Darius Weathers is still weighing his options in the aftermath of National Signing Day.
As a two-sport standout at Houston’s Ross Shaw Sterling High School, Weathers was the strong-armed quarterback for the Raiders playoff-bound football team.
Now he’s working his magic on the basketball court as a member of the Raiders’ starting backcourt.
The senior guard scored a team-high 22 points in Sterling’s 75-68 victory over Milby at Barnett Fieldhouse to stay in hot pursuit of a high playoff seeding in District 24-5A.
“Darius had a very good game,” said Sterling head coach Andrea Young. “Against a team that plays a zone [defense] we want to look for shots in certain areas on the floor. He did a good job of getting to those spots and knocking down the shots.
“He is our leader. As he goes, we go,” Young said. “Yet he has to understand that he sets the tone for us. When he sets the tone as our leader, then everyone else will follow. Our supporting cast gets better when he plays at a high level.”
Adept at finishing with either hand, Weathers possesses shooting range that extends beyond the three-point line. An eight-point second quarter against Milby enabled Sterling to carry a 41-27 edge into intermission.
Two three-pointers in the third stanza allowed the Raiders to claim a 62-47 advantage following three quarters.
With scholarship opportunities waiting in both sports, the mostly A and B student isn’t quite ready to declare which sport he will pursue on the collegiate level.
“Basketball may be my better sport, but I play both of them to my highest potential,” Weathers said. “I’m trying to help my family out by getting a scholarship.
“On the basketball court we’re trying to get ourselves prepared for the playoffs,” Weathers said. “I try to get all my teammates involved so we can have a deep playoff run.”
Weathers began playing basketball in eighth grade after watching Cleveland Cavaliers great LeBron James play on television.
“As I was watching him I thought to myself that I can do some of the same things that he was doing,” Weathers said. “[James] played basketball and football at that stage. So I started working hard on my game through the summers to become a better basketball player.”
Weathers believes his best asset is a quick first step. He enjoys playing for a coach that listens to his players and makes adjustments accordingly.
“He had an injury in middle school that set him back a little,” Young said. “But he’s overcome it and gotten a lot quicker.
“There’s a college out there where Darius would be a good fit,” Young said. “We just have to find the right spot for him. He’ll be a very good player for somebody.”
In the meantime, Weathers said this a great time to be a student at Sterling High School. Its brand new building opened following the Christmas holidays.
“I love the new building, the new gym and I love the environment,” Weathers said. “For me to be in the first senior class to graduate from the new building is exciting.”
About Darius Weathers
Birth date – Aug. 4, 1998
Birth sign – Leo
Favorite subject – Math
Possible college major – Mechanical engineering or criminal justice
Favorite meal – Ox tails, rice and gravy, cornbread
World problem he would solve – Crime
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