Video: Nick Gerber senior highlights
Texas senior broke state record for TD passes this season. Watch
Nick Gerber run the
Levelland (Texas) high powered offense and it's like viewing a maestro, his coach said.
A smooth and subdued one.
"He's a very quiet kid — laid back, smooth, just like he plays," said Jared Sanderson, in his eighth season for the Lobos and fourth as head coach. "He doesn't get flustered. Very reserved. Very humble."
Heading into Friday's Class 4A Division 1 Region 1 final with nemesis
Wylie (Abilene), the 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior has plenty to shout about.
He's about to become the greatest single-season passer in state history.
Gerber has completed 317 of 481 passes for 5,401 yards, 76 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He ranks second nationally in yards —
Alex Huston of
Glendale (Springfield, Mo.) is No. 1 with 6,131 and his season is over — and tied for first in TD passes.
Gerber needs just 156 yards passing to surpass the state record of 5,557 set in 2013 by Travis Quintanilla of Refugio.
Despite gaudy numbers, Gerber's only college offers are from two-year schools.
Photo by Steven Conway
He's already broke the single-season state touchdown mark of 71 and is just two away from moving into third nationally all-time. The record there is 91, which isn't out of the question.
But the Lobos (10-3) need to keep winning, which, Sanderson said, is Gerber's singular goal.
"He's handled all the record stuff really well," Sanderson said "His focus is on us winning ball games and making himself and everyone else better. He's special. He's a special kid."
Blessed with a 3.9 grade point average and also a standout on the basketball and baseball teams, Gerber is your classic All-American kid, said his coach. He knows every nuance of Levelland's potent offense, which averages 56 points and 617 yards per game.
Not only do the Lobos have three 1,000-yard receivers in
Jeffrey Elliott (93 catches, 1,620 yards, 28 touchdowns),
Zack Estrada (81, 1,255, 15) and
Kegan Dent (47, 1,048, 16), but they have two 1,000-yard rushers in
Qualin Miller (1,141 yards, 10 TDs) and
Chris Gerber (1,012, 10), Nick's sophomore brother.
"He's like a coach on the field," Sanderson said of Nick Gerber. "He runs the show. We might call a run play and he might check off into a pass. He understands the game and what we want to do."
With so much going for him, college coaches would apparently be knocking down his door. Thus far, he has offers from Cisco Junior College and New Mexico Military Institute.
"Hopefully all that will come," Sanderson said. "He's patient on the field and makes great decisions. He'll do the same with his college choice. More options will come."
In the meantime, Gerber is focused on a Wylie team that has ended Levelland's season the last two seasons. The Lobos haven't reached the fourth round of the playoffs in 66 years, according to Sanderson.
