Chanhassen student principal Wesley Parker honored in Storm win over Jefferson | Chanhassen Sports

Wesley was introduced to football from Chanhassen in the eighth grade. Head Coach Cullen Nelson had just started work in 2018 and was visiting area middle schools in the spring to hold information meetings and promote the program. Wesley heard the announcement of Nelson coming and pleaded for him to be part of Storm football.

“He’s positive all the time and he’s really funny. He loves joking around with the players and the coaches,” Nelson said.

Fast forward five seasons and Wesley was celebrated at the Jefferson game for the positive energy and effort he shared over his years with the program. Not only was he surrounded by Storm players after his run to pay the dirt, but also members of the Jaguars, who jumped for joy to celebrate with Wesley.

According to Nelson, the Chanhassen program tries to reflect Wesley’s attitude.

“Every group of kids he interacted with benefited from him and he found guys to connect with through the process and the kids are definitely on board. I’m better at it,” Nelson said. “He had a bigger impact on us than we had on him, that’s for sure.”

Nelson said Wesley’s obsession with football still shines through and he gets angry if he has to miss practice. The coach recalls a time when Wesley got in trouble with his family because he skipped a date, snuck out of the house and asked another team member to come over look for him to take him to training.

“His mother was furious that he didn’t listen to her, but she was also thrilled that he was like all the other high school kids,” Nelson said. “He didn’t listen to his parents, he understood what he wanted to do and did it. He’s like all the other high school kids.

Like any other senior, Wesley will graduate this year from Chanhassen. But Nelson doesn’t think about what the program will be like without Wesley. In the short term, the head coach hopes to extend the Storm’s season through to the 2022 playoffs. And in the long term, Wesley will always have a home with Storm football.

“I basically said Wesley had a lifetime contract,” Nelson said. “We want to continue this season for as long as we can and depending on what comes next for Wesley and no matter what comes up he will always have a place. He will always be our manager.

Nelson also added that Wesley is involved in much more than football as he is set to win his Eagle Scout award later this year. One of Nelson’s favorite memories with Wesley includes jumping into a frozen lake with Wesley’s brother and 15 football players in 2021.

Wesley also checked on Nelson at halftime of Jug’s game against Chaska this season to make sure the coach was okay. “It just makes you smile,” Nelson said. “He just has a great way in those moments of reminding you to take a deep breath and appreciate where you are.”

With the win over Jefferson, Chanhassen finished the regular season with a 7-1 record.

Running back Maxwell Woods scored three rushing touchdowns for 210 total yards. Wide receiver Josh Och caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Grant Muffenbier. Defensively, lineman Dominic Castagnetto recorded a season-high 10 total tackles and defensive back Tyler Smith had his fifth interception of the season.

Chanhassen won the Suburban White District Championship. The Storm won the No. 2 seed in the 2AAAAA Section tournament and have a first-round bye in the playoffs. With the day off and days off from school, Nelson gave the team some time to rest and recuperate before returning to practice on October 24.

“We have a lot of ability and talent in our football team and kids who are invested and prepared. So we think we have a chance in every game we play, but the margin of victory is very slim right now,” Nelson said.

Chanhassen will next play at 3 p.m. on October 29, hosting the winner of the Waconia-Mankato East game. These schools face off at 7 p.m. on October 25 at Waconia High School. The Storm beat Waconia 37-35 in a thrilling overtime game on Oct. 7, but didn’t face Mankato East.