WS Chronicle

When you think of the attributes of the modern day wide receiver, you think of size, speed, agility, hands and the ability to catch the ball in traffic.  Parkland sophomore, Markell Lloyd, has that and more and from all accounts looks to be one of the best receivers in the county over the next two years.  He is also a key contributor on the Mustangs varsity basketball team.

Lloyd is the starting wide receiver for the Mustangs junior varsity team.  Don’t let that fool you though; Lloyd could probably start for more than half of the varsity teams around the county.  His head coach, Matt Tamer, says Markell is ready for varsity but they wanted him to get more playing time on JV to prepare him for next season’s varsity schedule.

RaSheeda Lloyd, Markell’s mother, says she first saw his athletic talents when he was around three years old.  She used to play basketball with him in the driveway and decided to sign him up for basketball.  With her being a former basketball player herself, she was Markell’s first trainer.

“Basketball was his primary sport at first, then he started playing football in the sixth grade, said RaSheeda Lloyd.  “He likes football better so that was sort of a heartbreaker because I love basketball, she said lightheartedly.

Markell got interested in football because he would go to games with his friends and that piqued his interest.  Now, he says he prefers football, but basketball is still close to his heart.

“Right now, I am looking at football, but basketball is my other option.  “I really like football the most because I like the energy and enthusiasm of the game.  I just like being a leader on the field, staying humble and help my teammates get better everyday.”

Parkland head coach, Matt Tamer, said Lloyd  is a “special kid.”  He says that if they were not already stacked at wideout on varsity, he would be starting.

“We are pretty deep at wide receiver on varsity.  To get him some reps and game experience, we are bringing him down for now,” said Tamer.  “He will do some great things for us once he does move up to the varsity level.”

On the basketball court, Markell feels his best attribute is on the defensive end.  He says he needs to work on being more vocal on the basketball court to become a better leader for his team.

Cory Baker, Parkland’s JV basketball coach, says Markell is the type of player every coach dreams of having.  He says Markell does a little of everything well.

“Markell is the type of kid you don’t have to tell ‘if your shot is not falling, contribute in another way,’” said Baker.  “Markell defends, scores, rebounds, makes hustle plays and leads by example every game or practice.  He’s also a very skilled player who will play a huge role for our program going forward.”

Markell trains with Will Bradley Sports and lifts weights with Reggie Ellerbe as a means to maximize his full potential.  His name is mentioned by several coaches from around the county when they were asked about a player on the rise.

“It feels good to be noticed because I put in a lot of work to get better every day,” said Lloyd.  “I like that my name keeps popping up around the area as a good football player.”

Markell is also a stud in the classroom.  He currently holds a 3.45 GPA and his favorite subject is reading.  He says he would love to attend Clemson University upon graduation from Parkland.

For Lloyd, he says the main goal is to continue to stay humble and working on his craft.  He feels he has areas to improve on the field, such as blocking, that will make him a better player overall.