Notes: Parker does it all, Bowman set to return
When Kelvin Parker won the YAIAA Division I/II player of the year award last season, he averaged 16.7 points per game. That was barely good enough to lead William Penn's team, and not even in the top five among players in the YAIAA. It didn't matter. Parker's game can't be measured by a box score. William Penn's do-it-all senior does, well, it all. If you watched the Bearcats' 54-51 semifinal win against Central York last night, you know what I'm talking about. Parker's 18 points were crucial, for sure. But he shot just 4-for-13 in the second half. After the first quarter, Parker's jumper wasn't really falling. The rest of the stat line, though, is where Parker separates himself from just about every player in the county. He can dominate a game, even when he's not scoring. Parker's line last night (according to my numbers): 11 rebounds, seven blocks, six steals and four assists. Perhaps the most amazing part? Watching the game, I was surprised some of those numbers weren't higher. Parker was everywhere. He caused back-to-back steals to start the third quarter, one of those leading to a booming one-handed dunk. Minutes later, he rejected two Central York shots within the span of about three seconds. Late in the fourth, his active hands helped cause a key turnover when it looked like the Panthers might go ahead. And on the game's most important possession, Parker blocked Ricky Mosely's step-back 3-point attempt with 4.9 seconds remaining to help preserve the Bearcats' 52-49 lead. Before the play, Parker asked to switch out and guard Mosley. "I could see it in his eyes he wasn't going to score," Bearcats coach Troy Sowers said. It will be interesting to see where Parker ends up playing next year. The consensus right now seems to be that he'll go Division II -- Seton Hill was at Red Lion to watch Parker last night -- where his 6-foot-4 body and jump-out-of-the-gym athleticism could make him a nightmare to deal with. You never know though. Parker hinted last night he's in no hurry to make a commitment. For now, he's too busy spearheading his own team's playoff run. With all the plays that can't be measured by a box score. BOWMAN SET TO RETURN Central York junior sharpshooter Tremaine Bowman should return to the Panthers' lineup for its District 3 Class AAAA play-in game against Lebanon on Saturday, Central coach Marty Hasenfuss said. Bowman, who is averaging 13.2 points per game, has missed seven games since being ruled academically ineligible. We'll see how Central fits him back in. The Panthers went 6-1 in Bowman's absence by placing a renewed emphasis on pounding the ball inside to forwards Ricky Mosley, Kyle Wisner and Spencer Ortmyer. Central probably hasn't attempted more than a dozen 3s since Bowman was ruled out. Still, you have to think getting back a shooter of Bowman's caliber (he's made 30 of Central's 42 3-pointers) will help the Panthers going forward. FIVE ON THE FLOOR There was a neat moment, I thought, during last night's the league semifinal game between Eastern York and Dallastown. At one point in the second quarter, there were five Division I athletes on the floor at the same time. They were: Eastern's Austin Tillotson (Monmouth, basketball), Andrew Nicholas (Monmouth, basketball) and Ryky Smith (Penn State, baseball); along with Dallastown's Four McGlynn (Vermont, basketball) and Ben Kline (Penn State, football). Maybe it's trivial, but find me the last time five athletes from the York-Adams area shared a court -- or a field or a diamond or a track or a pool -- together at the same time.