Park Hill South volleyball wins Winnetonka Tournament

After a loss to Liberty on the road in the season’s opening week, Park Hill South’s volleyball team was hoping in the back of their mind that they’d have the opportunity for revenge this past weekend at the Winnetonka Tournament. From across the bracket, their only chance would come if they advanced to the championship match. They not only earned that chance, but they did it in convincing fashion as they dominantly advanced out of pool play and through the title bracket.

In fact, the Panthers didn’t loss a single match in the final three rounds of the tournament as they defeated Liberty North in the quarterfinals (25-9, 25-20) and Smithville in the semifinals (25-14, 25-20). They topped it all off with 25-19, 25-22 wins against Liberty to vindicate their early season loss and claim the Winnetonka Tournament’s team title, adding another chapter to the two teams history of battling for Northland volleyball supremacy. Emma Hagedorn led the Panthers with 36 kills in the tournament while Tori Kerr added an extraordinarily high amount of aces with 24.

For South, it concludes a successful week in which they added two wins against Fort Osage and Winnetonka and increased their overall record to 9-1. The Panthers will look to make it two tournament titles in a row this weekend as they travel to the Lee’s Summit North Tournament. As a fairly young team and one not considered having size as an advantage, the Panthers’ success must come from fundamentals and chemistry, more so than most teams.

“Emma (Hagedorn), our senior, matches up with these team well size-wise, she’s our tallest player. It’s a big kids game so the bigger teams have the advantage,” head coach Debbie Fay said. “Since we’re not real big overall, that means we really have to move the ball a lot and have longer volleys.”

Having a balanced team aids that need and reinforces each player’s individual importance and role.

“Ball control and a balanced offense, we count on everyone to score. Team chemistry, hustle, and doing our jobs each night,” Fay listed as her team’s strengths. “Passing is important. The team that passes well has the best chance of winning. Servicing and passing are the keys to our success.”

Following this weekend’s tournament, the Panthers will head into the heart of their conference schedule.

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.”

Fall Roundup: Sept. 5-10

Park Hill Boys Soccer
...did not have a very encouraging week as they suffered four losses. Earlier in the week they dropped two close games to Oak Park (3-2) and Liberty (2-1). All three goals for Park Hill came from Matt Russell. They then traveled to Springfield where they were dealt their final two losses over the weekend Glendal (1-0) and Kickapoo (3-2). The Trojans battled Kickapoo to a 2-2 tie which sent the game into overtime before they scored the winning goal in the second overtime. Park Hill's goals were accredited to Russell and Shane Belew. They are now 1-6 on the season and will host Ruskin on Wednesday before playing at North Kansas City Thursday night this week.

Park Hill South Girls Golf
... defeated Pembroke Hill besting their 206 team score with 185 at the Kansas City Country Club. Lindsey Gile medaled in the competition. The Panthers brought home a pair of fourth place finishes in the Richmond and St. Joe Central Tournaments. They'll play in the Platte County Invitational and Lee's Summit West Classic this week.

Park Hill Girls Tennis
... traveled to Columbia last week hoping to bring back a victory, but weren't able to as they were downed 7-2. In a conference matchup to end the week, they successfully blanked Lee's Summit West 9-0. (plays South today, have asked for individual scores from last week as well.)

Park Hill South Girls Tennis
... beat St. Joe Central in a 6-3 victory last week. The Panthers top four singles players all brought home victories including Adele Royle's 10-3 win over Logan Taylor and Marie Gehrke's 10-4 win against Katie Brinkley. Emily Jackson defeated Brooke Shionenan 10-4 and Katie Smith pulled out a close 11-9 win over 11-9. Royle and Gherke put South well on their way to sealing the dual victory with their 10-3 win in the doubles portion.

Park Hill Girls Volleyball
... recorded their first win of the season last week with wins in straight sets against St. Joe Central. They dropped a game later in the week against Lee's Summit West before heading into the Winnetonka Tournament. They came out of their opening games in pool play with a 1-2 record improving their record to 2-6 on the season. Although early in the year, Park Hill is fighting key injuries to Angelica Pasek and Katie Reichert for what is a relatively young team.
"It's still kind of a building year," coach Lindsey Hood said. "Right now we're fighting some injuries.We're just trying to figure out where everyone fits still.

