Parker erupts for 43, hits program record
No matter how hard you try, there are some things you can't plan for. For example, who could have expected William Penn's Kelvin Parker -- who needed 42 points to break the program scoring record -- to drop 43 Friday is an otherwise unappealing matchup against Division I strugglers Spring Grove. So while I wasn't there to witness Parker's outburst Friday night, I was lucky enough to catch the 6-foot-4 senior and Bearcats' coach Troy Sowers on the phone shortly after the game. Suffice to say, Parker's performance was one few will forget. The defending YAIAA Division I/II player of the year finished 16-of-22 from the field, including 14-of-15 from inside the 3-point arc, and snatched down 14 rebounds. He scored 28 points in the second half. Even better, Parker was able to do it all on senior night. "That meant a lot to me," Parker said. "I really wanted to do it at home. I knew we were going to have a lot of fans and people were going to be supporting me, especially since it was a senior night and my last game at home. "I was still thinking it was a possibility (at halftime), but at the same time, I was thinking 'I'm not going to get there.'" Parker got there, dropping 18 points in the third quarter and 10 more in the fourth. He broke the record on a reverse layup with 2:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. Parker passed former record-holder Scott Doll's mark of 1,272 points, set in 1993. "I still a feel a little numb right now, after it's all been done for about an hour here," William Penn coach Troy Sowers said. "I think the York High fans for the last three years have been really spoiled to see such a tremendous basketball player. As a starter on this basketball team, he's 76-10. "He's just a tremendous team player, and tonight was a chance for his teammates to give him the ball. ... Kelvin has a special place in my heart forever. He knows how much he means to me and how much I have his back."