig Scott who pulled in 50 catches and 11 touchdowns last season. His athleticism will give the Panthers a deep threat as well as keep secondaries honest in regards to the run. Complimenting him on the other sideline is junior receiver Nick Griffith who will allow the entire field to be used.

“With the kids we have, we will definitely be able to be more wide open,” Simcox said. “We hope to be able to control the ball with both our passing game and running game.”

Park Hill South will be led onto the field by 22 seniors in their first game of the season, a rematch of last year’s district finale 28-0 loss to state quarterfinalist Fort Osage. The game will be broadcast live on television as Metro Sports Game of the Week.

Park Hill South's OT win keeps playoff hopes alive

For Park Hill South, this Friday’s matchup with Fort Osage is likely an all-or-nothing situation in regards to the Panthers’ district title aspirations and playoff hopes. A win could give them their second straight district title while a loss could end their season. Depending on the results of Class 5, District 11’s other matchup Friday between North Kansas City and Winnetonka, the difference between who continues to play and who goes home has several different tie-breaking scenarios, but the most clear-cut theme for Park Hill South remains very simple: win.

“We’ve got to win, there’s no question about that,” Coach Mark Simcox said.

Knowing what needs to be done is easy. Doing it will be the hard part as Park Hill South will have to travel to Fort Osage, 8-1 on the season and the state’s fifth ranked team.

“I know they’re really physical. They’ve had a plan the last couple years and they do it so there won’t be any surprises from our end on what they’re going to do,” Simcox said. “We’ll have to keep the ball on offense and away from them. If we do it, I think we’ll be in it. We’re ready for the challenge.”

With the Panthers’ 14-7 overtime victory against Winnetonka last week, Park Hill South hopes they are back on track with where they were at the beginning of the season before they suffered several key injuries and leading up to last Friday’s win, were on a four game losing streak.

“We’re getting back to where we were. It’s taken us longer to overcome some things. We were probably as good tonight as we have been since week three,” Simcox said.

The first half of last Friday’s game was dominated by defense with both teams holding steady in their own territory which resulted in a scoreless halftime score of 0-0. An athletic interception at the line of scrimmage by Park Hill South’s Evan Martin gave the Panthers an opportunity in the first quarter, but they were unable to convert. Winnetonka had an opportunity of their own as they received ideal field position after a Park Hill South punt went out of bounds deep in their own territory, but the Griffons were also unable to translate that into any points. In fact, the Griffons were only able to muster one first down against the Panther defense in the first half.

It wouldn’t be until 1:23 left in the third quarter when the tie would be unbroken when Park Hill South’s Craig Scott capped off a 75-yard drive with a 32-yard touchdown reception from freshman quarterback Schaefer Schuetz to put the Panthers up 7-0 going into the fourth quarter.

“He’s going to be a good player,” Simcox said of Schuetz. “We don’t play people because of the year they are. We play them because they do what we ask them to do.”

Winnetonka would see their most offensive production in that fourth quarter as they put together two of the game’s strongest drives. The first stalled on a fourth down and goal play when the quarterback-center exchange was bobbled resulting in a turnover on downs. Winnetonka quickly got the ball back to take the ball down the field once again. This time, they would convert to tie the game when DeAndre Thomas pulled in a four yard play action pass from quarterback Tyler Havrum for a touchdown with just under a minute to play.

Going into overtime at 7-7, the Panthers would take advantage of their first possession. Looking deep again, it would be Schuetz connecting with Scott for a 26-yard touchdown pass to put Park Hill South up 14-7. Like it had throughout the game, the Panther defense came through big on the Griffons’ chance to match the score and shut Winnetonka down on four plays sealing the victory. Park Hill South improved to 4-5 on the season and their 1-1 district record keeps them in contention for postseason play.

“We felt pretty good about our defense, but we knew it would be difficult. We’ve got one guy on the outside (Scott) offensively who can change the game, and he did,” Simcox said. “We thought if we could keep it close, we’d have a chance.”

The Class 5, District 11 point system currently has Fort Osage at +16, Park Hill South at -2, Winnetonka at -4, and North Kansas City at -10. Points are determined by margin of victory/loss to a maximum of 13 points a game.

