The Park Hill South girls basketball team has accomplished quite a bit over the past three years, from lengthy winning streaks to conference titles. The one obstacle they haven’t been able to overcome is the Staley Falcons.
Staley continued to be a thorn in the Panthers’ side again on March 6 at Liberty North High School, defeating Park Hill South 48-33 in the Class 6 District 8 championship game for the third consecutive year. Since beating Staley for the district title in 2023, Park Hill South has lost three consecutive district finals to the Falcons.
It marked the end of a historic Panther era led by Addison Bjorn.
Bjorn and her senior class managed to keep the contest close in the first half against No. 3 state-ranked Staley. The Falcons quickly caught fire in the third quarter to put the game out of reach against a Park Hill South team that struggled to hit shots when they desperately needed them.
Staley showed some first-quarter glimpses of what would come later in the contest, jumping out to an 11-5 lead late in the first quarter. Bjorn cut into the deficit to make it 11-7, but then she got herself into foul trouble by picking up a pair of needless fouls late.
Addison Bjorn drives towards the basket against her former Park Hill South teammate, Ava Miles.
The McDonald’s All-American returned to the floor to start the second quarter with three fouls as senior Paige Farber provided an early spark from 3-point range to get the Panthers back within a score. Staley eventually reestablished itself to take a 16-12 lead before scores from Bjorn and Sarah Listrom tied it at 16-16.
The Falcons grabbed the momentum right back as former Panther, Ava Miles, completed an old-fashioned 3-point play before junior Destiny Manyawu followed with her sixth bucket of the night. Suddenly, the Panthers found themselves back in a hole as they trailed 21-16 at halftime.
The third quarter quickly got out of hand for Park Hill South, as they gave up three straight scores to fall behind 28-16 inside the first 87 seconds of the second half. A Panther timeout allowed them to reset and eventually get back within 10, but Staley soon got rolling again.
Manyawu completed her 18-point performance with three baskets in the third while junior Brielle Mays proved lethal with four third-quarter scores. A late burst from Staley put South behind 42-23 entering the fourth quarter.
Any answer Park Hill South had was immediately multiplied by Staley. Shots continued to miss throughout the contest, although the senior trio of Bjorn, Farber and Listrom managed to score their final buckets wearing a South uniform before exiting the game to an ovation from the Panther faithful in the dying moments of a final and familiar defeat.
Gabby King takes a shot against Staley in her final game wearing a Park Hill South uniform.
While South was riding a nine-game winning streak with hopes of knocking off one of the state title contenders, Staley simply overmatched the Panthers as the Falcons ran away with their third straight district championship. The Panthers’ season concluded with a record of 22-7 as they watch Staley advance to the Class 6 State Tournament, where they will meet Rock Bridge for sectionals on March 13.
The trio of Bjorn, Farber and Listrom will join Gabby King and Sophia Osterhaus in graduating from a program that has reached substantial heights during their time in the program.
Park Hill South’s girls basketball team will undoubtedly look much different next season, but standout freshman Norah Farber will be among the returners hoping to guide the next chapter.