Recruiting Report: Sam Gibas (2017)

<p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">For Elk River’s <strong>Sam Gibas</strong> – a wrestler and football player for most of his life – the option of being a two-sport athlete in college was a real possibility. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">Gibas was a mainstay on both offense and defense for the Elks the past three seasons, rushing for 1,330 yards and 22 touchdowns last fall, while finishing third on the team in tackles. He also has over 100 victories on the mat and qualified for last year’s state wrestling tournament. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">After a lot of thought about his academic, social, and athletic life balance, however, Gibas said he’s decided to compete in only football at the collegiate level. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">“I am ready to walk away from it [wrestling]. It will be hard to juggle one sport and academics alone in college, and adding another sport, much less wrestling, would make it even more strenuous,” said Gibas via email. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:#222222">Steve Hamilton</span></strong><span style="color:#222222">, who’s been a head coach for 19 seasons including the past six in Elk River, said he’s never had a leader, or competitor, better than Gibas.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">“He refuses to lose at anything,” Hamilton said. “He is an incredible athlete with a motor that does not stop.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">To excel in Elk River’s physical style of football, Gibas bulked up after wrestling season entering his sophomore and junior years on the gridirion. Before his senior season, though, he decided to focus on his agility and speed in space, feeling like he’d gained too much weight and become too slow. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">It made him a better outside runner and more fluid defender for the Elks, which celebrated their 125th season of football with a Class AAAAA state championship last fall. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">“To bring back the first state championship for football in Elk River was really what made it special,” Gibas said. “It was just seeing a dream come together for the seniors, to really do everything we’d envisioned.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">Gibas said he will wait until his wrestling season ends before making his college decision. His finalists are Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schools Bethel, St. John’s and St. Thomas, although he said the Royals are his current favorite.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">“I really like the coaching staff and the school,” Gibas said. “Secondly is the faith aspect. I want to go to a college where I can grow in my faith and be surrounded by people that have similar views.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">Gibas said he expects to stay at running back at the next level, “unless needed somewhere else.” He also mentioned a business-related major as an academic focus, but added that he had time to decide. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">Hamilton said the best way to describe Gibas is “focused”, and said he’s always improving as a person both on and off the field. He expects that to continue for the next four years in the MIAC.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“<span style="color:#222222">He will elevate the play of his [college] teammates,” Hamilton said. “He will demand it.”</span></span></span></p>