Blue Springs takes down Park Hill for second time this season, advances in playoffs

A two-score lead after the first quarter was not enough for Blue Springs senior Isaac Harkness.

As the rest of the team celebrated a Delasean Staley touchdown, he shouted above the din.

It’s still zero-zero! It’s still zero-zero!

Harkness didn’t want his teammates to let up on Park Hill, knowing all too well the Trojans’ ability to strike quickly. And his teammates apparently listened as the Wildcats stormed to a 55-28 victory Friday and advanced to the Missouri Class 6 District 4 football semifinals.

With 85 total points scored, this game had it all: nearly a thousand yards of offense; four touchdowns covering 50-plus yards; six takeaways; 12 total TDs; a scoop and score, pick-six and TD reception, all by the same guy; a QB catching a TD pass on some trickery; and multiple two-point conversion attempts.

“That was a good football team that had beat some teams that had beat up on us, so it was a big challenge for us,” said Blue Springs coach David White, who is in his first year after succeeding Kelly Donohoe.

Blue Springs also won a much closer affair between the two schools, 24-21, less than two months ago.

“I think just to keep it simple. Just keep it simple and play football,” White said of his team’s strategy in beating Park Hill again.

Senior DeAndre Thomas got the ball rolling, scoring on the first play of the game via an 80-yard run. He also scored on a 13-yard rush in the second quarter and finished with 162 yards on 10 carries before leaving the game with an ankle injury before halftime with Blue Springs in front 21-7.

“It was a tough deal,” White said. “With (Thomas) being a senior, and he was doing a heck of a job, it’s unfortunate that he got hurt. But the good thing is we have other backs out there who do a heck of a job.”

The Trojans may have smelled an opportunity with Thomas sidelined, but Staley picked up the slack. The junior wide receiver/safety forced and recovered a fumble and caught a 9-yard pitch and catch from quarterback Patrick Maloney, then took an interception to the house with Park Hill pinned at its own 3-yard line.

“He’s been playing better and better every game,” White said.

Senior Park Hill quarterback Anthony Hall came back out less than 30 seconds later and dropped a dime into wide receiver PJ Caldwell’s hands for a 76-yard Park Hill touchdown. Hall threw three TDs of 50 yards or more, all on seam routes over the top.

He hit Iowa State pledge Jaylin Noel for a 57-yarder and Caldwell for a 75-yard strike. His own 14-yard touchdown reception came in the fourth quarter, and he finished 17 of 45 for 370 yards and three interceptions in his final high school game.

But once the dust of this game featuring a combined 988 yards had settled, it was the WIldcats moving on to play Liberty, a 48-23 winner over Blue Springs South Friday night, in the Class 6 District 4 semifinals.

“It’s always tough for anybody who knows football to beat a team twice in one year, and the first game was close and this one we did a heck of a job offensively,” White said. “Defense had some big plays this week, so I think overall it was really good.”

This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 11:18 PM.