Photo Provided Magnolia senior and three-sport standout Kennedy Parsons sets lofty standards for herself.

When it comes to high school sports, only a few athletes stand out – especially in small Class A schools. However, sometimes you have a special player who steps up at crunch time to give his or her team a lift. When we look at Magnolia’s senior-to-be Kennedy Parsons, that is what we find. She has not been the big name standout in any one particular sport, but her overall participation has made her a vital part of the Blue Eagles’ girls sports.

“She was a big part of our basketball team this season. When we needed a rebound, a steal, an assist or someone to knock down a three point shot, she’s been there,” said her assistant coach Mark Winters.

Parsons was a starter this past season for the high school basketball and volleyball teams and has been a member of both since her freshman year. She helped the Blue Eagles to the state tournament in volleyball her sophomore season. In basketball, she averaged nine points and six rebounds per game, but it was her defensive pressure that really stood out as she came up with four steals per game.

Her free throw percentage was also the highest on the team at 78 percent, while she knocked down 37 percent of her three balls. She was a member of the girls state track championship team her sophomore year, and has medaled at the state event in each of her three appearances.

Smart kids usually make smart athletes, and in Parsons’ case, that’s what appears to have happened. She understands you must listen to the coaches, follow instructions, and be a team player. Academically, Parsons is right up there with the best of them as an honor student.

The Blue Eagles will be counting on her knowledge and experience in all three sports she participates in. This year’s volleyball team looks to have some of the best hitters it’s had in years, and Kennedy will be a part of that front line. She has grown and is a great leaper who has also improved her timing. Not too much gets by her as she focuses in on the game while on the court. The same holds true in basketball. If you don’t get on her she’ll bury the long ball, and her passing gives her another weapon for the opposition to worry about.

While most kids were out enjoying their summer and taking vacations, Parsons decided to try something different. As a 17-year-old, she joined the National Guard and is currently in boot camp. She will return in late August and go right into her senior school year. Following graduation, Parsons will be an active member of the National Guard. That alone, makes her not just an honor student – but an honor person. She may not have gotten to participate in any summer athletic programs but, guaranteed, she has had as good, and probably better, physical conditioning than most high schoolers.

Once volleyball season starts, look to see another hard hitter who will help Coach Pam Chapman’s squad be a single A powerhouse. She should be a leaper who will help make the Blue one of the best blocking teams in the state.

Parsons is a competitor who has the same competitive spirit as her older brother, Brooks – one of the school’s all-time top athletes. If that spirit holds true, she will lead Magnolia to great heights this year in all three sports she competes in.

If you get the opportunity, go watch her play. She won’t disappoint.