Biff Parson, Rockmart head coach
Today’s interviewee is Rockmart coach Biff Parson, whose fourth-ranked Class 2A team is playing at home Friday night against eighth-ranked North Murray for the Region 7 championship. Rockmart has won 66 consecutive region games (fifth-longest in state history) and eight straight region championships. This is Parson’s 10th season as Rockmart’s coach.
1. One victory from a ninth straight region title, what are your memories of that streak and in particular the past two years with this current region setup and some close calls you’ve had? “The last two years we’ve played Ringgold in overtime games, and both years we jumped out to leads and they came back and tied it up. Then against North Cobb Christian last year, they’re up 21-3 at halftime. We couldn’t stop them for nothing and couldn’t move the football. Nate Davis [an all-state running back/linebacker] had the game of his life in the second half. …
“We’ve won a bunch of region titles, and I think of all the players we’ve had because you know it’s the Jimmys and Joes and not the X’s and O’s. We’ve had some good football players, and that’s built our standard and our culture here. We’ve been fortunate to win eight in a row, going on nine. People ask me all the time how hard it is to do that, and I say ask Hal Lamb [retired Calhoun coach]. He won 18 in a row [earlier this century]. We’re nowhere close to that. These numbers are always going to be broken, so we just hope we can go on as long as we can.”
2. What problems does North Murray present? Perhaps the quarterback, Hudson Hulett [1,687 yards rushing, 891 passing]? “Their quarterback slash Superman, No. 7, does it all for them. And he has extremely good players around him that makes him more dangerous. They’re elite on offense. When they get off schedule, he can make plays because he’s an athlete. We’ve been watching film to find ways to hem him up. But when it’s time to make plays, you know what’s coming, and he’s a problem.”
3. You have a rare situation at quarterback this season – a freshman starter, who is also your son, Tucker Parson. What's it like coaching your son, and how has his season gone for him compared to what you imagined? “We knew Tucker was coming up to be a freshman, and we had a junior who was going to be a senior, and they would be competing, but the senior is an elite wrestler, and he chose to focus on that, so the job was really handed to him. But one thing he did was earn the right in summer with how well he prepared and did in 7-on-7 competitions and padded camps. And then when you go out against Cedartown in the first game and throw for four touchdowns and over 200 yards, you earn respect from the get-go. But he doesn’t get any special treatment at home or on the field. He’s done a good job of managing and not putting us in bad situations. He’s completing 72% of his passes with only three interceptions. That’s taking care of the ball. He’s got good supporting staff with his offensive line and a left tackle [Jaiden Thompson] with offers from Georgia, Kentucky and Auburn, and he’s able to hand the ball out to Nate Davis [1,135-yard rusher] and some others. He’s not arrived by any means, but he’s done good enough. And I don’t like giving him any praise, so that’s hard for me to say.”
4. Rockmart has been knocking on the door of a state title with a couple of state finals, a semifinal last year. How does the current team compare in terms of readiness to make a run compared to previous teams? Is there something this team has that others haven't? “Obviously every team is different. With this one, we had to change the offense we’ve had the past eight or nine years to fit our personnel. Tucker is not a running quarterback by any means. We’ve always had guys who could run back there. We’ve changed our offense to fit who we are, and it’s old-school I – two backs, two receivers and a tight end. Nobody’s seen it in a long time. It’s bringing back the ’90s, for sure. But every team has its own personality and makeup. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the standard and the expectations at Rockmart and what we do in our small world from the rec league to middle school and the high school. It’s still one voice and one standard, and I think that helps.”
