McKivitz’s Home Church Hosts Super Bowl Party
Joselyn King Trending
Members of the East Richland Friends Church gathered Sunday night for fellowship and the chance to celebrate the "super" accomplishment of one of their own -- San Francisco 49er offensive lineman Colton McKivitz.
The church organized a Super Bowl party in the gymnasium of their Ickes Family Life Center, complete with a large projection screen viewing of 49ers' contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Although the game didn't turn out as they'd hoped -- the 49ers fell to the Chiefs 25-22 in overtime -- church members were excited to cheer for their hometown favorite.
Among those present were Joan Lepic, one of McKivitz' advisors and teachers at Union Local High School. Accompanying her was her husband Ron Lepic, who was his Sunday school teacher at the church.
"I'm just supporting Colton and the fellowship of the church," Ron Lepic said. "It was the fourth graders that I taught, and he was one of the fourth graders.
"When the boys were there, he was ornery with the rest of them."
At the same time, those boys "knew when to say when" and Lepic thinks it was a good experience for them.
"I taught them as if I was teaching 100 people," he said. "I really poured into those boys. I really did."
Lepic still teaches Sunday school at the church.
Joan Lepic was McKivitz' advisor in the National Honor Society, as well as his class advisor.
"He was very nice, and very respectful," she said. "He did his work in school, and did what he needed to do. I appreciated that."
Youth pastor Jeremy Davis explained he has only been at the church for two years, and had not met McKivitz. But he knew a Super Bowl party would be a great chance to bring the church together for fellowship and a happy event.
"This is just a way for us to all get together as a community -- as a people," Davis said. "We love to just gather together. We truly do believe Jesus is the savior of the world. With any kind of events like this, we feel the need to celebrate together."
He noted that people of this area largely love football.
"It is a great atmosphere for us to just come together and hang out," he said.
The big screen projection in the gymnasium is used regularly by the church for big events such as Easter and Christmas Eve services.
"We hope to bring in the community from outside the church just to welcome them in," Davis added.
McKivitz is a 2015 graduate of Union Local High School who spent his freshman year of high school as a student at East Richland Christian School. He later went on to star on the West Virginia University football team and was a fifth-round pick of the Niners in the 2020 NFL Draft.