Jair Morales rose to the occasion for Park Hill’s football team by hitting two second-half field goals, including the walk-off winner in overtime, as the Trojans defeated Oak Park 20-17 in an Oct. 16 road contest.
The first-year field goal kicker accounted for all of Park Hill’s scoring in the second half. The game-winner in overtime came after Park Hill’s offense was shut out of the end zone for seven consecutive drives.
“We were a little bit disappointed that we found ourselves in overtime,” Park Hill head coach Andy Sims said. “We had an early lead that we let slip away, but at the same time, you’re equally proud of the guys to finish in overtime.”
Park Hill benefited from a much-needed energy jolt on the first play of overtime. With Oak Park taking the first possession, they turned the ball over when a reverse pitch was fumbled and recovered by Park Hill.
Park Hill was suddenly one score away from winning, but wanted to win it on a touchdown. Senior quarterback Riley Haney opened the drive with a 15-yard carry, but a miscued snap caused a fumble, setting the Trojans back to second-and-16.
The Trojans recovered well, converting a third-and-8 on another Haney run. Oak Park’s defense impressed with a goal-line stand to keep the Northmen alive, pushing Park Hill back a couple of yards to force a fourth-and-goal inside the 5-yard line.
Jair Morales swings his right leg for Park Hill’s game-winning field goal, with the assistance of holder Kaden Lattner, on Oct. 16 against Oak Park.
Although the Park Hill offense couldn’t punch it in, they turned to Morales for the game-winning kick. After Oak Park iced him with a timeout, which didn’t affect Morales, he lined up again on the right hash marks and nailed the 19-yard field goal to win it.
“Don’t miss,” Morales said. “I know I’ve got the whole team on the sidelines waiting for me to celebrate, so just do my job, make the kick and celebrate at the end.”
Park Hill used two first-half touchdowns to give them a 14-10 lead at halftime. Oak Park jumped ahead 3-0 on its opening drive. They eventually settled for a 20-yard field goal after Corbin Fillion stopped them on a third-and-goal run play.
Kameron Hylton Jr. rushed for 101 yards against Oak Park, averaging nearly six yards per carry.
The Trojans answered on the next drive, converting on two key downs. The first big conversion came when Kameron Hylton ran for four yards on third-and-3, then when Haney connected with senior receiver Andrew Minder over the middle for a 25-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-6.
Park Hill took a 14-3 lead in the second quarter on an 83-yard drive. Hylton picked up a big chunk of the drive on a 42-yard carry up the middle, later followed by a Haney 5-yard touchdown run to the right.
The Trojans had two opportunities to build their lead when Isaiah Majied Jr. picked off two third-down passes. Ultimately, Park Hill was unable to capitalize.
Oak Park got its first turnover later in the first half, and quickly turned it into points as they trailed 14-10 at halftime.
Morales restored Park Hill’s 7-point lead with a 25-yard field goal late in the third quarter.
Trailing 17-10, Oak Park pulled level in the fourth quarter on a 59-yard drive, which included a fourth-and-1 conversion. Facing third-and-3 from the 2-yard line, Oak Park junior quarterback Jack Clemons found a receiver for a touchdown.
The game eventually went to overtime, when Park Hill’s defense pounced on a fumble before Morales made a memory he will never forget with his game-winning kick.
Jair Morales reacts after hitting the game-winning field goal in overtime.
“I just remember running away from everybody and ending up over here (on the other side of the field),” Morales said. “Getting my feet stomped on and everyone hitting my head. Great memories.”
Morales joined Park Hill’s football team this year to make memories. He may not have expected to be in moments as tense as a game-winning kick, or the negative effects of scoring a game-winner, but that is where he found himself in his final regular-season road game.
“I was like, senior year, let’s go make memories that will last a lifetime,” Morales said. “He (Sims) is a great coach and he’s done so well for me. Without him, I’m not on the team right now.”
After walking through the football team’s rules and expectations over the summer, he stuck with football and is now playing a key role on field goals and kickoffs. Morales still plays on Park Hill’s soccer team, so scheduling time with the football team alongside soccer requires coordination.
“This kick aside, this kid has gotten better, and better, and better,” Sims said. “It wasn’t just the game-winning field goal; he had one earlier and had one last week as well, so there are three field goals in two weeks, so that’s a credit to him.”
The victory brought Park Hill to .500 for the first time this season, now sitting 4-4 (4-1 in conference play) with three straight wins. While the team has progressed, the game against Oak Park showed there’s still plenty of room to grow after graduating 35 seniors.
“You look at our record, and there’s a ton of mistakes with a record like that,” Sims said. “But I’m proud of them and I love these seniors. I’m always going to have there back, and there always going to have my back. We break it down ‘family’ on three for a reason.”
The Trojans conclude the season at home against Lee’s Summit North (6-2) on Oct. 23. The opening round of districts will take place Oct. 30.
“You take a swing at a juggernaut, I guess,” Sims said of the regular season finale. “Those guys do a phenomenal job of building kids in the program and getting new kids into the program. We’re going to have our hands full.”