Hampton Roads Football Gets a Global Stage: Local Creator to Feature Oscar Smith Game
CHESAPEAKE, VA – High school football in Hampton Roads is about to gain international exposure thanks to Devin branch, a Hampton native who’s turned his passion for the sport into a burgeoning YouTube platform, CEO Brickz. Branch adn fellow content creator A.J. Greene will be filming Saturday’s highly anticipated matchup between Oscar Smith and Indian River, bringing the game – and its players – to a worldwide audience.
Branch, a Hampton graduate, recognized a gap in media coverage for talented athletes outside of traditional recruiting hotspots.”A lot of talent and a lot of players don’t get good recognition and good media in a lot of places,” Branch explained. “We said we’re going to start going to the places that don’t get good looks and we’re going to start shining light on them.”
CEO Brickz was born from that mission, traveling across the country to highlight promising football players. This week’s focus on Chesapeake’s Oscar Smith High School was sparked by standout senior Travis Johnson, a michigan commit. “I heard a lot about Travis Johnson and I reached out to a couple of people and they said ‘yeah, he’s the one. You might need to come see him,'” Branch said. “As much as I wanted to be on Hampton’s side and film Hampton, because we really never come to Virginia, I just had to highlight what’s hot.”
However, Branch anticipates the game may reveal other hidden talents. “We go to see a certain player and it’s someone else that shines over that player…Some of the times its not the person that we come see. A lot of the times it’s that nickel in the haystack that comes out and really shows their talent.”
branch and Greene will be filming throughout the game, interacting with students and fans, with footage expected to be published on their YouTube channels on Thursday. The Oscar Smith vs. Indian River game kicks off Saturday at 1 p.m. on the Tigers’ home field.
