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COLUMBIA — A 44-year hiatus from making the state semifinals appeared to be headed toward a 45th year around the midway point of Parkview's season.
The Vikings were 9-9 and facing a crossroads. No one doubted their talent, but a rough stretch in which they lost six of seven games was their reality. At one point, Vikings coach Jack Simpson benched all his regulars at halftime and then benched a few in future games.
The Vikings weren't playing at the standard they were supposed to be, let alone one that would be worthy of being the Parkview team to make the semifinals for the first time since 1981.
But the Vikings stayed together and found a way to play up to their potential when many other teams would have folded. Somehow, some way, the 2024-25 Vikings team was the one to break the 44-year drought. That inability to fold followed them into their historic Class 5 semifinal game on Wednesday night, only to come up short in a 69-60 loss to Summit Christian.
More: Parkview basketball's Christian Cordova's life was spiraling. Now, he's thriving.
"We weren't supposed to be here," Simpson said. "Everybody wrote us off, and these guys stayed the course. They kept saying 'yes, sir,' even when they didn't agree with me. They just bought in, and they've done that for the three years that I've been here."
The Vikings have plenty of reasons to be proud of themselves. Whether it was for the way they responded to the season's adversity or Wednesday's game at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, they will remember their resilience in every situation.
"We just turned Coach Jack," senior Christian Cordova said. "We rallied together. We all came together and knew that we had something to accomplish here."
Against Summit Christian, the Vikings controlled much of the first half despite Eli Govan, the team's top big man, getting into early foul trouble. Critical buckets from Carlitos Sanchez kept the Vikings afloat.
When Govan picked up his fourth foul early in the second half, Summit Christian took advantage of its upper hand down low. Sophomore Michael Thomas III led the Eagles' charge when they outscored 34-14 in the paint and created a 37-26 rebounding advantage.
The Eagles led by as many as 10 with seven minutes left in the game, but the Vikings' resilience made another appearance. Sanchez and Ethan Fernandez combined for nine of the game's next 11 points to bring it back within three midway through the fourth.
"They don't quit," Simpson said. "They don't quit."
Unfortunately, those efforts came up short. Summit Christian freshman Grady Ellerman couldn't miss, finishing the fourth quarter with 10 of his game-high 23 points. It held off the late charge from Sanchez, who finished with 20 points, and Fernandez, who scored 14.
In a way, the late push represented who the Vikings have been this season.
"We knew what was at stake; if we got the job done, we could have played for a state championship," Sanchez said. "We just never give up. We just try to fight for everything we can."
Parkview will now play in the Class 5 third-place game against Westminster Christian on Thursday at 2 p.m. A win would match the Vikings' 1981 third-place finish. A loss wouldn't take away from one of the great seasons in Parkview history and the program's greatest run in decades.
A win behind the effort the Vikings have displayed throughout the second half of the regular season would also be indicative of what Simpson believes Parkview basketball should be all about.
"I told them, 'What defines Parkview is how you respond at 2 p.m. tomorrow," Simpson said. "That defines adversity, and that's what we're about. That's what these guys are about."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Parkview basketball falls to Summit Christian in Class 5 semifinals
Continue reading...
The Vikings were 9-9 and facing a crossroads. No one doubted their talent, but a rough stretch in which they lost six of seven games was their reality. At one point, Vikings coach Jack Simpson benched all his regulars at halftime and then benched a few in future games.
The Vikings weren't playing at the standard they were supposed to be, let alone one that would be worthy of being the Parkview team to make the semifinals for the first time since 1981.
But the Vikings stayed together and found a way to play up to their potential when many other teams would have folded. Somehow, some way, the 2024-25 Vikings team was the one to break the 44-year drought. That inability to fold followed them into their historic Class 5 semifinal game on Wednesday night, only to come up short in a 69-60 loss to Summit Christian.
More: Parkview basketball's Christian Cordova's life was spiraling. Now, he's thriving.
"We weren't supposed to be here," Simpson said. "Everybody wrote us off, and these guys stayed the course. They kept saying 'yes, sir,' even when they didn't agree with me. They just bought in, and they've done that for the three years that I've been here."
The Vikings have plenty of reasons to be proud of themselves. Whether it was for the way they responded to the season's adversity or Wednesday's game at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, they will remember their resilience in every situation.
"We just turned Coach Jack," senior Christian Cordova said. "We rallied together. We all came together and knew that we had something to accomplish here."
Against Summit Christian, the Vikings controlled much of the first half despite Eli Govan, the team's top big man, getting into early foul trouble. Critical buckets from Carlitos Sanchez kept the Vikings afloat.
When Govan picked up his fourth foul early in the second half, Summit Christian took advantage of its upper hand down low. Sophomore Michael Thomas III led the Eagles' charge when they outscored 34-14 in the paint and created a 37-26 rebounding advantage.
The Eagles led by as many as 10 with seven minutes left in the game, but the Vikings' resilience made another appearance. Sanchez and Ethan Fernandez combined for nine of the game's next 11 points to bring it back within three midway through the fourth.
"They don't quit," Simpson said. "They don't quit."
Unfortunately, those efforts came up short. Summit Christian freshman Grady Ellerman couldn't miss, finishing the fourth quarter with 10 of his game-high 23 points. It held off the late charge from Sanchez, who finished with 20 points, and Fernandez, who scored 14.
In a way, the late push represented who the Vikings have been this season.
"We knew what was at stake; if we got the job done, we could have played for a state championship," Sanchez said. "We just never give up. We just try to fight for everything we can."
Parkview will now play in the Class 5 third-place game against Westminster Christian on Thursday at 2 p.m. A win would match the Vikings' 1981 third-place finish. A loss wouldn't take away from one of the great seasons in Parkview history and the program's greatest run in decades.
A win behind the effort the Vikings have displayed throughout the second half of the regular season would also be indicative of what Simpson believes Parkview basketball should be all about.
"I told them, 'What defines Parkview is how you respond at 2 p.m. tomorrow," Simpson said. "That defines adversity, and that's what we're about. That's what these guys are about."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Parkview basketball falls to Summit Christian in Class 5 semifinals
Continue reading...
