The Park Hill South Panthers were hitting on all cylinders in all three phases of the game in a 38-8 opening week win at home versus Grandview on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Park Hill South junior Chance Taylor raced for a 70-yard touchdown on the game’s second play from scimmage.
The Panthers got the ball first and it took only a minute for the Panthers to light up the scoreboard on a 70-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Bryce Aldridge to junior Chance Taylor. The kick was good and South had an early 7-0 lead.
The Panthers used some trickery and pulled out the onside kick after scoring with success and set up the offense at the Grandview 44 yard line. The Panthers’ offense didn’t gain a yard on first or second down but picked up a first down on back-to-back third down plays where Grandview was flagged for being offsides. A few plays later South scored again on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Aldridge to sophomore Jake Hensel and before Grandview’s offense could even touch the ball South had a 14-0 lead.
DENNIS SHARKEY/Citizen Photo
Park Hill South senior Hayden Peterson, left, and junior Mason Wright, right, dropped the Grandview ball carrier for a loss.
Second-year Head Coach Justin Poncy told The Citizen after the game they wanted to get off to a fast start with the uncertainty of facing a team with a completely new coaching staff.
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Park Hill South sophomore Magnus Hoenshell tumbled over after scooping up an onside kick in the first quarter.
“With week one you don’t know what you’re going to get,” Poncy said. “Grandview had a brand new staff and we preached to the kids all week that we needed to focus on us and get better at those little details we’ve been focusing on all summer.”
The Bulldogs quickly got back into the game on their first offensive play of the game. Quarterback Mehki Fields connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass Maddox Griswold. Grandview’s two-point conversion pass was wide open to Jalyne Armstrong and it was a one-score game with less than three minutes played in the game.
Jackson Wilhoite returns a Grandview fumble.
The Panthers made a mistake on the ensuing kickoff and started deep in their own territory, eventually punting to Grandview. However, a few plays later South sophomore Travon Flowers recovered a Grandview fumble at the Bulldogs’ 26-yard line. A few plays later senior Tobi Falubi rumbled 20 yards for a touchdown and the Panthers extended their lead to 21-8.
Facing the pressure the Grandview offense tried going for it on fourth down deep in their own territory and came up short giving South the ball at the Grandview 24-yard line. Falubi found the end zone again on a six-yard run and the Panthers led 28-8 with 11:05 left in the first half.
Jake Hensel celebrates a touchdown.
Grandview converted a big third and 15 play on their next drive but the threat was ended when junior linebacker Mason Wright sacked the Bulldogs’ quarterback. South moved the ball into Grandview’s red zone but penalties stalled the drive and the Panthers had to settle for a 36-yard field goal from senior Asher Huffman who was also perfect on extra points. Aldridge added a touchdown pass in the second half to ice the game.
After the game, Poncy said it was an all-around team win and it’s hard to decide which phase played the best.
“Both sides made plays when we needed to make plays,” Poncy said That’s a great thing as a head coach to kind of be in a pickle of which side did better. It’s great to start the season off with a win, especially in the fashion we did it. It’s great to get a lot of kids in.”
Noah Spencer-Coleman.
This week the Panthers will be at home versus Blue Springs South which lost its opening week game to Liberty North 21-20.