By STEVE JACKSON
sfjackson10@gmail.com
Aiden Gibbons of Apollo Beach is the kicker for the Lennard HS Longhorns.
Aiden Gibbons, from Apollo Beach, FL, and a Class of 2025 football player at Lennard High School had an outstanding performance at the 2023 Kicking World invite-only National Showcase near Austin, Texas, recently. Seventy students from 25 states attended the event, which was broadcast live, and over 2,000 people tuned in, including college football coaches nationwide. Fewer than 100 student-athletes were invited from the over 1,200 campers trained this season.
“With Gibbons we feel good whenever we get to or past the opponent’s 40-yard line.”
This is the latest comment of KB Belton, head football coach of the Lennard High Longhorns, who recently concluded his first season as the Horns’ head coach. And up-coming senior placekicker Aiden Gibbons was one of the prime movers in a season in which Lennard went from one win in 2022 to three wins in 2023.
The Longhorns plan to open spring practice in late April. Gibbons is one of many experienced and talented players that Coach Belton hopes will result in even more victories next fall than when Lennard went 3-7 in 2023.
“Gibbons is a good kid and a great kicker,” Belton said, looking forward to his talents for another football season. “He is continuing to develop as a tremendous weapon for us. He made all-conference first team and is a hard worker. He dropped playing on the Lennard soccer team so he could concentrate on football,” explained Belton.
Gibbons is not a big hulk of a guy. But he knows how to kick with accuracy and has great range.
“I first got in to kicking by playing soccer when I was 5 or 6 years old,” Gibbons states now. “Soccer helped me develop the technique of kicking, and I have improved and continue to develop my leg swing and the connection with the football.”
Coach Belton remarked that Gibbons is creating a buzz among the college recruiters. “And now he will draw even more interest nationally after his performance a few weeks ago at a national placekickers camp in Texas.”
Gibbons took a trip to Round Rock, Texas, in early December where he was invited for a national high school placekicker competition. That “camp” was the well-known Kicking World, in existence for some 16 years. High school football players were selected and invited by the camp’s organizers. Gibbons almost won the entire round for placekickers. He booted a 63-yard field goal but lost the championship to a Utah high schooler when both missed a 65-yarder. Gibbons’ competitor was named the winner because he had a better record than Gibbons on kicks overall.
One of the directors and coordinators of the Kicking World Camp is Coach Brent Grablachoff. Coach Grablachoff said with all the attention and publicity from the recent camp that now Gibbons is high on the radar for high school placekickers graduating in 2025.
Standing about 5 feet 5 inches and weighing about 165 pounds, Gibbons’ present and future in placekicking is the one position he is destined for in high school and also in college, whether as walk-on or a scholarship player.
Gibbons’ stats, his numbers as a placekicker in the last football season, are impressive. He hit 23 of 24 extra points after touchdowns, also referred to as PATs. Gibbons also drilled six of 10 field goal attempts with his longest three-pointer covering 53 yards.
Academically, Gibbons has no problems in high school. As a matter of fact, Gibbons picked up a number of college credits during the last football season and will continue this same method this semester and next year until he receives his Lennard High degree. Gibbons is one of several Lennard students enrolled in what is known as “Dual Enrollments.” He takes his high school courses at the Lennard High campus in Ruskin. Then in the afternoon after lunch, Gibbons merely walks across the street to an HCC (Hillsborough Community College) campus to take advantage of receiving college credits while still in high school.
Gibbons finished runner-up in the overall field goal contest.
In the national placekicking competition, Gibbons put together a perfect seven of seven field goals through 55 yards. He missed the 60-yard attempt, and then hit a 63-yarder after that! Gibbons and only one other camper remained. It came down to a 65-yard field goal. Gibbons pushed just wide. With the other participant only having that kick as his first miss, he was declared the winner. Gibbons secured the Day 2 Field Goal Elimination Overall Runner-up designation. Gibbons was one of four participants from the state of Florida.