LOVELAND, Ohio — The start of a new basketball season tipped off at Loveland High School Monday night.
Though filled with excitement and promise for the Tigers, it was also bittersweet; it was the first season start in years without the one of the team's most beloved members.
Darnell Parker was head coach for the Loveland Girls Basketball team for five seasons.
He was diagnosed with stage 4 colon and liver cancer in October of 2020, but he didn't let that bench him, leading the Tigers to back-to-back conference titles in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons.
But his fight ended this summer, when Parker died in July at just 44 years old.
"Very rarely did he not have a smile on his face even when he was at home." said Samantha Parker, his wife. "He was so positive and so happy and throughout his journey in going through the toughest time in his life."
In the months since Parker's death, the Loveland community has found ways to remember him any way it can — first, as posthumous grand master in the school district's homecoming parade in October and now by recognizing his family at the girls basketball home opener against visiting Lebanon.
"We are dedicating this season and this game all to Coach Parker who was such an inspiration to all of us," said one of the Loveland players during the recognition ceremony.
There to accept the honor was Madison, one of Parker's two daughters, and his mother Nina.
"I am honored, and I feel blessed and I feel loved," Nina Parker said.
Parker's wife, Samantha, was also at Monday's home opener. She stood with the rest of the family at center court holding her and Parker's infant son, who was born one month after Parker's death.
"There's not another person that I could have picked for my son to be a better father than I did," Samantha said.
For the Loveland community, Parker was more than just a coach.
"For him, it meant to teach these young ladies life and to be tough and to never give up," Nina Parker said.
Parker's life will leave a lasting impact, one that will echo on the court through both his daughter Madison, who was coached by her father since she was a little girl, and through the Tiger team for years to come.
"It wasn't just about basketball," Nina Parker said. "It was about the game of life for Darnell Parker Junior."
To carry on his legacy, Parker's daughters Madison and Alexis created the Darnell Parker Memorial Athletic Scholarship. Each year it will be awarded to a deserving Loveland senior athlete pursuing a college degree.
"Me and my sister started it probably a week after he passed, and its doing really well," Madison Parker said. "I think we have like $25,000."
The scholarship is funded solely through donations. If you'd like to contribute, you can do so here.
Watch Live:
