Lake Gibson High School will be all over the Super Bowl

LAKELAND, Fla. — The high school football season doesn’t kick off until August, but the Lake Gibson Braves are putting in the work now that hopefully will show up on Friday nights.

And this offseason, they’ve got extra incentive. Three of their fellow Lake Gibson Braves will be in the Super Bowl.

“Yeah, it gives me hope,” junior linebacker Malachi Moore said. “You know what I’m saying, one in a million chance, so it really just gives us all hope.”

And it gives the school serious bragging rights. Former Lake Gibson coaches Keith and Doug DeMyer coached two of the alumni that will be in the Super Bowl.

Going through old yearbooks brought back some fond memories of the glory days.

On Super Bowl Sunday, referee Roy Ellison, Lake Gibson Class of 1983, Seattle Seahawks offensive assistant coach Quinshon Odom, Class of 2010 and Seahawks linebacker Tryrice Knight, Class of 2018 will be representing the Braves. Roy will be officiating his fourth Super Bowl. Quinshon, the former Lake Gibson quarterback, will be coaching in his first. It will also be a first for Tyrice, who is a big part of the NFL’s sixth-ranked defense.

“It’s pretty special to have three of them in all three phases,” Keith DeMyer said. “Administration, officiating and a player. It’s just great.”

These current players can bear witness to dreams really coming true.

“It opens up some eyes, like we can really do that if we put in the work and do what we’re instructed to do,” Doug DeMyer said. “And take care of things in the classroom and out in the community and we just follow the plan that’s been laid many, many moons ago and obviously the plan is successful.”