Ryan Parker has had a lacrosse stick in his hand since he was about seven years old. Now a senior at Vance Charter, that experience has paid off as the Knights went to the state playoffs this season compiling a 13-6 record. With 116 points on the season, Parker finished as one of the top scorers in the state. He started playing in his yard with his brother and credits him along with his coaches Dan and Dennis Sandlin for his love of the game and to his success.
The road has not always been an easy one. During his freshmen year, Vance Charter didn’t have enough players to field a team and during his sophomore year the Knights only had the opportunity to play in four games before cv-19 caused the team, like many others, to close up shop. During Parker’s junior year, fall sports were pushed to spring and that meant Parker was playing and practicing lacrosse and soccer at the same time, but all of that hard work paid off in his senior year with the Knights making the state lacrosse playoffs. “It was our best season,” Parker said. “The team bonded. We have a sense of brotherhood,” Parker added.
Parker is hoping to eventually become part of a Division I program and would love to go to Jacksonville University, but for now he will be heading to ECU in the fall and is planning to play club lacrosse. Parker will majoring in marketing and sales.
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