Parrish Community High

The sun beat down on players and coaches on a clear Tuesday morning.  You could hear whistles blowing, footballs landing either on the ground or in a player’s hands, and you could see the sweat boiling off anyone who was out on the field.

These early sessions are nothing new to the team, since they have been practicing early mornings since the offseason. 

“It sets the tone for the kids to win the day every day,” defensive coordinator Frank Post said. “They come in, they get their work done, and then they carry that the rest of the day.” 

New look for the PCHS field 

Behind Post, players came and went as they ran sprints from each sideline to close out the session, which took place during 1st period. 

One of the reasons Post gave for holding practice during 1st period was already very noticeable. He was standing on the new AstroTurf that Parrish Community High School upgraded to over the offseason. 

This concluded a project for the Manatee County School District that aimed to get rid of all grass fields by 2026. 

Parrish and Bayshore High School were the last two schools in the district set to receive the makeover, and the project was officially completed in the late summer. 

Head Coach Dylan Clark applauded the administration for their hard work with preparing the turf. 

“They’ve made sure that we have a very comfortable home environment for our kids,” Clark said.

  Linebacker Jake Bendana (Sr.) thinks the new turf makes the team look more professional. 

“If you look good, you feel good,” he added. 

Post says the home transition from grass to turf won’t affect his players, but it is a reason to get out and practice early, especially with the unpredictable Florida weather. 

“It helps us beat the storms and the heat with the turf,” he said, explaining how the new turf generates extra heat. “If it’s 90 degrees, it could be upwards 120 degrees on the turf in the afternoon. So we’ll get out here before the sun hits the turf.” 

Clark seconded that claim, mentioning that with their previous practice field there was a greater injury risk. 

“It always gave us a chance of injury with the playing surface,” he said. “I think the turf makes it a little bit safer for us.” 

Kickoff Classic concludes solid offseason for Bulls 

It’s a new season of Parrish Bulls Football, and the season’s already gotten off to a good start, as the team is fresh off their second consecutive victory in the Kickoff Classic, beating the Steinbrenner Warriors 35-9. 

“We have a lot of mistakes that we’ve got to clean up...we have the potential to be very good,” Clark said. 

It was a productive night for the defense, as they had 3 sacks, a pick-six touchdown by Keyon Maxwell (Sr.), 15 tackles for loss (TFL), and a blocked punt.  

“Overall, defensively, we played hard...and that’s all I can ask for is they went out, they gave their effort,” Post said. 

The defensive performance generated a 50% C.H.A.O.S rate, the grading metric that Post uses for his unit’s success. 

This C.H.A.O.S rate, Post explains, is multiple parts of the game put together and divided by the number of defensive plays.  

“We found through studies that any time you’re over a 25% C.H.A.O.S rate, it’s been a victory over the last two years,” he added.  

Success indeed. The defense has been instrumental in the team’s winning ways over the last two seasons, helping secure two playoff appearances and a 9-2 record last season, the best in program history. And in that same season, the Bulls defense only gave up an average of six points per game. 

With the memory of last year’s season still fresh in mind, Post wants to use that to better last year’s average C.H.A.O.S rate of 52%. 

“We live by the standards of standard, so we look at past performances,” he explained. “Ultimately, we’re going to try to live up to the standards of last year’s defense as far as turnovers, takeaways, and just being fast and fighting harder when they get the ball.” 

As for the offense, Clark is proud of the maturity they have shown over the course of the offseason. 

“We’re going in, we’re attacking the field vertically and horizontally,” he explained. “We have a very physical run game, so I think that we’ve done a really good job. I’m very proud of our offensive staff and our offensive players.” 

A lot of work has been put into preparing for this season. Everyone involved with the Parrish Bulls Football program has given countless hours and timeless effort and dedication. The long, grueling practices for the Bulls are nothing compared to other schools in the area. 

“They’re not up at 5 in the morning showing out, being here on time, working out,” Bendana said. “I personally think with our heart and with our mindset for this team, that we’re working harder than all the other teams in this area.” 

“We’re just trying to win the day,” Clark reiterated. “We’re trying to win Monday, we’re trying to win Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and then on Friday, we try to go out and execute what we’ve done during the week.” 

Let the regular season begin! 

So now that the preseason is over, it’s time for the real thing. 

The Bulls will open their season at home against the North Port Bobcats on Friday, Aug. 22. This is the third consecutive year the Bulls have played the Bobcats in their season opener, and in the last two years, the Bulls team has won by a combined score of 67-3.  

“I think we’re in a good position moving forward,” Post said. “We have a lot of talent, as long as we can lock in and trust the process, we’ll be just fine.” 

Clark said Friday will be all about executing everything from the week.  

“It isn’t us versus North Port,” he stated. “It’s us winning every single play and going out and being the best version of ourselves for 48 minutes.” 

Both Bendana and offensive guard Caiden Lee (Sr.) are aiming to bring the Bulls their first district title in school history and an undefeated regular season. 

“I think our work is going to show up, and I think we’re most definitely going to win,” Bendana said. 

When the Bulls take the field on Friday night, they will step into a new era for not just the team, but the school as a whole.  

In addition to the first game on the new turf, there will also be a couple of new wrinkles to the fan experience. The grandstands received a few upgrades to reflect the school spirit. The student section led by the Student Government Association (SGA) is being moved over next to the Pride of Parrish Marching Band, heightening energy for everyone involved. A pep rally is also being held Friday morning with the Pride of Parrish drumline, SGA, Blue Belles dance team, and cheerleaders. 

The pep rally is something normally seen only for the Homecoming game. However, with new SGA sponsors stepping in this year, more opportunities are being opened for school spirit. 

“We love it,” Bendana said. “I think it’s going to bring great energy to the game and we’re going to have so much more people out there.” 

Clark has one assignment for any fans attending Parrish games this season. 

“I want it to be insane,” he declared. “I want it to be a hostile environment. I want our opponents to have to play in a hostile environment. I think Mr. Nazarian’s doing a fantastic job with the SGA. We’re just excited to see the school spirit starting to come around.” 

All of this is setting up for what should be another phenomenal season of Parrish Bulls Football.