In terms of strengths and weaknesses, the Trojan Volleyball sees the handful of seniors of the team as something they'll lean on in terms of leadership while Hood says serving is something they need to improve on to be successful. Halley Knudson and Haley Vernon led the team in digs with 23 a piece coming into last weekend's Winnetonka Tournament. Knudson also leads in aces with four. They host North Kansas City Thursday before participating in the day-long Lee's Summit North Tournament over the weekend.

Park Hill South Girls Cross Country
.... placed third in the Bishop Miege Invite behind Olathe East and Lansing. The Panthers top finisher was Audrey Rothers who finished 14th with a time of 17:45. Followed by Rothers were Kerry Maas (17th), Lauren Blair (19th), Raven Jennings (21st), Danielle Black (25th), Madeline Homoly (27th), and Erica Guzman (28th).

Park Hill South Boys Cross Country.... placed second to Olathe East in the Bishop Miege Invite, but it was freshman Tucker Melles taking home a first place finish for the Panthers. Landon Calhoun at 14th, was the next closest Panther followed by Mason Homoly (17th), Peter Thomas (20th), Keaton Murry (23rd), Chase Whorton (26th), and Alex Gross (32nd).

Park Hill Girls Cross Country
.... came in third as a team at their meet in the Ray-Pec Invite over the weekend. Kim Rau was the Trojans top finisher with her sixth place finish. Other finishes for Park Hill included Brooke Bischof at 16th, Emma Gaiser at 17th, Maddie Bischof at 23rd, Maggie Lanham at 26th, Abby Muller at 27th, and Libby Lund at 30th. They will compete next in the Wildcat Invitational in Blue Springs over the weekend.

Park Hill Boys Cross Country
... Joe Walton came in second at the Ray-Pec Invite last Saturday as did his Park Hill overall as a team behind host school Ray-Pec. Coming in behind Walton in tenth place was Kainen Utt, James Adams in 14th, Nate Thomas in 15th, and Jon Steven in 18th place. They will compete next in the Wildcat Invitational in Blue Springs over the weekend.

Park Hill South Soccer
... started off last week with a 3-0 victory over William Chrisman, their second shutout in a row at the time. A trip to Springfield left them with a sour taste in their mouth over the weekend as they were defeated by Springfield Kickapoo 3-2 and then by Springfield Glendale 3-1. Tyler Easton and Chris Blevins scored for the Panthers against Kickapoo while Kintner added the lone goal against Glendale. The Panthers are now 2-3-1 on the season with a home game against Winnetonka Thursday.

Park Hill South Softball
.... slipped to 6-6 on the year after going 1-3 last week. They started the week off with a win against Raytown 3-2 before dropping the next three games to Belton (4-0), Raytown South (4-1), and Park Hill (9-2). Coach Josh Walker doesn't think his team is where it should be at this point in the season, but believes it will come together if they're able to improve on their early season mistakes and get healthy after a string of injuries.

"The hitting hasn't held up because we're not making adjustments to the pitching," Walker said. "We've struggled, but we'll be alright."


Park Hill Softball
... rattled off three wins last week to improve to 7-3 on the season. The Trojans' bats remained active in a 16-6 win against St. Joe backed by three hits each from K.K. Rettinger and Bethany Sullinger. Cierra Ellis, Keylee Burks, and Lindsey Horstmann added two more apiece including Ellis' homerun. Makenzie Porter allowed gave up one earned run in four innings. Nikki Moss and Sullinger contributed three hits in an 8-1 victory over Lee's Summit West. Porter put in five innings resulted in no earned runs. It was the usual suspects again to end the week with a 9-2 victory against Park Hill South. Adding additional support was Samantha Snodgrass's two hits, Lexi Santoro's round-tripper and a hit from Katherine Lawrence. Porter recorded the win with a complete game. The Trojans have home games Ruskin and Truman this week before playing in the Platte County Tournament over the weekend.

"Our hitting up and down the line up has been a nice surprise," head coach Stuart Sullinger said. "Our approach has been consistent and smooth as we are hitting a lot of balls up the middle. When you put pressure on the other team, good things happen."

Park Hill Girls Golf
... continues to see quality results in their early season. The Trojans placed fifth in the Blue Springs South Tournament at Lakewood Oaks. Adrianna Elliott placed second overall with her 89. Anna Kloeppel tied for fifth with a 92. They placed second in St. Joe Central Tournament towards the end of last week. Kloeppel and Elliott both medaled with their scores of 86. Park Hill as a team shot a collective 377. They play against Winnetonka and Fort Osage on Thursday.

