The biggest show in town: Gilbert football team is on a roll

Shaving heads, dancing and wearing mullet wigs are extra bonuses when you are winning football games.

That’s been the case for the Gilbert football program the past two seasons. The Indians wrapped up the school’s first region title last week and can notch their first unbeaten regular season and second straight 10-win season Friday against Pelion.

Before coach Chad Leaphart’s arrival last year, the school had one 10-win season in 1993 since it opened in 1972.

“We didn’t think this much success this soon. We felt like we had a lot of work to do and we did,” Leaphart said Wednesday at practice. “Biggest thing is guy’s buying in. We came in and started to working with them and they didn’t back down from anything we threw at them.”

Leaphart, a former Gilbert player who was on its Lower State final teams in the 1990s, made good of a couple of promises to his team following Friday’s 41-0 win over Edisto. He did a quick dance, which receiver Manny Bright called “pretty bad” in the postgame huddle. The second-year coach said he was fortunate no one videotaped it or it would make the rounds across social media.

On Monday, Leaphart dug up an red mullet he used as an old Halloween costume and wore it during school. Some of Leaphart’s assistants shaved their heads during milestone victories but he’s already bald.

“I didn’t know whether to laugh or be quiet because if you laugh you might be running,” offensive lineman Erikson Abney said of Leaphart’s wig. “It was hilarious. We took pictures and stuff. It was a great way to show he appreciates us and gives us a laugh for all the work we done.”

Abney, a North-South selection, was a little skeptical when Leaphart took over and thought it was just be “the same old Gilbert” as in years past. From 2000-15, the Indians had three seasons of .500 or better.

But Abney said it didn’t take long for the players to realize that it wouldn’t be the same old Gilbert program. The Indians are 19-2 in the past two years and have not lost a game at home.

“We started winning games and thought, hey, this might get good and be pretty fun,” Abney said. “Coach Leaphart really pushed us and it is a culture now, it is a Gilbert thing to be winning on Friday nights.”

Leaphart said he has been fortunate to have players such as Abney, Bright, the team’s record setting receiver, and others, including quarterbacks Josh Strickland and Jy Tolen and defensive lineman Darius Bell.

Leaphart said the biggest thing that has changed is the team being tougher and stronger. He said strength coach Chase Duncan has played a big role.

Gilbert’s revived football program has been a big hit with the community which rallies around the school’s athletic programs. Fans are wearing the Indians’ black and red colors around town and packing the stands both home and away.

At some road games, Leaphart said Gilbert has more fans than the opposing team.

“There are folks that follow Gilbert football that don’t have a kid on the team. It is kind of the way things used to be, but you don’t get that at many places any more,” Leaphart said. “That old Friday night feeling where the whole town shuts down and they come to the game. …. we are rural community out here and the biggest show in town on Friday night. So the whole town comes and inspires our kids.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 4:20 PM with the headline "The biggest show in town: Gilbert football team is on a roll."