From the Muck Bowl to the Super Bowl

High school connections for the 2013 Super Bowl highlighted by foursome who all hail from Florida rivals Pahokee and Glades Central. The Sunshine State also rules with 16 former players in the game.

By Mark Tennis & Paul Muyskens

One of the nation’s greatest prep football rivalries is played in what they call sugarcane country in Florida between neighboring schools Pahokee and Glades Central of Belle Glade. It’s known as the Muck Bowl and has been big enough that 25,000 from the two communities attend.

In the Super Bowl played in 2009 between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, Glades Central grad Santonio Holmes caught the winning touchdown pass for the Steelers to beat the Cardinals, who included starting receiver Anquan Boldin, a Pahokee grad.

This year, going from the Muck Bowl to the Super Bowl takes on even greater dimensions since there will be two players from Pahokee and two from Glades Central in the game. In most years, it’s rare to have two players from one high school in the super bowl so for there to be two each from Pahokee and Glades Central is extremely rare.

Boldin is one of the two from Pahokee and could be one of the key players for the Baltimore Ravens against the San Francisco 49ers. He’ll be joined by Ravens teammates Pernell McPhee, a defensive lineman from Pahokee, and Deonte Thompson, a receiver from Glades Central. The 49ers have the other Muck Bowl grad in the game with defensive end Ray McDonald, who is from Glades Central.

With those four from the Muck Bowl plus prominent players such as Frank Gore of the 49ers and Ray Lewis of the Ravens, Florida may have its most grads in the Super Bowl than any other year with 16. The state exceeds the total of 13 from Texas and 11 from California.

Here is this year’s list of Super Bowl Alumni (listed by state in which high school player attended):

ALABAMA
LB Courtney Upshaw (Eufaula) Baltimore Ravens

ARIZONA
LS Brian Jennings (Red Mountain, Mesa) San Francisco 49ers
LB Terrell Suggs (Hamilton, Chandler) Baltimore Ravens

CALIFORNIA
LB Brendon Ayanbadejo (Santa Cruz) Baltimore Ravens
TE Ed Dickson (Bellflower) Baltimore Ravens
FS Dashon Goldson (Narbonne, Harbor City) San Francisco 49ers
LB Clark Haggans (Peninsula, Palos Verdes Estates) San Francisco 49ers
OL Mike Iupati (Western, Anaheim) San Francisco 49ers
CB Asa Jackson (Christian Brothers, Sacramento) Baltimore Ravens
QB Colin Kaepernick (Pitman, Turlock) San Francisco 49ers
TE Dennis Pitta (Moorpark) Baltimore Ravens
QB Alex Smith (Helix, La Mesa) San Francisco 49ers
CB Jimmy Smith (Colton) Baltimore Ravens
TE Delanie Walker (Pomona) San Francisco 49ers

CONNECTICUT
WR David Reed (New London) Baltimore Ravens

FLORIDA
RB Anthony Allen (Jesuit, Tampa) Baltimore Ravens
WR Anquan Boldin (Pahokee) Baltimore Ravens
LB Josh Bynes (Boyd H. Anderson, Lauderdale Lakes) Baltimore Ravens
DL Terrence Cody (Riverdale, Fort Myers) Baltimore Ravens
LB Tavares Gooden (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale) San Francisco 49ers
RB Frank Gore (Coral Gables) San Francisco 49ers
DL Ricky Jean Francois (Carol City, Miami) San Francisco 49ers
WR A.J. Jenkins (Terry Parker, Jacksonville) San Francisco 49ers
LB Ray Lewis (Kathleen, Lakeland) Baltimore Ravens
OL Joe Looney (Lake Worth) San Francisco 49ers
LB Albert McClellan (Kathleen, Lakeland) Baltimore Ravens
DL Ray McDonald (Glades Central, Belle Glades) San Francisco 49ers
DL Pernell McPhee (Pahokee) Baltimore Ravens
WR Deonte Thompson (Glades Central, Belle Glades) Baltimore Ravens
CB Cary Williams (Chaminade-Madonna, Hollywood) Baltimore Ravens
DL Ian Williams (Lyman, Longwood) San Francisco 49ers

GEORGIA
LB Larry Grant (Norcross)* San Francisco 49ers
WR Chad Hall (Wesleyan, Norcross) San Francisco 49ers
RB Bruce Miller (Woodstock) San Francisco 49ers
CB Carlos Rogers (Butler, Augusta) San Francisco 49ers
DL DeAngelo Tyson (Statesboro) Baltimore Ravens
*Grant graduated from Foothill of Pleasanton, Calif., but played senior season at Norcross.

