HAMPTON, VA (WTKR)- Maurikus Banks may only be entering his junior year, but he's already found a place he wants to call his college home and it's not all that far away from his high school.
The Phoebus quarterback verbally committed to Old Dominion late last month, announcing is intention to join the Monarchs despite having two full high school seasons remaining.
"I just felt like it was the best situation for me," Banks said Wednesday. "Coack (Kevin) Decker and Coach (Ricky) Rahne and Coach (Blake) Seiler, they've been real good people to me, made me feel like I was at home anytime I was there, showed a lot of hospitality every time I was there and I just love it there."
Banks, who has yet to lose a game as a starting quarterback in high school, will stay in the 757. Suiting up for a program that allows his family and friends to see him take the field regularly played a big factor in his decision.
"My mom, my dad, my grandmom, my granddad and all my family, they can come see me play, as well as friends and cousins," he said. "I've got a little brother and I would love to make sure he's at every single game, get to see me play. He really looks up to me."
The junior quarterback was thrown into the spotlight during his freshman season, taking over the starting job in the second playoff game due to another player's injury. He led Phoebus to a state crown, then helped engineer the program's fourth consecutive title in 2024. This season he and the Phantoms set their sights on number five in row. Is there pressure? Sure, but he's at the head of a group that knows how to handle it.
"Let's be great and be the best us we can be," he noted. "Let's be the best Phoebus team that we can be. Let's put everything else to the side and focus on the main goal at hand."
A fifth straight title would put Phoebus with the second-most in VHSL history. Riverheads leads the charge with seven state crowns in a row.
