Park Hill grad killed in action on eighth combat tour

The first words of the United States Army Ranger Creed include “Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of my Ranger Regiment.” Those are the first that begin to embody and form a picture of the kind of solider Staff Sergeant Jeremy Katzenberger was. The 26 year-old Weatherby Lake native, in his eighth tour of duty oversees, was conducting a mission supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan’s Paktika Province last week when he died of wounds suffered in a heavy firefight from an insurgent attack on his unit.

Before Katzenberger committed himself to his country, he had a love for being on the water. As a young boy he could be found every summer at Weatherby Lake’s C-Point where he took up sailing and fishing. He passed his passion on when he taught other young sailors and lifeguarded at the local pool. Naturally this led him onto the swimming, diving, and water polo teams at Park Hill High School. He was also active in track, Young Life, Junior Assembly, and 4H Character Council before graduating in 2003.

Jeremy was the youngest of four boys, two of which are also in the Army, and growing up was a favorite among their friends and neighbors around the lake with a welcoming smile.

“We are so proud of these boys, and prayed this sad day would never come,” former neighbor Shawn-Marie Simmons said. “The Katzenberger family has always had our utmost respect for their amazing patriotism, with three of their boys in the Armed Forces.

Katzenberger had previously served four tours in Iraq before embarking on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan. After enlisting in October 2004 he was assigned to Company B, 1st Ballion, 75th Ranger Regiment based just outside Savannah, Georgia. A highly decorated soldier, he advanced through the enlisted ranks to Staff Sergeant and was leading his squad in the June 14th mission that claimed his life. Staff Sergeants are often said to be the elements of which the backbone of the Army is made and that their success, more than any other grade of the non-commissioned officer rank, lead the path to the Army’s success.

Hundreds of members of the Patriots guard participated in Katzenberger's funeral procession which stretched nearly a mile long down 64th Street on June 26th (via http://www.shadesofgray.com/)

In a release, 75th Ranger Regiment commander Col. Michael E. Kurilla talked about Katzenberger’s deep commitment to his country.

"I wish the American people could truly understand the dedication and sacrifice that Staff Sgt. Jeremy Katzenberger made for his country. Since early 2005, Jeremy has either been in combat or training for combat. This was his eighth combat deployment. He was the epitome of a Ranger squad leader; he is a hero to our nation, the Army and his family."

He is survived by his wife, Colleen, seven-month old son Everett, both of Richmond Hill, Georgia, outside Savannah, GA, parents Robert and Peggy Katzenberger of Weatherby Lake, MO, and three brothers. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Special Operations Warriors Foundation.

Former Park Hill South star gets the call-up

When Park Hill South baseball won their conference title earlier this spring, it was the first time they had done so since the Panthers’ inaugural graduating class won their first over ten years ago. That team was led by one of the area’s most successful and talented athletic products in recent memory, Tommy Hottovy, who still holds strikeout, earned run average, and batting average records at South.

Nearly eleven years after walking out the doors of Park Hill South High School to pursue a baseball scholarship at Wichita State in what he hoped at the time would be a chance to later accomplish his dream of playing professional baseball, he was able to see it come true earlier this month when he made his major league pitching debut for the Boston Red Sox. It was a journey that faced obstacles, but the 29 year-old rookie now finds himself a member of a storied baseball franchise at the top of the standings and sure to be eying another playoff run come October.

The standout Panther football, basketball, and baseball player helped hang some of the school’s earliest title and championship banners when all three teams made deep runs into the playoffs including football and basketball final four appearances. Hottovy, who attended Park Hill his freshman and sophomore years before Park Hill South opened in 1998, found it bittersweet to leave Park Hill, but was also energized to be a part of the first group of seniors at the new school.

“It was exciting, but also kind of sad because you had a lot of friends that were now expected to be your rivals. When you get the chance to be the first class at a new school, you get to set your own history and traditions. Having a brand new school was a really neat experience,” Hottovy said.

A highly decorated, all-everything multi-sport athlete, Hottovy had several options to choose from before finally deciding he wanted his future to be in baseball. What tipped the scale was not only his love for the game, but also the chance to play it everyday.

“What it boiled down to was what I had the best chance in making it. Football would have taken me to a bigger school, but I loved baseball and the game. I loved Friday night games, but didn’t like practicing all week for just one game. I would rather play every day and have multiple games in a week. I wanted to be a big league baseball player which is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid.”

