By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2023 season Sept. 1.
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As a former college football standout at Washburn University and an assistant high school coach, Trey Parker earned the reputation as being enthusastic and fiercely positive.
Topeka West football coach Trey Parker demonstrates a drill during a Charger preseason practice. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Trey Parker takes over as Topeka West's head football coach this season after serving as interim coach over the final three games of the 2022 season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
As Topeka West's third head football coach in three seasons, Parker knows he'll need to use those skills this fall.
"We're ready to get this thing started and positivity is the word of the day,'' Parker said. "I'm just happy to be here. "I'm just happy to be alive and happy to be out here helping to try and change lives.
"We know this thing is going to take awhile to get it turned around and we knew that from the get go so that's not a shock to anyone. We want to be positive day-in and day-out.''
Parker served as Topeka West's interim head coach for the final three games in a 1-8 campaign last fall after Russell Norton stepped down and he thinks that helped him as he prepared for his first full season.
"With me taking over at the end of the year, we kind of did things my way and we found some things that worked for us and the kids liked that as well and they were abe to tell their friends all throughout winter and spring and that's brought more kids out to us,'' Parker said. "I kind of looked at those games last year as my preseason for this year that helped me figure out what I need to do. It helped big time.''
Parker has been extremely happy with the response from the Topeka West athletes over the offseason and in preseason practice to get ready for the 2023 campaign.
"I was shocked at the numbers we had out,'' he said. "Last year we ended the year with about 30-40 and we had double that and some this year to start the year, so I was just happy to see the kids excited, whether it's for me or the other coaches or even if its just for football. I'm just happy to have them out here.
"This game has changed my life and we're trying to use it to change other kids' lives.''
A top returner for Topeka West is senior offensive/defensive lineman Kyrece Robinson, who earned second-team All-United Kansas Conference and TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention recognition last season.
Parker is also looking to senior returners Jace Banks and Vince Redmond and junior Mason Jones to have big years for the Chargers, as well as senior newcomer Josh Nitschke and junior Kenton Tisdale.
Parker said the key for Topeka West will be to make steady progress throughout the season.
"I tell the kids all the time, 'If you just get one percent better every day you're 365 percent better at the end of the year,'' Parker said. "And for us, we need to get 365 percent better. We literally have to get better every single day.''
Topeka West will open its 2023 season Friday night with a tough test, going on the road to face Seaman in a United Kansas Conference contest..
TOPEKA WEST
2023 football schedule
(Home games at Hummer Sports Park)
September -- 1 at Seaman, 8 Leavenworth, 15 De Soto, 22 at Piper, 28 Lansing.
October -- 6 KC-Turner, 13 at Shawnee Heights, 19 Washburn Rural, 27 Playoffs.
Next up: Washburn Rural.