Park Hill South ends drought against rival

After a seven year drought, the Park Hill South Panthers are back on top of the Park Hill Trojans in their annual King of the Hill matchup after Friday’s 13-7 victory. While the playoff-like atmosphere kept the energy at a premium within Park Hill District Stadium throughout the night, both fan bases were treated to an exciting finale. But it was South’s offensive control and defensive dominance which led to two second half touchdowns and the victory.

Park Hill South received the opening kick and easily drove into Trojan territory, but what would have been a touchdown run for Myles Hammonds resulted in a turnover when he fumbled at the one yard line and Park Hill’s Gage Wright recovered the ball in the end zone. Both teams traded drives throughout the first quarter as South’s Hammonds and Park Hill’s Eddie McDonald carried to load for both run-emphasized teams. The first half’s only score came midway through the second quarter when a Park Hill drive was sparked by a 21 yard completion to fullback Chris Heustis. Three plays later it was quarterback Tyler White throwing to receiver Anthony Arens for a 21-yard touchdown pass to put the Trojans on the board up 7-0.

With hard hitting, smash mouth defense being highlighted by both teams, it remained that score until late in the third quarter when the Panthers capped off a 5:11 drive with a Craig Scott touchdown when Hammonds received a handoff but fumbled short of the goal line. This time, it wasn’t a Park Hill defender that recovered the ball, but teammate Craig Scott to secure the South score and tie the game at 7-7.

The theme of the night for Park Hill South was established in the games’ defining drive as they took possession with 11:03 in the fourth quarter. A steady dose of Hammonds on the ground was mixed in with a huge 31-yard reception by Scott putting the Panthers well into Trojan territory. With nearly the entire Panthers crowd on their feet, Eddie Sola capped off a drive that took over eight minutes of time off the clock when he drove in for a one-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown and the lead. The point-after attempt failed, putting South up 13-7.

“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,” Park Hill South head coach Mark Simcox said of the amount of carries his star running back.

On the ensuing drive, Park Hill, with a chance to tie, and possibly win, the game with a touchdown drove nearly 50 yards in under a minute fueled by a Park Hill South unsportsmanlike penalty. Unable to build a steady running game throughout the game, the Trojans were forced to go to the air in their final drive.

“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.

Facing fourth and thirteen from the South 28, Trojan quarterback Tyler White looked to receiver Ariyan Trawick on a route to the sideline who pulled in the pass, but fell short of the first down marker resulting in a turnover on downs. White completed 11 of 18 passes on the night for 134 yards and the Trojans’ sole touchdown.

“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.”

South now only needing to run the clock out with 1:56 left in the game sealed the deal in a huge way as Sola takes a quarterback keeper 78 yards for a first down near the Trojans goal line. Opting out of tacking on an additional score at the goal line, South chose instead to run the clock out as the Panthers win their first King of the Hill matchup since 2004. Swarmed by students on the field, Simcox talked about the significance of his team’s win.

“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.”

Park Hill is left with the somewhat unfamiliar feeling of losing to their cross-district rival, but the early season loss hopes to prove as a teaching moment as both the Trojans and Panthers, now 2-1, realize they may meet again in November, this time in a Class 5 playoff game.

“Our guys are going to learn from that, they will,” Reynolds said. “That’s what you do when you lose a game, you find out what you need to do better.”

King of the Hill 2011: Game Preview

Park Hill Trojans

vs.

Park Hill South Panthers

7 p. m.

Park Hill District Stadium

PrepsKC Magazine Cover available today at newsracks around the Metro. Click here to find one near you http://prepskc.com/magazine.php.

Colors PH: White jerseys, black pants
PHS: Black jerseys, purple pants

Media Coverage
Television: Metro Sports, Time Warner Cable, Channel 30
Radio: Sports Radio 810 WHB
Print: Platte County Citizen, PrepsKC

Series history:
Park Hill has won 10 of 11 all-time meetings
Park Hill South won in 2004
Last meeting - Park Hill 19-6 (2010)

Game time weather/temperature (forecasted):
Clear skies, 72 degrees

Match-up Breakdown

When Park Hill has the ball and runs:
Advantage - PARK HILL
This is what the Trojans do best. Starting tailback Eddie McDonald (138 yards, 17 carries, 8.1 avg, 2 TD's) will start his first varsity game this week after senior Jordan Wang is sidelined for six to ten weeks with an elbow injury. While Wang, previously a fullback, was a physical and powerful back, McDonald will have more speed to the outside. This will change Park Hill's scheme slightly to tailor to McDonald's strengths, but you can still expect a full-throttle assault up the middle. Expect fullback Chris Heustis to compliment this even more as the Trojans now-leading rusher (154 yards, 26 carries, 5.9 avg, 1 TD). Especially with an excited environment, Heustis may see early carries to generate small, but positive yards to produce an offensive rhythm.