Panthers fall in district opener, look to Winnetonka

Park Hill South’s 20-17 loss to North Kansas City last week not only brings their record to 3-5 on the season, but leaves them thirsting even more for a district victory this Friday as the Panthers try to break a four game losing streak against Winnetonka. The Griffins, at 5-3, is coming off a close 28-25 loss to Fort Osage last week, a game in which Winnetonka had the ball deep in Fort Osage territory with less than a minute to play before missing a game-tying field goal.

One of the most frustrating things isn’t just getting beat by the other team, but feeling like you beat yourself. That’s one of the most disappointing parts of Park Hill South’s 20-17 loss to North Kansas City last week. The Panthers received the ball to start the game, but sophomore quarterback Carson Reid’s first pass landed in the arms of a North Kansas City defender who intercepted the pass and returned it for a touchdown to put the Hornets up 7-0 right off the bad. Like déjà vu all over again, the Panthers received the ensuing kickoff and on their second pass, it was Marcus Jones jumping a Reid pass for an interception. Although, not returned for a touchdown, the pick set up another North Kansas City score putting the Hornets up 13-0 after a missed extra point. The Panthers had put themselves in a tough position early in the game and had trouble regrouping from that point forward.

“The momentum and emotions were way on their side at that point so that was something we were trying to overcome,” coach Mark Simcox said. “You have to give them credit, but we’d like to think that if we win it’s because of what we do and if we lose its also because of what we do.”

North Kansas City was able to add another touchdown before halftime, but the Panthers had battled back having scored a touchdown and field goal to narrow the margin to a 20-9 halftime score. But it was the turnovers that would continue to haunt Park Hill South as Jones would intercept two more passes in the second half to bring his total to three on the night, this time from Panther freshman quarterback Schaefer Schuetz.

“It was something we just couldn’t overcome,” Simcox said. “It wasn’t just the interceptions though because we couldn’t get a stop on defense when we needed to either.”

Park Hill South is looking to combine the return of previously injured key starters in running back Myles Hammonds and linebacker Robert Lane, who recorded an interception against North Kansas City, with some of the small positives they were able to take away from the game.

“We had some success running the ball on offense,” Simcox said. “They didn’t really march up and down the field on us on defense, just made a couple big plays like they needed to.”

For the Panthers it comes down to being able to string together small victories on a play by play basis and not giving opposing teams added advantages against them.

“We’re not good enough right now to the point where we can make penalties or have turnovers and overcome it. We don’t have the big-play ability for that right now.”

While the loss to North Kansas City was an unwelcomed start to district play, the Panthers have two weeks to earn the right to play a third in the state playoffs. Winnetonka and Fort Osage may present tougher obstacles for the Panthers, that adage remains the same going into the last two weeks of the regular season.

“Even before last week we knew that if we won two out of three (in districts), we’re in pretty good shape,” Simcox said. “The teams may be a bigger challenge, but we still have control over what we do.”

South continues losing skid, hopes to rebound in district opener

Park Hill South (3-4) gets to start anew this Friday as district play begins with a home matchup against North Kansas City (1-6). Although South lost to a tough Staley team last Friday 42-13, the Panthers have reason to be encouraged after they stayed within striking distance of the Falcons for a majority of the game. In a contest the Panthers will be heavily favored to win, they’ll have the chance to break a three game losing streak and begin the defense of the district title they won in 2010. North Kansas City is coming off a 51-14 defeat against Truman.

While Staley pulled ahead 14-0 early in the first quarter last Friday, South was able to post a score when Nick Gillespie caught a Carson Reid pass for a 55-yard touchdown reception. Staley quarterback Trent Hosick added a running touchdown in the second quarter to put Staley up 21-7 at halftime. Down, but not out against the top team in Class 5, Park Hill South was in position to make it a game in the second half.

Morgan Steward increased the margin for Staley with a 62-yard break away run for a touchdown in the third quarter, but the Panthers matched it when Alex Howe catch a 12-yard touchdown pass from Reid to make the score 28-13 going into the final quarter. But it was in that fourth quarter when Staley broke loose with Steward adding his second touchdown on 19-yard run. Rory Driscoll sealed the deal for Staley when he picked off a Reid pass and returned the interception for a 22-yard touchdown increasing the final margin to 42-13.

Last year, Park Hill South defeated North Kansas City 34-7 which was the beginning of a five game winning streak that propelled them to a district title and state quarterfinals appearance.

