Playing against Pagosa Springs on Jan. 13, Montezuma-Cortez High School forward Walter Parker posted up near the right block, gained position and called for the ball. Soon after, the 6-foot-4 senior caught an entry pass, spun to his left and banked a soft hook shot off the glass.
Since the start of the 2014-15 basketball season, local basketball fans have grown accustomed to such plays by Parker. Less than one year ago, however, after he dropped out of high school, it seemed unlikely that Parker would suit up for a prep basketball game.
A downward spiral
To fully appreciate Parker’s journey from promising young athlete to high school dropout to fast-rising hoops star, one must begin in the halls of Fergus High School in Lewistown, Mont.
It was there in 2011 that Parker, who was a freshman at the time, caught the eye of football coaches, who could not help but notice Parker’s tall and athletic frame among roughly 360 students at the school.
After persuading Parker to join the football team, coaches watched as the freshman excelled as a defensive end and running back on the school’s junior varsity team. Before the end of the year, Parker moved up to varsity and earned playing time.
“We had a good team, and we made the playoffs,” said Parker. “I loved catching the ball and tackling people. Football was my favorite thing to do.”
A long-term football career at Fergus High School was not to be for Parker, however, after he, along with his family, moved to Cortez soon after the conclusion of the high school football season.
While Parker admitted that the weeks and months following his move were accompanied by homesickness, he decided to make the best of his situation and joined the M-CHS baseball team.
Parker joined the M-CHS football team in the fall of 2012 and made 11 varsity tackles during his sophomore season.
Parker then tried out for the M-CHS basketball team, but was dismissed two weeks into the season after missing several practices. Parker said that the missed practices were due to sickness and that he failed to communicate with the coach.
“It was a bum deal,” Parker said. “Getting kicked off the team was horrible.”
Despite the setback, Parker returned to the M-CHS football team in the fall of 2013 and contributed on the field as a backup running back and defensive back. Poor grades limited the junior’s playing time, and he played in just seven games.
“My junior year at the high school, things were going downhill,” said Parker. “My freshman year, I was able to breeze through my classes, and I didn’t have to do my homework. Junior year was a lot more difficult.”
By the middle of his junior year, Parker found himself failing multiple classes and even though he made M-CHS’s varsity basketball team, he played in just one game and was eventually dismissed. Soon after the dismissal, he dropped out of school.
“My parents had just divorced and I stopped caring about school,” said Parker. “I just wasn’t going. It was horrible because I wasn’t doing anything..”
An unlikely resurgence
Standing at a crossroads and unsure of how to proceed, Parker said that realized that he could either continue life as a high school dropout or attempt to get his life back on track.
After several difficult days, Parker chose the latter option and spent the summer months working out and playing basketball. Parker also enrolled at the Southwest Open School (SWOS) prior to 2014-15 school year.
“I knew that I could do better things for myself,” he said. “I started working out a lot and I started eating healthy. I also started working on basketball and I became motivated to show what I could bring to the team.”
Three months into the high school basketball season, Parker has brought energy, rebounding and a scoring punch to the Panthers team.
Parker has also excelled at SWOS in and out of the classroom.
“I love that the campus is outside and open,” said Parker. “You can get fresh air and the teaching is great. I feel like I’ve blossomed a lot since I’ve come here. It has helped me and it has helped a lot of other kids.”
A bright future
As for his future, Parker said that he planning to attend SWOS this year and graduate from the school in 2016. He then hopes to earn a college basketball or college football scholarship. As far as a future profession goes, Parker remains unsure.
“I want to take all the classes that are necessary for me to get into a good college,” said Parker. “As long as I put in hard work and put in time, I can do whatever I want. I’m willing to put the work in and not let other things distract me.”