Defensive tackle Ron Anderson will not make it easy though. The three-year starter and inspirational core leader of the Panthers will be energized to go up against an experienced Park Hill line. He won't be alone as South's defensive line and the scheme they use is a significant strength. It is quick and powerful at the same time. With Anderson cloggin up the middle along with two defensive ends, South will have up to two linebackers coming off the edge at any given time. The only descending point comes from the fact Blue Springs South was able to rip off two big runs to seal their victory against South last week.

This is not to say that Park Hill's advantage is by a wide margin. In fact, this single part of the game is what both Park Hill and Park Hill South see as the most pivotal to each. Park Hill head coach Greg Reynolds knows they must be able to run the ball, while South head coach Mark Simcox knows they must stop it. Period.

When Park Hill has the ball and passes:
Advantage - PARK HILL SOUTH
Park Hill's passing game has been used very little through the first two weeks of the season. Quarterback Tyler White is 13 for 26 with 74 yards. For the most part, this has been to keep defenses honest and spread out. If Park Hill's running game gets going strong, then the Trojans may try to use their passing game for a home run, but as part of their overall game plan it will likely include a small dose of short and lateral passes.

When Park Hill South has the ball and runs:
Advantage - DRAW
Previously a spread offense with emphasis on the pass, the Panthers have become a running team in the last two years highlighted by Myles Hammonds and his two solid performances so far this year (335 yards, 67 carries, 5 yard avg, 2 TD's). He can get yards in South's offensive scheme, while also serving as a big-play threat if he gets into the open field for the Trojans.

Hammonds is not the only runner for South though, quarterback Eddie Sola can run too as a dual-threat athlete. Although, he is used seldom with an average of seven carries, he could serve as an asset in short yardage or diversion should Hammonds get hot.

The reason why Park Hill South doesn't get the advantage, nor disadvantage, is because of Park Hill's strong defensive performance which has given very little reason to think Week 3 would be any different. Defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins will be double teamed and cut blocked all night, but if a block is missed or he overpowers the South line, he can cause problems. More so, behind him is linebacker Will Gaye who has been all over the field in this early season.

When Park Hill South has the ball and passes:
Advantage - PARK HILL SOUTH
Park Hill South wide receiver Craig Scott is a tremendous athlete (107 yards, 8 rec, 2 TD's). He's an asset to quarterback Eddie Sola (8 for 19, 108 yards passing) because Scott can go after the ball or, at the least, make sure the other team doesn't get it. Although Park Hill's speedy cornerback Gage Wright had an interception last week, the Trojans secondary has a lack of height at its disadvantage. If South is able to establish their quick short passing game, this opens up a huge threat if they choose to go up high to Scott. While South has the deep advantage, a careless pass to the sideline could lead to a Wright interception as Ruskin found out last week. I'm also interested in seeing what South does out of a double-tight end formation in terms of passing.

Special Teams:
Advantage - PARK HILL
Park Hill South had a significant breakdown last week when they allowed three touchdowns in this area. While you can be sure many of those things will be addressed in practice, the memory of those breakdowns can cause relapse in such an emotionally fueled game especially with players who might not be fully engaged in other parts of the game such as offense or defense. Park Hill has a pretty reliable punter in Zach Anderson and his 33 yard average (2 yard return avg). I do not have stats on Park Hill South's kickers.

Mental Game:
Advantage - PARK HILL
While Park Hill South is the home team, Park Hill has the luxury of practicing on the field at district stadium each day, which cancels out the potential difference playing from the visitor's side may have. Park Hill is the established program and is confident they have the Panthers' number, that can be both a friend and a foe. A win would mean more to Park Hill South though because of the lopsided record historically and their recent climb back as a program. When it means more, there's more to gain and more to lose, the players know this. Both coaches have done a good job at minimalizing the significance of the rivalry.

