After claiming at least a share of the Suburban Conference Red Division title, Park Hill South coach Dan Parra said he and his staff have already began some prep work for their Class 5 District 14 opening round matchup with Rockhurst set for Thursday, March 1 at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo.
However he said his players are still focused on ending the season on a strong note, including picking up at least one win this week to clinch the conference title outright before the start of Class 5 District 14 play next week.
“The coaching staff has been ready and scouting those guys for about two months now,” Park Hill South coach Dan Parra said. “But, for us though, our No. 1 goal was to win a conference title.”
Citizen file photo
Park Hill’s Cecil Lee, center, goes up for a layup in a game earlier this season against Blue Springs at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Mo. The Trojans are seeded third in the upcoming Class 5 District 16 Tournament at Staley High School in Kansas City, Mo.
The Panthers enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed behind top-seeded North Kansas City and No. 2 seed Rockhurst, who will host the tournament.
The winner of the 2-3 matchup will play the winner of the North Kansas City vs. the winner of the No. 4 seed (Raytown) and No. 5 seed (Kansas City Ruskin) play-in game. Park Hill South ended the Hornets’ perfect season in the semifinals of the North Kansas City Invitational earlier this year.
North Kansas City now sits at 21-3 after two losses to Oak Park.
Oak Park sits as the No. 1 seed in Class 5 District 16 and would be a potential quarterfinal opponent for the Panthers.
Park Hill could face the tall task of the Northmen first however, coming in as the No. 3 seed in Class 5 District 16. The Trojans will play No. 2 seeded Staley in the semifinal round, also on Thursday, March 1.
Oak Park is led by the Suburban Conference’s leading scorer Ochai Agbaji, who recently signed to play basketball at Kansas. The Trojans’ Ronnie Bell is the No. 2 scorer in the conference, averaging 23.2 points per game. Bell originally signed to play basketball at Missouri State before a breakout senior campaign on the gridiron landed him the Thomas A. Simone Award given to the top football player in the Kansas City Metro. Bell will now attend the University of Michigan.
Platte County enters districts as the No. 3 seed in Class 4 District 15. The Pirates will face No. 6 seed Excelsior Springs in the opening round of districts, set for Monday, Feb. 26 at Kearney High School.
Kearney, the top seed, and St. Pius X, the No. 2 team, both earned a bye into the semifinals. A win for Platte County would mean a matchup with the second-seeded Warriors on Thursday, March 1.
Smithville — the No. 4 seed — and Northeast Kansas City, No. 5 team, will contest the other opening round game.
Platte County split its matchups with Kearney this year and is 2-0 against Smithville.
The Pirates have not faced the other district teams this season.