To the Editor:

Football is a great game. Put a good coach into a situation with good players and success can be expected.

Make that success happen year after year when the quality of players is not always as good, and one begins to realize the key to athletic success is centered in the coaching.

Southampton High School is one of those storied places that expects to win every Friday night from September to December.

Littleton Parker is the reason the Indians went to the AA playoffs 14 times in his 22 years as head coach.

In those 22 years he won games because he instilled character in players as well as football knowledge. His first concerns were the safety and mental well-being of his payers.

Along the way, they learned to play the game the old-fashioned way — tough. One hundred forty-four wins during his tenure attest to that.

His peers at the schools played saw him as a person to be respected.

Coach Parker had no political agenda other than fairness for the students at Southampton High School and every other school on the schedule.

His ability was recognized by his nomination almost every year for Coach of the Year.

Coach Darren Parker of Franklin knew the philosophy by heart, as did all the other players of character. “Treat people right, do the right things every day, and good things will happen to you.” Littleton Parker lives by that philosophy in every thing he does, every day.

Southampton County has benefited from this gentleman for a long time. Hopefully, his talents and guidance to the young people at SHS will continue to be utilized for a long time to come.

Bill J. Wright

Courtland