Thing to watch for early:
Both coaches are known for a consistent and proven approach. In a big game though (whether they admit it or not), I would not be surprised if either tries a risky or trick play in the first quarter in hopes of hitting a homerun. The benefits are obvious, but if things go poorly, it could send the momentum the other way with a big defensive play. They know if they can get up by two scores, it shifts the other team's approach away from their strength.

Panthers, Trojans set sights on 'King of the Hill' rivalry

Head coaches Greg Reynolds of Park Hill (2-0) and Mark Simcox of Park Hill South (1-1) respond almost identically when asked of the significance of this Friday’s matchup between their two teams in the annual ‘King of the Hill’ football matchup between the Park Hill School District’s two high schools. As a game with no conference or district implications on the line, both take a similar approach to the rivalry that awards gridiron bragging rights for another school year.

“We’re trying to make it just like any other game, because it really is. Our goals and expectations are beyond just winning this game,” Simcox said. “I’m not naive to its importance to the community and the kids, but we want to beat Park Hill just like we want to beat every other team we play against.”

While Park Hill has dominated the series over the last decade with an impressive 10-1 all-time record against the Panthers including a 19-6 victory last season, Park Hill South is hoping to become more established in Simcox’s second year at the helm after coming off a 2010 campaign in which they won a district title and advanced into the Missouri state playoffs. Park Hill’s 2010 resume holds the same credentials and if things work out the way both teams would like, this Friday’s matchup could also be a preview of a postseason meeting in November. The coaching staffs and programs couldn’t be more familiar with each other which bring the importance of execution even more to the forefront in what will surely be a stadium environment buzzing with enthusiasm.

“I know what they’re going to run, they know what they’re going to run, everyone in the stands knows what they’re going to run. It doesn’t make it any easier though,” Simcox said of Park Hill. “We have to be physical because they’re going to be.”

“We know they’re going to try to stop our run game. They’re going to run the ball and have a pretty good short passing game,” Reynolds said of South. “It’s going to be a dog fight up front.”

Park Hill comes into this week after a 23-0 win over Ruskin in a contest where the Trojans were able to capitalize on several mistakes and turnovers. An early first quarter safety followed on the next drive by an Eddie McDonald one yard touchdown run put Park Hill up 9-0 in the opening minutes. An second quarter Gage Wright interception gave the Trojans the ball with a short field allowing Chris Heustis room to run six yards for a touchdown. The 16-0 lead was increased in the third quarter when McDonald dashed 64 yards into the end zone for Park Hill’s final score. McDonald had 144 yards on the night while Heustis muscled out another 102 yards. Reynolds praised his defense for limting a Ruskin offense known for its big play potential to just 135 total yards and is happy with his team’s progress this early in the season.

“That’s probably what I’m most proud of is that we didn’t give up any real big plays. For us, where I thought we’d be three weeks ago, we’re in a very good place,” Reynolds said.

Starting tailback Jordan Wang suffered a dislocated elbow early in Friday night’s game which will sideline him anywhere from six to ten weeks. McDonald will move into the starting role for Park Hill, which Reynolds says will shift the team’s running strength, but not their overall offensive scheme.

Park Hill South went up against an established and tough Blue Springs South program last Friday where several special teams mistakes put the Panthers at an early disadvantage. A Panthers punt on their opening possession was returned 41 yards for a touchdown by Steven Sullivan before Panther Myles Hammond matched the score at 7-7 with a one yard touchdown run, his first of two scores on the night in addition to his 178 yards on 40 carries. The ensuing kickoff was returned by Blue Springs South’s Ben Harvel for a 92-yard touchdown before Eddie Sola was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone which resulted in a safety. The Jaguars once again took the following kickoff back for a 69-yard touchdown return putting them up 23-7 going into halftime. Sullivan added two more touchdowns in the second half increasing Blue Springs South’s lead on the way to a 37-14 loss for Park Hill South. While the score may not have indicated the positive qualities of the Panthers play, including a 271 yard offensive night, it does signify the importance of the small things.

“We did a few things well enough to put ourselves in a position to win, but it goes to show if you don’t cover the details it can kill you,” Simcox said. “When you give up 21 points on special teams and a safety, it makes it hard to win against good people.”

Friday’s matchup will be featured live on television as the Metro Sports High School Game of the Week starting at 7 p.m.

