By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Jonathan Robinson is the first, but most certainly not the last.
Robinson, a 5-foot-8, 155-pound point guard for Jubilee Brownsville on Wednesday became the first one from his charter school to sign a college athletic scholarship agreement.
Next school year, the Titans’ senior basketball standout will be playing for Wayland Baptist University in the Texas Panhandle city of Plainview.
In a signing ceremony at the charter school’s gym with the student body, teachers and administrators gathered to witness the historic event along with the athlete’s family members, Jubilee Brownsville principal Yolanda Cantu smiled at Robinson and said, “You are a pioneer for our school and you are amazing. I’m so proud of you.”
Everyone on hand cheered heartily, giving their full approval to the principal’s statement, including the point guard’s coach.
“Jonathan is the kind of athlete every coach dreams about having,” said Jubilee Brownsville basketball coach Gilbert Flores, who was Robinson’s coach for his junior and senior seasons. “He’s hard-working and he demands greatness on the court every single day.
“Deep down in my heart, I know he will make it at the next level,” Flores added. “He can do great things as long as he keeps working hard.”
Flores didn’t have exact stats available, but said Robinson averaged double figures in scoring and around five or six assists per game during his varsity career for the Titans.
“Jonathan’s biggest thing is his work ethic and pretty much his dedication to the game of basketball itself,” Flores said. “He’s here to work hard and get better, and he kind of demands that from all those around him (on the court) as well.”
It was a day to remember for everyone, particularly for the one who signed his name on the scholarship agreement.
“It means a lot to me just knowing that my hard work is finally paying off,” said Robinson, who has enough academic credits to enter college as a sophomore and will pursue a degree in criminal justice. “The coach (at Wayland Baptist) said it’s going to be a lot of hard work over there, and I know I’m just going to have to push through it. I need to keep believing in myself and know that I’m there for a reason.
“I know I’m meant to be there and I’m ready,” he added. “One of my main goals is to adjust (to the new environment of college) as quickly as possible. I know the pace of the game in college is going to be a lot faster.
“It’s going to be hard, but I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve finally reached this finish line (in high school) and now it’s time to start a new race.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess