The New Era is happy to report that Penn Manor senior Jordan Gibbs is the Male Athlete of the Year. The story, written by sports editor Keith Schweigert, appears in Wednesday’s editions. Our girls’ athlete of the year will be revealed on Thursday. Here is Keith’s story:

Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing over 300 pounds, Jordan Gibbs is not an easy person to overlook.

But it seems like sometimes he wishes that would be possible.

Gibbs, a recent Penn Manor grad, prefers not to talk about himself.

“He’s very humble,” says Comet basketball coach Jeff Churchill, who guided Gibbs since his freshman year. “I had to tell him a couple of times that it’s OK to walk around with your head up and your chest out a little bit.

“He’s just not the type to brag or boast about himself.”

But whether he was punching open holes on the offensive line for the Penn Manor football team or pouring in points on the basketball court, Gibbs was impossible to ignore.

He played a vital role on both teams, leading them to unprecedented heights in his final season.

That’s why his selection as the New Era’s Male Athlete of the Year was not a difficult choice.

“It’s an honor,” says Gibbs. “I know a lot of good athletes over the years have been given (the award) before me, and it means a lot to be named with them.”

On Sunday, Gibbs will leave Lancaster to begin the next phase of his life.

He earned a full scholarship to play football for the University of Pittsburgh, and is headed west to take a few summer courses and begin his conditioning program for the Panthers.

He is expected to play on the offensive line, probably at tackle.

“I can’t wait to get there,” says Gibbs, who will team up with former Manheim Township quarterback Pat Bostick at Pitt. “It’s a big change. I’m sure the there will be a big increase in the intensity level.”

Gibbs is believed to be the first player in Penn Manor history to earn a Division I football scholarship.

Churchill says he could have earned a Division I scholarship in basketball if he’d wanted to, but that’s a moot point.

Gibbs says he never wavered on his decision to play college football, which he made last August when Pitt came through with its offer.

“I was never tempted,” he says. “Football is a better fit for me. I like the contact.”

As a tight end, Gibbs was a vital cog in the Comets’ run-oriented attack. Though he had a team-high 20 receptions for 451 yards and five touchdowns, Gibbs made his biggest impact as a blocker.

He was voted onto the L-L League Coaches Section 1 all-star team.

“He was the key,” said former Penn Manor coach Bob Forgrave, who left the Comets after last season to take over as head coach at Hempfield. “When we ran the ball, we ran to his side. When we threw it, we threw it to him. He did a great job for us.”

The Comets got off to a 5-2 start, but faded down the stretch, losing three straight games. Still, their 5-5 mark was good enough to earn them a trip to the District 3 Quad-A playoffs for the first time in school history.

The Comets nearly upended Berks County champ Governor Mifflin in the first round, falling 14-13.

Though they lost their final four games, there were mitigating factors. Penn Manor’s leading rusher, Geoff Hess, was injured late in the season and unable to play on offense in the playoffs.

“We really didn’t have a backup for Geoff,” Gibbs remembers. “It was a tough loss. Just bad timing.”

As was the case in football, Gibbs also played a huge role in the revival of Penn Manor’s basketball program.

A three-year starter and two-time L-L League All-Star selection, Gibbs averaged 17 points a game for the Comets and was their top rebounder.

Penn Manor went 21-8, reached the District 3 Quad-A title game for the first time in school history and recorded its first-ever victory in the state playoffs.

All this came after the Comets missed the L-L League playoffs, thanks in part to another ill-timed injury. This time, it was leading scorer Brandon Widener, who was lost to a foot injury late in the regular season.

“We had no one to replace him,” said Gibbs of Widener, his best friend. “He played a huge role for us.”

With Widener back in time for Districts, the Comets made a historic run.

But it was Gibbs who carried them into the district final on his burly shoulders. In Penn Manor’s 68-61 triumph over Cumberland Valley, he scored a career-high 30 points, hitting 13-of-13 shots from the field.

“That was the culmination of all his years at Penn Manor,” said Churchill. “He knew if we won that game, we’d get to the finals for the first time in school history. And no one was going to stop him from getting there.

“I remember watching him warming up before that game, and I could see the expression on his face. He was focused. I said to one of my assistants, ‘We’re going to get some kind of game from him.’”

Penn Manor went on to lose to powerful Harrisburg in the district final, but rebounded to defeat Liberty in the first round of States before falling to Philadelphia Public League champ Simon Gratz in the second round.

It was the most successful season in Penn Manor basketball history. Gibbs is proud of that, even if he’s reluctant to discuss it.

He prefers to spread the credit to Widener and the rest of the seniors.

“We made Penn Manor a success and gave it a name,” he says. “I hope the guys coming up can keep it going.”

And how would he like to be remembered?

“I just went out and played my hardest,” he says. “That’s basically it.”