Fall Roundup: Aug. 29 - Sept. 3

Park Hill Volleyball
.... started off the season last week on a down note with two losses to Northland teams. Starting off against Liberty, the Trojans fell in two sets by scores of 25-18 and 25-17. They came out of the gate roughly later in the week when they were only able to put four points on the board against Oak Park in their opening set. Park Hill was able to come back and when the second set 25-20 before falling 25-14 in the final set. Coach Lindsey Hood says the Trojans are working through some early seaso injuries, but is keeping a positive attitude. Park Hill now 0-2 travels to Lee's Summit West this week before competing in the Winnetonka Tournament.

Park Hill Softball
... after a 3-2 performance in the Greater Kansas City Tournament two weeks ago with big wins against St. Thesa's, Kearney, and Staley, the Trojans offense continued to excel in one of their preseason points of emphasis, hitting, with a second thumping of Staley last week. This time a 13-2 victory on the heels of big doubles from Lexie Santoyo, Samantha Snodgrass, and Bethany Sullinger, who also added a home run. Park Hill fell to last year's state runner-up Truman in a close 3-2 game which saw the Trojans test Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year pitcher Paige Parker with a close 1-1 game going into the sixth inning. Park Hill is 4-3 coming into matchups against Park Hill South and Liberty this week.

Park Hill Girls Golf
...continue to see early season success with two wins last week. Anna Kloeppel and Adrianna Elliott led the way with scores of 43 against Winnetonka as their collective 190 team score edged the Griffins. It was Kloeppel once again with a 44 as Park Hill beat Staley. The Trojans will compete in the St. Joe Central Invitational next week before an anticipated match against Park Hill South Friday at the National Golf Club.

Park Hill South Girls Golf
... battled Liberty to a 204 tie last week at Liberty Hills Country Club. Liberty's Marissa Juliana led the field with a score of 39. The tie-breaker went to the Panthers though as their fifth player bested Liberty's 57-60. South competed in a four team match at the National featuring Lee's Summit West, Ray-Pec, and St. Joe Central. The Panthers came in second to Lee's Summit West's 183 team score with their 191. A packed schedule this week includes the Richmond Invitational, match at Ray-Pec and Notre Dame De Sion, the St. Joe Invitational, and concluding with a home match against Park Hill, Oak Park, and Truman.

Park Hill Boys Soccer
... knew the Olathe Tournament would be a good early season test and it proved to hold true as they coming out of the tournament and into this week with a 1-2 record. In a game closer than the eventual 2-0 score would lead to believe, Park Hill fell to eventual tournament champ Shawnee Mission Northwest in the opening round. They fell to Blue Valley North later in the week by another 2-0 score. Tim Hay got the Trojans on the scoreboard first in 2011 when he scored their first goal of the year against Oak Park on Saturday. Matt Russell added second on the way to a 2-1 victory. Park Hill plays at Liberty before traveling to Springfield over the weekend to play Kickapoo and Glendale.

Park Hill South Softball
.... added two quality conference wins last week as they racked up the runs against Fort Osage in a 14-4 victory. They followed it up with a close 4-3 victory over Raytown. They host Raytown South and Park Hill this week.

Park Hill South Girls Tennis
... pulled in three wins against high quality opponents last week. Adele Royle led the Panthers with solid and wide-margined victories in all three of her singles matches and teamed up with Marie Gehrke to wins all three of their top doubles matches as well. As a team, South defeated Lee's Summit West 6-3, Liberty 5-4, and Blue Springs 7-2.

Park Hill Girls Tennis
Park Hill girls tennis was defeated in their only match last week as they fell to St. Theresa's Academy. Coach Tim Kalis sees their difficult early schedule as a positive thing and given them the opportunity to address several areas in which they'll need to improve over the course of the season.

"The nice thing is we've really been working on being more aggressive. It's really been trial by fire so far," Kalis said. "Collectively as a team, we're playing good teams so it's given us more things to work on."

The competition won't be getting any easier as the Trojans travel to Columbia this week to play in the Rockbridge Invitational followed by a match with Lee's Summit West. They'll start next week off with what shapes up to be an interesting matchup with Park Hill South. Kalis says South will offer another early season test as a team that also has some high quality athletes.

"I think the match against Park Hill South will be awfully good," Kalis said. "Adele Royle, their number one, is a great player and competitor. Her and Suzanne (Barth), our number one, will be a good match. I think our number two's and three's line up pretty close as well."
 