Although talented since an early age, there was certainly no lack of commitment or hard work put into the game. Hottovy family vacations often revolved around out of town baseball tournaments or were scheduled in the offseason, but the pitcher who was also an all-state centerfielder in high school says that making it such a high priority led him to where he is.

“There was definitely a lot of good development in high school. I had a really good curveball at a young age. My velocity and command came along as I got older. I became more consistent in college,” Hottovy said. “In high school, it was about growing stronger and learning things. When you get to college, you’re polishing things up and in the minors you add even a little more.”

After graduating from Wichita State in 2004, the Red Sox drafted Hottovy in the fourth round. He began what was considered a fast progression through the minor leagues. By 2006 he had already made it to the AA level in Boston’s system where he won pitcher of the week awards twice that season. But it was 2007 when Hottovy’s arm started giving him trouble. Trying to work through the pain, he found himself on the disabled list several times. Rehab wasn’t working, so if his dreams of one day making it to the big leagues were to remain within reach he would have to have Tommy John surgery, an arm operation requiring nearly a year of rest and rehab. Before making the decision to move forward in 2008, there was a moment of reflection on whether baseball was something he and his family should continue pursuing.

“I was 26, about to turn 27 right after surgery. I was getting married that year. I called my (soon-to-be) wife and asked her if this was something we wanted to do because it was going to be a long road to get back. She said, ‘I think you owe it to yourself to get healthy and see what you can do. You’ve put so much time into this game to just be done.’ It would’ve been very unsatisfying to walk away. She was 100% behind me and we haven’t looked back,” Hottovy said.

With 2008 and 2009 spent rehabbing at the team’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Florida, Hottovy is said to have taken a part-time job at a pizza restaurant to fill the time he had available with his absence from baseball. The fresh start that 2010 brought was more than just jumping back into the game. His fully rehabbed arm essentially had to be retooled and the over-the-top motion Hottovy had grown up using didn’t feel comfortable the way it had before. This led Red Sox coaches to begin working with him on a side-armed motion that, as a left-hander is especially helpful against left-handed hitters, his specialty focus.

“I’ve dropped down to more of a side-arm. Being left handed allows me to be effective against left-handed hitters. I knew that in order to make it I had to get lefties out and be effective. That was my goal, to get as good as I could and make that my number one focus,” Hottovy said.

Hottovy was playing once again at the familiar AA-level to start the 2011 season, but was feeling the best he had since 2006 and confident he was back on the right track to the majors. That opportunity would come at the detriment of friend and fellow side-armed pitcher, Rich Hill, who after considerable early season success tore a ligament and will now require the same Tommy John surgery Hottovy was forced to undergo three years ago.

“It was more of a surprise, but I had a good feeling it could happen. I was feeling good and pitching really well. I was doing what I needed to do to be successful. When I saw he got hurt, it was in the back of my mind that this could be a really good opportunity,” Hottovy said.

His first appearance came in Boston against Oakland’s David DeJesus on June 3 in the top of the sixth inning with a runner in scoring position. It only took three pitches to get him to ground into an inning ending put-out. Oddly enough it was DeJesus again in a similar situation the next day that Hottovy forced into an inning ending double play. This will become a familiar scenario for Hottovy who says he will be asked to come into games late for a batter or two at a time.

“The role I’m going to be in is when they need to get an out or two against lefties with runners on to set it up for our late inning guys. My job is to bridge that gap. Most of the time I’ll just face one or two hitters, so I’ll have a lot of appearances, but not a lot of innings,” Hottovy said.

While he says it’s impossible to ignore the amplified stage the major leagues offer, the game is the same he’s been playing his whole life.

“Right away you notice you’re in a different situation. You’re in front of a bigger crowd, better hitters, everything’s bigger and better,” Hottovy said. “We try to stay focused on the scouting report, what works for you, how to approach them. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know who I was facing, but once the first pitch is thrown it all goes away. You have to stay positive and focused on what you need to do. You can’t get caught up with who you’re facing and where you’re at.”

Hottovy’s spot on the roster isn’t permanently in stone yet as he says there will likely be times where he’ll be optioned to the AAA level in order for the organization to respond to certain needs caused by injuries and to see how other prospects perform, but it’s a positive confirmation his hard work has produced dividends that are now paying off. The long road to the big leagues required perseverance for the former Park Hill South Panther, but the Parkville native who had a dream can now be seen dueling against some of baseball’s best hitters on the game’s highest stage.

