The Park Hill South football team (5-5) got five touchdown passes from Briggs Bartosh and some huge plays from the defense in a 50-40 road upset win over Staley (7-3) in the Class 6 playoffs on Oct. 28.
The win sets up a rematch with Park Hill (3-7) in the district semifinals and avenges the regular season defeat at the hands of the Falcons in Week 7 when the Panthers lost 34-21. The Falcons started with the ball and needed only two plays on offense to get up early 7-0 on a 71-yard touchdown pass.
The Panthers answered on their first possession with Bartosh’s first touchdown pass to junior Michael Lane – a transfer from Winnetonka who followed Head Coach Benny Palmer to Park Hill South this past offseason – from 29 yards out. Key plays on the drive included converting a third down and 15 yards to go on a pass play to Lane and a big run to convert a first down by senior Darrien Jones.
Staley answered on its next drive with a one-yard touchdown run by senior KV Stone who had four touchdown runs in the game for the Falcons. The Panthers’ offense couldn’t stay on the field and had to punt the ball back to Staley trailing by a touchdown.
That’s when the defense got its first big play of the game: Staley quarterback Cole Robertson dropped back and tried to throw a pass over the middle that was tipped up into the air and fell into the arms of junior D’Ante Wells who returned it for a touchdown. With the kick, the game was tied 14-14.
The Panther defense almost had turnovers on back-to-back plays when Robertson’s pass was intercepted on the first play of the ensuing Falcons’ drive, but the play was waived off on a pass interference call. On the next play, Robertson scrambled to his left and broke two tackles before breaking another.
As Robertson ran toward the sideline the ball was popped out by a Park Hill South defender and recovered at midfield in front of the Panther bench by the defense. The Panthers took their first lead of the game with 6:49 left in the first half when Bartosh connected on his second touchdown pass on a 17-yard strike to Jones and Park Hill South led 21-14.
The Falcons averted disaster on the next series when the Panthers were flagged for roughing the kicker. The snap on the punt sailed over the head of the Falcons’ punter and rolled into the end zone where it was picked up by the punter who got the kickoff just before a defender got there.
Instead of getting the ball deep into Staley territory, the Panthers were back on defense. Staley ended up punting the ball anyway but couldn’t do anything on offense, giving the ball back to the Falcons at their 30-yard line with 1:21 left in the first half.
The Panthers got their third big play on defense when Robertson was intercepted by sophomore Kadin Sabree and returned inside the five-yard line. Bartosh called his own number and with the kick, Park Hill South led 28-14.
Park Hill South senior Darrien Jones brings in a 17-yard touchdown pass with 6:49 left in the first half in the Panthers 50-40 upset win over Staley in the opening game of the Class 6 District 4 Tournament on Oct. 28.
The Panthers got the ball first in the second half and on the first play, Bartosh found senior Roger Guillory for an 80-yard touchdown. The Falcons were flagged for offsides on the extra-point try so Palmer sent the offense back onto the field for a two-point try and Bartosh called his own number again for a 36-14 lead.
The Falcons answered with a Stone touchdown run but the Panthers didn’t wait long to answer. On the drive’s first play, Bartosh found Lane for a 49-yard touchdown to go back up by three scores, 43-21.
The Falcons answered with another Stone touchdown run, but the extra point hit the side post and was no good. With his third touchdown of the game, Lane essentially ended the threat on a 19-yard run to make the score 50-27 with the kick and less than eight minutes remaining in the game.
Staley added two more touchdowns late to make it a two-score game, but time ran out on the Falcons. The Panthers will look to keep the redemption tour going on Nov. 4 as Park Hill won in a shootout in Week 6, 42-35.