Calgary high school football player wins NFL Canada Way to Play Award

Two student-athletes from Western Canada High School want to get their football season back, but they at least have one great memory from the year.

Lawson Parks is the quarterback for Western Canada High School, and Lucas Pearson is the running back.

Because of the Alberta teachers’ strike, the Calgary high school students haven’t played a football game since Oct. 3 when they lost a 24-19 heartbreaker to Centennial High School.

As tough as the loss was, they were involved in one of the most exciting plays of the game.

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Parks faked the handoff to Pearson and ran the bootleg, which ended up being a 65-yard touchdown.

Parks says he suggested the play to head coach Travis Locey, who was all in.

“So, we ran the play, a nice little play that got most of the defence,” Parks said.

“The only guy who really saw it was the backer, but I was able to beat him to a foot race into the endzone.”

Play was nominated

The play was so good that Locey nominated Parks for the NFL Canada Way to Play Award, which is featured weekly on the NFL on CTV.

Parks says he was surprised he won.

“We submitted it, and I wasn’t 100 per cent sure I was going to win,” Parks said.

“It’s crazy! I didn’t think I’d win – but I was really happy about it.”

Pearson was a big part of selling that play.

He says he’s happy for his buddy, but jokes he deserves half the credit.

“I thought I was getting the ball,” he said.

“I didn’t really hear the boot part of the play, so I kind of fold over thinking I’m getting the ball, but I don’t have the ball.

“I always practice like I’m running with the ball. I see the safety and I see all of the guys come up to me, and I open up dramatically to show them I don’t have the ball and avoid contact. I’m kind of looking around and see Lawson all the way in the endzone.”

The award is a win for both Parks and Western Canada High School.

“Our school gets a $3,000 equipment grant and I get recognition and so does the school, so it’s pretty cool,” Parks said.

“It’s a pretty cool award, and hopefully it will be good for my recruiting but also help the school out with that and equipment.”

Parks says he wants to continue his football career with USports and is looking at a number of schools.