The number six seed Longhorns upset the number two seed Parkway North Vikings 19-14. It was the first win over North for West in the last 11 tries. The Longhorns created six turnovers in the win.
“No one had faith in us. This is our time to really put something special together and we have the right guys to do so. We still have a lot of challenges ahead of us, but I have faith in our coaching staff and players,” senior linebacker Evan Shukers said.
North jumped out to an early 7-0 lead halfway into the first quarter. However, West came up in the second quarter scoring all 19 of their points. Junior fullback Drew Seers led off the quarter with a three yard touchdown run to tie it up 7-7.
“Every team has underestimated us till this point. At the same time, we have taken the role as being the underdog to heart. A part of our success has been because of our intensity. That is something we look to continue as we move into the playoffs,” senior offensive lineman Kyle Freebersyser.
The defense then stopped North’s offense on three downs forcing them to punt. The Horns drove all the way down the field, which was capped of by a 27-yard touchdown run by senior running back Nick Lewis.
“Jumping out to that 13-7 lead was huge. It gave the team a lot of confidence that we could really win this game,” junior quarterback Jack Martin said.
West then intercepted North’s quarterback with just over a minute left in the half. The Longhorns had the ball with good field position on North’s 20-yard line. On third down, Martin hit junior wide receiver Tyrice Hines on a 15-yard touchdown pass at the corner of the end zone.
“I try to catch any ball that is thrown to me. Jack put me in a great position with that throw. I was just trying to make a play for my team right before the half. I think that gave us a lot of momentum going into the half,” junior wide receiver Tyrice Hines said.
The Horns went into the half up 19-7. Then, North scored on their first drive in the third quarter.
“I think at halftime we all got a little too loose. North came out with a lot more intensity in the second half. We have to make sure we keep that intensity even when we have the lead,” senior safety Simon Lindo said.
The game was 19-14 mid way through the third quarter. North regained the ball back off of a Parkway West fumble. They began driving into Longhorn territory until a 10 yard-holding penalty and 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty stopped them from scoring.
“That was a huge moment. North got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty which halted their drive. Coach Duncan always stresses the importance of staying disciplined. It worked out in our favor because of the mental toughness our guys have,” senior safety Scott McKnight said.
West will now head on the road this Friday to play the number one seeded Fort Zumwalt South Panthers. South knocked off Parkway Central this past friday in the second round of districts 35-0.
“We faced a lot of adversity. It shows that we have players though that will step up when the moment surfaces. We need another good week of practice before we play against Fort Zumwalt North,” junior defensive lineman Caleb Carswell said.
This is the first time since 2008 the Longhorns are above .500 by the end of the season.
“It is just another challenge, but we are ready for it,” senior running back Nick Lewis said.
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Looking for an open teammate, freshman Patrick May passes the ball across the court at the Nov. 28 game against Parkway Central. May started in the game against the Colts. ”Growing up, [my parents] always gave me a basketball, [and] we had a basketball hoop outside. I grew up playing [all the time], playing on the [driveway] and shooting hoops with my dad.” May said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image2-1-1200x801.jpg)
