Pair of brothers win Punt, Pass & Kick competitions

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
    PUNT, PASS AND KICK STARS — Brothers Skylar and Tanyon Gibbs, 9 and 7 years old respectively, both won their age groups at a National Football League Punt, Pass & Kick sectional competition Oct. 4 in Dedham. The Gibbs brothers, who are the sons of Kevin and Lorrie Gibbs of Sebec, are now waiting to see if their performances qualified them for the New England competition scheduled for Oct. 26 in Foxboro, Mass. in conjunction with a New England Patriots game.

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer
    DEDHAM — Success has run in the family as brothers Skylar and Tanyon Gibbs both came in first place at a National Football League Punt, Pass & Kick sectional competition on Oct. 4 at the Dedham School. The two, who are the sons of Kevin and Lorrie Gibbs of Sebec and attend the SeDoMoCha Elementary School in Dover-Foxcroft, are now waiting to see if their performances qualify them to take part in the New England competition on Oct. 26 in Foxboro, Mass. in conjunction with the New England Patriots game vs. the Chicago Bears.

    Skylar, who is 9 years old, and Tanyon, 7, both won their respective 8-9 and 6-7 age groups at a Punt, Pass & Kick competition hosted by the Foxcroft Youth Sports last month at Foxcroft Academy. Their first-place performances qualified the Gibbs brothers for the next round of competition in the three football skills at Dedham.
    “I just went out and did it,” Skylar said, saying his parents told him “to try my best and have fun.” Entrants in the Punt, Pass & Kick sectionals only had one opportunity to punt, throw and kick a football off a tee, with no second attempts if they made a mistake.
    Tanyon Gibbs said he and his brother practiced ahead of time with their father in order to be able to achieve the greatest distance they could in the three events. Skylar said the practice has helped as at Dedham, “I beat a guy by two centimeters.”
    While both would be excited to travel to Foxboro, for Tanyon Gibbs it would offer him the opportunity to see his favorite NFL team in action and his two favorite players in Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski. Skylar Gibbs said his favorite team is the Denver Broncos and he likes the team’s quarterback Peyton Manning when asked who his favorite player is.
    The two currently play on their own football teams as Skylar is a “two back and middle linebacker” on his Foxcroft Youth Sports tackle football squad, and also wrestles and plays baseball in the other sports seasons. Tanyon plays on a Piscataquis Regional YMCA flag football team, and he also skis.