Note: this article was published in the 2017 Joke Issue.

After former senior captain and Williams College commit Marc Taylor graduates, the basketball program has decided not to look ahead to the future or start planning for life after Taylor.

“I’m really scared,” junior Alex Chapman said. “I don’t know what we are going to do without Marc. Who is going to score all our points? Who am I going to pass the ball to? You know what–screw it. I’m out.”

Chapman then proceeded to walk out of the interview and yell through the hallways that there would be no basketball team next year.

Chapman’s take on the future of the boys’ basketball team is no different from anyone else’s. Literally everyone is scared. Members of the team with this past year have contemplated not even coming to school during the winter, in fear of being reminded that Taylor wasn’t there to carry the team.

Athletic Director Bobby Starks has also expressed his dissatisfaction with Taylor’s graduation. “If only Marc could have stayed here for at least one more year,” he said. “I mean, couldn’t we have him fail a couple classes so he had to repeat a year or two? Is that too much to ask?”

“I still don’t know what we’re going to do,” junior Ryan Skok said. “I think about it so much. It keeps me awake at night.  How do I step out on that court without Marc? I quiver at the thought.”

“What did you expect?” Evonne Taylor, Marc’s mother, said. “The best player in the history of Parker athletics is graduating, and you thought you would recover? You guys are crazy.” She also discussed how lucky everyone should feel to have played with such a high caliber player. “It’s not every day you have someone who could have gone D1 walk through your doors,” Taylor said. “Take advantage of it, and love every single second!”

When all else failed, Taylor was always there to pick up the team. He made clutch buckets whenever they were needed. He got the rebounds nobody else could. When the opposing team walked out on the court, and the Parker starters saw their best player and said, “I’m not guarding him!” Taylor always said, “I’ll guard him, and I’ll lock him down, too.”

Needless to say, Taylor will be dearly missed. The Parker athletics community will miss his dunks during the White Out games, his off-the-backboard blocks, and his smooth jump shots. Williams is getting a great player in Taylor, and while they take advantage of his skills and push him to be the best he can, the Parker team will lie dormant for the forseeable future.

“As Dr. Seuss once said,” Principal Dan Frank said, “‘Don’t cry because it’s over–smile because it happened.’”