Records are made to be broken, but the ongoing onslaught by West Rowan’s K.P. Parks should stand the test of time.
Parks should see his own kids suit up before he sees his Rowan records broken.
Maybe his grandkids.
If you’re scoring at home along with Common Sense, the latest numbers on Parks, who is a junior, are 5,318 rushing yards, 74 TDs and 448 points.
When Boyden’s Ken Owen thundered for an unheard of 144 points in the 1952 regular season to lead the state in scoring, he established a county record that lasted 42 years until West’s Lamont Smith topped him in 1994.
Point totals keep escalating. Counting the playoffs, West’s Wade Moore produced 199 points in 2005.
Parks, with the aid of a pair of two-point conversions, scored 202 points in 2007 to top Moore.
Parks already has 108 points this season.
In fairness to past county greats, it should be noted the statistical environment is much different now.
Eleven-game regular seasons, the expansion of the playoffs to include just about everyone and freshmen playing varsity ball are factors conducive to breaking records.
When you examine career passing numbers, keep in mind North’s Mitch Ellis (second in county history) threw for 5,581 yards in just two years (1993-94).
Salisbury’s mid-1970s standout Leonard Atkins is 14th on the county’s all-time rushing list with 2,578 yards, but there haven’t been 13 backs who were better.
Atkins did what he did in 23 varsity games while competing in one of the state’s best leagues. The Hornets didn’t have any cakewalks against Thomasville, Lexington, A.L. Brown, Concord, Asheboro and Statesville.
Parks, assuming he stays healthy, will break the state record for carries. He’s already toted the mail 733 times. NCHSAA record-holder Anthony Saunders rushed 1,132 times for two schools in the 1990s.
Parks is credited with 30 100-yard games going into tonight’s contest. Maiden’s Tommy Henry, who produced 44 100-yard games holds the state record, but not for much longer.
Parks isn’t going to catch Albemarle’s T.A. McLendon, who scored a mind-boggling 178 TDs, but he can pass A.L. Brown legend Nick Maddox, who’s third on the all-time TD chart with 103.
Ragsdale’s Toney Baker put up a staggering 10,241 rushing yards to set a state record. McLendon and Henry are the only others credited with more than 7,000 yards. Parks is headed for exclusive company.
The NCHSAA record book is full of fun facts.
You probably knew Mooresville and Lake Norman played the longest game in history (seven OTs) in 2006, but did you know old Gumberry High in Northampton County lost 59 straight games in the 1970s?
Or that Independence’s Chris Leak threw for 15,593 yards? Or that the late Frank Barger, who grew up near China Grove, ranks second on the state’s coaching wins list with 273?
The Rowan schools, A.L. Brown and Davie County have contributed often to the state record book and not always positively.
Davie put North Davidson’s aerial duo of Daniel Light and Chris Noble on the map and in the record book in 2002.
Brown’s zero first downs in a frozen 3A championship-game loss against Tarboro in 1984 has been tied but won’t be topped.
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The picks were 12-2 last week to boost the season mark to 44-14.
Common Sense sees North breaking through, West extending its county win streak to 27 and Salisbury ending a three-year skid against West Davidson.
A.L. Brown is off tonight.
North 14, E. Davidson 13North’s Ken Beck caught 19 passes in a game with Davie in 1966, a state record at the time and still the second-highest total in history.
North’s J.R. Neely made five TD catches against East Rowan in 1997, one fewer than the state record.
No one’s going to catch 19 balls or five TDs tonight, but the Cavs also won’t throw eight picks, as they did to tie a state record in a 1997 playoff game against Bandys.
Salisbury 24, W. Davidson 17Hornets should end the jinx, but we say that every year.
South 20, East 7East has Ben DeCelle, but it could also use Johnny Yarbrough. Yarbrough amassed 2,862 receiving yards from 1968-70. It was a state record in 1970, and he still ranks 14th on the list.
West 35, Carson 7Carson’s Daniel Yates has two kickoff returns for TDs this season and needs a third to tie a state record. Yates should get plenty of chances tonight. Parks and his pals score frequently.
Salisbury’s Desmond Adams ran back three kickoffs for TDs in 1994 to share the state mark.
Davie 49, W. Forsyth 48 (OT)Should refer to the War Eagles as Avie, because the D has been missing.
But that offense? Wow.
Statesville 20, NW Cabarrus 14At home, the Trojans have a shot.
In other CCC games: Lexington 48, Providence Grove 14; Ledford 28, Central Davidson 13
NPC: Mooresville 35, Lake Norman 14; West Iredell 28, North Iredell 7.
CPC: Mount Tabor 31, R.J. Reynolds 21; North Forsyth 20, North Davidson 17.
SPC: Sun Valley 40, Concord 17; Anson 34, Porter Ridge 14; Hickory Ridge 21, Marvin Ridge 14; Parkwood 24, Piedmont 7.