Park Hill South prepares for another tough test

Things won’t get easier for Park Hill South (3-3) after a 24-8 loss to Raytown South last Friday as they’ll next take on the state’s top ranked Class 5 team, the Staley Falcons (6-0). The Panthers’ toughest test of the season comes as the final primer before district play begins and playoff brackets begin to take shape. For South, there is plenty of motivation to step their game up as the Falcons were responsible for ending the Panthers season last year in a low-scoring 7-3 quarterfinal playoff game. Staley is coming off an impressive 54-27 victory over Grandview and features some of the area’s top players including quarterback Trent Hosik and running back Morgan Steward.

“They’ve got a lot of talent. We played with them both games last year. We have a chance to be successful if we take care of the football,” head coach Mark Simcox said. “We think there are some things we can do against them.”

Both Park Hill South and Raytown South came into Friday’s game looking to redeem themselves after tough week five losses. Raytown South jumped out of the gate in the first quarter when they forced Park Hill South running back Eddie Sola to fumble on the first play from scrimmage. The Cardinal offense wasn’t able to convert the turnover into any direct points, but their fourth down punt forced Park Hill South to start the next drive on their own one yard line. It was then when Sola met a handful of Cardinals at the line of scrimmage forcing him down in the end zone for a Raytown South safety and the game’s first points.

“We can’t come out in any game and fumble on the first play, then get a safety on the second. It just kills your momentum and allows the other team to build on that, doesn’t matter who you’re playing,” Simcox said.

Receiving the kick on the ensuing kickoff and returning it to the Panthers 25-yard line, it didn’t take long for quarterback Deallon Walton and the offense to add to their lead. Jameel Cox’s one-yard touchdown run and Justin Turner’s reception for the two-point conversion put Raytown South up 10-0. Raytown South put another touchdown on the board just before halftime when Kalan Tucker pulled in a 10-yard touchdown reception on 4th and 9. After the point after attempt failed, the Cardinals went into the locker room with a 16-0 lead.

Park Hill South mounted it’s most impressive defensive stand to start the second half which led to the Panthers best possession of the game. Taking nearly five minutes off the clock and moving the ball nearly ten yards at a time, the Panthers capped the drive off with a screen pass resulting in a 16-yard touchdown reception for Alex Howe. Craig Scott converted the two-point conversion with his reception pulling Park Hill South to within eight points, 16-8.

The Cardinals hit right back, stomping the Panthers comeback hopes. As time wound down in the third quarter, they were able to drive the field before Justin Turner took a handoff 19 yards for a touchdown. Turner converted the two-point conversion to put Raytown South up for good 24-8.

Park Hill South’s offense seemed to be unable to gain the rhythm they’d like. With starting running back Myles Hammonds sidelines, the Panthers lacked the dependable running game they had leaned on in the first half of the season and were forced to turn to their pass game. In a game that had few plays over 20 yards, both defenses displayed a bend, but don’t break style of play. Raytown South’s mix of formations and misdirection plays provided the Cardinals with the ball movement they needed on offense that the Panthers were unable to generate.

“We didn’t give up any real big plays, they just converted over and over again, and we couldn’t get stops when we needed to,” Simcox said. “When you have to start moving people around, you have to make changes in other positions too. Our depth is young and they’re going to be good players, but they’re just not quite there yet.”

Despite the two game losing skid the Panthers are on, Simcox says they won’t be risking their long-term season goals for short-term gains and they plan on staying the course with their focus on the overall program.

“We can’t worry about anything beyond the play in front of us. The only way to accomplish our goals is to do it one play at a time,” Simcox said. “We don’t want to abandon things we’ve been teaching just because we lose a couple games.”

Panthers look to overcome injuries, put more points on board

After coming out of the gate quickly in the first half the previous week against William Chrisman in a 42-18 victory, Park Hill South was hoping to build on their momentum against Raytown last Friday. It wouldn't be so, as a scoreless first half led way to two second half Raytown touchdowns putting the Panthers down by 12 late in the fourth quarter. An attempted comeback was cut short as Raytown pulls out the mild upset by a score of 12-7. Although, a solid defensive performance, the Panthers weren't able to overcome the absence of some key players including running back Myles Hammonds and linebacker Robert Lane.

