When it comes to being a high school student, if you’re a bookworm you strive to exceed in your academics and if you’re a jock, then sports excellence is your goal. For Clinton High senior Hampton Brock, he does each one and excels at both.
Brock isn’t your average player who focuses on a particular sport, as one just isn’t enough for him. Currently playing in the middle of a 13-1 basketball season, he is a member of a Dark Horses team that has been unstoppable all year. He also plays two other sports for the black and gold of Clinton.
One of the two sports, football, has already concluded. There, he was catching passes and getting an interception all the way into the second round of the playoffs. His third sport at Clinton is golf. He sent balls flying all last season as part of a team that consistently performed well all year.
“I play all three — golf, football and basketball — because I just really love playing sports I’ve been playing all my life,” said Brock in a recent interview.
Since he’s put on a Dark Horses jersey he’s had some pretty good career numbers. In basketball, he’s put up 41 total points, made six three-pointers, has grabbed 24 rebounds, notched 15 assists, nabbed nine steals and is perfect from the free throw line. He’s done this over just 28 games, all while being a member of the varsity for the past three years. Brock even managed to be player of the game during the 2017 season when he scored nine points against Union.
In football, he had six catches for 71 total receiving yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.8 yards per catch for a very run-oriented offense. He was equally good on the defensive side of the ball, amassing 38 total tackles, along with one interception. He’s been on varsity for three straight years for football as well.
Even with all the athletic success, it’s all complementary to his academic achievement — not just any achievement either. He has some of the best grades a high school student could hope for, which has gained him a 4.0 GPA.
Doing all this could be overwhelming for most teenagers. However, for Brock, playing three sports and having near perfect grades has become second nature.
“I’ve found that first and foremost it’s all about working hard. Then the next step is making sure I can balance my time, but I have to admit, it was tough at first,” he said.
While being a well-rounded athlete and having great grades, Brock is still unsure about his future goals but knows what he’d like his next step to be.
“My plan is to go to a four-year college, UNC-Wilmington or UNC-Chapel Hill, though I am not sure yet what I want to do or rather I’m still undecided,” replied Brock.
Though he has found a way to make all his endeavors at Clinton High work it couldn’t be done without a proper support system backing him — a system for which Brock gives his loving parents, David and Allison, credit.
“Through all of this, my parents have been there for me, so I’d definitely have to thank them for always supporting me,” Brock concluded.
