Richmond-Burton’s Brock Wood to join brother Dalton at D-III Dubuque

While it is no surprise that Richmond-Burton senior Brock Wood chose to play football with his older brother Dalton at Dubuque, it really was not a foregone conclusion.

Wood, the Northwest Herald 2021 Football Player of the Year and Friday Night Drive’s Defensive Player of the Year, looked at several other schools. Throughout the process, NAIA St. Ambrose and St. Xavier, along with Dubuque, topped his list.

The Rockets fullback-linebacker announced his decision via Twitter on Tuesday morning that he was headed to NCAA Division III Dubuque.

Dalton Wood, the 2019 Northwest Herald Player of the Year, was a sophomore starting safety for the Spartans, who were 6-4 last fall. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dalton Wood has three years of eligibility remaining.

Ultimately, the family blood ran thick.

“It was a tough decision to make between Ambrose and Dubuque, but there were so many things pointing to Dubuque that make more sense for me and my family,” Brock Wood said. “I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play with Dalton again and make life so much easier, and be around great coaches.”

The brothers played one season together, 2019, when the Rockets rolled to the Class 4A state championship having never trailed in a game. That started a 32-game winning streak that ended with R-B’s Class 4A semifinal loss to Joliet Catholic, 35-18, last season.

Brock Wood led R-B with 126 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. He also ran for 1,658 yards and 27 touchdowns and was an Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 4A All-State selection.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect him to come to Dubuque at all, but he came on a visit here about three weeks ago and seemed like he really enjoyed it,” Dalton Wood said. “He met a couple of the guys and enjoyed them as well. That kind of made a big impact on that.

“I’m really excited for him to come on. It’ll be a great fit for him because the coaching staff here is unbelievable. They really showed me how much they wanted him here. That kind of made it easier for me to express how much I thought he’d fit in here and have an unbelievable career here.”

R-B coach Mike Noll felt the Dubuque coach Stan Zweifel’s staff did a great job letting the Woods know how much they wanted Brock.

“They wanted him badly, and that’s one of the most important things,” Noll said. “It’s common for family members to go to the same school, they just have to be comfortable with it. It’ll be a good thing for him. Brock will establish his own identity. Brock’s a very good football player. There’s a lot of things he can do at Dubuque.”

Brock Wood thought long and hard about going his own way, but his knowledge of Dubuque and the chance to play with his brother swayed him to the Spartans.

He appreciated the interest shown by defensive coordinator Rob Huberty and quarterbacks/run game coordinator Evan Eastburn, who also is recruiting coordinator.

“They always seemed to be really interested in me when I went to Dalton’s games last year,” Brock Wood said. “They really treated me like I was already a part of the team before I was a part of the team. I already knew what I was getting into, and players on the team. It was a huge bonus for everything.”

Steve and Michelle Wood will only have to drive to one school to see their sons play on fall weekends.

“It was not a decision that Brock arrived at in a hurry,” Noll said. “He took his time, and it’s important to go somewhere where they want you. He’ll do well there. It’s a good fit academically. They’re a program on the rise, too.”