Parenteau providing senior leadership under center for Rangers

ELIZABETHTON — When T.J. Parenteau stepped foot on the campus of Unaka High School, he didn't envision himself playing football, and certainly not quarterback. Parenteau, now heading into his senior year, didn't join the Rangers program until his sophomore year. When he joined the team, he was afforded the opportunity to not be an every-down player, allowing him to learn before hitting the field. But when it was time to take the field, his role was different than most would envision. After Connor McKinney transferred from Unaka to Hampton, the Rangers were forced to make an unorthodox pivot to find their starting quarterback for 2025. "It was a scramble to find the kids who are smart enough to handle the quarterback position," head coach O'Brien Bennett said. "Who are mature enough to handle the pressure of the quarterback position. So we went to our baseball players who are on the team and said, 'We know that you guys play baseball, so you can throw a ball. Let's see if you can spin one.' TJ Parenteau became the kid who came out of that mix." Parenteau is a catcher for the Rangers baseball team, so the fit seemed rather natural. But, Bennett noted the transition was still a difficult one. "Quarterback is a hard position to pick up," he said. "You can go out there as a wide receiver and be an athlete and you can play football. But at quarterback, you have to understand everything. You have to take the snap, which there are mechanics to taking a snap. You have to understand everyone on the field's job. And you have to do it while there are people attacking you directly and there's all sorts of chaos going on in front. "It takes a lot of experience to play quarterback and last year was his classroom." The year proved to be a difficult learning experience for Parenteau under center, as the Unaka offense struggled as part of a winless campaign for the program. Still, he hopes the difficulties from 2025 help motivate a group that only graduated three seniors. "Where we only lost three seniors from last year, most of us experienced that," Parenteau said. "So we know what it's like to not have a winning season at all. I feel like if we bring our intensity up and inspire the younger guys to be better, we can make that not happen." One of the biggest question marks for the Rangers offense coming into the year is their offensive line. While the team only graduated three seniors, they all were starters in the trenches. While there is plenty of youth to go around, the signal caller is pleased with the growth of the unit heading into the season. "They've really come along pretty quick," Parenteau said. "It started out, nobody knew how to walk in a straight line. Now, they've come along really well. They've come together with the way they're looking. It's great." Ahead of the season, he added one of the ways he's grown the most on the field is in arm strength, being able to add more velocity to his passes. But it's off the field where he feels like being a part of the program has allowed him to grow the most. "I feel like it's made me a better person and not so much of a Smart Alec and just complaining all the time," Parenteau said. "I feel as though I've had to grow as a better person and learn to teach rather than just get mad and yell. It's brought me to be better that way." Parenteau and the Rangers will open the 2026 campaign on the road on Aug. 21 against Happy Valley.