The Park Hill football program reestablished itself among Missouri’s elite a year ago, and the Trojans believe 2025 could be another special season.
Coming off their first conference and district championships in the same season since 2017, the Trojans finished 9-3 in 2024, advancing to the Class 6 quarterfinals before falling to eventual state finalist Liberty. Now, with 13 all-conference players back, head coach Andy Sims’ squad faces the challenge of defending its titles while navigating another grueling schedule.
“Both the conference and district have extremely tough opponents and every year brings on new challenges to overcome,” Sims said. “This group just needs to focus on improving each and every week. As much as we would like to repeat in both those categories, our bigger focus is on making a deeper run in the playoffs.”
To assist in defending the titles, Park Hill has brought in several new coaches, including former Winnetonka coach Jon Crutcher and Oak Park coach Keith Ross to help on the defensive side. Former Northwest Missouri State University coach Cade DeValkenaere has also joined the Trojans’ staff on the offensive side.
The strength of Park Hill’s roster will be its offense, which returns eight starters, including all-conference senior quarterback Zane Thomas. Thomas led the state last season with 3,352 passing yards and 39 touchdowns, giving the Trojans one of Missouri’s most dangerous passing attacks.
Thomas will have senior playmakers around him once again, including all-conference wide receivers Braylon Agee and Dante Dixon. Running back Dan Easter returns to balance the offense, with newcomer Kaiden Irving also expected to contribute in the backfield.
Up front, all-conference linemen Brian Odegaard and Brayden Morgan anchor a unit that brings back significant experience. With additional depth from seniors Clayton Baxter and Wyatt Spaw, the Trojans expect improvements in the running game to complement their high-flying passing attack.
Defensively, Park Hill must replace graduated linebacker Owen Keller, but experience remains across all three levels. Senior defensive end Jonah Were highlights the line alongside Ja’Maree Bell.
Linebacker Sai’Quan Copeland enters the season just 52 tackles shy of the program’s career record while Matt Aguirre and Louis Van Batavia provide stability. In the secondary, Dontae Bronson and two-way standout Dante Dixon return with newcomer Damarion Ford also expected to make an impact.
Special teams will feature new faces after the graduation of kicker Anna Anderson and returner Landen Julson. Dixon gives the Trojans a proven weapon in the return game, but the kicking duties remain an open competition entering the season.
“Going through some fires early helps you forge a championship team in the end,” Sims said. “The biggest challenges are sometimes often out of our control and that is injuries. Our depth is always in question playing a Class 6 schedule.”
Park Hill opens its season on the road Aug. 29 against No. 10 state-ranked Rock Bridge. The Trojans are home for Week 2 of the season for Senior Night against North Kansas City on Sept. 5.
“We are always going to strive to win a state championship,” Sims said. “I want our players, parents and community always setting their sights on winning the Class 6 State Championship. That sets the standard to what our work ethic should be each and every day.”