Park Hill South senior quarterback Drew Paulakovich threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers’ 29-25 loss to Liberty on Sept. 22.
KANSAS CITY – Leading 16-0 in the first half and 25-14 with right under five minutes left wasn’t enough for the Park Hill South football team (1-4) to snap a 3-game losing streak as Liberty (3-2) scored twice in 2:37 to spoil the Panthers’ homecoming on Sept. 22.
Park Hill South was in control of the score until the final minutes but had some offensive possessions that settled with field goals instead of touchdowns. Trailing 25-14 late, Liberty made some big plays in back-to-back series.
Blue Jay quarterback Christian Kuchta – who had three total touchdowns and 261 yards from scrimmage – sneaked in for a score from the goal line with 4:07 remaining. Kuchta completed a pass to Kale Mortimer for the 2-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 25-22.
Park Hill South had unfavorable field position after the kick, starting its drive at its own 10-yard line and went three-and-out. Liberty converted two first downs in its first five plays of the ensuing drive and advanced the ball near the red zone after a Park Hill South penalty.
Two plays later, Jaxon Hicks ran down the right sideline for a 24-yard touchdown as the Panthers trailed for the first time all night by a score of 29-25 with 1:34 left. Park Hill South got to midfield with 27 seconds left, but the next four passes from Drew Paulakovich were incomplete and Liberty walked away with the win.
Park Hill South had a promising start, earning a 16-0 lead in the first half. Paulakovich threw a 23-yard score to Tyre Flowers and Chance Taylor brought in a 25-yard touchdown catch, as both receptions occurred in the end zone in the first quarter.
Mason Love’s first PAT was blocked, but the senior kicker made up for it with yet another school record when he booted a 57-yarder through the uprights between the two touchdowns. Love has now hit a 50-plus yard field goal in every game the Panthers have scored in this season.
Park Hill South entered the second quarter with a 16-0 margin, which was its largest lead of the season so far. Liberty put together a big drive in the closing moments of the first half when Kuchta completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Ace Bindel with 30 seconds left.
Liberty only needed two plays to get in a goal-to-go situation in the second half, but the Park Hill South defense made a 4th down stop. Being stuck deep in their own territory, the Panthers punted but the ball was muffed by Hicks and D’Ante Wells recovered it at the Liberty 40-yard line.
Love pushed the margin to 19-7 with a 34-yard field goal and Liberty responded with a touchdown. On a 3rd and short, Kuchta kept the ball on an option run play and took it 71 yards to the house with 5:14 left in the third quarter.
Love added two more field goals, one from 28 yards out late in the third quarter and a 49-yarder in the opening four minutes of the fourth quarter. Paulakovich threw for 235 yards – 118 of which to Taylor who had eight catches – and two touchdowns.
Park Hill South’s next two games will be against Class 6 District 8 opponents, starting with Park Hill (2-3) on Sept. 29. This will be the fourth matchup between the rivals since 2021 as the Panthers eliminated the Trojans from the postseason each of the last two years.