Two Central football players are piling up camp invites left and right

Central High School rising seniors Peter Parrish and Ray Thornton have busy schedules lined up for the spring season.

Parrish and Thornton have invitations to three football camps in Atlanta: The Nike Opening on March 25, the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp on April 15 and the Under Armour All-America Camp on April 22.

Parrish, a three-star quarterback, sees the camps as useful opportunities to improve his game.

“I feel like I can learn and grow while competing with the best,” Parrish said. “(I’m looking forward to) giving a good look in order to advance to the next level.”

The same rings true for Thornton, a three-star safety who also made the Cam Newton 7-on-7 team along with the other three camps.

“It’s very exciting because I get to participate in another big event and show my talent,” Thornton said. “It’s coming from some of the best coaches, so hopefully I’ll learn a lot of new things. Competing with the best players will make me better and also realize what type of player I am.”

Parrish and Thornton were productive pieces of the Red Devils’ 2017 season. Parrish had 1,454 passing yards and 17 touchdowns as well as 697 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in the Red Devils’ 11-win season. On the other side of the ball, Thornton had 47 tackles with 2 interceptions.

Thornton has scholarship offers from Duke, South Alabama and Mississippi State. Through the offseason, Thornton said he wants to emphasize his footwork and motor skills, as he seeks to improve the use of his hips and changing directions.

Parrish is up to 10 scholarships offers, with the latest being Georgia Tech. Though he is beginning to get serious attention from prominent FBS schools, Parrish made it clear he’s got plenty of work to do.

“I look to focus on all parts of my game (this spring),” Parrish said. “I am not content with any part of my game. As another season approaches, I will have to capitalize on every aspect in order to be a part of something special with my team.”

This story was originally published February 15, 2018 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Two Central football players are piling up camp invites left and right."