For high school seniors, Earth seems to rotate a little bit faster. People are trying to point you in an array of directions. For high school seniors with an athletic scholarship in mind, the anticipation and pressure is two-fold.
Enter St. Frances senior Aric Brooks, who is acting as the man of his household while trying to decide where to go to college. Brooks? decision, however, isn?t likely to come until early April, when his father returns from a military assignment.
“He?s been in Cuba for like the past year,” Brooks said. “He?s working in the jail at Guantanamo Bay.”
Brooks? father, Eric, has been stationed with the Army in Cuba for13 months and is in charge of communications between the U.S. and the base on the Caribbean island. Aric and his mother, Rose, communicate with Eric regularly ? typically five times a week.
“When it first happened, it was a little difficult because it was me and my mother,” Aric said. “I knew I was going to have to be more responsible, taking care of my grades and doing well on the court. My parents can?t afford to put me in school, so I?m trying to work really hard in the classroom to earn myself a scholarship.”
So far, he has earned a number of offers from local mid-majors. An athletic, 6-foot-6 swing man, Brooks has a ton of potential.
“You really don?t know how good he could become,” one local college coach said, adding that Brooks must work on his long-range jumper.
Brooks? raw talent was on display Tuesday night in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference semifinals against Towson Catholic. The No. 4 Panthers lost to the No. 1 Owls, 96-61, as Brooks and fellow standout Sean Mosley got into early foul trouble. He entered halftime with four fouls and 10 points before going on a spree in the second half, scoring 22 points before earning his fifth foul late.
“I just tried to play my best to stay away from my last foul,” Brooks said.
There were plenty of college scouts in the house that night, many catching up on Brooks and Mosley. The fans packed the house to see Towson Catholic?s Donte Greene (20 points) and Malcolm Delaney (35).
“Probably 100 people ask me a day where I?m going,” Brooks said. “They look at Donte, Malcolm and [Mount St. Joseph?s] Dino [Gregory], and everyone knows where they?re going. But nobody knows where I?m going yet. I?m just trying to hold it down and keep my options open.”
Rose Brooks has seen her son?s maturity level skyrocket in the past year. He?s maintaining a 3.4 grade-point average while serving as a stabilizing force around the family?s North Baltimore home.
“He also made time out to learn how to drive and get his license to make the load easier for me,” Rose said. “I can?t complain, and I thank God for him. I could be here by myself ? me and the dog.”
While college coaches are eager to learn of Brooks? decision, they are remaining patient while the Brooks family does the same in waiting for Eric to return.
“The time has really flown, and we?ll be happy when he gets home,” Rose said.
St. Frances (22-9) plays Archbishop Spalding (9-21) Sunday afternoon at Loyola College in the first round of the Baltimore Catholic League tournament.
