The Southside Sharks are 6-1 once again here in 2023, and their record since the beginning of 2022 sits at 17-3. One of the key leaders of this team has been Wyatt Gibbens, a senior wide receiver who has been a steady force for the Sharks. In a flexbone offense, Gibbens may not be jumping off the stat sheet, but he makes an impact in many ways that don’t always get seen.
However, this past Friday night in a game with Sulphur, Gibbens had over 100 yards receiving with two touchdowns, including a 61-yard strike from his quarterback Andrew Angelle.
QUESTION: Wyatt, let’s start with last Friday’s game against Sulphur. Your team is dominantly a rushing offense, but you were able to catch two touchdown passes in that game. What were you guys seeing from Sulphur’s defense that allowed you to have the success you did in that game?
ANSWER: I feel like they played back on the ball a little bit. I just feel like I can get out there and just make plays when they call my name, no matter who they put me against, but I was always getting on the ball. I was just really confident in myself and my ability to make plays when they needed me.
Q: How fun has it been to watch this offense have the success that it’s had with 350 yards on the ground per game this season. What can you say about that level of dominance?
A: Man, it’s it’s a beautiful thing to watch. That’s something that not a lot of teams are able to do, and when you’re on a team that’s able to do that, it’s just mind-blowing. I can’t express the emotions you feel from that and how the season has gone. Compared to last year, it has been the biggest stepping stone and just escalating better and better every week.
Q: Looking at this district, with Carencro, Acadiana, Sam Houston, Barbe, and Sulphur, it’s definitely not an easy district. How fun it is to be able to play against some of the best competition in the state?
A: The amount of rivalry is something you want to watch, every time you go out, somebody’s making a play. Every time someone’s going on the field, there’s always head-butting and smack-talking. Just a big rivalry. People getting into it every week and it makes it a crazy game.
Q: Talk about the chemistry that you guys have on this team. How has it been different than than previous teams that you’ve been here at Southside?
A: We’re all friends here. Like no one’s against anybody. If someone makes a bad play, we’re always there to help pick it up. We don’t blame them for anything, we don’t yell, we don’t scream. We just don’t. It’s always hey man, pick it up and we move on to the next play
Q: What are you expecting out of this matchup with Acadiana on Friday night?
A: It’s gonna be tough. It’s gonna be a hard-fought battle, but I feel like we have it in us to win the game.
Gibbens and the 6-1 Southside Sharks will host Acadiana this Friday night. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m., but you can catch pregame on Mustang 107.1 FM or MeTV 97.7 FM.