So last Thursday I drove over to Parkway North High around 4 PM, right when their football practice starts. Wanted to see who was actually making noise on the field this season. Coach Henderson usually lets folks watch if they stay clear of the drills. Parked myself near the sidelines, thermos of coffee in hand.
First Impressions & Talking to the Coach
You can’t miss Jackson Murphy, man. That kid is huge – like, grown-man huge – playing defensive tackle. He was tossing blockers aside like they were rag dolls. Once practice wrapped, I caught Coach Henderson before he bolted to meetings. Asked him straight up who stood out early. He gave me that gruff coach smile. “Murphy’s getting Division I looks,” he said, nodding toward the field. “But watch number 10, Leo Chen. Sophomore QB. Kid’s got ice in his veins.” Noted that down real quick.
Digging Deeper & Finding Star Players
Just asking the coach ain’t enough though. Spent Friday chatting up parents hanging around the booster table selling merch, and some folks who never miss a game. Heard the same names pop up:
- Jackson Murphy (#76, D-Tackle): Everyone talks about his strength. Parents say colleges are mailing him daily.
- Leo Chen (#10, QB): Kept hearing “calm” and “accurate.” Sophomore starting varsity QB? Big deal.
- Marcus “Deuce” Robinson (#21, Running Back): His speed came up constantly. One dad laughed, “See him hit the hole? Gone like the wind.”
- Ethan Cole (#5, Wide Receiver): Couple people mentioned his hands. “Best catcher we’ve had in years,” said a longtime booster.
- Samira Jones (#88, Linebacker): Got a name-drop from a player’s mom. “Samira? She’s everywhere, tackles everything.” Saw her chasing down running backs later – she moves.
Putting it Together & Double-Checking
Saturday morning, I sat with my messy notes and coffee stains. My list seemed solid but needed confirmation. Called Coach Henderson again, left a message. Checked the school’s online roster (won’t link it, obviously, but you know where to look). Spelling names right matters! Murphy, Chen, Robinson, Cole, Jones – all there. Also saw Ryan Foster on the roster, a big lineman folks mentioned protecting Chen. Added him to the watch list.
After practice yesterday, spotted Assistant Coach Daniels. Ran the names by him. “You got the key ones,” he nodded. “Murphy anchors the line, Deuce rips off chunks, Cole’s got glue hands, Jones brings the heat. Chen? Just needs reps. Foster’s crucial too.” That sealed it for me.
So yeah, took some legwork – driving out, watching, listening, asking different folks, checking the info – but this seems like the core group making waves for Parkway North this year:
- Jackson Murphy (Senior, DL): The anchor. Beast.
- Leo Chen (Sophomore, QB): Cool head, big arm. Future star?
- Marcus “Deuce” Robinson (Junior, RB): Pure speed.
- Ethan Cole (Senior, WR): Reliable hands.
- Samira Jones (Junior, LB): Tackling machine.
- Ryan Foster (Junior, OL): Protecting the QB.
This is what I learned by actually being out there this week. Excited to see how they perform when the season kicks off!