Park Hill South Boys Soccer
... saw mixed results in the Olather Tournament last week as they went 1-1-1 to start off the season. A 2-0 defeat against Olathe Northwest in their opener led to a 3-2 victory over Oak Park in which the Panthers were up 3-0 before giving up two goals towards the end of regulation. They concluded the tournament with a tie that resulted after a 0-0 score followed two scoreless overtime periods before lightning postponed the game and the opportunity to decide the match with penalty kicks. They travel to Springfield this weekend for games against Kickapoo and Glendale. Coach Joe Toigo says it wasn't a bad start and is starting to see his team come around.

Park Hill South Boys Swim and Dive
.... started the season in a big way last week with a 192-122 win over Lee's Summit West. In their first meet they were already able to qualify five for state including Daniel Day in the individual medley and 500 yard freestyle, Tom Prinslow in the 500 yard free, Liam Huffman in the 100 yard backstroke, Jacob Little in the 100 yard breast stroke and Spencer Moran in diving. On top of that, their 200 medley and 400 free relays qualified. Also gaining first place finishes were Spencer On in the 50 free and Huffman in the 100 yard butterfly. South travels to Springfield to compete in the Top Dog Duals and Ozark Invitational over the weekend.

From the box: Park Hill blanks Ruskin 23-0

A snap over the head of Ruskin’s punter on their first possession resulted in a safety for Park Hill in the opening minutes of the first quarter gives the Trojans a quick 2-0 lead that would hold up the rest of the night. Park Hill added three more scores but the first safety was enough as the Trojans won 23-0.

Following the safety and ensuing kickoff, the Trojans put together an offensive drive that ended with a five yard Eddie McDonald touchdown run for Park Hill, putting them up 9-0 early in Friday night’s contest at Park Hill District Stadium. Two possessions later it was another turnover leading to a Trojan score when Ruskin quarterback Tino Martin threw an interception to Trojan cornerback Gage Wright. The ensuing drive required Park Hill to only go a short 25 yards in four plays which was capped off with a Chris Heustis six yard touchdown run.

At that point, early in the second quarter, it was easy to imagine the Trojans running away with game, but several of their later drives stalled just outside the red zone leaving the score unchanged going into halftime. Adding to Park Hill’s offensive frustrations was the loss of starting tailback Jordan Wang to a shoulder injury for what could be anywhere from six to ten weeks.

With only 43 yards of total offense, Ruskin was unable to move the ball past midfield into Trojan territory in the first half. Their closest opportunity came early in the second half when Park Hill quarterback Tyler White was intercepted by Ruskin’s Valdore Crowder gaving the Eagles possession at the Trojans’ 20-yard line. A fourth down attempt several plays later from the eight yard line resulted in a sack and loss of downs leaving Ruskin empty handed. The Eagles ended the night with 135 yards in total offense.

McDonald came alive again at the end of the third quarter when he added 64 of his 144 rushing yards, on a long dash to the end zone. This would represent Park Hill’s final score, putting them up 23-0 and sealing the week two victory. Ruskin falls to 0-2 on the season with a matchup at Sedalia Smith-Cotton next week. Park Hill improves to 2-0 and heads into their rivalry match with Park Hill South to decide the ‘King of the Hill’ next Friday.

Trojans turn to big-play ability of Ruskin following overtime victory

Coming off a thrilling 13-7 overtime victory in week one at Liberty, the Park Hill Trojans return home to host the Ruskin Eagles Friday. They’ll be looking to improve on their 1-0 start to the season with another victory before preparing for what could shape up to be one of the best matchups in the city against Park Hill South on September 9th.

Ruskin, who fell in their opener 42-28 to Truman, suffered from several turnovers throughout the game with three interceptions, three lost fumbles, a safety, and a number of penalties. Park Hill will look to rattle Ruskin quarterback Tino Martin, who was injured during last year’s 35-13 Trojan victory, in hopes of seeing the same results they were able to produce against Liberty last week where they benefited from two Blue Jays lost fumbles at critical points in the game. The Eagles will sport an offense similar to Liberty’s which will benefit Park Hill in terms of weekly defensive adjustments, but the most hostile threat to the Trojans will be Ruskin’s big play ability.

“We’re going to have to win this game up front by controlling big plays,” Reynolds said. “They’re the type of team that could only get four positive plays all night, but they may result in 28 points.”

