Putting energy to use
Mother’s reaction got Homewood-Flossmoor’s Brownfield on sports path
As early as fourth grade, Homewood-Flossmoor’s Carson Brownfield was a high-energy kid.
Maybe a little too high energy? His mother, Erica, thought so.
“She felt like I had ADHD, so she wanted me to get out there and play some sports,” Carson said of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. “It turned out I was good at basketball.”
Does Carson, a senior guard, think he had ADHD?
“I didn’t feel like I did — but still, to this day, she thinks I got it,” he said. “But I don’t feel like I have it.”
What Brownfield does have is basketball talent.
He was named to the all-tournament team Friday night after the Vikings topped Thornton 53-52 in the championship game of the 50th Big Dipper at Rich Township.
The 6-foot-3 Brownfield had 14 points, seven rebounds and four steals for H-F (13-1). Bryce Heard added 16 points, hauled down nine rebounds and earned tournament MVP honors.
Gianni Cobb, a Columbia recruit, scored what turned out to be the winning basket for the Vikings on a layup with two seconds left and then had a steal at half court to seal the win.
Illinois recruit Morez Johnson led Thornton (11-2) with 23 points. Meyoh Swansey had 11.
Looking back, Brownfield thanked his mother for putting him into sports.
“It was the best thing she did,” Carson said. “It kept me out of trouble and created my name.”
He’s still a high-energy player, and his teammates appreciate it.
“He really gets us going,” Cobb said of Brownfield.
“Carson is one of our biggest pieces,” Heard said. “He keeps us together. He’s one of our most vocal players. I really call him the glue guy, for sure.”
With the transfer of talented players in Heard and Cobb for this season, Brownfield found himself with a different set of teammates surrounding him.
H-F coach Jamere Dismukes appreciates the way he has interacted with them.
“He’s our leader and he’s our captain,” Dismukes said. “He was voted our captain unanimously by all of the players. On the court, he’s our Swiss Army knife.
“He can play the point. He can play in the post. He can shoot the ball, he can guard the ball and he can rebound the ball. Carson is literally everything for our team.”
Brownfield’s seventh rebound in the closing seconds with the Vikings down by one point Friday night set the table for Cobb’s heroics.
The 6-0 Cobb, who had shot 1 of 6 from the floor, headed into heavy traffic in the lane for the go-ahead basket.