South Georgia - In The Game High School Sports Magazine

Football or baseball, Ivy League or Division I: Lowndes QB carefully weighs options

Lowndes Vikings quarterback Cole Parker is in an enviable position. He’s the starting quarterback for one of the premier high school football teams in Georgia, if not the nation. Scouts from the Southeastern Conference to the Ivy League are vying for his gridiron talents after he finishes at Lowndes. Equally at home on the baseball field, Parker could also entertain a potential college baseball career.

It’s good to be Cole Parker these days. He is well aware of his privileged position, yet he’s a humble young man who doesn’t seek attention.  Parker wants to win and he’s willing to do whatever it takes for his team to be successful.

Parker is big part of the Vikings game plan and figured prominently in Lowndes’ 10-2 season in 2009. Despite the success of the 2009 campaign, many Lowndes players and fans – Parker included – feel a little empty when looking back at last season. The Vikings finished second in the region (behind Northside-Warner Robins) after going 9-1 in the regular season. They defeated East Coweta, 52-14, in the first round, setting up a big contest against Camden County in Kingsland. The Wildcats narrowly defeated the Vikings, 10-7. They went on to win the state title, defeating two more Region 1-AAAAA teams along the way.

It’s a compliment to be mentioned in the same company as a program of Camden County’s caliber. Still, it’s tough when the two best teams in the state face each other in the second round, forcing one of them to watch the remaining three playoff games from home. Parker and his teammates don’t want that to happen again this year.

“The standard at Lowndes is to win a state championship. I feel like we have the talent this year to do that,” says Parker.

Winning a title would be the perfect way to wrap up his career, one that began six years ago in the Lowndes middle school feeder program. Parker has played football since he was old enough to strap on pads and has been a quarterback for almost his entire career. Throughout middle school, Parker played under center, learning the terminology and how to execute the famed Vikings wing-T attack. He spent ninth grade at Valwood, returning to Lowndes as a sophomore. When he reported for football practice, he remembered the plays and easily reacquainted himself with the wing-T.

But it wasn’t all fun and games. Parker was a bit of an outsider. And outsiders sometimes pay a steep price until they earn their teammates’ respect. Parker was the quarterback on the scout team offense his sophomore year. The first team defense made life miserable for the young signal caller.  Every day, he took hit after hit after hit from some of the state’s best players. Parker never complained and always got back up, no matter how hard he went down. The trial-by-fire forged him into a tough quarterback who earned the respect of his teammates.

Going into last season, Khary Franklin was penciled in as Lowndes’ quarterback. Franklin, a run-first quarterback, had done a very good job under center for the Vikings, but the coaching staff saw something special in Parker. While not physically  overpowering  at  6’2”  and  170  pounds,  Parker

remains calm under pressure, makes excellent decisions in big situations, and has an accurate arm. He also has good speed and isn’t afraid to tuck the ball and run. Parker loves to throw the ball but understands that Lowndes is and always will be a run-first team. Which doesn’t mean he didn’t get the chance to air it out every once in a while. In 2009, Parker made the most of every opportunity. He finished the season completing 46-of-86 passes for 821 yards and 12 touchdowns with only one interception. Parker proved himself a legitimate passing threat. When opposing defenses stacked the box to stop the run, Parker made them pay by going to the air.

The 2010 Lowndes passing attack will be even more formidable. Future Florida State Seminole Tyler Hunter, a defensive back/running back last year, is moving to wide receiver. Hunter is a tall, athletic kid with sure hands. He and Parker have a great relationship and could end up as one of Region 1-AAAAA’s most dangerous quarterback-receiver combinations.

According to Parker’s father, Steve, “Coach McPherson is always good about utilizing the weapons he has. Cole and Tyler will be able to get it done this year. They will keep defenses very honest.”

Despite last season’s early exit from the playoffs, big moments filled the year. Parker’s most memorable game came against crosstown rival Valdosta. The Vikings inflicted a painful 57-15 beating upon the Wildcats in Martin Stadium. Parker completed 5-of-8 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. “We always want to play Valdosta well,” says Parker.

Parker’s intelligence extends beyond the football field. He has been a straight-A student his entire life. His parents wouldn’t have it any other way. “They set that standard for me,” Parker says.  “Academics have always been a priority. It’s not always easy to maintain that average, but I’ve managed to do it.”

The fall and spring are hectic for Parker. He’s either playing football or baseball and often gets home late from practice. He grabs a quick meal then it’s time for homework. “I don’t have much free time. It’s probably harder in baseball because we travel so much more,” says Parker. “But I love playing football and baseball. I’m willing to sacrifice some free time to be able to play.”

Parker’s athletic ability coupled with his exceptional grades have a slew of colleges and universities knocking on his door. He’s heard from East Carolina, Wake Forest, Troy, Mississippi State, Georgia, Florida and Vanderbilt, to name a few. The Ivy League – Dartmouth, Princeton, Harvard, Cornell, and Brown – has also come calling. Parker has yet to decide where he would like to attend college, though Cornell is attractive to him.

“I really like what they are doing with their football program,” says Parker. “Cornell is a strong option but I still don’t know yet.”

Cornell has hired former University of Mississippi offensive coordinator Kent Austin as head coach. A former quarterback with two years of NFL play and 10 in the CFL, Austin was one of the leading passers at Ole Miss and in the CFL before becoming a coach. Cole and his father both feel as though Austin and the Cornell program could be a very good fit for the Lowndes High senior.

“Cole is just 17 years old and he hasn’t figured out what he wants to do yet,” says Steve Parker.  “If it comes down to a tough decision between a big school and an Ivy League school, I would go with the Ivy League. Those schools give you an opportunity to do something with your life after football. Grades are always more important. You are only one play away from never playing football again.”

Parker has options. He’s taking the time to make the best decision for his future. Given his track record of good decisions on the football field and in the classroom, whatever decision Parker makes will likely be the right one.

“He’s a kid of high character,” says Steve Parker. “He doesn’t go out and make stupid decisions. He’s very active in his youth group at church. I’m as proud of his character and his accomplishments off the field as I am of what he’s done on the field.” •

---