In 2024, Parkway Central’s football team went 1-9, was outscored 352-83, only scored in five of their 10 games, and their only win came against a McCluer North team that also went 1-9. In 2025, Head Coach Ryan King plans to change that.
“Last year, [we] started a lot of sophomores and juniors. And we had a difficult schedule. We had multiple teams that made it to the Final Four or the quarterfinals or won district championships,” King said. “I think we are going to be more experienced because all those guys who started last year are sophomores, are now juniors, and they’ve played a full season of very competitive varsity football.”
King has been the head coach at Parkway Central since the 2020 football season. During that time, he oversaw the 2022 district championship, the first for Central in five years to that point.
“Our goal for the season is for the kids to play [to] their potential and improve every single week. Get better from game to game. And by the end of year, we’re better than what we started at,” King said.
Last year, Parkway Central scored 18 points against Parkway South. It was their second best performance of the year offensively, and the best to not result in a win.
The only player remaining from the 2022 district championship team is senior Israel Anjorin.
“I would say that our team has matured from the point where we used to be, and I feel like we’ve just got a higher standard than last year, [so] that now we really want to dominate because the season wasn’t so good last year,” Anjorin said.
Anjorin, an offensive and defensive lineman all four seasons, speaks on why his position is so important.
“I would say the offensive line is very important because we’re the heart and soul of the team, because, without us, we can’t really move the ball and progress because someone needs to protect the quarterback,” Anjorin said.
As with previous years, the 2025 team plays the same schedule as 2024, with home and away games reversed. Even with the same schedule, Anjorin hopes for a different result.
“I think we’re going to shock people this season,” Anjorin said.
After beating Parkway South 6-0 in the first game of the season, on Aug. 29, Central was outscored in their next three games 140-13. With a 1-3 record, they hope to bounce back at home against Parkway West tomorrow night in the Mayor’s Cup rivalry.
