PORT LAVACA, TX -- The Rockdale football program has reportedly found someone to open its season against. Now the Tigers need to find a new running back.

Daniel Brooks confirmed to the American-Statesman on Wednesday that his senior season will be played at Port Lavaca’s Calhoun High School. Brooks’ father works for Alcoa and he was recently transferred to a job in the Port Lavaca area.

At last month’s state passing tournament in College Station, Brooks suited up with Rockdale and said that there was a possibility that he might finish his career with the Tigers. On Wednesday, however, Brooks said that he wanted to remain with his family.

“It’s hard for me, being my senior year but it’s for my family to be together,” said Brooks, who has verbally committed to the University of Oklahoma. “It’s nothing against Rockdale, it was a hard decision we had to make.”

This past season, Brooks earned All-Central Texas third-team honors after he rushed for 1,696 yards, scored 21 offensive touchdowns, led Rockdale in receptions and scored twice on defense. In May, Brooks won the 100-meter dash event at the Class 3A track and field meet and he finished third in the 110-meter hurdles.

Calhoun High will begin practicing next week. Joining Brooks will be his brother Elijah, a sophomore who was expected to contribute at the linebacker and running back positions for Rockdale this fall.

Brooks will join a Calhoun program that returns 15 starters from a team that reached the third round of last season’s Class 4A, Division II playoffs. Calhoun quarterback Joseph Bargas, fullback Brandon Griffith and running back Jeremy Loya combined for 55 rushing touchdowns last year and each player rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

Brooks said on Wednesday that Calhoun coaches have told him that he will play on both sides of the football.

“They told me the team is good, they went deep in the playoffs last year and that’s without me on the team,” Brooks said. “I feel real excited about this season, me doing great things and the team doing great things.

“We’re thinking nothing less than state.”

Brooks’ departure from Rockdale deals a blow to a roster that was already expecting to return only seven starters from a team that reached the bi-district playoffs last season. Multiple media outlets reported this week that Rockdale, a Class 3A program that lost its season-opening game last month when Eastside announced that it would not field a varsity team this fall, will now play Abilene Wylie in the first week of the 2011 season.