When Parker Passes, Good Things Happen : Prep football: Buena Park has revamped its offense to accentuate the abilities of its 6-foot-5 senior quarterback.

It’s always risky to declare a high school player the best at his position in school history. Records are not always meticulously kept. Memories can fade or become embellished with each passing year.

That said, believe this: Earl Parker is the best quarterback Buena Park has ever had.

In good years and lean years, the Coyotes have always loved the running game, seemingly adhering to what the late Ohio State Coach Woody Hayes once said about passing: Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad.

But Parker, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound senior, forced Buena Park’s coaches to change their thinking. He is tall enough to see over most defensive lines and tough enough to take a pounding if his protection breaks down. Plus, there’s that powerful left arm.

“My arm is a gift,” said Parker, 17. “I’ve always had a strong arm.”

Last season Parker passed for 1,680 yards and 14 touchdowns at Buena Park, which finished 3-8 overall but third in the Freeway League, qualifying for the Southern Section Division IX playoffs. The yardage established school single-season and career records. Bob Terrio passed for 1,630 yards in 1966, and Mark Medellin had 1,645 yards in the 1989 and ’90 seasons.

Parker believes he’s just warming up. He says Buena Park, which opens tonight at Brea Olinda, has new confidence this season. The team has a better understanding of the one-back, four-receiver offense the coaching staff installed last year, and Parker’s receivers have learned how to hang onto his torpedo-like throws.

“Brea is very good,” Parker said. “They have [All-Orange League] safety Ron Benigno back and a couple all-league linemen. Their defense will test us.

“But I love our run-and-shoot offense. You don’t always have to throw the ball. But you have four guys at all times flooding a secondary, and you can also bring a fifth receiver. The system makes you throw the ball quicker, and having so many [pass] routes to defend can confuse a secondary.”

When Buena Park Coach Manny Saiz saw Parker play as a freshman, he knew he would have to alter his run-oriented philosophy by the time Parker was ready for the varsity.

“You adapt to your talent,” Saiz said. “Earl has gotten me to trust in the passing game. He has a great arm. He can throw a dart on the run. He can loft it 70 yards downfield.”

And he’s improving.

Last season, most of Parker’s 103 completions (in 237 attempts) were to wide open receivers on short patterns. Even though he had only eight interceptions, he was not particularly adept at reading defenses downfield.

“This year in practice, he is already better at reading the coverages and knowing where the receiver is going to be,” Saiz said.

Parker should have a bright future. Oregon State is interested in him as a football player. Both college and professional scouts like Parker’s potential as a pitcher, and plan to follow his senior baseball season closely.

But athletics isn’t Parker’s sole interest. He’s involved in Buena Park’s School of Aviation Research (SOAR), where students learn about flying and building airplanes.

Parker’s father, Dennis, owned an aviation parts business in Buena Park for 23 years before selling it a couple of years ago. Parker also has an older brother, James, who makes aircraft parts.

The SOAR program has taught Parker how to read blueprints and install rivet fasteners into airplanes. One reason Parker likes Oregon State is that the college has a SOAR program should he decide to pursue a career in the aviation industry.

“I would like to build planes at some point in my life,” Parker said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Featured Game

BUENA PARK VS. BREA OLINDA

When: 7 tonight

Where: Brea Olinda High

Records: Both teams are 0-0.

Rankings: Brea Olinda is second in the preseason Southern Section Division IX rankings; Buena Park is unranked.

Noteworthy: Brea Olinda expects to be as good as the 11-2 team that won the Orange League and reached the Division IX semifinals last season. Sophomore Steve Stagnaro starts at quarterback in part because senior Brian Woodneck is recovering from a broken arm. The Coyotes, third in the Freeway League last season, have senior quarterback Earl Parker triggering their run-and-shoot offense. His key receiver is senior Francisco Rivera.