With his powerful and determined run, Mike Brooks made a lasting impression in his highly anticipated return to the field.
The senior running back and defensive end helped Brainerd to a 14-6 victory at Howard on Saturday night in front of a packed crowd surrounding Reggie White Field. It was the opening game of the season for both teams, and the host Hustlin’ Tigers got the opportunity to show off the newly installed artificial turf at the stadium named after the former Howard, Tennessee and professional football legend.
Brooks made an immediate impact on the Panthers’ first possession, as the 5’8″, 200-pound bowling ball dragged Hustlin’ Tigers defenders for a 23-yard gain. On defense, he was key to a dominant line that pressured the backfield and closed the edge all night.
“I tore my ACL in the second game of the season last year against Chattanooga Prep and it was a tough mental battle to go through,” said Brooks, who also had a sack on Saturday and got more than half of his 45 rushing yards (which he gained on five carries) after physical contact.
“The great thing about all of this is that I have teammates who believe in me and cheer me up every day,” Brooks added. “I came back with 500 pounds of squats and I’m more determined than ever. I bring intensity to practice and game day. I just want to be a good leader. I love football and playing with my brothers.”
His classmate Willie Graves from Brainerd was a member of the Air Force on both sides of the ball.
Graves leapt over a defender to catch a 10-yard touchdown pass on a fade route. The pass was thrown to him perfectly by sophomore quarterback Jaeshaun Duke, giving the Panthers a 14-0 lead with 6:06 left in the third quarter. Howard’s offense, meanwhile, could do nothing against the strong Graves, who did not allow a single catch as a safety and cornerback.
“I’m proud of my defense and how I rush the ball,” said Graves, who also hit big in the second half. “We came out here and did what we had to do. I was happy for Mike. He’s a tough guy and he never lets himself get down one-on-one. We’re going to fight every time we come out here.”
Jordan Smith, the senior from Brainerd, had a difficult 5-yard touchdown run early and was also a star on his team’s defense, while classmate Kadarius Eberhardt was rock solid at linebacker. Eberhardt is the strongest player on the team, head coach Sammy Seamster said.
“I liked how our D-line played tonight and our linebackers were extremely solid as well,” Seamster said. “This summer I’ve seen a lot of good leadership from these guys in the senior class. They came here, set the tone for our season and played hard out there.”
Howard’s new recruit King Talley was impressive in the second half. The transfer from Lookout Valley showed a strong connection with quarterback Fletcher Williams as Talley caught five passes for 78 yards.
Talley had four catches for 54 yards on the Hustlin’ Tigers’ only scoring drive, which was capped by a 5-yard pass from Williams to Zeh Dorsey with 10:43 left in the fourth quarter, cutting the Panthers’ lead to the final margin.
Brainerd senior defensive back Jaziah Pinkerton sealed the road victory with an interception deep in his own territory with 2:10 left and no timeouts for Howard.
“We have more important things to do now,” Graves said. “Next we’ll start training again and work hard for Boyd Buchanan.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at [email protected].
