St. Patrick senior signs with Meridian to play basketball

BILOXI, MS (WLOX) - St. Patrick senior Horatio Parker took the next step in achieving his athletic dreams, signing his letter of intent to play basketball with the Meridian Community College Eagles in a small ceremony in front of friends, family and teammates Tuesday (April 16) afternoon.

“Hard work and dedication, that’s all it took,” Parker told WLOX. “Just a surreal moment for me right now, just have to take it all in.”

Parker comes off a breakout season with St. Patrick, averaging a team-high 21.5 points per game as the Fighting Irish made it farther in the playoffs than any previous season in program history.

Parker’s scoring ability certainly caught the eye of Meridian coaches, but the St. Patrick senior isn’t satisfied.

“It’s gonna get more physical in college, so I just gotta get my body right and get my mind right for it too," Parker said. "Just stay in the gym and get better.”

He leaves behind an impressive legacy at St. Patrick, scoring 917 total points in his two seasons with the Fighting Irish.

“Jay is an outstanding young man that has represented the Fighting Irish basketball program well over the last few years,” St. Patrick athletic director Eddie Burger said via statement. “He has been a great ambassador for St. Patrick Catholic High School and is more than deserving of this opportunity to play at the next level.”

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