Gateway football standout Brisker makes mark on basketball court
Gateway's Jaquan Brisker gets plenty of attention for his skills on the football field. People are starting to take notice of him on the basketball court, too.
Brisker, a senior forward, didn't play basketball for the Gators his freshman or sophomore years. He played a little last season, but mainly junior varsity — and not for the whole year.
“If he had started playing as a freshman, he'd be a recruitable kid for basketball. He is a fantastic football player, and he has come along so much in basketball in such a short time. It's unbelievable,” Gateway coach Daryn Freedman said. “We weren't sure if he was going to play this year, and he started off really well but needed to take some time off in the beginning of the season to make sure he got his academics in order. He is getting ready for college, and he has been doing really well academically.”
A standout safety and wide receiver for Gateway's football team, Brisker was unsure whether he would play basketball his senior season. He is glad he did, though.
“I've been taking it more serious this year. Last year, I was on the team for a little bit, and I just went off to focus on football,” he said, “John Paul Kromka and Harvey Hicks helped me love basketball more. Just the way we work in practice and work with each other, they made me like it more and take it more serious.”
Basketball is in Brisker's blood. His grandfather, John Brisker, played six seasons in the ABA and NBA. Known for his unpredictability, he began his career with the Pittsburgh Pipers in 1969 and was a two-time ABA All-Star.
“I thought it was cool learning about him just because of the history,” Brisker said. “Just knowing how he was, I can see little mini comparisons, just with how he was aggressive, and I try to be, and how athletic he was. I grew a lot, and I am close to his height. I am 6-3, and he is 6-5.”
This season, Brisker is happy to be a main contributor to a Gateway team that clinched a WPIAL Class 5A playoff berth and started 7-0 in Section 3.
“I've been very happy just because I improved as a player. I've matured. I take it more serious now,” he said. “I know my game. I am not out there going wild and throwing up all kinds of shots. I know what my game is and what my game is not. I just do my best for the team and just go all out.
“We have our big star back, John Paul, from injury, and we've been clicking. We've just been working hard. Everybody feels more comfortable, and everybody is in the right position now. Our goal is to win our section.”
Kromka, who averages about 16 points, missed seven games with an injury. Brisker helped fill some of that void.
“Every day in practice early on, he was the only one who was challenging John Paul and made things tough on him. He started learning the offense. Then, he needed to take some time off to finish some academic work,” Freedman said. “John Paul got hurt, and then Jaquan came back. He started playing well after a few games, and he's been averaging a double-double over the last five or six games. He's been a big part of our success.”
Gateway started the year 1-6. However, the Gators turned things around once section play started and their players got healthy.
“It's really fun just because we have a connection better than last year. At first, I wasn't too sure about my teammates and they weren't too sure of me. We weren't sure if we took each other seriously,” Brisker said. “But we noticed we could do something good. John Paul helped me with basketball plays and just helped me become a better basketball player. Harvey Hicks and Courtney Jackson were my teammates on the football field, and they've helped me in basketball, too. They're my sidekicks.
“After we beat Franklin Regional and Highlands, that's when we knew we had a shot at the section title. We've been keeping an eye on that for a while now.”
Joe Sager is a freelance writer.
