Photo Credit: Todd Nugent/PC Preps Extra 
Park Hill South’s dynamic offense appears to be hitting its stride just in time for a postseason push.
The Panthers scored a season-high point total during a 49-23 victory against Platte County on Friday night thanks to the tandem of running back DJ Jones and quarterback Briggs Bartosh, who combined to score five of the team’s seven touchdowns.
With the win, Park Hill South (3-5) snapped a four-game losing streak, and Park Hill South coach Benny Palmer said he was thrilled to see his entire team play so well.
“You hope that you’re going to peak by Week 10 and that you’ve got things going in the right direction,” Palmer said. “The kids came out and played hard. We were able to run the ball effectively downhill, and the big boys up front played really well.”
Both teams sought to build momentum entering the final weeks, and the Panthers started strong by scoring touchdowns on two of their first three drives – on a rushing touchdown by Bartosh and a receiving TD by Mike Lane.
But Platte County bounced right back and soon took the lead. Quarterback Dylan Zimmerman led the team down the field thanks to several strong throws before freshman Rocco Marriott scored to pull within 14-12 on the first play of the second quarter.
Aaron Cordova kicked a short field goal to give the Pirates a 15-14 lead on their next drive, but that’s when Park Hill South kicked it into high gear.
Less than a minute after falling behind, Jones broke loose around the right side, burst down the sideline and outraced everyone for a 52-yard touchdown – giving the Panthers the lead for good.
Jones, who racked up three touchdowns and 248 yards from scrimmage, showcased his game-breaking skills once again on an 89-yard screen pass in the third quarter, and he said those big plays energized the team all game long.
“Everybody loves big plays,” Jones said. “So once the big plays happen, everybody’s up. They’re excited. Everybody’s flowing. The o-line’s hype. They’re mauling people, so it makes everything a lot smoother.”
Playing just his fourth game as full-time quarterback, Bartosh ran the offense efficiently with 141 passing yards and another 76 rushing yards – including two passing touchdowns and two more on the ground. His big plays and hard running were part of a 35-0 run that helped the Panthers take control during the second and third quarters.
On a windy night that limited the team’s passing offense, Palmer said he was glad to see Jones and Bartosh churn out so many big plays on the ground.
“The more comfortable those guys get, the better they’re going to be,” Palmer said. “And right now, Briggs is starting to take it into his own ownership. Right now, he’s our absolute alpha back there, and he makes it fun.”
Park Hill South’s defense consistently set the offense up with short fields thanks to five takeaways during the game, including two from D’Ante Wells – one interception and one fumble recovery.
The Pirates moved the ball consistently thanks to Zimmerman’s 212 passing yards (including a touchdown to Dom Spears), but the turnovers proved to be too costly. Marriott scored the team’s second touchdown and then led another scoring drive late in the game, finishing with a team-high 49 rushing yards and two rushing scores.
With the win, the Panthers bounced back from a tough stretch that included a couple of close losses, and Bartosh said this could be the game that turns things around and propels Park Hill South into the postseason on a positive note.
“This win was just amazing, absolutely what we needed,” Bartosh said. “We’ve had a couple of heart-breaking losses where we were almost there.
“We just put it all together and put on a show tonight.”