"We came out defensively real strong," coach Mark Simcox said. "Our depth hurt us because of the injuries we're currently dealing with right now."

South now looks to Raytown South (2-3) as they host the Cardinals at Park Hill District Stadium. The Cardinals are coming off a tough 36-0 loss to Fort Osage last week. Park Hill South will look to keep the Raytown South offense neutralized, as they've only scored once in the previous two games, and allow their own offense the chance to get into a rhythm. On the other side of the ball, quarterback Eddie Sola, who played running back in Hammonds absence, and company will look to stimulate a Panthers offense which has either been red hot or stone cold this season. Raytown South entered the season ranked in the Class 5 state rankings, but has recently falled out while Park Hill south remains in the fold, currently ranked sixth.

"They're a good team," Simcox said. "I remember from last year their front eight or nine guys are real tough. It's going to be another test."

Raytown's Justus McMullen ripped a 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put the game's first points on the board last Friday putting them up 6-0 after a failed point after. Then it was a 50-yard pass from Bobby Bradley to Chris Jackson in the fourth quarter that would eventually serve as the game winning touchdown, putting the Blue Jays up 12-0, once again after a failed extra point. A 5-yard pass from Carson Reid to Craig Scott got South on the board late in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough as the Panthers fall to 3-2 on the year and suffer the first blow to their conference record, now at 2-1.

South road trip resumes at Raytown

After improving their record to 3-1 on the season with a 42-18 victory over William Chrisman Friday night, Park Hill South will go on the road once again this week to battle a 2-2 Raytown Blue Jays squad still looking to define itself in the early season after a close 13-9 victory last week over Belton. Raytown is a team still establishing itself as a program, which makes it even the more difficult for South to prepare for them at the mid-way point in the season especially when the Jays have a quality win against a tough Class 6 team in the likes of Lee’s Summit North.

“They have had some early success, they beat Lee’s Summit North,” head coach Mark Simcox said. “I’m sure they’ll be up to the challenge of us for sure.”

If you got caught in traffic on the way out to Independence to watch Park Hill South play William Chrisman last Friday night, you may have missed the opening act of what would eventually be a first half that can only be described as the Craig Scott Show. In the first four minutes of the game Scott had a 15 and 81-yard touchdown catches. He would add two more on two-yard and 17-yard touchdown receptions in the first half edging the score to 28-0 before Chrisman was able to put a long drive and score on the board to make it 28-6 going into the locker room

“We trust we can throw it up to him or at least know the other guy won’t get it. When we can do that, it makes a big difference. He understands in order for us to be successful, we have to run the ball and control the clock,” Simcox said. “He’s going to get about four or five plays every game and he has to take advantage of them.”

Scott finished the night with 133 yards receiving on five receptions.

“It feels pretty good, like a dream almost,” “You just have to go into every game looking to do whatever you can do and help out however you can,” Scott said of his career night.

Chrisman had several close scoring opportunities they were unable to convert on throughout the game and the score remained unchanged going into the fourth quarter before Bears running back DeMarco Hill scampered 42-yard run to give Chrisman a glimmer of hope at a comeback. But those were all but dismissed after a time-killing drive capped off with a six yard touchdown run from Jalen Ross and a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown by South’s Dylan Worth on the ensuing Bear’s possession increased the lead to 42-12. Hill ripped off a 66-yard touchdown run in the game’s final seconds to narrow the final margin to 42-18 and complete a Park Hill South victory.

“We came out real well, we’ve been preaching that,” Simcox said. “We weren’t as disciplined on defense as I would have liked. Had a little flat spot in the second quarter with that drive which sticks in my throat the most.”

While Scott rang up many of the Panthers’ scores Friday night, it was only possible because of William Chrisman’s dedication to stop South’s run attack usually headed by Myles Hammonds. With such a commanding lead early in the game, Hammonds was sidelined for precautionary reasons, so the running duties were left to a committee of backs that were still able to rack up 198 yards on 41 carries.

“We wanted for them to save some gas in the tank, especially when we had some guys that need experience and deserve the chance to play,” Simcox said.

It’s a balance South has been working for, one which focuses on a strong running game, and then allows them to strike with the pass as defenses begin to concentrate their efforts too much. Against Chrisman, they noticed a strong focus at the line of scrimmage.

