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Parrott eager pupil for Slaughter

By: Ward Gossett
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Scott Parrott

Scott Parrott enjoys swimming, hanging out with friends and fishing.

His hobbies, though, have been pushed aside by football, and while he could boast of a 3.97 grade point average, what he’s studying most these days is the Soddy-Daisy playbook.

Parrott returns as the Trojans’ quarterback after a season in which he completed more than 60 percent of his passes, but the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder is determined to do more. Already, for example, if one of the Trojans receivers or backs is out of alignment or runs the wrong route, Parrott joins the offending player in running sprints.

“I have a lot to learn. I’m doing all right, but there is still a lot to remember,” said Parrott, who was pressed into action as a sophomore last season when starter Colby Lewis suffered a broken collarbone in the opener against Red Bank. “I’m learning a lot of footwork and mechanics and I’m still learning the offense, especially what everybody has to do.”

Former Red Bank offensive coordinator E.K. Slaughter is now the Soddy-Daisy head coach.

“His offense is timing and precision, and I’m still getting used to it,” Parrott said. “I’ll be working on the playbook because I want my next practice to be better than my last.”

Slaughter expects his quarterback to know every offensive role and understand the dynamics of field generalship. Jake Ledbetter knew the system almost as well as Slaughter by the time he’d played his final game for Red Bank last fall.

“Yeah, I got spoiled with Jake Ledbetter. Absolutely,” Slaughter said. “Jake was a great quarterback and there are some things Scott can’t yet do that he could, but there are some things I can do with Parrott that I couldn’t with Led.

“Scott has most improved in understanding coverages. He doesn’t miss too many reads. We installed our entire passing game in two weeks, and he has a pretty good grasp. I was impressed with how quickly he picked it up.”

Beyond that, Slaughter said, Parrott has physical attributes for the job.

“The kid has a strong arm. He threw a 30-yard post route the other day, and it was a frozen rope,” the coach said. “I don’t know if he can sling it 60 yards, but he gets it there in a hurry in anything up to 50, and he has the touch when he needs it on the short game. If we give him time to throw, he’ll do some good things.”

Slaughter also said Parrott was a student of the game, which could be a must. Slaughter met every Sunday afternoon with Ledbetter, and the two went over the game tape from the previous week and then looked at the next week’s opponent. Parrott figures he’ll do the same.

“I’ll probably get up and go to church and then go meet with Coach Slaughter,” he said.

Parrott will have help in trying to improve last season’s 2-8 finish.

“We have a new running back coming in, P.J. Hubbard, and Donovan Barnes was our leading receiver last year,” Parrott said. “Hopefully my brother (Greg, a tight end and defensive end) will do all right this year. I know Eddie Richardson will do well in the offensive line. He runs pretty well. And we have a lot of people returning on defense.”

Even with the new coach and new offense, Parrott suggested that the Trojans’ biggest change might be in mindset.

“I think everybody here believes we can have a winning season,” he said, “and the second goal would be making the playoffs.”

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