Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week: Gibson carries Scott's Branch to three key region wins

The Scott's Branch boys basketball team is in the heart of its region slate. The Eagles needed someone to step up as they faced East Clarendon and Hemingway in a total of three games last week. Hemingway was right behind Scott's Branch in the 1A polls, sitting at No. 3 with the Eagles at the top of the rankings.

Randy Gibson proved to be the player Scott's Branch was looking for.

After a relatively quiet game in a blowout of East Clarendon, Gibson had two masterful offensive performances to lead the Eagles to a sweep of Hemingway. He was able to win the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week in the process.

"It means a lot to me knowing that they support me," Gibson said of the Scott's Branch community that pushed him to the weekly award. "I know that my community only wants the best for me and keeps me and the team going."

Gibson started the week with a 10-point game against East Clarendon. The Eagles won that game 60-37 and were able to spread the ball around quite a bit. He added four steals, two assists and two rebounds.

The high-pressure games started on Wednesday. The Eagles hosted Hemingway in their first matchup and Gibson exploded. He went off for 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. More importantly, he didn't turn the ball over in the 58-41 win. He wasn't focused on his stat line, though, he just wanted the win.

"I honestly didn't know until after the game when they told me my stats," Gibson said. "My coaches do a great job of putting us in the right spots to succeed. It was all on me to get it done."

That plays into Gibson's mindset for the week. He wasn't focused on the playoff implications, he just wanted to play his best basketball.

"Really just being myself," Gibson said of his thought process heading into the week. "I'm trying to be more of an all-around player and to be the leader I am.

"Our main belief is to keep it one game at a time and see where we end."

Gibson continued his strong week with another great game against Hemingway on Friday.

He scored 18 points as the Eagles used a massive fourth quarter to get a 51-42 comeback victory. The win set the Eagles up for a pair of games against Carvers Bay to determine the region champion.

While Gibson said he and his teammates try to take things one game at a time, he admitted that games against ranked teams give him a little more energy.

"We're trying to stay away from the rankings and just play basketball, but yes it does (add to the game)," said Gibson, who also had two rebounds, an assist and a block in Friday's win. "We worked hard for this spot and we plan on taking it all the way."

While Gibson is willing to do whatever it takes to win these high-stakes games, he's also excited to be the one to provide some heroics.

"These big games are what I have been waiting on," Gibson said. "I just feel like I play my best when the lights are on."

Gibson has been playing off the ball more often over the last few weeks and is thriving in the new role. Head coach Kevin Miller credits his guard's ability to adjust.

"Randy has been very consistent the past two weeks. He has been adjusting to his new role of being an off-ball guard, which is working out very well," Miller said. "We like him off the ball to apply more pressure on the defense with less pressure on him."

Gibson is certainly used to playing in the spotlight. He and the Eagles have played for back-to-back state titles, and he wants to not only get back to that game this year but come away with a ring.

"We just have to stay disciplined and believe in each other," Gibson said. "We have been doing a great job so far, we just want to build in every aspect."