“Our plan was still to do what we do, but when they do what they were doing on offense, we’re not going to just run into nine guys in the box,” Simcox said.

Although South experienced being banged up injury-wise at different parts of the game, one of the more serious injuries came at the end of the second quarter when linebacker Robert Lane came shaken off the field. He was later carted out of the stadium and taken to a hospital. Immediate information was not available, but it was believed to be a concussion situation.

South hopes to build on big King of the Hill win

It had all the makings of a classic rivalry game.

Great defense, hard hits, and an energized fan base. Park Hill and Park Hill South’s annual rivalry matchup did not disappoint those in attendance or those viewing the live television broadcast from home last week. Both teams now focus their attention on their next opponents this week after participating in one of the more dramatic King of the Hill matchups in recent memory which left the Park Hill South Panthers topping the Park Hill Trojans 13-7, a game in doubt going into its final minutes.

Fresh off their victory, Park Hill South (2-1) and head coach Mark Simcox will go on the road to William Chrisman (0-3) to take on a Bears team probably still reeling from a 47-20 beating by Liberty North in a game which was 47-7 at halftime. Park Hill (2-1) hopes to rebound as they host Truman (2-1) who comes off an embarrassing 54-3 loss to Blue Springs. In the meantime, coaches and players try to regain their composure after such an adrenaline rushing early-season rivalry game.

Park Hill South quickly drove down the field in their opening drive on the shoulders of running back Myles Hammonds, but Hammonds fumbled shortly before breaking the plane of the end zone which allowed Park Hill’s Gage Wright to recover it in the end zone. The only scoring highlight in the first half came on a 21-yard Anthony Arens touchdown reception midway through the second quarter putting Park Hill up 7-0, the score remained unchanged at halftime. Quarterback Tyler White had his best outing of the season going 11 of 18 passing for 134 yards on the night.

“We weren’t doing a real good job of consistently run blocking and they were shutting us down so we had to go with what works,” Park Hill head coach Greg Reynolds said.

While a hair-puller for those looking for a high scoring game, those who enjoy defense were treated to quite a game. Highlighting the defenses was a position usually getting little attention, the nose tackles. South’s Ron Anderson and Park Hill’s Ondre Pipkins fought double teams all night and still wrecked havoc on the opposing offenses, proving why they are some of the Metro’s top players.

The offensive stalemates continued into the third quarter before Park Hill South went on a five minute, 11 second drive which ended when Hammonds fumbled once again at the goal line, but instead of a Trojan recovery, South receiver Craig Scott was there to recover for the Panthers’ first touchdown. The recovery caused a slight controversy when replays later showed doubt to whether Scott’s foot was out of bounds when he recovered the ball. Nonetheless, the touchdown and extra point tied the game at 7-7 going into the fourth quarter. A steady dose of hard-nosed running from Hammonds, who ran for 170 yards on 40 carries, was complemented by an extraordinary 31-yard leap and grab by Scott on an eight minute clock-killing drive which eventually ended with a one-yard touchdown dive from quarterback Eddie Sola to put South up 13-7 after a missed extra point.

“We’re going to see that. As long as he (Hammonds) can carry it, he’s going to continue to get it because they’re eventually going to get tired and we’re going to find a soft spot,” Simcox said of the amount of carries his star running back.

With three minutes to play, Park Hill marched 50-yards on the ensuing drive deep into South territory, but on a fourth-and-thirteen play, faced with their final chance, came up short of the first down marker resulting in a turnover on downs.

“That’s a good football team, they’re a good defense. We got the ball three times within their 25 yard line and we don’t score,” Reynolds said. “You can’t do that.”

In a moment seven years in the making, South received the ball with under two minutes to play only needing to run the clock out in order to secure a 13-7 victory, their first against Park Hill since 2004. Sola took a snap and ran around the left end before cutting up-field, when he saw an opening. Sprinting down a Park Hill South sideline exploding in excitement, he wasn’t brought down until 78 yards later on Park Hill’s five yard line. The Panthers opted out of an additional score, allowing the remaining seconds to expire before a combination of players and students stormed the field in celebration.

“It means a lot because they are a very good program and it legitimizes what we’re trying to do as a program,” Simcox said. “Now we can talk about what we’re going to do moving forward, not just in week three against Park Hill because hopefully this isn’t going to be the biggest game we play.”