Jake Parchman, when asked, will play any position on the field.

But if he has to make a choice between playing on offense or on defense, the Permian senior most likely go with the latter.

“I think my favorite is on the defensive line,” Parchman said. “It doesn’t matter where I am, just as long as I’m on defense. You get to go out there and hit people. It’s a different feeling.”

The defensive end continues to play on his favorite side of the ball after being switched around numerous times in his high school career.

Parchman played offensive line as a sophomore before being moved to nose guard his junior year to defensive end this season, excelling at each spot.

“I think it just shows my ability to adapt at different positions, being able to learn on the go and adapt on the fly,” said Parchman, an All-District 2-6 first team selection in 2018. 

He might love playing defense but he’ll go wherever his coaches tell him.

“I just go where I’m needed,” Parchman said. “If we need someone on offense, I’m there, if we need someone on defense, I’ll be that guy.”

His coaches know what to expect from him.

“His sophomore year, he played on offensive line for us,” Permian head coach Jeff Ellison said. “Last year, we transitioned him over to nose guard and this year he’s at defensive end.

“That’s three different positions for us and he’s done a good job at all three of them. Those guys that are team-first people, if you need them at one position, and he’s always all in.”

Learning curves may exist for Parchman when adjusting for each new position but he’s been able to learn quickly to avoid any lag.

“There’s always going to be a little bit of a learning curve but when you adapt on the fly, it makes it easy,” Parchman said.

Ellison has seen Parchman’s growth and ability come in handy for the Panthers.

“Jake’s started for us since his sophomore year so he’s been a big contribution to our success and he’s done a great job,” Ellison said. “He’s a very steady guy.

“He’s your average works-every-day guy. He’s the kind of guy who leads by example and his teammates recognized that and that’s why he was named one of our team captains. He does a great job for us.”

Parchman has so far compiled four tackles with three assists.

The Panthers are currently in search of win number one this season, enduring an 0-3 start to 2019. But Parchman and his teammates know they can’t get too caught up in the record.

“It hasn’t been the best start for us but we’re focused on keeping our heads up and focusing on our game,” Parchman said. “Everything will pay off soon enough.”

After losing many seniors from last year’s 8-4 team, the Panthers have had plenty of shoes to fill for this season. Parchman was one of the few returning starters from last season and has had to take on more of a mentor role with the younger players.

“We have a lot of young guys,” Parchman said. “There’s a bunch of guys who are going to step up and lead this team in the future and we have to make sure they’re ready.

“I just try to be a good leader for these guys and be a good team captain.”

The Panthers will get another chance to break into the win column when they host Palm Desert (Calif.) in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Ratliff Stadium.

“It’s always cool to play out of state teams just to see what they’re like and see what football over there is like because we know what we’re all about and it’s cool to see what they’re about”, Parchman said.

Getting the victory is involves doing their job and tuning out the naysayers.

“We just need to eliminate distractions and keep our heads down and keep working because there’s a lot of talk and I feel like if we block it out, we’ll be a better team,” Parchman said.