HAWAII
DL Ma’ake Kemoeatu (Kahuku) Baltimore Ravens

IOWA
OL Marshal Yanda (Anamosa) Baltimore Ravens

ILLINOIS
DB Sean Considine (Byron) Baltimore Ravens
QB Scott Tolzien (Fremd, Palatine) San Francisco 49ers

INDIANA
WR Tandon Doss (Ben Davis, Indianapolis) Baltimore Ravens
RB Jewel Hampton (Warren Central, Indianapolis) San Francisco 49ers
SS Bernard Pollard (South Side, Fort Wayne) Baltimore Ravens

KANSAS
LB Michael Wilhoite (Highland Park, Topeka) San Francisco 49ers

KENTUCKY
K David Akers (Tates Creek, Lexington) San Francisco 49ers
DL Bryan Hall (Tighman, Paducah) Baltimore Ravens
DB C.J. Spillman (Central, Louisville) San Francisco 49ers

LOUISIANA
WR Jacoby Jones (Marion Abramson, New Orleans) Baltimore Ravens
FS Ed Reed (Destrehan) Baltimore Ravens

MASSACHUSETTS
SS James Ihedigbo (Amherst Regional) Baltimore Ravens

MARYLAND
LB NaVorro Bowman (Suitland, District Heights) San Francisco 49ers

MICHIGAN
FS Trenton Robinson (Central, Bay City) San Francisco 49ers
OL Joe Staley (Rockford) San Francisco 49ers

MINNESOTA
OL Matt Birk (Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul) Baltimore Ravens

MISSISSIPPI
DB Tramaine Brock (Long Beach) San Francisco 49ers
RB Anthony Dixon (Terry) San Francisco 49ers

MISSOURI
LB Aldon Smith (Raytown) San Francisco 49ers
DL Justin Smith (Jefferson City) San Francisco 49ers

NEBRASKA
P Sam Koch (Seward) Baltimore Ravens

NEW JERSEY
OL Anthony Davis (Piscataway) San Francisco 49ers
QB Joe Flacco (Audubon) Baltimore Ravens
OL Bryant McKinnie (Woodbury) Baltimore Ravens

NEW YORK
CB Corey Graham (Turner Carroll, Buffalo) Baltimore Ravens
DL Arthur Jones (Union Endicott) Baltimore Ravens
RB Ray Rice (New Rochelle) Baltimore Ravens

NORTH CAROLINA
DB Chris Culliver (Garner) San Francisco 49ers
LB Dannell Ellerbe (Richmond County, Rockingham) Baltimore Ravens
RB Vonta Leach (South Robeson, Rowland) Baltimore Ravens

OHIO
OL Alex Boone (St. Edward, Lakewood) San Francisco 49ers
TE Garrett Celek (La Salle, Cincinnati) San Francisco 49ers
WR Ted Ginn Jr. (Glenville, Cleveland) San Francisco 49ers
SS Donte Whitner (Glenville, Cleveland) San Francisco 49ers

OKLAHOMA
TE Billy Bajema (Westmoore, Oklahoma City) Baltimore Ravens

PENNSYLVANIA
OL Gino Gradkowski (Seton-La Salle, Pittsburgh) Baltimore Ravens
RB Bernard Pierce (Glen Mills) Baltimore Ravens

SOUTH CAROLINA
DB Omar Brown (Berkeley, Moncks Corner) Baltimore Ravens
OL Jonathan Goodwin (Lower Richland, Hopkins) San Francisco 49ers
P Andy Lee (West Oak, Westminster) San Francisco 49ers

TEXAS
DB Chykie Brown (North Shore, Houston) Baltimore Ravens
CB Tarell Brown (North Mesquite, Mesquite) San Francisco 49ers
DB Perrish Cox (University, Waco) San Francisco 49ers
WR Michael Crabtree (Carter, Dallas) San Francisco 49ers
OL Leonard Davis (Wortham) San Francisco 49ers
LB Adrian Hamilton (Carter, Dallas) Baltimore Ravens
RB LaMichael James (Liberty-Eylau, Texarkana) San Francisco 49ers
DB Chris Johnson (Pinetree) Baltimore Ravens
DL Tony Jerod-Eddie (De Soto) San Francisco 49ers
DB Darcel McBath (Gainesville) San Francisco 49ers
OL Kelechi Osemele (Langham Creek, Houston) Baltimore Ravens
K Justin Tucker (Westlake, Austin) Baltimore Ravens
OL Bobbie Williams (Jefferson) Baltimore Ravens

TENNESSEE
LS Morgan Cox (Evangelical Christian, Memphis) Baltimore Ravens
OL Daniel Kilgore (Dobyns-Bennett, Kingsport) San Francisco 49ers
OL Michael Oher (Briarcrest Christian, Memphis) Baltimore Ravens
LB Patrick Willis (Central, Bruceton) San Francisco 49ers

UTAH
LB Paul Kruger (Timpanogos, Orem) Baltimore Ravens
DL Haloti Ngata (Highland, Salt Lake City) Baltimore Ravens
DL Will Tukuafu (East, Salt Lake City) San Francisco 49ers

VIRGINIA
LB Ahmad Brooks (C.D. Hylton, Woodbridge) San Francisco 49ers
WR Torrey Smith (Stafford) Baltimore Ravens
QB Tyrod Taylor (Hampton) Baltimore Ravens

WASHINGTON DC
TE Vernon Davis (Dunbar, Washington) San Francisco 49ers
LB Cam Johnson (Gonzaga, Washington) San Francisco 49ers

WEST VIRGINIA
WR Randy Moss (DuPont, Belle) San Francisco 49ers

AMERICAN SAMOA
DL Isaac Sopoaga (Samoana, Pago Pago) San Francisco 49ers

BARBADOS
OL Ramon Harwood (Queens College, St. Michael) Baltimore Ravens

Comments or corrections? Email markjtennis@gmail.com.