Royle, Smith took PHS tennis to new heights with fifth place finish at state

Although the swinging rackets, squeaking courts, and blazing tennis balls have been silenced and the books closed on the high school tennis season for a little over a week now, Park Hill South senior Griffin Smith and sophomore Zack Royle’s fifth place finish in the Missouri Class 2 state doubles tournament will go down as the best finish in Panther history. The two all-state selections defeated Parkway Central in their opening round with a 6-3, 6-1 victory before falling to Kirkwood in three matches. The loss eliminated them from title contention, but didn’t dampen their aspirations. In fact, Smith and Royle went on a tear to win their next three matches in route to their fifth place finish.

Sophomore Zack Royle (left) and senior Griffin Smith (right)

“One of my goals was to go undefeated as long as possible and I only ended up with three losses which is pretty good,” Smith said of his singles season. “Being paired up with Zack (in doubles), we trained together at the same place so we have been working together all year. We knew we had a really good chance to do well at state and we did, it was a great season.”

“As a coach, the satisfaction I take in these accomplishments is secondary to the pride I take in seeing their personal development and the quality of their character. During the season, they have had to serve as role models to the team and cope with the weight of extremely high expectations. They did so with a maturity well beyond their years,” Coach Ian Cunliff said.

A clear picture can be developed of the pair that went undefeated in doubles this season and has been a major part of the establishment of Park Hill South tennis as one of the more formidable programs in the metro over recent years; one of both power and precision.

“He’s a lot better at the net than I am. We’re strongest when I’m serving and he’s at the net, that’s where we try to start matches,” Royle said of the pairing. “He’s left handed so he can get different spins than I can. There aren’t that many righty-lefty combos out there. He’s probably the best lefty in the state.”

“I have more of a placement game where I can put the ball somewhere and Zack is more of a power player. So it really works well together,” Smith said when comparing their styles.

While Smith was a state qualifier in doubles last year, Royle was a freshman on the varsity stage for the first time. Both Smith and Cunliff said Royle’s development between then and now played a huge role in the pair’s success.

“Over the past year, Zack really matured and that was a big thing. Last year as a freshman, he didn’t have as much power and wasn’t as consistent as he is now,” Smith said.

“…he underwent a personal metamorphosis,” Cunliff said. “As a freshman, Zack was frequently visibly overwhelmed by the pressure of an individual sport. This year, he exuded a persona of positive energy that overwhelmed his opponents.”

Having the calming influence of Smith play the role of experienced veteran was also a positive factor in the pair’s success. While the duo came into their own this season, they’ve had a friendship in place since they were first introduced to the sport.

“Griffin and I met when I was about eight or nine years old. We played together at Old Pike (Country Club),” Royle said.

With the conclusion of their season, both will assume different roles moving forward. Smith, with his diploma in hand, will be attending Truman State University next year where he’ll be continuing his tennis career joining friend and local Park Hill graduate Mike Merchant along with Liberty's Jake Olhhausen on the courts in Kirksville. He’s proud of his accomplishments at Park Hill South while also being excited for the future of his former partner.

“I got to do it with a lot of my friends and I’m real happy about it. I’m sure Zack can get it (all-state) again, but it was pretty awesome to a part of and solidifies ourselves in Park Hill South athletic history,” Smith said.

“Though it is cliché, I learned more about the importance of determination and tenacity over natural ability than he ever learned about tennis from me,” Cunliff said of his departing senior. “The future holds wonderful things for Griffin. I know that he will have success at whatever he chooses to do.”

As for Royle, he’ll assume the role of upperclassman when he comes back for his junior season. His summer will include a busy schedule of weekend tournaments and simultaneously preparing for Panther football in the fall on the weekdays when he’ll attend early morning football workouts followed by hours of tennis trying to play against as many styles and opponents as possible. With two more years to look forward to, Royle sees an opportunity to add more to the Panther trophy case.

“I’d like to qualify for state and make all-state again. I’d love to win a state championship. Coach Ian (Cunliff) thinks Justin (Geary) and I have a great chance at doing some damage in doubles next year,” Royle said.

Trojans, Panthers see mixed results at state track

Park Hill Boys Track & Field
Nick Smith provided the most consistent results for the Park Hill Trojans track team at the state meet last weekend, just as he had all season. His seventh place finish in the shot put and twelfth place finish in the discus were the highest finishes for Park Hill at the state's highest level. The 4x800 team of Nathan Koehler, Riley Farenholz, Cain Winebrenner, Joseph Walton finished 15th with their time of 8:11. Dondrell Hardiman was unable to advance to the finals of the 300 hurdles as well as the 4x200 relay team.

