West Valley football coach Ryan Scott had his doubts when Parker Mills came to him last summer saying he was going to come out for the team.

Scott would occasionally bring up the subject, but Mills — who was more of a basketball guy — didn’t show much interest until his junior year.

“I never begged him, but I’m guessing there were other people in his ear telling him he could 

have an opportunity to play at the next level,” said Scott, who got to know Mills when he was a seventh-grader at West Valley Middle School. “When he told me he was going to come out, I didn’t believe him at first. But we had a heart to heart, and then we got down to work.”

The 6-foot-6, 298-pound left tackle picked things up pretty quickly, and just four weeks into his junior season, Eastern Washington invited him to campus for an official visit.

Since that time, he’s been talking to a half-dozen other programs — including New Mexico, 

Montana, Montana State, Idaho, Idaho State and Whitworth — and he spent most of this summer showcasing his skills at various camps around the Northwest.

At this point, he’s made up his mind about what he’s going to do next.

“I’ve pretty much decided to play football,” said Mills, a first-team all-conference basketball player for the Rams the past two seasons. “I’m still going to play basketball and I’m looking forward to my senior season. But right now, my focus is on playing college football.”

Scott still can’t believe his good fortune after years of recruiting Mills. He knew what a difference a player of Mills’ size and athleticism could make up front.

Now, after a year of studying the playbook and learning the nuances of the game, Scott is expecting a breakout season for his super-sized understudy.

“He grew so much as a player last season,” the coach said. “Once he got used to the physicality of the game and the terminology we were throwing at him, he picked things up quickly. We’re really excited about where he’s at coming into this season.”

Now that Mills is up to speed on the football vocabulary and the playbook, Scott plans to use him in a variety of new offensive sets. He may even give him some reps at defensive end.

“Parker can really move for a big guy,” Scott said. “His athletic ability is pretty amazing, but he’s also got a great attitude.”

Like his coach, Mills believes he has come a long way since last season. As Friday’s season opener approaches, he’s looking forward to playing alongside his longtime friends.

“The atmosphere out here is just awesome,” he said. “A lot of my friends are on the team, which helps. But I have grown to really love the sport.”

Mills is also eager to start compiling more game film that he can use to improve his stock in the eyes of college recruiters. He expects the Rams’ three preseason matchups against Lakeland (Idaho), North Creek (Bothell) and Selah will provide him with ample opportunities to showcase his talents.

“Coaches have only seen one year of me on the football field, and I feel like I still have a lot to prove,” he said. “I’m hoping to test myself in different scenarios — show them something unique — so I can catch their eye.”

No matter where Mills ends up playing next year, he’s going to continue excelling in the classroom, where he holds a 3.9 GPA. His goal is to become a lawyer, and he’s already begun looking at the law-and-justice programs at each of the institutions on his list.

“I’ve always taken school pretty seriously, and I have thought for a long time that I’d like to go in that direction,” Mills said. “But as long as I get a chance to play at the next level, I will be happy.”