Youngsters help Parrish Community record first varsity football win

PARRISH — The Parrish Community High football team faced some extenuating circumstances last week that tested its roster depth and perseverance.

Injuries and illness forced the Bulls to use some young, unproven players in key positions along the offensive line in the fourth quarter of a game that hung in the balance.

Yet, guys like freshman right guard Nick Porter, freshman tight end Ashton Springfield, freshman guard Colin Mitts and sophomore offensive lineman Carter Dietz came through when called upon.

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“These guys were only going to play if this, this and this happens ... and guess what? ... this, this and this happened,” Parrish Community coach Christopher Culton said. “These guys should be playing in the JV game, but with numbers the way they are and the way things played out, they found themselves in a (varsity) football game.”

A football game Parrish Community won.

In fact, the first varsity football game Parrish has ever won. 

The young Bulls helped hold off a late Holiday Anclote charge to preserve the 18-12 victory.

And that is why Culton couldn't help but get emotional after the victory. 

“We finished, we finished four quarters of football,” Culton said. “We had a touchdown called back at a time we could have run away with the game. We had some calls (go against us) and some guys who went down. 

"In the fourth quarter to win the game, we didn’t flinch.”

"It meant we showed up, did what we were supposed to do and we succeeded in what we were supposed to do," Dietz said. "So technically it was a big step forward. Winning is hard. It's really hard to win games. It looks easier than it is. So winning a game like that means a lot to me."

For Mitts, it felt great contribute. "It felt really great because I felt like I was part of the team. After this game, I felt like I did something for my team. I was not expecting to play. I expected to be a backup, standing on the sidelines and watching the plays."

And when his number was called? "I was really nervous. I didn't know what to expect from the other team. I persevered and we won."

And the manner in which the Bulls won — using numerous backups and young players — was just as important as the fact that they won.  

"We needed that feeling," Mitts said. "We know what it feels like now."

“Oh yes, all wins aren’t the same,” Culton said. “There has to be a start. This was the start. This was special.”

Culton knows just how special first hand. In his first and only season as head coach at Lakewood Ranch High, the Mustangs went 0-10. 

He then went to fledgling North River High, before it was rernamed Parrish Community, where he knew wins would be hard to come by early on.

Without spring practice or a summer training program last year thanks to COVID-19, Parrish went 0-6 in its first full varsity season. 

This season, the Bulls began the season in prime position to defeat Davenport, but a fumble return for a touchdown with 2 minutes, 12 seconds remaining in regulation led to a 14-8 loss stretching Culton’s personal losing streak to 17.

“I truly believe you are what your record is, no matter how good you are or how bad you are," Culton said. "We did everything we could to win the first game in the season, but we also fumbled the ball with 2 minutes and 12 seconds left in the game. We can’t do that.”

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Against Anclote, the Bulls had a strip and fumble recovery of their own. So maybe it was a live-and-learn lesson. 

“Going into (the Anclote game) we found ourselves in a situation where we were going against a team that had more seniors than we did, but we had to find a way to win,” Culton said. “I told the kids we have to keep building and respect the process. You win games on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, not Friday night.”

"We found we needed to work harder, practice harder and communicate which I feel we were lacking in past games," Dietz said.

And with the youngsters along the offensive line and guys like freshmen defensive lineman Jordan Radkey, fullback Ben Biasini, linebackers Javon Moss and Gate Cameron and cornerback Bryson Bender getting varsity on-the-job experience, Culton’s and the Bulls first win was even more rewarding. 

The Bulls will continue to grow. For now, Parrish Community’s roster is capped at 71 players because the school ran out of shoulder pads and helmets — “We have more guys who want to play than we have equipment for them,” Culton said.

Of those 71, just four are seniors.

In turn, there are a large number of underclassmen receiving valuable varsity experience, which may be just as important as the program gears up for victory No. 2 and beyond.

WEEK 4

FRIDAY'S GAMES

Akelynn’s Angels Christian at Bayshore, 7 p.m.

Jones at IMG National, 7 p.m. 

First Baptist at Cardinal Mooney, 7 p.m.

Port Charlotte at Bishop Verot, 7 p.m.

Southeast at Braden River, 7:30 p.m. 

Indian Rocks Christian at Bradenton Christian, 7 p.m.

Charlotte at Dunbar, 7:30 p.m.

Gulf Coast at Lakewood Ranch, 7 p.m.

Manatee at Palmetto, 7:30 p.m.

Palmetto Ridge at North Port, 7:30 p.m.

Parrish at Seminole Osceola, 7:30 p.m.

Sebring at Riverview, 7:30 p.m. 

Venice at Sarasota, 7:30 p.m. 

IMG Varsity at Delray Beach American Heritage, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY'S GAME 

Lemon Bay at DeSoto County, 7:30 p.m.

Dennis Maffezzoli is the deputy sports editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and chief reporter for Sarasota Herald-Tribune and HTpreps covering Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Support local journalism by subscribing.