Park Hill South Boys Track & Field
James Bowlin finished sixth in 800 meter dash capping off a successful senior year and accounting as the Panthers top finisher and only athlete to compete in a final race.

Stories behind the stories make it all worthwhile

The month of May brings a conclusion to another school year, another year of sports, and a final round of senior nights for well-wishers to show their appreciation for graduating seniors. Graduates will receive words of wisdom from all kinds of different sources about the future that lay ahead. But with so many different and unique take-a-ways available for the graduates to reflect on, it’s easy to overlook what those of us around them might have gained at the same time. In my case, it’s not one of a proud parent, family member, or friend, but that of casual spectator, much like those that attend the local sporting events we bring you coverage of each week.

Sometimes it comes as a surprise to people that a business school graduate and real estate manager by day can be caught moonlighting as a sports reporter and columnist for the local newspaper in the evenings and on weekends. I even find myself having trouble sometimes explaining how it came to be, but the blessing in disguise that presented itself as an opportunity to expand The Citizen’s community and sports coverage two years ago has been something truly rewarding.

One thing I’ve learned is there’s never enough time in the day or ink available to print that would allow for every story worth mentioning to be covered. Part of that can simply be attributed to the difficulty in describing things which can only truly be appreciated when witnessing them in person. It can apply to stories on local government, business, charity and social events, and yes, even high school sports. There are some extraordinary stories out there to be told whether it be the career-high game that came on the heels of a personal off-the-field setback or the coaches behind the athletes who promote them first and foremost despite the interesting personal journey they’ve traveled themselves. In fact, covering the preps scene has allowed me to witness first-hand more than the touchdown runs, buzzer-beaters, and game winning scores, but some of the intangible things that contribute to the quality of the schools in our community and make up a small representation of Platte County as a whole; one being the development of young people through athletics.

While keeping up on your favorite college or professional team usually doesn’t take anymore than a regular browse through the newspaper, glance at the television, or turn of the radio dial on your drive to work, grasping some of the better story lines in high school sports takes a little more. Not because of the game itself, but because of the human side to the games and athletes that stats don’t do justice to in most cases compared to other levels of competition. The constant media coverage, fancy highlight reels, and publicity stunts may be missing, but the potential of the athletes and the pureness in the way they play makes up for it. Whether it’s a junior second-stringer progressing into a senior captain or a player failing to grab a rebound before coming down the floor the next time determined to block an opposing player out, it’s about kids growing up, being coached towards improvement, and reaching to achieve their goals no matter what it may be.

They’re learning all the lessons that we’ve heard time and time again in memorable quotes and sports analogies. The difference is kids take them to heart and allow themselves to be inspired. Even though many of the same famous sayings still apply as we get older, it seems we’re less likely to use them as motivation. Perhaps that’s why some take an interest in preps sports. While we watch the young live out those inspirations, it can also serve as a reminder in our own driven lives to continue reaching for our own milestones. They might not be the same goals and likely pale in comparison to what seems are the increasingly complex lives we now live, but the same optimism and energy most evident in high school athletics can always be a welcomed and positive addition whatever age you are.

Spring Weekly Roundup: May 17-21

Park Hill and Park Hill South Golf
Park Hill South's Matthew Barry finished with a 171 in two rounds at the Missouri Class 2 State Golf Tournament last week. A second round 90 set him back several places after his first round of 81 put him in the middle of the pack coming into the second day. Park Hill's Travey Perry got off to a slow start as he started off the tournament with a 97, but concluded the tournament with a solid 85 to finish with a two round total of 182, good enough for 95th. Nicholas Schleisman was not far behind with his 190.

Park Hill South Girls Soccer
...it was the matchup they had been waiting for all season. Not making it to Tuesday night's sectional matchup with Liberty wasn't an option and last week the Panthers took care of business in the last step towards reaching this week's head to head dual between the Northland's two most powerful soccer programs. Their throttling of William Chrisman in the district semifinal by a score of 11-1 led to a title game meeting with Truman. In Panther-line fashion, South took home the district title with a convincing 5-0 victory after three consecutive trips to the title game and coming up short.

