Prep Basketball South Regional : Marina’s Parks Fattens Up on Fullerton in Tournament

At 6 feet 11, Cherokee Parks looms large in the middle of any basketball key. But Parks wants to loom even larger . . . well, wider.

Parks thinks he’s skinny. It is true there is still a bit of lanky boyishness about his 218-pound frame, but that is to be expected. After all, Parks will be just a junior at Marina High School this fall.

Until then he is filling up the lane and the basket quite nicely in summer play, as Fullerton found out Friday at the Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches’ Assn. South region tournament at Kennedy High School.

Parks hit all 10 shots he attempted, including a reverse, one-handed monster jam--one of his three dunks--that gave Marina a 57-27 lead with about 13 minutes to play.

Marina, which as the top-seeded team in the south region received a bye in the first round, went on to win the second-round game, 75-45.

Parks did just about as he pleased on the court and finished with 23 points, four blocked shots, seven rebounds, two steals and five assists.

“He is much better at finishing what he does (this year),” Fullerton Coach Chris Burton said of Parks. “Meaning all his moves to the basket, he finishes with either a dunk or a real aggressive layup, whereas last year he would finger roll it. It makes him much harder to stop.”

Burton tried dropping his guards down to double and triple cover Parks, but the Marina guards took up the slack.

Marina point guard Travis Boyd scored 13 points, including three three-pointers, and Derren Fields added 10.

Marina trailed only once, at 3-2. But Boyd scored four points and Parks nine in a 13-5 run. Fullerton, which started only one player taller than 6 feet, could not control Parks and had trouble getting inside. Not that the Indians were trying.

They attempted 21 three-point shots, making only four. Sean Young hit three of them to lead Fullerton with 15 points.

Parks took the big victory and his team’s No. 1 position in stride. “It’s summer ball,” he said. “You go out and just have fun. I’m just trying new stuff. I’ve been shooting three-pointers. Our guards are driving now, shooting more and trying more things.”

Parks’ summer regimen includes trying some protein shakes and weightlifting three times a week in an effort to reach his target weight of 235 pounds.

“I want people to look at me and say, ‘God he’s big . . . he’s huge .’ ”

In other games:

At Kennedy High, first round: Fullerton 55, Magnolia 42; Servite 49, Western 25; Rancho Alamitos over Buena Park, forfeit; El Dorado 64, Pacifica 50; Kennedy 58, Westminster 46.

Second round: Servite 67, Rancho Alamitos 37; El Dorado 60, Sunny Hills 46; Kennedy 41, Mission Viejo 28; Marina 75, Fullerton 45.

At Santa Ana High, first round: University 45, Garden Grove 40; Tustin 54, Santa Margarita 31; Cypress 56, La Quinta 41; Dana Hills 54, Los Amigos 31.

Second round: Santa Ana 65, University 44; Tustin 53, Trabuco Hills 48; Fountain Valley 47, Cypress 44; Saddleback 42, Dana Hills 31.