ACCS’ Parker signs with Southwest
Published 11:59 pm Thursday, January 7, 2016
![Adams County Christian School’s Jordan Parker, center, signs scholarship papers with Southwest Mississippi Community College Thursday. Pictured are, front row, from left, Angie Parker, mother; Jordan Parker; Jim Bob Allgood, ACCS coach. Back row Chuck Mingee, stepfather. (Reed DeSalvo / The Natchez Democrat)](https:https://www.natchezdemocrat.com//wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2016/01/ACCSSigning.jpg)
Adams County Christian School’s Jordan Parker, center, signs scholarship papers with Southwest Mississippi Community College Thursday. Pictured are, front row, from left, Angie Parker, mother; Jordan Parker; Jim Bob Allgood, ACCS coach. Back row Chuck Mingee, stepfather. (Reed DeSalvo / The Natchez Democrat)
NATCHEZ — Jordan Parker is best described as a racehorse on the field by Adams County Christian School’s head soccer coach Jim Bob Allgood.
And come this fall, Parker will showcase her electric speed at the next level after signing scholarship papers with Southwest Mississippi Community College Thursday morning.
“I’m really excited,” Parker said of her signing.
A starter since her sixth-grade season, Parker has served as a catalyst for the Lady Rebels since the program’s inception seven years ago.
“She never checks up and always has her foot on the gas,” Allgood said of Parker. “One thing you can’t teach is speed, and she has it. She’s one of the fastest stallions I’ve had the opportunity to coach.”
The goal-scoring forward visited the Summit-based campus in October and chose the Lady Bears program over Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
“(Southwest) was just a lot more friendlier,” Parker said. “When I was on my visit (to Southwest), I told (the coaches) that I was probably going to go there.
“I always thought about going to Co-Lin, but when I went to (visit) the colleges to see which one I would like better, I ended up liking Southwest better.”
This past year, the Southwest signee scored 33 goals and tallied 13 assists. Additionally, Parker scored 13 goals apiece in each of her junior and sophomore campaigns.
For her efforts, Parker was named an MAIS All-Star for the South squad.
“I’ve been around (soccer) for 25 years, and sometimes you see kids with the “it” factor,” Allgood said. “And I pretty much knew, and I told her mom (Angie Paker) when she was in the sixth grade that Jordan had the “it factor.”
Allgood said not only is his star player blessed with tremendous talent, but also possesses a strong work ethic to go along with it
“She has done what it takes to get to the next level, and that day became a reality (Thursday),” Allgood said. “She has scored hat tricks so many different times. Her amount of goals and her amount of intensity that she has brought to this program since the sixth grade is simply amazing.”
As Parker sets her sights on the next chapter in her life, she said she will always cherish her time at ACCS, where she helped pave the way for a startup program.
“I will remember how we weren’t that good at first, but we got better each year,” Parker said. “This is where I started playing soccer. I’ll remember playing sports here.”