Seminole Ridge’s coach Parson exits
Seminole Ridge football coach James Parson has stepped down after two seasons, Athletic Director Scott Parks confirmed Wednesday.
Parson, who spent nine seasons with the Hawks as an assistant coach before taking over as head coach in 2015, led Seminole Ridge to a 8-3 record last season and a berth in the Class 8A regional quarterfinals.
The Hawks were District 9-8A runner-up and qualified for the postseason on points under the Florida High School Athletic Association’s revamped playoff system.
Parson, along with Forest Hill’s Jude Blessington and Pahokee’s Orson Walkes, was a finalist for the Sam Budnyk Coach of the Year Award at the Lou Groza Awards Banquet in December.
Parson’s overall record at Seminole Ridge was 12-8.
“I took over the program two years ago to return the program to one of the top program again in the county, and I feel we did that,” Parson said in a statement Wednesday.
“It is disappointing that jealousy and animosity have taken the fun out of being the head football coach at the Ridge. I know that I leave the program in way better shape financially and academically.”
Parks, who tried to persuade Parson to stay, wished him well.
“We were very pleased with the progress he made with the program over the past two seasons,” Parks said. “We are very sad to see him step down.”
Parson plans to continue teaching at the school and will coach the boys weightlifting team this spring.
The school plans on posting the position immediately.
Recruiting: Two Palm Beach County players picked up Division I offers Tuesday; one added another top program to his extensive list of offers, while another received his first.
Benjamin 2019 star athlete Kaiir Elam received an offer from the Auburn Tigers and Syracuse Orange, while American Heritage 2019 wide receiver Conner Hindsley picked up an offer from Syracuse as well. Both announced the offers on their Twitter accounts.
Elam is one of the most highly touted players in Palm Beach County. The junior is rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports, which has him as the No. 79 overall player and No. 3 cornerback in the class nationally (the site’s composite ranking has him 151st and 11th, respectively). Elam is the No. 2 player on the Post’s Too Early Top 20.
Elam plays all over the field. At his primary position, defensive back, he had 18 tackles and a pair of interceptions. At receiver, he had 25 catches for 361 yards and four touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Area pick.
Hindsley has not received as much attention during his career at American Heritage. He was an All-Area honorable mention after bringing in 24 catches for 292 receiving yards and three touchdowns.