By Jason Lawrence
Special to the Citizen
A Simone Award winner and a national record holder led Park Hill a season ago, along with a handful of future college players.
In 2018, a highly touted defense will lead the way as the Trojans try to build on a Class 6 state semifinal berth.
Ronnie Bell, the winner of the 35th annual Thomas A. Simone Award as the top prep player in the Kansas City metro, is now a Michigan Wolverine after initially signing with Missouri State to play basketball. Billy Maples, a three-year starter at quarterback and first team all-state pick who holds six school records and the national record for touchdown passes in a half with 8, is now at the University of Kansas.
However, coach Josh Hood’s defense “can be scary” good this season, according the senior defensive end Ethan Smith, who along with junior Johnny Wilson headlines the defensive returners that will be tasked with building on a season that saw the Trojans go 10-3, including a 5-1 mark and Suburban Conference Gold Division crown, before losing to state runner-up Blue Springs in the semifinals.
The run to the state semifinals in only their second year in Class 6 also included the school’s first ever win over Rockhurst in the state quarterfinals.
Smith and Wilson, who both hold multiple Division I scholarship offers from programs such as Missouri, Iowa State, Army, Air Force and Kent State, among others, have big shoes to fill in replacing the production of cornerback Devin Haney (a second team all-state pick now at Northern Illinois), all-state linebacker Brighton Ramirez (a Buck Buchanan Award finalist now at Iowa Western Community College) and defensive back Jarrett Ross (Benedictine) and aiding an offense that will be breaking in several new starters.
Citizen file photo
Park Hill defensive end Johnny Wilson chases Lee’s Summit West’s quarterback Ben Kobel in a game last year.
The Trojans will be buoyed, however, by returning senior starters at each level, including linebackers Haden Wallace and Seth Garrison as well as defensive backs Kolby Heinerikson and DaShaun Powell, both three-year starters in the secondary. Joining Smith and Wilson on the defensive line will be junior James Gore Jr., who is also garnering Division I interest. Fellow juniors Jameel Burns, Mikey Miles and Javion Gathrite are among those stepping into larger roles this season for Hood and defensive assistants Nick Richardson, Joe Gonier, Malkaam Muhammad, Dave Rozak, Tyus Jackson, Rob Self and Josh Gilliland.
“The focal point of our coaching staff in the offseason is to develop a program that competes at the highest level each year,” Hood said. “Our goal for the summer has been to develop cohesion with our offensive group while revamping our defensive play book.”
Offensively, three-year starters Cory Reiter on the offensive line, wide receivers Joe Webb and Payton Stanfield return from an offense that averaged better than 34 points per game and will also be expected to fill the shoes of Dorian Clayton, the team’s leading rusher the past two seasons and a second team all-state selection, and wide receiver DJ Johnson, who signed with Southern Illinois.
For Hood’s offensive staff, which consists of Josh Buford, former KU director of high school relations Gene Wier, Jason Agee, Justin Poncy, Tom Garth, Bill Pekarek, Eric Botts and Zach Dorrell, will see senior quarterback Ryan Graves takes the reins from Maple, though sophomore Anthony Hall is also expected to contribute at the position. Sophomore wide receiver Jaylin Noel and linemen Jairen Montgomery, a junior, and sophomore Ryan Winfrey are also expected to be contributors this fall.
“Everyone on this offense, I believe can make huge plays just like the people last year,” Reiter, the team’s lone returner along the offensive line told The Citizen in early August. “… I think we can be really good, especially with the d-line we’re going against all year; I think we’ll be great.”
Along with competing in the same conference as the state runners up, Park Hill will have to face off against many of the traditional state powers, including road contest against Lee’s Summit West to kick off the season at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24.
“We look forward to the competition of the season,” Hood said. “Our schedule is the best in the state and we pride ourselves on the ability to prepare like a state championship game each week.
“This conference is, without question, the best in the Midwest region. We are so fortunate to be in with the best teams in the state where we have the ability to test ourselves week in and week out. Top to bottom, any and every team has a chance to compete for a state championship. The Suburban Big 6 is so loaded this year that any team may be improved from a year ago and still finish in the bottom of the conference. Each week is an uphill battle that makes our team better in the end.”
That ability to test themselves every Friday night should help them on their quest to the ultimate goal.
“Definitely for us seniors, we definitely want to get there and win state,” Smith said. “Everyone wants to go back and win state, obviously. It’s definitely a huge goal for us.”