After a 1-3 start to the season, the Park Hill boys’ soccer team (3-3) is at .500 for the first time this fall after outscoring its last two opponents by a total of 12-0.
Left to right: Johnny Lynn, Scotty Robertson, James Betz and Luka Andonosvki celebrates after Robertson scores in the 71st minute in the Trojans 8-0 win over the Hornets on Sept. 12.
The Trojans lost two of their first three games of 2022 in their home tournament and then headed to Olathe West and fell 4-0 on September 6. Ethan Howell scored two goals in the first road win when Park Hill had a 4-0 defeat over Oak Park (2-1) on September 8.
“The first week of the season was kind of rough,” Park Hill head soccer coach Josh Marchbank said. “I think that we’re a team that has been pretty successful last couple of years, and I think that some of the guys lost sight of some of the things that made us successful those last few years, which was working hard, so we’re trying to get back into that groove.”
In the Trojans’ first true home game – negating the three tournament games played in the Park Hill Classic – when North Kansas City (2-5) came to Park Hill South High School. The Hornets met their maker and lost by a mercy rule, 8-0, on September 12.
“We’re not really a team that gets a lot of good chances in tight games and we haven’t been very clinical in front of the goal in the last couple of weeks, so it’s good to have a game like this where the guys are getting lots of good looks. I would like us to be a little bit more clinical in front of goal and I would like us to kind of put away some of those chances, but we had some good moments today,” Marchbank said.
Freshman Tegan Turner got things started with the opening goal of the contest, which was followed by sophomore Aiden Romsland in the 21st minute. The Trojans dominated the time of possession to take a 3-0 lead at the break after Luka Andonosvki made a left footed goal with less than four minutes left in the half.
“We have a lot of really talented players so when you get good soccer players in the field, they are smart. They can keep the ball and move it around, and that’s something we try to work on at practice,” Marchbank said.
Park Hill senior James Betz had a hat trick on the day, scoring all three of his goals in the second half. Betz scored twice in a 34 second stint in the beginning of the second half, starting with a score off a pass from Hudson Browne with 37:59 left.
Betz drew a flag in the box and was rewarded a penalty kick less than 40 seconds later and made the most of his opportunity to give Park Hill a 5-0 advantage. Lucas Hrisak had a penalty kick with 8:30 left in regulation – when the Trojans led 7-0 – when he dished it to Betz, who scored and gave Park Hill an eight goal lead, which is an automatic win.
“James is a special player. He’s gifted and is one of the best players that we’ve had come through the school, so he’s definitely a talented player,” Marchbank said.
Daiggen Gaar scored with 28:42 to play in regulation to score the sixth goal of the game and Scotty Roberson found the back of the net to push the lead to 7-0 in the 71st minute. Park Hill will have its first Silver Division matchup when the Trojans take on Liberty (2-1) on September 15.