After a pair of losing seasons, Park Hill South now has hope that it can compete for championships once again with the amount of quality depth they now have at their disposal.
Entering his second season as the program’s head coach, Max Sollars believes his team, with an eager 15-man roster, is ready to compete at a high level.
“I think that we have a chance to compete for a district and a conference championship,” Sollars said. “If you know anything about Missouri basketball, if you can make it out of this district, you have a chance.”
The most formidable obstacle standing in the Panthers’ way is the reigning state champion Oak Park Northmen, who graduated both of their all-state stars.
“We really want to compete for conference and district championships,” Sollars said. “We know that to give ourselves that ability, we need to play a challenging schedule as well as find our groove.”
The Panthers struggled to find a groove last season, when they went 10-16 and won consecutive games once all season. Things have already changed for this season, winning consecutive games twice before the New Year.
South’s challenging schedule this season includes the Ozark Tournament and William Jewell Holiday Classic, in addition to non-conference matchups before opening the conference slate away to Park Hill on Jan. 9.
“I’m really excited to just get into those conference battles and see where we’re at,” Sollars said. “I think right now, we’re in a position where we can compete with those highest-level of teams. Now, I would like to beat them.”
Sollars learned a lot about his team in his first season with the program last year. Among his biggest takeaways was the genuine care the community had for one another.
“Kids truly, truly want success for one another,” Sollars said. “Seeing how much kids care about one another. They’ve grown up together, they’ve been in all the classes, the youth leagues.”
The greatest example of that has been the addition of JoJo Elful to the program. Elful has joined the team as a senior despite never playing previously, with the entire squad welcoming him in.
Seeing the way everyone welcomed him, with each player knowing his addition could take minutes away from others, was inspiring for Sollars to see. The team believes the 6-foot-6 senior has a bright future in the game.
“We play him for a reason,” Sollars said. “Our kids trust him and we know he’s capable. I’ve got a real good feeling that at the end of this thing, he’s going to be one of our guys.”
Park Hill South returns a strong cast of players from last year’s team. The team has shown depth and parity early on, with numerous players being able to step up and deliver in different situations.
The Panthers return all-conference honorable mention senior Carson Bjorn, who is expected to do damage in the paint alongside Jackson Wheeler and Alex Gabrick. The trio of Jax Navarro, Deon Sanders and Aaron Phillips are among those with the ability to handle the ball around the perimeter, while junior John Rastorfer is lethal from 3-point range.
In total, the Panthers bring a squad of 15 players who can each contribute in various moments. Much of it will come down to who has the hot hand and which rotation is experiencing the most success.