In August 2014, freshman Immanuel Quickley begins his high school career at band camp, playing saxophone for the marching band.

While most students go home after a long day in the sun, Quickley heads to the gym to practice for the basketball team.

Since then, not only has Quickley become a starter on men’s varsity basketball, but he also won the Dunk Contest at the basketball pep rally on Nov. 13.

Quickley has been playing basketball for eleven years now, and for the past year has put in the hard work required to attract attention from collegiate scouts.

“I love the element of competition in basketball,” Quickley said.

Before Quickley’s high school basketball career even began, the assistant coach of Division I college George Washington University, along with other schools, including the University of Virginia, University of Maryland, and Clemson University, showed interest in the young prospect.

“[Quickley] has a high basketball IQ, plays with a composed maturity, and is team oriented with a very high skill level,” varsity head coach Tony Martin said. “He is progressing nicely and a super young man to coach. He has a bright future in the Patriot black and gold.”

Immanuel’s mother, Nitrease, also brings spirit to the games, starting cheers in the parent section and jumping up and down whenever the Patriots score.

“Immanuel’s been playing well,” senior varsity small forward Mateus Maccieri said. “He’s a perfect fit for the team because of his skills. [He has] really great chemistry with the team [and] works hard.”

Quickley doesn’t know which team he wants to represent in college, only that he is determined to work hard and become the next big name in college basketball.

Eric Johnson is a Sports Editor for the Patriot and jcpatriot.com.