PALM BEACH COUNTY – Let us get this out of the way now.
Matis Gibson is currently a 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback from the Class of 2025. He transferred from Wellington to Palm Beach Central earlier this summer.
The budding star is an athlete who can play multiple positions on the field. Aside from being a quarterback, he can play at running back, fullback, tight end, and linebacker, if needed.
Gibson is the true definition of an athlete. He is a player that any coach can use in a variety of game scenarios with ease.
“I’m an athlete that plays quarterback,” he said. “But if necessary, I can play anywhere on the field.”
Most of all, Gibson is a leader by both his words and his actions. He can do this both on and off the field.
“I’m a mix of both I would say,” he said. “I’m vocal leader, but I will also do the things that I’m preaching others do.
So with that being said, we will highlight what Gibson has accomplished this summer off the field instead of on it. This is where he truly shines at in more ways than one.
MINISTRY FOCUSED
On the week of July 10, Gibson spent some quality time in Belle Glade with a group of youngsters who are from the Muck.
The Palm Beach Central signal caller shared his story in his own way.
“I went with Christ Fellowship Church,” said Gibson, who is currently a member of the ministry organization. “We were out there all week making food, delivering groceries, praying over the people there, and spending time with the young kids.”
Gibson went in-depth on how deeply moved he was by his experience in Belle Glade.
“On the second day we went to the center of Belle Glade,” he said. “We’re cooking hot dogs and burgers, and we set up tents and tables for the community to come hang out and eat. I met this one elderly man whose name was Mr. Charles. He let me know that all three of his sons had overdosed and passed away, and that he was so grateful for what we were doing and it did a lot of good in the community.”
Gibson went further.
“And then we also went to the church in Belle Glade and hung out with the little kids,” he said. “And when I told the boys that I played football and was a quarterback, they were in awe and they immediately wanted to start a game going. It showed me that, yeah, we play to sport to better our lives, but we also have young children that look up to us. We can show them that there’s more to life than just the streets and they can be better than their surroundings. As long as they keep faith in God, anything they wanna do in life is possible.”
Gibson did not stop there.
“They do a lot of amazing things, and it was amazing seeing the faces of the kids when we showed up, and the stories of the people who lived out there,” he said of the Belle Glade residents. “It was really an eye opener.”
Gibson shared his ultimate reflections from the ministry experience.
“It was a great week, and a blessing to see all the lives we impacted,” he said. “It also was cool to see how my teammates impacted the young kids at the [Palm Beach Central youth] camp, and I know it meant a lot to those kids.”
FROM MISSION TO MISSION
Gibson, who has been receiving interest from the likes of UCF and Western Kentucky, shared how he will use this experience to be an effective leader at Palm Beach Central this upcoming season and beyond.
“That was one of the big things,” he said. “To be a quarterback you have to be a leader of men, and this was the same in that aspect. Not only can I lead my teammates on the field, but I can also lead them off the field to the presence of God. And letting them know the same things that I let these young men know, they can do anything they want with the presence of God in their lives.”
PLEASE NOTE: We will be closely following Gibson’s leadership journey in his time at Palm Beach Central, plus his recruiting process and more.
PHOTO CREDITS: Matis Gibson
