Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week: Thomas Sumter's Kimbro does it all in win over Clarendon Hall

If you Googled the word "versatility," a picture of Gatlin Kimbro might be near the top of the search results.

Kimbro has become a jack-of-all-trades for Thomas Sumter. Last year, he played wide receiver, safety and handled all of the team's kicking duties. A year later, he's made the move to quarterback on offense. Through one game, Kimbro is right at home.

The new QB shined in all three areas of the game as the Generals beat Clarendon Hall 42-22 on Friday night. That performance was enough to earn Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week honors.

"I have tons of people supporting me, that want me to be great and to do great things," Kimbro said of the Thomas Sumter community in his corner. "I had a lot of people voting for me. It was great."

The win over the Saints was Kimbro's first start at quarterback since playing the position in middle school. While he's no stranger to the varsity level, playing quarterback comes with a different level of anticipation.

"It was nerve wracking, for sure. I haven't been touching the ball every play since I was in middle school playing quarterback," Kimbro said. "Throughout the game, I was getting used to it and doing what I can."

Kimbro had an excellent game at quarterback, going completing eight of his 11 pass attempts for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He added another 45 yards and a score on the ground. With all of that offensive production, his biggest play came on special teams.

After throwing a touchdown pass to Ryan Gregory to take the lead in the fourth quarter, Kimbro surprised Clarendon Hall with an onside kick. He ran out and recovered it himself before leading another touchdown drive.

"We lined up and (head coach Brannon Tidwell) said if it's open, onside kick it," Kimbro said. "I looked and the middle of the field was wide open. I just ran out there with Landin Blackwell and we were able to get the ball."

The Generals were able to ice the game with another touchdown on the following drive, a connection between Kimbro and Blackwell.

Along with the offensive stats, Kimbro added four extra points and had 10 tackles on defense. He appreciates the chance to help his team in every aspect of the game.

"It's just good to know that I'm on the field doing the best that I can and making the team - I don't want to sound like a bragger - but better," said the TSA senior.

Tidwell definitely thinks his quarterback made the team better this week.

"I expect him to do it," Tidwell said of Kimbro's clutch performance in the fourth. "That's not a pressure thing. I just expect him to make big time plays when we need it. He's prepared. I tell the kids all the time, if you study for a test, you're going to do good on the test. Football is the same. That's what I expect Gatlin to do and he did that in all three phases of the game."

Impacting the game in all three phases does take its toll on Kimbro, especially early in the season.

"It's challenging. In the first or second quarter, I was already feeling cramps," Kimbro said. "I always have cramps when I play almost every snap of the game. Cramps are a big deal for me, but other than that, I'm going full speed."

The Thomas Sumter quarterback is a quiet kid. His leadership is often seen, not heard. With the move to quarterback, Tidwell thinks that is changing.

"I noticed in practice the other day that there would be a couple of them not focused and he would dial them back in and say, 'Hey, listen up.' And they would get quiet," Tidwell said. "There are different types of leaders. There are vocal leaders and there are ones that lead by example. He's more of the lead by example, but I'm starting to see some of the vocal to come out in him as well."

Kimbro was glad to open the season 1-0, especially with his transition to quarterback. He hopes it sets the tone for a strong 2022 season.

"I feel like it was a motivator," Kimbro said. "It got our spirits up to be able to work this week as full speed as we can and just keep working."