With a 3-1 loss to Liberty in their sectional round matchup Tuesday night, the Park Hill South Panthers ended one of their highest performing seasons in school history. Down 2-1 mid-way through the second half, South came close to tying it up when a handful of near-range Panther shots on goal were knocked away or secured by the Liberty goalie. Moments later, one of the state’s most dynamic players, Shea Groom, took the ball the other way and eventually sent a perfectly placed kick past the finger tips of South goalie Alexis Mikulich for what would be a momentum changing goal in the game. The Panthers never recovered from the two goal deficit. South ended the year with a 22-4-1 record. Despite a recording setting season, the Panthers only graduate three seniors and return a majority of an athletic and talented roster to what will surely be another competitor next year.

Park Hill and Park Hill South Boys Tennis
After two stellar seasons, it seemed at times that the Park Hill and Park Hill South boys tennis teams were on parallel paths leading to their sectional round matchup last weekend at Minor Park in south Kansas City. Racking up dual victory after dual victory both schools stormed through the regular season with one of the only Park Hill South losses coming at the hands of their counterparts to the north, Park Hill. Last Saturday, after winning the district title the previous week, the Panthers were able to vindicate their early season loss with a 5-3 victory which propelled them to a quarterfinal appearance against Rockhurst. Falling behind early, Griffin Smith came back to defeat Park Hill's Michael Jones 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to propel the Panthers towards the next round. Despite quickly falling 5-0 to end their final four dreams against Rockhurst, South's goal of raising the profile of its program to match and, in this year's case, exceed the one previously established by Park Hill was achieved.

Although both teams' collective seasons are over, both Park Hill and Park Hill South's top doubles pairs qualified for the state tournament to played this weekend. South's Griffin Smith and Zack Royle defeated St. Joe Central's pair of Kyle Shade and Patrick Cargill by a 6-1, 6-0 score. Also advancing to the state tournament is Park Hill's doubles pair of Austin Caldwell and Blake Barnard who with a score of 6-3, 6-2 defeated North Kansas City's Alija Omerovic and Gregory Tluscik.

Park Hill Boys Track
In what is surely becoming old for the Park Hill boys track team, they once again finished a solid second as a team last weekend in the state sectional track meet at Staley High School with their 58 team points. The Trojans advanced five events to the state track meet this weekend. Dondrell Hardiman continued his move up the ranks with his third place finish in the 300 hurdles. The 4x200 and 4x800 relay teams will compete next weekend with their third and fourth place respective placements. Nick Smith will also be making the trip to Jefferson City his fourth place finishes in the discus and shot put. Their total number of event qualifiers could have been nearly double that amount if some fifth place finishes had found themselves finishing just one place higher, therefore crossing into the top four qualifying threshold. The 4x100 relay team, Quenton Noble in the 200 meter dash, and Devon Belew in the 400 meter dash all came one place short of extending their season. Also coming up short of a state appearance in the long jump and triple jump was Trace Norfleet, one time long jump state champion, who had been looking to return to top form all season after being sidelined due to injury his junior season.

Park Hill South Boys Track
Park Hill South wasn't able to qualify as many athletes as they would have liked, but the one athlete they do have going will be coming into the state meet with some strong performances behind him. Senior James Bowlin took first in the 800 meter run once in the sectional meet just as he did in the district and much of this season. Bowlin is a previous state qualifier and is hoping to come back strong this weekend after a below-average preformance in last year's preliminary trials. The Panthers finished with 17 points as a team coming in 15th place. The 4x400 relay team came up short of qualififying for state with a sixth place finish along with Christian Hildebrandt in the triple jump with his seventh place finish.

Park Hill and Park Hill South Girls Track
With Park Hill and Park Hill South's 15th and 13th place finishes at sectionals, there weren't many events where the Trojans and Panthers finished towards the top half of their events. Park Hill was just short of qualifying two events for the state meet with the fifth place finish of Stephanie Atkinson in the pole vault and the 4x800 relay team of Brooke Bischof, Maddie Bischof, Katie Ebbrecht, and Joanna Grauberger. The Panthers were able to squeeze one athlete into the state meet this weekend when sophomore Audrey Rothers's 5'1" jump in the high jump qualified her a trip to Jefferson City to compete as the Panthers' sole girls representative.

Top-four finishes add up for Park Hill South track teams

Track and field is not a sport known for its contact, but the Park Hill South girls could be described as scrappers nonetheless. Their second consecutive conference title two weeks ago and fourth place finish in districts this past weekend were evidence of this by showing how a full-out effort in every event can provide results for the collective team.

