After two seasons apart, the Park Hill and Park Hill South high school basketball teams are back in the same basketball district tournaments for the 2018-19 season.
The rival high schools, which are eight miles apart, spent the past two seasons in separate district tournaments, but the new season will see the Trojans and Panthers possibly pairing up in the postseason once again.
This season the Park Hill schools are joined by the likes of Staley, Oak Park and St. Joseph Central in the Class 5 District 16 tournament. The Trojans are defending champions of the district, winning the past two titles.
The Trojans and Panthers were in the same district tourneys for at least eight straight years — from 2008-07 to 2015-16 — according to the MSHSAA website.
Previously, Park Hill South resided in District 14, alongside North Kansas City, Rockhurst, Raytown and Ruskin. Park Hill makes a return to District 16 after the tournament hosted St. Joseph Central, Oak Park, Staley and Winnetonka for the past two seasons.
Park Hill and Park Hill South’s wrestling programs once again reside in the 15-team Class 4 District 4 tournament, which is hosted by Staley this season.
PLATTE COUNTY
The Platte County basketball squads will undergo a change at the district level.
The Pirates return to the Class 4 District 16 tournament after two years in District 15, and will face all but one new team — Smithville — in the postseason.
In District 15, Platte County is joined by Savannah and Winnetonka and two St. Joseph teams in Benton and Lafayette. The Pirates last season went up against Excelsior Springs, Kearney, Northeast St. Pius X and Smithville in districts.
Platte County’s wrestling program is back in the 15-team Class 3 District 4 tournament.
WEST PLATTE AND NORTH PLATTE
For a third straight season, West Platte and North Platte will play in the Class 2 District 15 tournament.
This will be the ninth consecutive year West Platte has resided in District 15, while North Platte has spent most of recent memory in the district but two years in District 16 from the 2014-15 season to 2015-16 campaign.
The Bluejays’ wrestling squad has been placed in the 15-team Class 1 District 4 tournament.