MORGRET: Parker's determination inspires Blue Streaks

SANDUSKY — Sandusky coach Jamaris Brown had to pause for more than just a moment. Choked up with emotion, Brown was still soaking in what he just witnessed as Landon Parker hauled in a game-winning touchdown as time expired. As I was making my way down the field last Friday night, I watched as the Blue Streaks celebrated around Parker. It was obvious who I needed to talk to, but then I was stopped on the field by someone. "Just wait until you hear the story about the kid that just caught that ball. Just wait." New to the area, I won't even lie, I didn't even know the name of No. 6 who caught the ball. I asked the person to give me a quick 30-second recap. Not only did Parker just make the play of his life — you know, the kind you dream of growing up — but he did it with an injured knee that will require surgery Wednesday. It was an injury Brown and Sandusky knew about coming into the season, but Parker went as far as he could this season. Barring a change or U-turn, the touchdown catch was the final play of Parker's high school football career. Sure, Parker and the Blue Streaks have huge goals this season, but in the moment nothing else mattered to anyone on the field. Parker was the hero of the night, even if he was playing on one leg. Once I made my way to Parker and then Brown, you could sense the emotions. The touchdown gave Sandusky a crucial, much-needed league win before it faces Perkins this week. "It means the world," said Parker while trying to catch his breath after being mobbed by teammates. "Playing with my brothers all four of these years has been great. My last game here, I enjoyed it. I ended with my first touchdown on varsity. I appreciate everything. I appreciate my coaches and my teammates." The biggest thing I took away from Parker was he wasn't really ready for surgery. He planned to be at practice Monday and Tuesday this week and back out rooting on his teammates Friday when they make the short drive across town to Campbell Street to take on the Pirates. The win was Sandusky's fifth in a row after starting the season 0-3. Parker epitomized the fight the Blue Streaks have right now. "Our drive is going good," Parker said. "I'm pretty sure next week they're going to work harder. If I go out, they're going to do it for me. I'm going to make sure Monday and Tuesday that I'm here to push them. I'm going to put my pads on still and be with the team. On Friday, I'll be out there rooting them on and coaching them through it." What Parker did — not only for himself, but his teammates, fans, school, friends and coaches — is so rare these days. Parker stuck it out and played on an injured leg. A lot of teenage kids would rather take it easy and play video games or scroll social media on their cell phones — we've all seen the declining participation levels at many area schools — but Parker put others above himself by sacrificing for the betterment of Sandusky Blue Streaks football. What Parker pushed through — the agony, the pain, the knowing it's his final go-round — was awe-inspiring. Brown has watched Parker improve year by year to the point where he was trusted to make perhaps thee biggest play of Sandusky's season to date. "He worked his tail off," Brown said. "He started for me when he was a sophomore and started for me as a junior. He was having a great career and then the injury. Tonight, it just seems like the Lord was watching over him and helped him go out the right way." The win catapulted Sandusky up to ninth in the Division II, Region 6 computer rankings. The top eight teams in each region host a playoff game when the postseason begins Nov. 1. A win over Perkins with Parker coaching on the sideline would go a long way to helping that case. "I appreciate everybody," Parker said. "They pushed me through and kept me going and pushed my surgery back a little longer." Parker had just one catch for seven yards this season entering the Clyde game and that came in a Week 5 win over Vermilion. Even if his high school career has come to an end, there will always be the remembrance of what his last memory of walking off the field will be like. "It's a touching moment for me right now. I'm just watching these kids grow," Brown said. "You see these kids grow, and for him to end it on a high note, it's just amazing." Parker will find a new role on the team while recovering from surgery. What the future holds is uncertain, but Brown knows one thing for sure. "He's still a leader on the team and respected," Brown said. "Just because he had surgery doesn't mean he's not part of us. We expect him to lead us and give us whatever he can. If it's encouraging words, we'll take it. If it's a suggestion, we'll take it. "I respect his opinion as a person. I'm very happy for him to go out like that."