Sean Patrick Bowley, Ct. Post Staff Writer
March 20, 2010
UNCASVILLE -- For years Central coach Barry McLeod has tried to bridle a wild horse.
But for as long as he's been a member of the Central boys basketball team, Jerome Parkins just couldn't be tamed.
"That's what he is," McLeod said. "And that's who he is. If he has any fault at all, it's that he plays too hard sometimes, maybe a little too out of control."
McLeod is fine and dandy with his star 6-foot-3 forward now, for it was Parkins' unbridled passion that brought a state trophy back to Bridgeport and made McLeod a state championship coach once again.
"When you have Parkins on the floor, he's a special kind of guy," McLeod said. "I get phone calls all the time from people who want to doubt.
"They say, can this kid play? I say, look, come and see him play. All I can tell you is I know he's only 6-3, but he's going to do some things that 6-3 guys you've haven't seen do before."
Saturday night was one of those nights.
The game was spiraling out of control when Parkins, playing with four fouls, grabbed the Hilltoppers and slung them over his back.
"McLeod turned to me and said, `You want to win this right? Go out there and win it," Parkins said. "That gave me all the confidence I needed.
"I just went out there and played my game. I did what I do best."
Down two with 3:35 remaining, Parkins stripped Hillhouse's Andre Anderson at midcourt and drove strong to the lane. Not only did Parkins make the basket to tie the game, he drew the fifth and final foul on Hillhouse star guard Freddy Wilson -- who had been killing the Hilltoppers the entire second half -- and knocked him out of the game.
"That was a big deal," McLeod said. "Without Freddy, they lost their leadership out there and calming influence. You can't lose a guy like that and stay on the same track."
Seconds after canning the go-ahead foul shot that put Central ahead for good, Parkins did it again. He stripped Brian Patterson at midcourt and drove in for another layup that put Central ahead three amid bedlam at Mohegan Sun Arena.
"He makes a couple of steals at halfcourt, he makes a layup and turned the whole game around," McLeod said.
By the time Parkins fouled out diving for a loose ball with Hillhouse's Jengodji Gates with 1:49 remaining, he had added another rebound and a foul shot to his 19-point, 15-rebound night to remember.
"Jerome plays like an animal," said fellow Central senior Khris Colon. "He's all over the floor. Defensively. Offensively. Rebounding.
"And he gave us a great spark. Just by him doing that he helped us out so much, you just can't explain Jerome."
Though some concern crept into McLeod's head when Parkins' night finally ended, he didn't have to worry.
The senior's inspiring performance had given the Hilltoppers the boost they needed to finish off the game.
As he headed to the bench, Parkins recalled fellow senior Diontay Washington turning to him and saying, "I'm going to do this for you."
"I said, `Let's do it, then,'" said Parkins, holding his 18-month old daughter, Ashanti, in his arms. "We've wanted to win this title since our freshman year. We wanted to do it as seniors and that's what we did.
"I'm so proud of my teammates, I'm proud of coach McLeod -- he pushed me to be a beast -- and I just tried to become a leader on the court."
And now, a state champion.
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