JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Spring football is in full swing and the News4Jax sports team is making stops at high schools across the area in its annual Spring Swing tour.
Char-ron Dorsey is ready for more.
After bringing Parker a district championship in 2019, the encore wasn’t nearly as successful as the Braves slipped to a 2-6 season and lost their playoff opener.
Of course, nothing was normal last year, with quarantines and game cancellations the norm for high schools in the midst of the pandemic.
But Dorsey believes that Parker’s ceiling during a normal year is closer to its performance in 2019 than it was last season. And that’s what Dorsey, who is entering his fourth season with the Braves, is pointing toward.
The Braves went 7-3 in 2019 and won their first district championship since 2000 that season. It brought football alumni back and infused the Arlington school with an excitement that had been missing for nearly two decades. Dorsey felt just what that season did for the Parker community and thinks the Braves are headed in the right direction.
“Just having that feeling back at Terry Parker is a great feeling,” Dorsey said.
Dorsey said that the Braves endured some graduation losses, but the returnees give Parker a very good foundation to build on. The Braves have roughly 20 players who started or saw significant playing time returning. One of those players is quarterback Roman Doles, a rising junior who is positioned to be one of Parker’s biggest recruits in the last 20 years. Two-way player Damani Dent, Parker’s leading tackler in 2020, is also back for the Braves.
“I think we’re ready to take that next step. It’s always a challenge every day just being at football but at the end of the day I think this group of guys are ready to play, and ready to compete. That’s what Terry Parker’s all about and we’re ready to compete,” Dorsey said.
Parker 2021 football schedule
Aug. 27, Lee at Parker
Sept. 3, Fletcher at Parker
Sept. 10, Parker at Wolfson
Sept. 17, Yulee at Parker*
Sept. 24. Stanton at Parker
Oct. 1, Raines at Parker*
Oct. 8, Parker at Menendez
Oct. 15, Parker at Ribault*
Oct. 22, University Christian at Parker
Oct. 29, Parker at White
Nov. 5, OFF