Athletes Of The Week: Katlyn Parrish

C.B Aycock’s Katlyn Parrish is not your typical student-athlete, and the head girls’ basketball coach Randy Pate has certainly taken notice.

After the Golden Falcons’ final game against Eastern Wayne on February 19th. Pate called Parrish “our Larry Bird.”

Parrish appreciated the compliment and said playing for the Pate the past four years has made her a better basketball player.

“I’ve grown a lot because of coach Pate, and I’m very appreciative of him,” Parrish said.

Parrish was one of the most important players on the Golden Falcons. She is rarely tired, does not complain, and is as modest as a key contributor could be.

And this season. Parrish did it all for the Golden Falcons.

While teammates Kaitlyn Smith and Abbey Thomas did the bulk of the scoring, Parrish thrives mostly as an intelligent player who has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

Her effect on the game does not go unnoticed, and she has her teammates and coaches full trust and respect.

“I like shooting, but I like my team getting the shots more,” Parrish said. “I feel like I’m more a part of the team when I help everybody else get the points.”

This season Parrish averaged 8.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The Golden Falcons had an 8-5 overall record and had their first winning season since 2015.

During her time in a Golden Falcons jersey, Parrish embraced the challenge of becoming a good basketball player. As a freshman, she played two games on the junior varsity team before she moved up to the varsity ranks.

“I never looked back,” Parrish said.

Parrish, who is also on the Golden Falcons’ track and tennis teams, started playing basketball when she was four years old, and she quickly fell in love with the sport and never looked back.

“Basketball is my life,” Parrish said.

Now that her final basketball season has come to an end, Parrish is thankful she got the opportunity to play the sport she loves most this season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this season was unlike any other, but Parrish still made many memories that she will hold close to her heart.

“I’m very grateful we were able to play in the first place,” Parrish said. “I’m glad I had that group of girls to play with my senior year. I’m definitely going to cherish this year.”

And no matter where Parrish attends college next year, she can be counted on to deliver.