High School Sports

Alex Parlato nets 1,000

Wantagh senior hits career point milestone

Posted

When Alex Parlato was in seventh grade, she tried out for the junior varsity basketball team. She didn’t make it.

Instead, the 12-year-old got the call to Wantagh High School’s varsity squad, and she has been turning heads ever since. On Jan. 16, Parlato, now 17, became the first player in the history of the school’s girls’ basketball program to score 1,000 points in her career, a milestone she achieved in the first quarter of a 54-28 win over Bellmore-JFK.

The ball with which she scored her milestone basket was taken out of play, and her coach, Stan Bujacich, wrote “1,000” and presented it to her. Later on, Parlato’s teammates signed it, with many writing personal messages. “I definitely will keep it for a really long time,” she said. “It’s really special.”

After scoring 17 points against Garden City on Jan. 13, she was four points away and all but assured of reaching the 1,000-point milestone against JFK. She totaled 19 points that night, and will spend the rest of the season only adding to her record.

The 6-foot-3 center has been a starter for five of her six years on the varsity squad. She said the key to her success has been using her size and strength to get past defenders and to the basket. Parlato often was the tallest player on the court.

“Teams prepare for her,” Bujacich said. “They’re always working on a game plan to stop her.”

Basketball wasn’t Parlato’s first interest. As a child she loved playing soccer, but when she was in sixth grade she switched from the field to the court. As a soccer goalie, she spent a lot of time standing around, but basketball keeps her more active in the game. Being on the varsity as a seventh-grader was a little intimidating, she admits, but was an experience that was worth it in the long run.

Her skills have earned her a full ride to Fordham University, where she will play for the Rams. “They’re up and coming,” she said of her future team, on which she will be joined by another member of a Deer Park-based travel team she plays for. “I want to help keep making it progress.”

Parlato plans to study psychology, but admits her major could change several times. Parlato does not plan to continue with basketball after college.

While her personal achievement was gratifying, it would not have meant as much, she said, if the team weren’t winning. The Lady Warriors are a Nassau County Class A title contender, and the team is attempting to win its third straight conference championship. “I’m just excited for the rest of the season,” she said. “This is just the first checkpoint to many bigger things.”

She hopes to lead her team deep into the playoffs. Parlato sees herself as a role model for her teammates, and takes that responsibility seriously. She said that winning takes more than just talent. It takes dedication, commitment and hard work. “Being a winner is definitely harder than what is seems,” she said. “You have to put everything into it.”

Bujacich said that Parlato is like a second coach for the Lady Warriors. He cited her love of basketball as one of the reasons she has been so successful.

Parlato cited “Coach B” for instilling in her the importance of hard work. She also mentioned her travel team coach, Ted Oberg, as a reason for her growth and success over the years.

While basketball has been a big part of her life, she has not lost sight of the most important facet of school — learning. This year, she is taking several college-level courses, including psychology, economics, statistics, sociology, public affairs and English. Parlato said she makes time for her schoolwork after practices and during her daily study hall.

She has won the respect of her teammates and coaches, who are all thrilled to see her become the first female player at Wantagh to reach the 1,000-point milestone. “It couldn’t happen to a nicer kid,” Bujacich said. “We really feel great that she accomplished this feat.”

“Reaching 1,000 points is a tremendous feat, and was a personal goal she had set,” added Athletic Director Jennifer Keane. “Alex will forever be etched into the history of the Wantagh girls’ basketball program along with leaving her mark as a true Warrior.”