Even with a rocky start to the season, Rockhurst varsity football secured the third seed in their district and will host a home playoff game Friday night. The Hawklets concluded the regular season with a 5-4 record after beating J.C. Harmon 41-0 a week earlier. Thanks to that win, the Hawklets will have the opportunity to avenge last year’s first round playoff loss to the Park Hill Trojans. The Hawklets are set to battle the Trojans in their district quarterfinal rematch at 7 p.m. Friday.

Senior linebacker Colton Wemhoff is excited for the opportunity to play at least one more game at Severino Field.

“It’s definitely a huge deal to have a home playoff game,” said Wemhoff. “It’s going to be super special being out there with all of the guys. I know that Rock Nation is going to bring a bunch of dudes out there on Friday night, so it’s going to be a good time.”

Rockhurst did not have the fast start they were looking for to begin the season. The Hawklets had arguably one of the toughest schedules in the state of Missouri, and they faced many strong opponents early in the season. After difficult losses to Raymore-Peculiar, Liberty North, Bentonville (Ark.), and Bishop Miege, the Hawklets sat at 1-4 after five weeks. Despite the tough start, however, the Hawklets’ confidence never wavered.

“Those first five games were some close games,” Wemhoff said. “I think all of the boys kind of came together and realized that we had to turn this thing around.”

Senior lineman Connor Sexton recognizes that the Hawklets got off to a similar start last season, which ended in a disappointing first round playoff exit. However, he believes that this year is different.

“We have a lot more resiliency than last year,” Sexton said. “We believed in what Coach Donohoe was telling us about how we were going to go on a run.”

The Hawklets managed to get back on track on their homecoming week on Sept. 30. The Hawklets beat St. Thomas Aquinas 32-11 in a week six performance that would turn their season around. 

“Coach told us all week to win our homecoming game. ” said junior middle linebacker Thomas Coppinger. “That’s what we did, and we’ve been rolling ever since.”

The Hawklets carried their momentum into the ensuing games, collecting consecutive victories over Blue Springs, SLUH, and  Harmon to conclude their regular season.

“I think that it’s a good sign heading into the playoffs,” Sexton said about the team hitting its stride. “It shows that if we keep working hard in practice, we can do well in the playoffs too.”

The game against Park Hill will mark the first time Rockhurst has hosted a home playoff game since 2019. The Trojans come in as the sixth seed with a 2-7 record on the year.