Garrett Parish’s soccer profile is growing.
The Caledonia High School senior’s play at midfielder and defender has helped him earn a reputation for being one of the area’s most versatile players.
Parish solidified that status in the summer when he was one of 68 players named to the Region III Boys 1999 Olympic Development Programs Trials Pool. Starkville High’s Vance Dewberry also was named to the squad, which is made up of players from the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas (North and South). The players took part in a five-day camp in July in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
“I never thought that would have happened,” said Parish, who moved from Arizona to Mississippi prior to the start of his ninth-grade year. “The soccer in Arizona is just like a different level. The Region IV team, which is made up of payers from Arizona and California, they are the best teams every year in the national tournament. They win it all. Moving here, I didn’t think my soccer would be like it is, but I guess it is.”
Parish received more proof about the maturation of his soccer skills last month when he signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer at Itawamba Community College in Fulton. Today, he and his Caledonia High teammates will play host to Kosciusko in a match that kicks off the first full week of the 2016-17 Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) soccer season.
Parish has been playing soccer since he started playing soccer at 4 or 5 years old. He played club soccer in Tupelo for his first two years in the state before moving to Starkville, where he played with the Impact Soccer Club 99 squad.
Mark Farmer coached Parish as a member of the Impact Soccer Club 99 squad. Farmer also served as the director of coaching for the Starkville Soccer Association.
Parish said Farmer moved him from center midfielder to center back. He said it was the first time he played that position.
“I was like, ‘Coach, I have never played back here,’ ” Parish recalls telling Farmer. “I didn’t know what to do. I started playing on the outside and he moved me inside. He said I played the best he has seen anybody play there, so I just kept doing what I was doing.”
Parish said he learned more and more about the position as he saw more time there. He credits Farmer and Shane Howard, who was an assistant coach at William Carey who coached him with the Mississippi ODP team, for helping him feel comfortable playing that position.
Farmer said he felt Parish’s technique, dribbling skills, one-on-one ability, passing, and vision would be great assets to have in the back. He said Parish’s attacking skills turned out to be just as valuable when he was a defender.
“He is a great defender,” Farmer said. “His ability allows him to be very coachable. He has a great attitude. He has the ability to tell himself to do something so he is not afraid to try it.”
Dewberry, whose Starkville team will play today at St. Andrew’s, also started playing soccer when he was 4. He said he has played club soccer for the Tupelo Futbol Club (five years), the Impact Football Club, and for the Mississippi Rush in Jackson. Dewberry has seen action as center defensive midfielder and outside back. He said he, too, has had to adjust to playing more defense after Farmer moved him to outside back.
“I give 100 percent every time I am playing no matter what position I am playing,” Dewberry said. “I get switched around all of the time, so I am used to playing new positions.”
Dewberry said that versatility helped him in the ODP process. He said coaches liked his ability to be a contributor at multiple position and that his versatility was his strength. He hopes to showcase that trait in his final prep season to attract the attention of college coaches.
“I think (his versatility) really helped me get a spot on the region pool team,” Dewberry said. “I was beyond happy. It was great to hear just to get feedback to see that they noticed it. I want to use it to get exposure.”
Farmer, who recently returned to the United States after a trip to Europe to learn about soccer, said there are more players in the state of Mississippi who can compete with the best in the nation. He said those players need to be given the opportunity to shine, just like Parish and Dewberry.
“There are people with the skill and at the level of Garrett and Vance,” Farmer said. “There are people who have great attitude and work ethic. They need the right venue to showcase their desire and ability. They just need the right person to lead them and the right ability to take the right risk.”
n Caledonia (girls) 2, Corinth 0: Blair Ward and Clara Allen scored goals Saturday to lead the Lady Confederates.
Lizzie Truelock and Claire Benson had assists. Maggie Norton and Kaydence Sudduth split time in goal for the shutout.
Jane Claire Newman scored in the junior varsity game, but Caledonia lost 2-1.
n Also Saturday, the New Hope High girls beat Columbus 1-0 on a goal by Reagan Greenhaw off an assist by Maddie Beard.
Tyra Curry scored off an assist from Skylar Banks in a 4-1 loss to Amory.
Christi Godfrey scored off an assist from Erika Edwards in the junior varsity team’s 1-0 victory against Neshoba Central.
The New Hope High boys beat Columbus 2-0 on goals by Connor Rose and Bryan Vogel. Marc Juanico had an assist. Rose scored in a 1-1 tie against Amory.
In junior varsity action, New Hope beat Neshoba central 1-0 on a goal by Trey Parnell (assist by Levi Howard).
Jacob Wilson and Howard had goals in the JV team’s second win of the day, a 3-0 decision.
Prep Basketball
n Starkville Academy (boys) 58, Columbus Christian 53: At Starkville, Codie Futral had 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and seven steals Monday to lead the Volunteers.
Reid Stevens had eight points, six rebounds and three assists, while Trey Tyler added eight points. Brady Richardson had six points and six rebounds. Raegan Richardson had six points and four assists.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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