Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 8-11-17

Local
Coaches Hope To Revive ‘Old School Rivalry’ Football Game
Some of the members of the 2017 Middleton High School Tigers Football Team who are planning to take on Gibbs High on August 18th. These players are: Curtavian Simpson, William Deralin, Kenny Mellon, Marc Joseph, JudeNathan Lindor , Cyrus Wade, Jaylen Faison, Neville Salmon, Davion Oliver and Kenny Wilson.
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
The Gibbs High Gladi- ators have not played the Tigers of Middleton High School since 2012. The Tigers won that game 20- 18.
The head football coach at Gibbs High School in St. Pe- tersburg has reached out to the head football coach at Middle- ton High School in another at- tempt to revive an age-old football game rivalry from the days of segregation.
First year Gibbs High Head Coach Antonio Knox has been in conversation with
Coach Fred Reid of Middle- ton for the past several months about this game.
“This year Gibbs is cele- brating its 90-year school an- niversary. I thought, what better way to bring back that old school spirit than to play a similar school like Middleton,” Coach Knox said. “This would be a great way to kick off our 90th anniversary.”
The pre-season high school classic game will be played on Friday, August 18, 2017, 7:30 p. m. in St. Petersburg on the Newton-Williams Memorial Football Field.
The stadium itself has some history. Built in 1978, it was named after Robert
Newton and Vincent Williams, two Black Gibbs High players who were struck by lightning while on the field practicing and died in 1970.
Knox would like to make the game between Gibbs and Middleton an annual event, “A Historically Black High School Football Game,” he says. “This
is a game I’d like to grow.” Reid agrees. “This is an opportunity for both schools to restart this rivalry. We just want the community to go across the Bay to fill those
stands and support us.
“I understand there will be
a battle of the bands, tailgating and more,” Reid said.
“I know about that HBCU feel and I know what this can mean for these 2 schools,” stated Coach John Court- ney, Head JV and RB Coach at Middleton.
Dr. Kim Moore is Princi- pal at Middleton and Reuben Hepburn is Principal at Gibbs.
Governor Appoints Judge To 13th Judicial Circuit Court
On Monday, Governor Rick Scott appointed a Tampa sitting County Judge to the 13th Judicial Circuit Court. Judge Jennifer X. Gabbard previously served as an Assistant State Attorney for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.
Judge Gabbard was named to fill the vacancy cre- ated by the resignation of Judge Ashley B. Moody, who resigned earlier this year. Judge Moody is seeking of- fice as the State Attorney General.
Judge Gabbard is an honor graduate and career prosecutor in Hillsborough County. She was first ap- pointed by Governor Scott to succeed Judge Nick Nazaretian, who moved to the Circuit Bench.
She gained experience as a prosecutor in the Hillsbor- ough County State Attorney’s Office. During her tenure, she litigated more than 85 com-
JUDGE JENNIFER X. GABBARD
plex jury trials, including homicides, arsons, sex crimes, and other high profile cases.
Judge Gabbard, 45, also served as the Felony Di- vision Chief, overseeing six attorneys, four staff mem- bers, and more than 800 cases. She is board certified in Criminal Law by the Florida Bar Association.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-A