“Basically, it was because we had a lot of great kids who did their best and got a lot of second, third, and fourth place finishes which adds up in terms of team points. I think we only won first place in about four events,” Coach Andy Keefer said of his team’s conference performance.

And so it was much the same this past weekend at the district track meet at Park Hill District Stadium where the Panthers weren’t able to grab the top spot in any event, but grabbed enough top four place finishes to qualify a handful of athletes in events to advance to the sectional meet next weekend at Staley. The top finisher, Audrey Rothers in the 100 meter hurdles, finished second. Rothers, who also placed third in the high jump, finished one place above Jen Carlson’s fourth place finish. The 4x800 relay team of Lizzy Jurries, Samantha Roy, Logan Tucker-Nelson, and Jessica McCoy finished third along with Blake Reser’s third place finish in the triple jump. Freshman Samantha Roy who has already set the school record in the 800 meter dash and the 4x100 relay team of Hannah Brown, Allyse Edwards, Jillian McDaniels, and Reser finished in fourth place to wrap up the last of the Panthers’ sectional qualifiers.

While coming into the district meet Park Hill South was projected to finished seventh or eighth, their fourth place finish was a pleasant surprise for Keefer, but also coincides with what they expect their goal to be when they start the season each year.

“A little better than expected, but that’s what you hope for this time of year,” Keefer said.

There were also a few event finishes barely falling on the wrong side of sectional qualifying as Logan Tucker-Nelson in the 400 meter dash, Tori Kerr in the discus, Kelsey Sadler in the pole vault, Reser in the long jump, and Gonner in the triple jump all finishes just short with fifth place finishes. Going into sectionals, Keefer expects many of his athletes to be on the brink of qualifying for the next round, state, once again.

“We’re hoping it will be a great weekend, most of them will be seeded fifth, sixth, or seventh, and we’ll just have to see what happens,” Keefer said.

On the boys’ side of the track, James Bowlin has been burning up the tread this season and did so again last weekend with his first place finish in the 800 meter dash. While he was a sectional and state qualifier last year, Bowlin’s coach feels he’s ready to break loose and vindicate a poor showing in last year’s state preliminary race.

“He’s ready to bust one here pretty soon,” Coach Clay Lenhert said. “He’s got a chance in the 800. He’s been there before and has been running at the 1:57-1:58 mark, but is ready to bring it down to 1:55 or so.”

While as a team, the boys placed fifth with 59 points, they see a wide disparity between some very talented and experienced seniors who have qualified in the past and some very promising sophomores.

“Track is so different for so many kids. You know when you return some sectional qualifiers, they’re some pretty good guys. They’re going to progress differently than others,” Lenhert said. “We’ve got a lot of sophomores that have progressed like crazy, but don’t quite have the mental side those previous sectional qualifiers have and they’re not quite ready yet.”

Another previous sectional participant, Christian Hildebrandt, qualified again with his second place finish in the triple jump along with the 4x400 team he’s a participant in with Bowlin, Lucas Gardner, and Dedric Johnson while the 4x200 team of Andrew Davis, Gardner, Josh Gordon, and Hildebrandt placed third. Sam Eickhoff also qualified in the shot put by placing third. The 4x800 relay team and Dillon Ryel in the pole vault just missed the sectional threshold with their fifth place finishes.

Despite uphill climb, Trojans win third consecutive district title

Losing several of their top players to graduation from a quarterfinal round appearance in the Missouri state tennis playoffs last year, the Park Hill boys tennis team knew that in order to return again this year it was going to be a lot more difficult and require even more work. Led off by Michael Jones’s win (6-3, 6-0) in the top singles matchup last week, the Trojans made quick work of St. Joe Central in the Class 2, District 16 tournament title matchup with their 5-0 victory. The Trojans not only won their third district title in as many years, but also gave themselves another shot at advancing to another quarterfinals appearance this weekend as they square off against Park Hill South in the stat sectionals to be held at Minor Park in south Kansas City. The winner faces off against the Blue Springs South/Rockhurst.

“If you would have asked me at the beginning if we would have been in contention for the district title, I would have said it was going to be tough,” Coach Tim Kalis said. “But I’m extremely pleased with the way the guys have progressed throughout the season. It’s been a climb as we hit some lulls along the way, but they talked about it at the beginning of the season and marked it on their calendars as their goal.”