Big plays were exactly what Park Hill and Liberty lacked last week for a majority of the game. If you would have walked into the stadium midway through the fourth quarter you wouldn't have missed very much leading up to that point as the score remained 0-0.
When the Trojans gained possession after a Liberty punt at the 8:13 mark in the fourth quarter, they began and finished what they had failed to do all night: mount a long-standing drive based off their familiar smash-mouth, physical style of football. But 11 plays and 64 yards later, it was Jordan Wang, the fullback turned tailback who powered through the Liberty defense for a 5-yard touchdown run to put Park hill up 7-0 with 2:07 left in the game.

“Long story short, we kept battling, won field position, and were finally able to break through,” Reynolds said of the score. “Basically our line was doing a good enough job of leaning forward that we could get two or three yards at a time. We are who we are. We’re going to run the ball until they stop it and then we’re run it some more.”

Based on Liberty’s offensive production and five fumbles up to that point, you couldn’t be blamed if you counted the Blue Jays out, but as many were caught heading towards the exits, Liberty’s passing game exploded in a huge way. After receiving the kickoff, Pate Tyler’s 36-yard reception to begin the drive was followed by a 38-yard reception by Max Bamburg which all of a sudden put the Blue Jays in the red zone. Two plays later, Lucas Norton hit Tyler again for a six-yard touchdown reception that tied it up at 7-7 with just 23 seconds. Following the kick-off, Park Hill elected to run the clock out and take the game to overtime.

Liberty gained possession first, but failed to gain a first down and forewent a field goal attempt. Park Hill capitalized on their second play from scrimmage in overtime when Wang took a handoff 21 yards for the game winning touchdown and a 13-7 Trojans victory. Wang finished the night with 31 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Their week one victory represents a significant and early boost to a team that will face steep competition down the road.

“It’s huge. I told everyone if we can get this one, we have a chance to really springboard. If we can get on a roll right now and get on towards the middle of our season, it’s going to be good for us,” Reynolds said. “This is a young group that needed some confidence. Beating a team named Liberty is always good.”

Focus now on Blue Springs South for Panthers after firing on all cylinders in opener

After a week one shutout victory against Belton 30-0, the Park Hill South Panthers will now begin what is sure to be a challenging string of games the next two weeks. This Friday they'll travel to Blue Springs South to take on a 1-0 Jaguars squad fresh off a shutout of their own against Raytown South 29-0. In last season's matchup Park Hill South suffered a discouraging 34-7 early season loss to the Jaguars. They'll be going up against a program that has become known as one of the best in the city, which means the Panthers won’t have much room for error if they want to continue their winning ways.

"They're a team that doesn't lose on their own, you have to beat them. I mean they line up where they're supposed to every time and rarely miss assignments," head coach Mark Simcox said. "They're going to make you earn it by putting together eight and nine play scoring drives."

The Panther defense will have their eyes set on shutting down Blue Springs South and running back Trey Ervin who rushed ten times for 126 yards and two touchdowns last Friday. Additionally, they'll look to put pressure on quarterback Connor Harris who threw for 98 yards and also posted 10 points as part of a three field goal and one extra point kicking performance.

"It doesn't look like they have three or four division one players like they've had in the past, but they do have some good skilled athletes. A talented quarterback that’s involved in everything they do," Simcox said. "We have to avoid going three and out. If we can keep our defense rested and off the field, then I think we'll do well."

Park Hill South hopes to continue firing on all cylinders after an all-around solid performance against the Belton Pirates last week. South took a modest 14-0 lead into halftime on the heels of two Craig Scott touchdown receptions. Scott finished the game with four receptions for 63 yards. The flood gates opened though at the beginning of the third quarter when Sola, known for his speed and agility turned the heat up with a touchdown run spanning nearly half the field. Sola finished with 42 yards rushing and 72 yards passing. South’s tailback, Myles Hammons, wasn’t able to quench his end zone thirst against the Pirates, but was a major part of the Panther offense as he racked up 142 yards rushing on 28 carries.

"They had seven or eight guys going each way compared to us just having one and I think they just lost steam in the second half," Simcox said.

The ensuing possession gave the Panthers defense their chance to shine as Nick Gillespie intercepted a Belton pass and returned for it for a touchdown putting South up 28-0 early in the second half. The Panthers defense tacked on a safety when a group of players took down a Pirates back in the end zone at the beginning of what would eventually be a relatively quiet fourth quarter increasing the score to 30-0 leaving South with an impressive opening week victory.