Liberty North Eagles march on in football playoffs with victory over Park Hill South

Winning playoff football games isn’t just about creating great opportunities — it’s about cashing in. That alone was the biggest separating factor between two of the three best Missouri Class 6 teams on a blustery, chilly Friday night at Park Hill District Stadium.

Liberty North came away with a 34-14 road victory over previously undefeated Park Hill South in the Missouri Class 6 District 4 championship game.

The Eagles (10-1) will hit the road again to play Troy Buchanan next week in the Class 6 semifinals after winning their second consecutive district title.

In an elimination game where sustained drives were scarce and punts were prevalent, Liberty North prevailed in large part because it took full advantage of the mistakes it created.

The Eagles’ first scoring drive was only 10 yards after a muffed punt. Tate McGuire’s 37-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter — one play after the defense forced a fumble — put Liberty North in control for good at 24-7.

“It was just making adjustments and finding where we could exploit their defense. It was sticking to what we were taught and what we learned over the last couple months, and really trying to do our best,” McGuire said. “I was glad the play was called, and I’m glad the team, as a whole, executed.”

Park Hill South (11-1) never led on Friday, but it left a couple of prime chances on the table. Dylan Love’s interception midway through the second quarter set up the Panthers at the Liberty North 15-yard line, but that drive ended in a missed field goal.

The Panthers seemed destined to rally again late in the third quarter, recovering a muffed kickoff after two spectacular throws from quarterback Nathan Ricco had cut the deficit to 10 points.

That drive also ended in a missed field goal — and it ultimately proved to be Park Hill South’s last chance to work back into the game.

“We call that our money zone. And no one scores in our money zone,” senior cornerback Matthew Hutson said. “We’ve got a great group of guys, and we’re hungry. We’re ready.”

Liberty North held the Panthers to their second lowest point total of the season, and both Park Hill South scores were traced to three big pass plays.

Otherwise, the Eagles defensive front had their way for a majority of the night.

“Our defense stepped up big when they had to,” Liberty North head coach Greg Jones said. “They had an interception and we didn’t let them score. We had the muffed kick and we didn’t let them score. And I thought we left some points on the field also, but at the end of the day we found a way to get it done. That’s all that matters.”

Liberty North’s lone loss this year was to Bentonville, Ark., in the season opener. The Eagles have beaten all comers in Kansas City, and now a St. Louis-area opponent is all that stands between them and their first state title game berth.

“We were at a team camp this summer with Troy Buchanan, and we told them, ‘If we see you all, it’s going to be a good year for both of us,’” Jones said.

Standing victorious (and cold) after a second straight district title seemed a million miles away when the season began. The Eagles bid farewell to 36 seniors at the end of their breakthrough 2020 season.

“Defensively, there’s only three seniors over there. There’s a lot of sophomores on this field,” Jones said. “So, no. We go to work every day. We went to work the third week of January, and we haven’t backed off.”

If the Eagles have their way, the grind will last for another two weeks.

This story was originally published November 12, 2021 at 10:54 PM.