Compared to having a host of heavy hitters at the top of their lineup as they have in years past, the Trojans focused on depth and the intangibles heavier this season along with some good old fashioned athletic training.

“The biggest thing we’ve done differently than years past is we’ve focused more so on conditioning and more running. Knowing we don’t necessarily have the biggest hitters has led us to focus on grinding teams down more,” Kalis said.

While all of the Trojans’ varsity will be playing in the team portion of the sectional round, the newly formed doubles par of Austin Caldwell and Blake Barnard also qualified for the sectional round as individuals with their 6-3, 6-2 victory over Liberty’s doubles pair. Caldwell, a senior, and Barnard, a freshman, were only recently paired together, but have quickly become familiar with each other’s tendencies.

“We just started playing together a couple weeks ago and that was really just in practice, but we’ve gotten to know each other’s playing styles real quick,” Caldwell said.

“The down the line shot with my forehand is my favorite,” Barnard said of his strength.

“The dippers, dipping in the low ones, but we’re both really good at the net,” Caldwell added.

Although having just recently been put together as a pair, Caldwell’s experience as a key member on former successful Trojan teams brings a familiarity with big matches has made for a good combo when mixed with the young Barnard’s talent.

“Those two specifically asked to play with each other and try it out. Austin has kind of been a staple on our teams of the past so that has really helped with his experience. Blake has a little more firepower in terms of the ground strokes in his game, so they’ve complimented each other very well,” Kalis said.

When asked what will make the difference for the two going into this week’s matchup against Alija Omerovic and Greg Tluscik of North Kansas City, Caldwell's response was almost a directive to Barnhard.

“You have to treat it like any other match, there’s more pressure, but you can’t be nervous about it,” he said. “Getting to the net is huge which we’ve both been doing a really good job at; that’s how you win it.”

Spring Weekly Roundup: May 9-16

Park Hill Boys Track

...had another quality performance last weekend at the district track meet, but the outcome was the same for the third week in a row as they placed second overall with 126 team points. Liberty, with their 144 team points, bested the Trojans like they did two weeks ago in the Park Hill Invitational. Nonetheless, Park Hill qualified an impressive 15 out of 18 events for the sectional meet this weekend at Staley. Leading them with first place finishes were Trace Norfleet in the long jump, Nick Smith in the discus and shot put, the 4x200 relay team of Burt Taylor, John Saucedo, Anthony Arens, and Quenton Noble. Also taking first was Cain Winebrenner whose burst from what was then third place towards the front of the pack on the fourth lap of the 1600 gave him a first place finish. Luke Bossert's pole vault and the 4x800 relay team of Nathan Koehler, Joseph Walton, Winebrenner, and Riley Farenholtz took away second place finishes. A host of third place finishes came from Quenton Noble in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, Devon Belew in the 400 meter dash, Dondrell Hardiman in the 300 hurdles, and the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. Norfleet's triple jump and Walton's 800 meter dash performances were good enough for fourth place. Burt Taylor's fifth place finish in the 100 meter dash was less than a tenth of a second away from advancing to sectionals.

Park Hill Girls Track
...advanced several athletes to the sectional track meet next week in their district performance this past weekend at Park Hill District Stadium. Stephanie Atkinson continues what has been a consistently high performing season with her second place finish in the pole vaulet. The 4x800 relay team of Brooke Bischof, Maddie Bischof, Katie Ebbrecht, and Joanna Grauberger placed second while the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams of Daisha Battles, Marche Belcher, Onjhana Davis, and Nikki Moss placed third and fourth respectively. Marche Belcher finished third in the 300 hurdles along with Dominique Broadus's fourth place finish in the shot put. Park Hill finished eighth in the 12 team field with 51 team points.

Park Hill South Boys Tennis
Griffin Smith and Zack Royle placed first in the Class 2, District 15 doubles tournament and competed in the individual round of sectionals earlier this week at North Kansas City. The Panthers will compete against Park Hill in the team portion of the tournament over the weekend.

Park Hill Soccer Girls Soccer

Park Hill fell in their first round district game against Oak Park to bring a close to their season. They close their year with a 13-11 season and a second place finish in the conference to Lee's Summit West. Although the Trojans had a significant senior presence on the squad, only three saw significant playing time. Coach Manny Catano has a young, but talented team returning next year with more experience to take what had previously been a sub .500 team to the next step.

