Jaydan Parker has already been part of two TSSAA state championships, and he’s dreaming of adding even more as he looks to leave a lasting legacy as a member of Chattanooga Prep’s first senior class in the all-boys charter school’s seventh year.
Parker helped Chatt Prep make history in March, contributing five points, three rebounds and two steals as the Sentinels beat Frank Hughes 64-41 in the Class 1A basketball final to win the school’s first state championship.
Before coming to Chatt Prep, Parker was a member of the Tyner Academy football team that won the 2022 Class 2A BlueCross Bowl state final against Decatur-Riverside at Finley Stadium.
At Chatt Prep, Parker has helped the football Sentinels go from a 3-8 record last fall to a 7-3 mark in a 2024 season that will stretch into the state playoffs after their third-place finish in Region 3-1A behind two state-ranked teams: No. 4 South Pittsburg — the classification’s reigning state champion — and Whitwell. In Friday’s opening round, the Sentinels will get a chance at vengeance as they visit Gordonsville (6-4), which beat Chatt Prep 13-12 in the first round a year ago.
Parker has been a star at safety in pass coverage with three interceptions, but he also showcased his run-stopping ability in the season opener at Boyd Buchanan when he met David Green in the hole and drove the senior backward for a strong tackle. Green — announced Thursday as a Tennessee Titans Mr. Football semifinalist in Division II-AA — still rushed for 88 yards in the Buccaneers’ hard-fought win, but he had a season-low 6.3 yards per carry compared to his season average of 11.1.