Kanon Gibson is in the spotlight every snap for the Wink football team.
Whether at quarterback or strong safety, the son of head coach Brian Gibson more often than not finds himself in the middle of the action.
He wouldn’t have it any other way.
Leading the offense, Kanon Gibson put up some solid numbers this season, helping the Wildcats advance to the third round of the playoffs.
Defensively, however, he elevated his game to an entirely new level.
Gibson finished the regular season with 118 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four interceptions, two passes defended, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
He returned three of the interceptions for touchdowns and added an average of 37.8 yards per punt to the mix.
For his efforts, Gibson has been named the Odessa American’s 2021 Defensive Player of the Year.
“He had a great year on both sides of the ball,” Brian Gibson said. “But I think this will be special for him.
“Kanon played like he had a lot to prove. He really took over the leadership role, kind of like ‘if it’s going to be, it’s up to me’.”
The leadership role fell naturally on Kanon Gibson’s shoulders because of the positions he plays, along with being a coach’s son.
He watched older brother, Brock, assume that role, along with others, the past two seasons and realized the trickle-down effect was about to head his way after Brock graduated in May.
Understanding the situation, however, doesn’t mean the transition is going to be smooth and Kanon Gibson admitted to some difficult times.
“It was fun, but it was the hardest experience I’ve gone through,” he said of not having his brother with him on the field.
“Him and Mason (Morgan) were the leaders last year. Coming into this year, I knew there would be a huge place I could step in. It wasn’t really pressure, more like we have to go get more done.”
The Wildcats did get more done, advancing to the third round of the playoffs before losing to eventual Class 2A Division II champion Stratford.
Gibson knows that his team was right there with the Elks and points to one particular play that changed the game.
With Wink driving toward a score that would pull it to within one touchdown, one of Gibson’s passes was high and caromed off his receiver’s hands and was intercepted.
“That changed the game,” Gibson said. “We score there and it’s one touchdown and we are right with them.
“After that, it just got away from us.”
What hasn’t gotten away from Gibson and the rest of the Wildcats is the opportunity they will have next season as just four seniors are leaving the program.
That puts a core group that is 18-6 the past two seasons back on the field for another run at a state championship.
To do that, Gibson understands that he needs to get bigger and stronger, wanting to add 10-15 pounds to his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame.
He knows that he’ll need to be even more of a video rat than he was last year, a trait the father Brian Gibson translated to success on both sides of the football.
“His biggest asset defensively was the fact that he played quarterback on offense,” Brian Gibson said. “He learned out to study film and read tendencies without having to tell him in scouting reports.
“He averaged double digits in tackles, had 10 tackles for a loss and is instinctive enough that he would close up to the line of scrimmage when he saw something he remembers from video. And he was always communicating with his fellow guys on the back end (secondary), so they could make their adjustments to make plays.”
Kanon Gibson’s success on both sides of the ball has presented a pleasant quandary for the Wildcats’ leader — offense or defense at the next level.
There will be a next level as he is well into the recruiting process and already has one offer on the books to play quarterback.
“I love playing quarterback and that’s what I’d like to do in college,” Kanon Gibson said. “But if people start looking at me to play on the defensive side and think that’s my best bet, you never know.”
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
Kanon Gibson, QB/SS
Defensive Player of the Year
6-1, 185, JR.
>> Key Stats: Finished with 118 tackles, four interceptions, 10 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two passes defended, 37.8 average punting and three interception returns for a touchdown.
>> Wink coach Brian Gibson says: “His overall understanding of the game increased tremendously this year. His biggest asset defensive was the fact that he played quarterback on offense. He learned how to study film and read tendencies without us having to tell him in a scouting report.”
