Cashion High School senior Parker Mitchell hits the court as the only returning starter for the Wildcats basketball team this season. Last year he averaged 17.6 points per game and four assists per game, as well as scoring 20 or more points in 15 games.
The Wildcats had a strong run last year with a record of 22-9, ending their season in the state quarterfinals against Dale. Mitchell will look to lead the team to another competitive season along with a great of group players ready to make their mark for the Cashion program. Head coach John Hardaway says that Mitchell will be “one of the top players in Class 2A.”
Mitchell, having played the sport for a decade now, is ready to recreate his favorite moment of his high school career, which was “going to the state tournament and getting to play in the Big House.”
Mitchell’s interest in basketball began as a child, watching highlights of NBA players. Now a senior facing his final season, he has learned that motivation to be his best comes from the feeling of having your hard work pay off. He said that he sees every opponent they face as “a chance to compete and do something great.”
His teammates are another big part of his love of the game, from getting hyped up before a game to music blaring or picking each other up after they fall down.
“They mean the world,” said Mitchell. “They are like a second family. I got their back and I know they got mine.”
Mitchell strives to exemplify good character on and off the court, which in his words means “believing and standing up for who you are and what you want to represent as a person.” This foundation comes from his parents, who he admires as role models.
“I look to both of my parents because they have provided an amazing life for me and we have the strongest relationship I could imagine,” he said.
When basketball is over, Mitchell plans to run track in the spring. He also prioritizes his academics, which showed when he scored a 31 on his ACT. After graduation he plans to attend college somewhere in Oklahoma so he can stay close enough to home.
