Jake GibsonCLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Cleveland High School football coach Ron Crawford knows Jake Gibson only as a "gamer," a guy who despite the circumstances in front of him is ready when the lights come on.
Which is why he had no worries giving the senior his first-ever start at quarterback in the biggest -- and first -- home playoff game for the Raiders in 11 years. And Gibson was up to the task.
He threw for 114 yards as Cleveland defeated Clinton 10-7 in a physical, defensive battle. It sets up a second-round battle in the Class 5A state playoffs, this time at Oak Ridge on Friday night.
Gibson has spent time primarily at inside receiver and outside linebacker this season. He caught 14 passes for 180 yards as a receiver and forced a fumble and a safety from his linebacker position, but a shoulder injury to Austin Massey pushed Gibson into the starting role at quarterback.
He also is a key contributor to the basketball team and plays No. 1 singles for a tennis program that advanced to the Class AAA state sectional last season.
"He's a smart player that understands the concepts," Crawford said Tuesday. "He's played in a lot of big games in his career, and the moment's never too big for him. When asked to perform, he's done well and played well on both sides of the ball."
Gibson's best moment against Clinton came on Cleveland's first possession, when he uncorked a 20-yard spiral to Isaiah Beaty for what would be the Blue Raiders' only touchdown.
"That was a relief," Gibson said of the throw. "I needed to see that."
The senior, who wants to enter the Naval Academy, has made only one B in high school. His intelligence bleeds onto the football field, where he's asked to process lots of information for multiple positions all the time.
"I was always making sure I was ready to take over at quarterback before the possibility was there," he said. "I made sure I knew what to do at every position."
His goal for this week? Be more effective on third down. The Raiders were 5-for-12 in conversions against the Dragons and were forced into five three-and-outs.
"I also have to limit my mistakes," Gibson said. "I can't have any turnovers whatsoever. I know I missed a couple of throws last week, but I can't give the ball to the other team. Oak Ridge has great athletes, but if we're good with the ball, I think we can do just fine."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.