Olympus basketball: Parker Rawlings profile

In late April, I interviewed Parker Rawlings. He transferred from Skyline to Olympus. I had been looking forward to this interview, particuarly after covering the Oly-Skyline basketball game earlier in the season. This was one of the highlights - for me - of all the interviews I did during the year. Oh, and here's the story that will appear in Oly's basketball yearbook.

Parker

Rawlings:

He welcomed the change from Skyline

and made an impact in every sport

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             Parker Rawlings didn’t have any regrets about his high school athletic career.

            He was a three-sport athlete, a rangy wide receiver in football, a 6-foot-7 forward with exceptional three-point shooting skills in basketball and – in baseball – a strong-armed pitcher for the Olympus Titans.
            And almost all of it didn’t happen – at least at Olympus.
            Olympus coach Matt Barnes was happy at the outcome.
            “Will (Cannon) and Parker were our strengths,” he said. “They were a big part of our success. They put forth a tremendous effort and gave us a memory of  lifetime.”
            A few years back, Rawlings was a three-sport athlete and was excited to follow of his baseball-playing friends to Wasatch Junior High, and then on to Skyline, Oly’s primary rival and a school with an impressive sports program.
            Later, as a 6-foot-6-junior, he tried out for the varsity basketball team and, since the Eagles had nobody even close to his height, it seemed likely he would make the team.
            Coach Bernie Graziano had other ideas. Rawlings was shocked and, at semester break, moved to Olympus.
            “I’d always been going to Barnes’ camps and I lived in Olympus’s boundaries,” Rawlings said. “I called coach Barnes and he said he would give me a shot. I didn’t go to any basketball games that year. It hurt too much.”
            Rawlings spent 1½ years at Olympus – and he said he’ll always consider himself a Titan. During that time, he made a huge difference on the football, basketball and baseball teams.
           In football, he played wide receiver. He had just one catch (for 19 yards) on a Titan team that finished 9-2, won the Region 7 title, and advanced to the 4A state playoff quarterfinals.
            Basketball, however, was his most impressive impact.
            “The whole season was a highlight,” Rawlings said. “The East game when we came back was one of my favorites, and I hit a buzzer-beater against Bountiful.”
            Playing Skyline, however, was the ultimate thrill.
            In the first game, the Titans played Skyline on their home court. Rawlings had five points and – in his words – played a “terrible game” and they lost, 59-52.
            “I thought I lost it for us, but the team picked me up,” he said. “I went home and talked to my mom. She used to play basketball and she made me feel better.”
            Three weeks later was the rematch and everyone knew how important the game would be.
            Rawlings, Nick Barney, Jake Bengtzen and Coulson Hardy combined for nine three-pointers in a 54-45 victory. Rawlings had four of them and Oly made four straight treys in the third quarter while eventually building a 24-point margin.
            “The first game against Skyline prepared me for the second game,” Rawlings said. “I had never played before and the atmosphere really shell-shocked me.
            “At Skyline, there was something in the atmosphere and I never felt as good. I could jump higher and it felt like it was going to be a great day.”
            Cannon, who scored 15 points that night but was fouled hard several times, said there were two games going on – the actual game and the one within Rawlings.
            “Everyone on our team was rooting for him,” he said.
            Skyline coach Derek Bunting, who took over when Graziano went to Granger, recognized the storyline afterward. Shaking his head, he said the Titans were just “having one of those nights.”
            “They shot lights out,” he said. “Bernie never should have cut Rawlings. That decision killed us tonight. I’m sure he (Rawlings) is enjoying this.”
            That victory put Olympus and Skyline into a first-place tie and the Titans eventually won the region four days later when they beat Murray and the Eagles lost to Herriman.
            That seed put the Titans into position to win three straight state tournament games and advance to the final. The multi-talented Rawlings said that experience was one of the best parts of his high-school career.
            After graduation, Rawlings said he planned to play basketball or baseball and go on an LDS Church mission. He’ll have great stories to tell.