Columbus North’s Charlie Parsons reaches out to catch a pass on the first day of football practice Aug. 4 at Columbus North High School.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
If Charlie Parsons can get back on the field as a wide receiver before Columbus North’s football season is over, it will be a lesson in perseverance.
Parsons was hoping to make an impact on a loaded Bull Dog squad as a junior last year when he broke his tibia in the Blue-White scrimmage and was lost for the season. Then after coming back this year and catching five passes for 93 yards in a season-opening blowout of Whiteland, he broke his collarbone in practice the next week.
“It was tough,” Parsons said. “I love this game, and I love playing with these guys. Last year, I felt like we had a really good team, where just being on the sidelines and seeing how good of a team we had, it really hurt. I kept thinking of the potential, the ‘What ifs, what if I could play?’ and that was probably the hardest part for me.”
If last year was tough, this year has been perhaps even more difficult for Parsons, given that it’s his senior year and how well it began on that warm August evening.
“That was probably one of my best football memories so far, that first game against Whiteland, just being back on the field with everyone,” Parsons said. “I was really excited for the season, and then that injury at practice the next week really hurt. But I’m progressing great, and hopefully looking to playing soon.”
Charlie Parsons
Two days before North’s crosstown rivalry game at Columbus East, the Bull Dogs began practice with TTOs. Parsons was running a screen and got hit and landed on his collarbone.
Parsons had surgery the following week and was out of action for five weeks.
“It was tough, but I had two options — to have no chance at playing or take the risk and go through surgery,” Parsons said. “I was eager to get back, so I went with the surgery option. It gave me some hope to where I can come back, and now I’m doing what I can in practice and am kicking.”
Kicking? Yes, kicking.
Parsons hadn’t done much kicking of a football until this summer when North headed to Taylor University for its team camp.
“He kind of brought it to us and said, ‘Hey coach, I think I can kind of kick,’ North coach Logan Haston said. “He grew up in Germany, so soccer was his first love. When we were away at Taylor University for team camp was the first time we discovered it, and we definitely saw that we had something with him. So he’s just progressed very well there.”
Born in Missouri, Parsons moved to Germany with his family when he was 4 after his father was stationed there in the military. They returned to Columbus during COVID his seventh-grade year after his father transferred to Camp Atterbury.
Parsons had played goalkeeper on a soccer team when he was in Germany.
“We had a little open tryout,” Parsons said. “I had played soccer before when I was a little kid and just wanted to give it a shot and give me some more to do because I missed out last season, just give me more options to play wherever.”
In that season opener against Whiteland, Parsons went 7 for 7 on extra points. He returned as a kicker Friday and went 3 for 3 on extra points in a 55-24 loss to Class 5A No. 2 Bloomington South. He also booted a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
“I was a little nervous at first, but making that first one boosted my confidence,” Parsons said.
“Friday night was huge to come back from an injury and be able to knock some PATs through,” Haston added. “But the big part was the 35-yard field goal right before half to get us some points and some confidence going into the locker room. To come back from injury in a high-pressure game and situation and be able to kick that way is pretty impressive.”
Parsons is hoping to play college football and major in business.
“I’m trying to get back to where I can get some film and get my name out there to the college coaches,” Parsons said.
“It was a devastating loss for us,” Haston added. “Charlie did so much to progress and get his body back into position to play. He had a great summer and a great Week 1 game. He was really going to be dynamic for us, so it was really unfortunate for him. But I’m very proud of the way he’s handled it with a lot of maturity and resilience and to be able get himself back into a position to play.”
Parsons and Haston are hoping Parsons can add to his kicking duties by being able return to playing receiver before the end of the season. The Bull Dogs visit Bloomington North this week and host Terre Haute South on senior night next week and then will have a bye week before beginning the sectional.
“He’s doing a great job with his rehab, and our athletic training staff is doing marvelous with him,” Haston said. “So we’re taking it one day at a time. Obviously, he’s a competitor and wants to play, so the first time he gets the green light, he’ll definitely do so.”
