When the Dickinson Gators come to mind, most automatically think about the defensive side of the ball. At the very least, that’s been the case over the past few years, especially in 2016. The Gators locked down stellar Friendswood quarterback Tyler Page last season, holding him to 16 points. The most points anyone scored on them was 23, done by Clear Springs in an October district game.
However, for the past two seasons, the Gators have run into the brick wall of North Shore. In 2015 the Gators fell in the quarterfinals to the Mustangs, this past year they fell in the second round. Getting out of that Houston area is no easy feat, and it makes receiver Montel Parker thankful for that world-class defense. “In practice, we make each other better,” Parker said. “They bust us up, we bust them up, most times they get the best of us, but that’s all good.”
Parker, who is committed to Texas A&M, has played all over the field. As a sophomore in 2015, he had serious playing time at both wide receiver and running back. As a junior, he added quarterback to that list, throwing for 385 yards and four touchdowns. He’s only 6’2 but plays much taller, and one has to wonder how good he could be if he could focus on only one position.
The Gators made the quarterfinals in 2014 and 2015, but failed to make it past the second round. When asked what it’s going to take to get back, Parker was very candid. “Conditioning. Conditioning. We beat ourselves in the playoffs last year. So we don’t need to change nothing, just work on conditioning.”
The road to get back to those same heights will be daunting. That area of Texas isn’t kind in the early rounds of the playoffs, there’s serious potential for any team to lose at any time, regardless of who they play. Parker is realistic about the situation as he outlines Dickinson’s goals for the upcoming season. “Win district. Practice on Thanksgiving. Go to State,” he said.
The last part is a tall order, but with Parker back, Dickinson will be favored to do the first two. The Gators will open their season with Fort Bend Elkins on Thursday, August 31st.
Brought to you by:
