Sparkman’s Hunter Gibson Is A “Warrior”
Harvest- Hunter Gibson is already having the type of season which are usually all-state performances as he has rushed for six touchdowns in Sparkman’s two victories over both Athens and county rival Buckhorn. He has rushed for over 200 yards and looks to be on his way of defending his 2016 All-State selection as Athlete in Class 7A. To his Sparkman coaches, he’s known as “The Warrior.”
“He is one of the most talented running backs I’ve been around because he has speed and good size and many teams don’t like to hit him because he goes right at the would-be tacklers very hard and fast,” said Laron White head coach of Sparkman. “He’s a warrior and in today’s world you don’t find many young men like that on the football field.”
“Through the years I’ve always wanted to win and having the three previous losing seasons we’ve had at Sparkman has made me try harder,” said Gibson, a senior running back and kick returner for the Senators.
With all of the accolades of being an All-State selection as a junior and All-State Honorable Mention as a sophomore, Gibson’s lack of college recruiting is extremely surprising. He has size (6-foot, 190-pounds) and ample speed to be able corral a bevy of college football offers, but little in the way of recruiting visits has occurred.
“I try and not think about that as I do want to play college football,” said Gibson. “I just know something good will happen in that area.”
White took over the Senator program in the spring and quickly found Gibson to be everything he had heard from other coaches and teammates. White inserted a new style of offense and his talented running back has totally bought in on the new system. With additional sections of the program being revamped by White, who came to the Class 7A school after 14 seasons at Tanner High, the entire football team has a different attitude than anyone can remember before this season. Gibson gives all the credit to White, his assistant coaches and the new attitude racing through every player who suits up for the cardinal and black colors of the Senators.
“The team feels like no one can stop us as we know we have the skills and if we do what we do best, no one can stop us,” said Gibson.
The son of James and Kim Gibson credited the team’s offensive line as being the catalyst to the early season turn around for Sparkman that has won only 19 games while losing 53 this decade. Gibson quickly spoke of the O-Line and acknowledged his success comes from the hard work by the lineman who makes the blocks necessary for his talents to shine. This season the offense is less flashy than a year ago and has incorporated a more of straight ahead pound style of play, which sets up some of the passing and miss-direction plays that have averaged scoring 42 points per outing.
A 3.7 GPA Gibson has in the classroom and unlimited athletic skills on the football field he has everything a college program looks for in a high school athlete. He has a quiet, but pleasant personality and a sense of humor that is regarded as dry. White called him, “The goofiest player I’ve been around and is always in a good mood.” Gibson said of White’s assessment, “As a senior, people look to me to be a leader and try and make all on the team to be in a good mood. As for Coach White, I love him. He doesn’t separate classes as all players are the same on the football field. He wants each and every player prepared on every play, at each game.”
Gibson is ready for whatever will come his way in his final season at Sparkman and what is still to come when a college comes calling for the talents of “The Warrior.”
