Gibson Gross navigates doubt, keeps the faith at Midlothian

The home team trailed rival Manchester 16-13, and Gibson Gross was sitting on the bench. 

The Midlothian quarterback had scored two first-quarter touchdowns, keeping the Trojans within striking distance. But his squad was playing in its second high-profile game in two weeks. The stakes were high, the pressure mounting. 

Now more than ever, Midlothian needed to show what it was made of. One week prior, it had shocked Huguenot High, one of the mightiest teams in Richmond.  Now it had to prove the victory wasn’t a fluke, and it had to do so against another undefeated opponent. To pull off the win over Manchester, Midlothian needed its quarterback. 

But Gross was on the sideline, receiving attention. He was suffering a panic attack and wasn’t sure he could go back into the game. Around him, hundreds of people cheered from the stands; coaches barked out orders; music blared over the PA system. Gross struggled to get control of his breath. 

Midlothian coach Phil Gross looked his son in the eyes and offered words that needed to be heard. The quarterback listened; as the phrases started to sink in, his breathing became more shallow and relaxed.

Then Gibson Gross strapped up his helmet and crossed the white lines on to the field. 

‘We trust each other’

Midlothian football has put itself on the map the last few weeks, as they prove they can go head-to-head with the best teams in the area.

Friday night marks another marquee clash, with the 6-1 Trojans taking on the 7-1 James River Rapids in the annual Coal Bowl rivalry game, a nod to the region's mining roots.

But Midlothian's success isn't another transfer portal success story. The team is led by guys who might make the Division III ranks one day, and many more who will never play football again after high school. It wasn’t quite David slaying Goliath when they defeated Huguenot, but it was a huge win. 

“They have one of the most explosive offenses, one of the best defenses in the state. My hat’s off to them,” Gibson Gross said, recounting the 17-7 victory. “But really, the only way you win a game like that is if you have belief in each other.”

All summer, coaches stressed the importance of getting over the first-round playoff hump. Midlothian rattled off eight wins last year but lost in the Region 5C first round to Hermitage. In 2024, the Trojans dropped their last two regular-season games before exiting the postseason immediately, with a loss to Louisa County. Midlothian has rattled off 34 wins since the start of 2022, but exited the playoffs in the opening round three times in that span, missing the postseason entirely in 2023. 

“Everything in the offseason was bent towards being more playoff ready,” Phil Gross said. “We’re tired of dropping that first round. And so, bottom line, we’re trying to sharpen ourselves, especially against great teams like Huguenot and Manchester, who have elite players and great coaching.”

Last year, Midlothian lost badly to both teams, 57-7 to Huguenot and 43-0 to Manchester. This year the Trojans defense is more finely tuned. Gibson Gross has developed a close bond with several receivers. And senior Jamel Howard has become a premier running back.

“We just have to lean on each other,” Gibson Gross said. “I think it’s the trust that we have in each other. No matter what position we’re in, we trust in each other, trust God and know that if we do our job we can hang with anybody, no matter how big the moment is.”

‘Us against the world’

Gross is having the best season of his high school career. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard passing mark and rang up roughly 500 rushing yards in the team's first six games. His production is directly tied to Midlothian’s success, because he’s the engine that runs the offense. 

Despite his production, and despite Midlothian’s march through two highly touted opponents, the quarterback often doubts his abilities.

“This is going to sound corny, but I’ve had a lot of adversity in my life,” he said. “There’s times when I want to  give up, and I have to realize that I’m here for a purpose.”

Many of Midlothian’s seniors grew up playing travel-league football together, with Phil Gross as their coach. Gross, who spent six seasons as head coach at Amelia County, left the game for years after serving as quarterbacks coach at Hanover High. A family member became severely ill, and Gross stepped in to help. He spent what free time he had assisting with flag football and soccer recreational leagues. 

Under coach Matt Hutchings, Midlothian began rebounding from a few lean years in 2021. Gross joined the staff. Ahead of the 2023 season, he recalled, “people from all walks of my life said, ’It’s time. You need to do this again. You’ve learned enough, you sat long enough. Go.’”

He took over the team. Earlier this month, he talked about how proud he is of everyone in the program. 

