Lakewood's Brooks leads comeback charge on way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

For the second-consecutive week, the Lakewood football team found themselves in need of a second-half comeback when they faced off against Wilson last Friday. For the second week in a row, sophomore quarterback Brian Brooks was more than willing to answer the call.

The young signal-caller helped dig the Gators out of a 14-0 hole after the break, scoring both touchdowns before punching in the game-tying two-point conversion. That set up a game-winning field goal by Cedric Cisse in overtime to lift Lakewood to their second-straight win and their first in region play. Brooks' performance was more than enough to earn recognition as the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week.

"It really means a lot to me," Brooks said of the support of the Gator faithful.

Lakewood head coach Willie Offord has been impressed by the way his sophomore quarterback finds a way to spark the offense when their backs are against the wall.

"Every time we were in a situation where we need a big play from him, he delivered. He pretty much put the team on his back," Offord said. "He never flinched, never wavered and stayed the course, even through mistakes. He kept his composure and became the leader on the football team.

"Just from a leadership component, the quarterback is probably the most notable person on the team to be a leader, and he's accepted that role and responsibility very well. His growth has been tremendous over the past few weeks. He's gone from 'Who is this little kid?' to needing to prepare for No. 10."

Brooks has come a long way in a few short weeks. He was injured in the season-opener against Sumter High, which also served as his varsity debut. After missing the Gators' second game against Westwood, he's been integral in keeping Lakewood in competitive matchups the last three weeks. Just before the two-game winning streak, Lakewood watched a lead slip away in a 21-13 loss to Dreher, and the sophomore scored the team's lone offensive touchdown. He was ready for the challenge from Day 1.

"Nothing's too big for me," he said. "I just had to put my big boy pants on and step up in the role."

Against Wilson, Brooks piled up 176 yards on the ground, plunging into the end zone for two touchdowns. His mindset in the second half was simple.

"My mindset was the game isn't over. We still have 24 more minutes," he said. "I was just trying my best to hype up the team and let them know it's not over, we can come back. We just had to come together as one unit and be more focused. That's what flipped it around."

The most impressive play was also the most critical. The Gators trailed by two points after he scored his second touchdown. Brooks was wrapped up in the backfield and seemed to be stopped dead in his tracks, but the sophomore landed on his would-be tackler and was able to get back on his feet before touching the ground and found the end zone for the game-tying points.

"The only thing I was thinking was, 'I need to do this for my team,'" Brooks said.

Offord added, "At that point, the tables kinda turned for us mentally."

Lakewood has been able to rally behind their quarterback for the last two weeks. Offord can see the rest of the Gators feed off the electric play of their quarterback.

"Big plays are contagious," Offord said. "Whenever he does something good, it helps the team keep the momentum. Defensively, we get a break so the kids can kinda rest whenever he's able to keep drives alive. From a momentum standpoint and a confidence-building standpoint, whenever you have a leader to rally behind, it's critical."

Lakewood hopes to keep that momentum rolling as they look to compete in one of the most difficult regions in the state, Region V-4A.

"We're much more confident, but we have to stay humble and stay focused and prepare for the next week," Brooks said. "We have to go 1-0 every week, and it starts in practice. We have to play together as a unit."