East Grand’s Parker a leader on and off court

Darius Parker has had a long and successful basketball career at East Grand School in Danforth.

So long and successful, in fact, that some fans can’t believe he’s still playing.

“Sometimes I hear it, but this is my fourth year starting varsity, so I guess that’s why,” said Parker.

Indeed, Parker is one of the region’s basketball elder statesmen and one of the main reasons the Vikings have been one of Eastern Maine Class D’s top teams for the past four seasons

As a freshman in 2001, the Wytopitlock product earned All-Eastern D tournament honors by averaging 20.3 points per game as East Grand its first-ever regional title.

He went on to score 25 points in the state final as the Vikings fell to Valley of Bingham 90-81.

“During that season I didn’t do a whole lot,” Parker said. “I was running the point, but starting in the tournament the focus was on [1,500-point scorer] James [Godley], so I got a lot more freedom. I had open shots, and I had to knock them down.”

One constant Parker has carried from that Bangor Auditorium baptism into his senior season is his ability to get to the free-throw line.

During the 2001 tournament, Parker made 27 of 30 free throws.

Last year, he made 100 of 139 free throws, or 72 percent, in 21 games, and Parker is off to a similar start this winter.

“Darius is mentally tough,” said sixth-year East Grand coach Troy Cilley. “You can put Darius on the line a thousand times, and before he goes he’ll tell you, ‘I’m gonna make all thousand.’ Everyone stresses that confidence is a big part of free throws and I believe it is. He’s just so mentally tough that he believes he’s going to make every one.”

“Last year when we played Southern Aroostook at the [Bangor] Auditiorium, we got the ball with 4.9 seconds left, and he took the ball the length of the court and got fouled. They called time out, and when he came to the bench he just looked at me and said, ‘they just fouled the wrong person.’ He went out and hit them both and we won the game. He knew he was going to make those shots.”

Of the 1,100 points he has scored in his career, Parker estimates nearly one-quarter have come at the free-throw line, which is why he has devoted a considerable amount of attention to that discipline with the help of his father, Roger.

“I look at it as just some time to rest a little bit, and I try to keep the same routine,” said Parker. “I take a deep breath and dribble three or four times, and stay with it every time. I’ve been working on it since I was in fifth grade.”

At 6 feet and 165 pounds, Parker isn’t much bigger now than he was as a freshman. But his game has grown, as has his role in the East Grand basketball program.

“He’s more of a leader both on and off the court,” said Cilley. “I live in Princeton, and I was late for a practice the other day. He actually started practice, and he didn’t like how things were going so he had the guys running sprints. They were kind of glad to see me get there.”

Parker hopes to lead East Grand to its fourth straight tourney appearance in February. The Vikings, who lost to Bangor Christian in last year’s regional final, are off to a 6-1 start, losing only to Calvary Chapel Christian School of Orrington.

Only one thing is certain at this point of the season – that this is Darius Parker’s final stand at East Grand.

Finally.

“I don’t want to think about that,” said Cilley. “Do I have to think about it already?”