“Week in, week out, we’re seven days a week,” Gross said. “Our families don’t see us. They sacrifice so we can be here for these kids, and these kids have bought into what we’re preaching to them.”

‘Why do I go through with this?’

Midlothian and Manchester traded touchdowns in the first half, and Gibson Gross weaved his way to the end zone twice, on runs of 2 and 14 yards, by the time the second quarter rolled around. 

It was the type of game fans had been expecting in the ultra-competitive Dominion District, where Huguenot and James River-Midlothian also vye for supremacy. 

The second frame produced just one score. It came courtesy of Manchester running back Dior Barnes (174 rushing yards). His 2-yard punch less than a minute into the quarter gave the Lancers a 16-13 advantage.

Meanwhile, Gross sat on the sidelines and tried to calm himself down. 

But the anxiety can be daunting, too much for one person to deal with alone. He began hyperventilating. Since he suffered a concussion as a sophomore, Gross said he endures panic attacks on an almost daily basis. But dealing with one during a game, especially an anticipated game like this one, added extra gravity to the moment.

Sports-related concussions can result in a wide variety of side effects, including emotional changes, like anxiety, panic attacks and a sense of feeling overwhelmed in complex environments, according to the National Institute of Health. Sometimes, those effects can be long lasting. 

“It was my (teammates) that got me through it, and my dad,” Gross recalled. 

Phil Gross took a break from coaching and walked over to his son. 

“He told me all the truth about me,” Gibson said. “It was so incredibly special. Everybody came by me and they said, ‘Take the pressure off yourself, we got you. We’re gonna go into battle for you..’ And that’s why this team is so special.”

Then Phil looked Gibson in the eyes.

“He told me I am the person [for the moment],” Gibson said. “I’m made in the image of God. I am strong. I am kind.”

Gibson needed to hear those words. “I’ve been to counseling,” he said, “and there are times where it’s just like, ‘Why do I go through this?’”

Some kids play football for the glory. Others do it for love of the game. Put Gibson Gross in the latter category. Why else go through with it? Maybe another reason was right there in front of him – a man who took a winding path to becoming Midlothian’s coach, who was content assisting with rec leagues, who is now coaching a promising team while helping his son through his most challenging moments.

“He’s one of my biggest mentors,” Gibson said of his dad, “and that’s why I love him so much.”

‘One of the best moments of my life’

Gross went back into the game and accounted for three more touchdowns. He had five on the night – four rushing and one passing. 

After the game, Phil Gross gave off a smile. His son had weathered the storm.

“I’m proud of him,” the coach said. “There’s some history of that stuff in my family that we’ve had to overcome, and now he’s learning to overcome it as well. And what I’m proud of is I’m seeing him become stronger and become a good man.”

Gibson has offers to play at the Division III level – one of the teams that has offered him is Christopher Newport – but he’s focused on the task at hand. Midlothian, right now at least, has all the promise in the world. 

“This game’s temporary,” Phil Gross added. “We talk about that all the time. Football will let you down at some point. But becoming a good person and becoming the type of individual that I want him to be, that lasts a lifetime.”

If you’re lucky, so do memories. And Gibson Gross may never forget a balmy Friday night in early October 2026. Midlothian was playing at home and the stands were full and he scored five touchdowns. He rushed for 109 yards. He threw for 206. Teammate Kaleb Melvin snared one of his passes with 8:39 remaining and trucked into the end zone to bring the Trojans within three points with 8:39 remaining. Twenty-eight seconds later, after Midlothian forced a fumble, Gross burst through the Manchester lines for a 46-yard, go-ahead touchdown that proved the game winner. 

The night also was a pendulum of emotions swinging back and forth for a kid torn between giving up and giving his all. 

“I’m hyperventilating and I’m just asking God why,” Gross said. “But then you see the fruits of it.”

Fruits of his labor, harvested amid a trying moment, with family and friends there to lend a helping hand. 

“It’s hard, when you’re in the heat of the battle and everything’s coming at you, to be faithful,” Gross said, sweat still pouring down his face after the post-game huddle. Then his eyes lit up. ““But look at this. Everybody came together, and this is one of the best moments of my life.”