BY TAYLOR LEHMAN
tlehman@kpcmedia.com
only thing he really lacks.” In his 20 pass attempts last season, Parker completed 12 of them for 149 yards and three touchdowns. He also scored on one rushing touchdown. His primary role, though, was at safety, where he recorded 57 tackles, six pass deflections and a team-high four interceptions. As he makes the move to full-time quarterback, Parker said the prospect of filling some of the most decorated shoes in East Noble history doesn’t intimidate him. “Andrew was a great quarterback, but I’m not going to dwell on the past,” Parker said. “I’m just going to do the best me that I can and do the best things to help the team win as the season goes on.”
CASINGS • BASES • HANDRAILS • PICTURE MOULDINGS • IN STOCK AT AUBURN HARDWOOD MOULDINGS
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CASINGS • BASES • HANDRAILS • PICTURE MOULDINGS • IN STOCK AT AUBURN HARDWOOD MOULDINGS
IN All Sports Football Preview • 2018 • kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.
CASINGS • BASES • HANDRAILS • PICTURE MOULDINGS • IN STOCK AT AUBURN HARDWOOD MOULDINGS
KENDALLVILLE — There’s one question that has followed East Noble head football coach Luke Amstutz all offseason — what will the Knights do to make up for the loss of former quarterback Andrew McCormick? But Amstutz has known for a while what the answer to that question would be, and his decision, he said, has caused him no anxiety. The offense will turn to junior quarterback Bailey Parker, who took 20 pass attempts in 2017, as its next quarterback. “He’s having a few growing pains, as any first-year starter would, but he’s got a lot of talent and he’s worked very hard,” Amstutz said. “He’s going to be excellent. We don’t expect there to be any kind of step back in the passing game.” For Parker, replacing McCormick is no easy task. The former quarterback, now in the Indiana State football program in Terre Haute, demolished every passing record in East Noble’s book, including most passing yards in a career, most touchdown passes in a career and appearing within the top seven in completion percentage during all three seasons he started at varsity. McCormick was also his team’s leading rusher in all three seasons, including an 820-yard mark on the ground in 2017. But his leadership and understanding of the East Noble offense is what Amstutz has repeatedly said will be missed the most. That doesn’t change as Parker begins his stint at quarterback. “The hardest thing to replace with a guy like Andrew is that he was such a force as a leader,” Amstutz said. “He was a guy that understood everything. Bailey is going to have moments where he’s still trying to figure out what he is supposed to do, where a senior like Andrew knew what everybody else was supposed to do. It’s kind of the difference between a senior and a junior in any case.”
Parker has done what would be expected of a quarterback replacing another that was regarded as the best to come through the program. Senior receiver Kaiden Harshberger said he has been working with Parker and the other receivers on timing since before the summer, and Parker said he continues to work before and after practices as well. Standing around 6 feet, 3 inches, tall, Parker has the height for the position, and Amstutz said he doesn’t lack the arm strength or accuracy either. Both Amstutz and Parker said he can run a read-option offense as well and carry the ball when need be. “He just needs to get in there and get in the pocket and get some experience throwing the ball live,” Amstutz said. “That’s probably the CASINGS • BASES • HANDRAILS • PICTURE MOULDINGS • IN STOCK AT AUBURN HARDWOOD MOULDINGS
REPLAY
Knights look to Parker for quarterback production
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