Boys basketball: Brooks knows he has to be leader for Bronchos

Only one starter remains for the Odessa High boys basketball team.

And he’s also the only Bronchos player who started and stayed on the varsity roster throughout last season. Every young player — and every senior that spent his time on the junior varsity — is looking to one experienced athlete to take the lead this year.

Dalen Brooks leads Odessa High into its season-opener at 7:30 tonight against Lubbock Trinity Christian in the OHS Fieldhouse.

“It’s a lot of pressure,” Brooks said. “But you just have to keep working hard.”

Brooks spent the offseason polishing his game after he averaged a team-high 13 points per game on a senior-laden Bronchos team that finished 5-23 last year.

During the summer, Brooks — along with senior teammates Isaiah Ontiveroz and Jamayl Williams — spent as much time as possible on the court.

Playing in tournaments all over the state of Texas, Brooks tried to work on every facet of his game.

“Pretty much, I’m in the gym every day of the summer,” Brooks said. “I worked on taking it with my left hand, finishing, keeping my shot consistent and my court awareness.”

Except in tight situations, when the game is close and Bronchos head coach James Johnson wants the ball in the hands of his most experienced playmaker, Brooks doesn’t have to bring the ball up the court this season.

Odessa High has three kids who can play the point.

Spreading time out between Williams, a senior, junior Jakari Allen and freshman Aaron McMaryion — who scored a game-high 21 points in the Bronchos’ intrasquad scrimmage — all have the skills to distribute the ball to a group of shooters that can all hit from the outside.

The Bronchos don’t have a whole lot of size — other than 6-4 sophomore Brian Brewster and 6-3 junior Frank Mijares, most of the Odessa High roster is most comfortable on the wing — but shooters like Brooks give a young team a chance in any game.

“This is probably the best shooting team I’ve ever had,” Johnson said. “Isaiah Ontiveroz, Joed Amoyaw, and Dalen can hit his share of threes.”

Odessa High needs Brooks to score in tight situations.

But more than anything, the Bronchos need Brooks to set the emotional tone, to be a rock for a set of teammates that will collectively be seeing varsity action for the first time.

“Dalen is going to have to be a leader for us,” Johnson said. “He’s an emotional kid, so he’s going to have keep his emotions in order to lead the others. If he gets rattled, the rest of the kids will probably follow.”

Most of the Bronchos have already learned to follow Brooks’ lead.

And the senior guard has been as steady as they come throughout the preseason.

“He’s a good leader on the court,” Allen said. “And he’s been calm under pressure.”

Brooks has been through the varsity season before.

And experience breeds respect.