Gibbs football coach Brad Turner spent the entire summer getting his team and coaching staff ready for the 2026 TSSAA football season.
In all the excitement, he forgot to focus on himself. Even a week into the season, Turner was unprepared for the emotional drain after Gibbs' 34-27win over Halls (0-2) on Aug. 28.
"I'm getting too old, man," Turner told Knox News. "It's my 27th year and I woke up this morning and still got the jitters. I've got to get in football shape. ... If I were a fan, this game would be phenomenal. As a coach, it's pretty stressful."
Opposite of Turner was his calm quarterback, Keith Jones Jr. In the chippy rivalry game, the junior kept a level head on his way to 200 yards and three touchdowns on 7-of-9 passing. He also rushed
for a touchdown and had a game-sealing run on fourth down.
Gibbs (2-0) needed Jones' steadying presence after opening the game in a 13-0 hole.
"We said, 'Hey, don't let it affect us,'" Jones said. "'Play our ball and we're going to win.'"
Jones got all the starting reps for Gibbs in 2025, and led the Eagles to an upset win over Region 2-4A champions Anderson County and a first-round victory in the Class 4A playoffs. He's rolled the success over into 2026, with six passing touchdowns through two games.
"Good for Keith. Good for Gibbs," Turner said. "He's matured, and obviously playing every game last year, coming in he knows the offense and is in control out there. He knows what's going to be there before the ball snaps. It's just maturity and getting older."
Jones' first touchdown of the night went to senior tight end Dallas Holt, who ended the first quarter on a 70-yard screen pass for his first career score.
Holt said he felt "amazing." He followed it up with another one in the third quarter and ended with three catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
"He showed up his senior year and filled out." Turner said. "In that position, he does a lot of blocking. So being able to get him the ball and get him scores, it's pretty good."
After taking down the 2025 Class 5A semifinalists for a second year in a row, Gibbs has all the confidence it needs to challenge Alcoa and Anderson County for a top spot in the region.
The Eagles travel to Blount County to face the Tornadoes (2-0) next week. Turner's ready for another big upset.
"It's one game at a time," he said. "Everybody's going to say there's no chance, but nobody thought there was a chance against Anderson County last year either. You line up and play the game and see what happens. I'm looking forward to it."
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Gibbs football QB Keith Jones Jr. calmed nerves in win over Halls
