A strong start to the second half helped lift the Staley football team (6-2) over Park Hill (2-6) 48-33 on Oct. 14.
In the first matchup between the Northland squads since 2019, the Falcons entered the day with two straight head-to-head wins as the Trojans haven’t beaten Staley since Nov. 6, 2015. With both teams being in the Class 6 District 4 Tournament, this game was pivotal for district seedings.
Park Hill has struggled against the other top teams in the district – Liberty North (8-0) and Liberty (4-4) – but it played well early against Staley, who currently sits as the No. 2 seed in the district. Kendrick Bell led the Trojans down the field for the first score of the game with 7:43 left in the first quarter when he connected with Dayton Howard for a 7-yard score.
After Staley tied the game with a 39-yard passing touchdown, Bell found Max Filion who took it 72 yards to the house with 8:11 left in the half. Staley ran in for a 4-yard score on the following possession, but failed on the 2-point conversion, and Park Hill led 14-13.
With less than two minutes left in the half, Bell scored his third touchdown of the game to extend the lead when Gavin Schaag brought in a 5-yard touchdown reception. The Trojans’ 2-point conversion attempt to push it to two possessions was no good and Staley tied the game at 20 with 1:26 left on a 70-yard pass and kick.
The contest was tied at halftime and Staley took its first lead of the night on a 22-yard pass less than three minutes into the third quarter. The Falcons pushed the margin to 34-20 with 6:58 on the clock in the third quarter on a 5-yard run.
The Trojans answered with a 39-yard pass from Bell to Filion, but the Falcons beat the third quarter buzzer with another rushing touchdown. Outscoring Park Hill 21-7 in the third quarter, Staley headed into the fourth quarter with a 41-27 advantage.
The Trojans cut at the deficit and made it a one possession game with less than six minutes left. Bell completed a pass to Bryce Lisaka for a 7-yard touchdown, but Scotty Robertson’s kick was blocked, and the Falcons led 41-33.
Park Hill senior Dayton Howard had four receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown in the Trojans 48-33 home loss to Staley on Oct. 14.
Staley responded with a big scoring drive and added to the scoreboard with a 1-yard rush with 3:42 to play, going up 48-33 and Park Hill was unable to pull off the comeback. Bell tossed five touchdowns and one interception, while completing 72.9 percent of his passes for 363 yards, along with 169 rushing yards on 25 carries.
Filion ended the night with 12 catches for 221 yards and two scores, while Lisaka had 11 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. Park Hill is now seeded seventh in district standings and will close out the regular season on the road against Lee’s Summit North (7-1) on Oct. 21.