In last week’s 42-28 upset over GMC rival Lakota West, Hooks rushed 28 times for 290 yards and five touchdowns.
He became Lakota East’s all-time leading rusher earlier this season against Mason.
His coach, Jon Kitna, the former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, called Hooks not only the best running back in the state, but the best football player in the state.
Kitna has campaigned for Hooks to be named Mr. Ohio in the state.
“He’s a really, really, really good football player,” Kitna said this week as the Thunderhawks prepare to open the Division I playoffs Friday against Oak Hills. “He works hard in the weight room, he conditions hard and he sets the tone for the rest of the team.”
So college scouts must be lined up to recruit Hooks, right?
No, he’s still waiting for the right scholarship offer. Or any offer.
Hooks is 5-foot-8, 180 pounds and that lack of size scares away the college coaches. When he attended football camps, the coaches overlooked his field vision, speed and elusiveness and concentrated on his height.
“They all want a big back,” Hooks said of college coaches. “They all want five-star (recruits) because of their size. It’s so frustrating. I can compete with anybody.”
He just wants a chance to prove himself in college. He believes he can show he’s a talented runner or defensive back, and possibly enter the transfer portal and land at a larger college.
But those decisions will have to wait until his senior season ends. Right now he wants to beat Oak Hills, a team that lost to Lakota East the second game of the season.
In that game, a 14-7 win, Hooks rushed 15 times for 38 yards. At the end of every game, he ignores his statistics and focuses on the scoreboard.
For him, it’s the team’s record over personal records.
“I could care less about some of that stuff,” he said. “It’s about the wins. We all have put in the work.”
Kitna said he appreciates that mindset from Hooks and the rest of the team. Lakota East finished the regular season 7-3 overall, 6-3 in the GMC.
In the 10 games, Hooks has rushed 181 times for 1,733 yards, 500 more than the No. 2 rusher in the GMC. He has rushed for more than 100 yards seven times, 200 yards three times and 300 yards once.
He has scored 17 touchdowns, 15 rushing, two receiving.
“Every game,” Kitna said, “he’s the best player on the field. He’s reaping from all that hard work.”
Hooks was asked to describe the feeling of scoring a touchdown or five of them.
“It’s great to celebrate with my brothers,” he said. “There is no other feeling like that.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
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