Park Hill Baseball

An exciting 3-2 victory over Liberty North in the first round of the Class 4, District 16 tournament over the weekend led Park Hill to a matchup with top seeded Liberty on Monday. Looking to defend their district title, the Trojans faced a steep task in defeating a talented and home field advantaged Blue Jays. Park Hill was given hope in their quest to pull the upset in the top of the first when their first two batters were walked before Logan Sloniker drove home Dalton Moats to give them a 1-0 lead. Their lead was short-lived though, as the good fortune Sloniker found with the bat was not equally returned on the pitching mound with Liberty racking up seven runs in the bottom of the first on the heels of Dylan Stevens's double which drove in three runs. Zach Thompson batted in two runs for the Trojans in the top of the second before adding another to narrow the margin to a 7-4 lead for the Blue Jays. That was as close as Park Hill would get though, because a pair of triples in the bottom of the fourth were the beginning of a four run inning for Liberty. They pulled even further away before closing the game with a final score of 13-4. Park Hill ends the season with a 13-13 record.

All the tools: Park Hill South pitcher Adam Schemenauer is a 6'7" lefty with a bright future

Park Hill South senior left-handed pitcher Adam Schemenauer towers over most of the batters he faces in any given game. At 6’7” tall, his height was a key component of the Panthers’ basketball program and their deep runs into the state playoffs in recent years, but it’s on the pitching mound where he feels most comfortable and has done more than enough to prove to opposing hitters and, more importantly, college and professional scouts, that it’s where he was meant to be. With a scholarship and roster spot reserved for him at the University of Louisville in the fall, the end of Park Hill South’s season will only be the beginning of what will be a summer full of baseball and new experiences as part of a promising future.

“He’s one of the biggest competitors we’ve got and wants to win more than anyone else. He says and does all the right things,” Coach Josh Walker said. “His focus is on Park Hill South Baseball and when that’s done his focus will be on Louisville unless he gets drafted.”

Yes, another potential path for Schemenauer is the Major League Baseball draft which is scheduled in early June. The unique part of baseball’s draft compared to other professional sports is that players can be selected and then decide whether they would like to sign a contract with a professional team or go to school and play college ball instead. It’s a choice many talented high school players are faced with right out of graduation each summer.

“He’s had a lot of interest. I think he’ll get picked. It might be later on, but that’s ok with him because he has a great place to go in Louisville,” Walker said. “He’s in a win-win situation.”

Even without the draft, which Schemenauer says he’s not worried about right now, after receiving his diploma this weekend and playing out the remainder of the high school season, he’ll will jump right into competitive play with a team from Lawrence, Kansas in June before moving to Louisville to take a couple summer courses in July and workout with the school’s strength coach before starting classes and playing ball in the fall.

Although he enjoys his role as a starting pitcher because he has the chance to be in the entire game, he’s not sure where his role will be in the long-term.

“I’ve closed before and it’s harder than it looks, but I’m going to leave that up to the college coaches,” Schemenauer said. “I’m sure they’ll test me everywhere just to see what works best.”

With much on the horizon, Schemenauer still has his focus on the current Panthers’ season, which has seen them crawl back from well below .500 to a 12-11 record, clinching their first conference title since 1999 last week on the heels of a six game winning streak capped off with a 11-3 thumping of Winnetonka, who they were formerly tied with atop the conference leader board. Working his way back from an early season shoulder injury, Schemenauer says he’s seen not only himself improve as the season has gone on, but also sees his team as dangerous entering the district tournament this weekend.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, we’re rolling at the right time and you want to be playing your best at the end of the year,” Schemenauer said. “The way we’re playing right now I think our team can be a dangerous team to play even though our record might not show it.”

Walker says South has been aided not only by Schemenauer’s strong performances, but by those of Bryce Turner and John Christopher who have also been throwing the ball well and has been backed up by good defense. The key for the Panthers moving forward is offensive production which has come and gone throughout the season.

“We’re doing whatever it takes to win. If I don’t see anything the first time or two through the lineup, we’re going to have to force some situations and run a little more. It’s a chance we have to take because we have to get runs. Hitting wise a bunch of different people are stepping up. It’s a different guy each day,” Walker said.

As for the Panthers’ district tournament outlook, Walker says the field is a toss-up and you could ‘throw all the teams in a hat’ to pick a winner. The clear top seed is Truman which has already secured the tournament’s only bye.