Governor Mike Parson paid a special visit to Sparta on Tuesday night, where he attended the Trojans’ Homecoming game against Galena.
“It’s always exciting to come to local levels where you get to see high school basketball, especially in small schools where I grew up,” said Parson.
The Governor went to school in Wheatland and played basketball with the Mules. The game is close to his heart, but being at this game had another level of meaning.
“You never think you’re going to be coaching your grandson on the bench, and I wasn’t coaching, I was sitting there [that night]. Just to be there and see him play. It was an honor for the school to be able to let me sit there.”
The Governor’s grandson Ben House is a freshman playing on the junior varsity basketball team. And not only did Governor Parson get to watch him play, he got to sit on the bench.
“It was a pretty big deal to me. He doesn’t get to come to all of the games,” said grandson, Ben House.
“I think Governor Parsons enjoyed it just as much as coach Brown did having him on the bench, so it was awesome,” said Sparta superintendent Rocky Valentine.
“Well we won [Tuesday], so I’ll take a little credit for that,” Parson said.
He got to play coach for his grandson, and also watch his granddaughter perform at halftime.
“So exciting. I don’t get to see him all the time now, and it means so much to me whenever he’s able to come and spend time with me,” said Parson’s granddaughter Michaela House.
And though his roots may make him a Wheatland Mule, on Tuesday he became an honorary Trojan.
“The Chiefs have given him a jersey, he’s gotten a few other things like that, memorabilia. Coach Brown said hey, I want to give him a jersey, it was just a no-brainer,” said Valentine.
“It’s a special night, it’s very difficult for me to get here. It’s one of the down-sides of the job is it’s hard to be with your family,” Parson said.
