Keith MacPherson, Sports Editor
GAINESVILLE — There might be a long-standing rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, but expect to see a lot of red and gold in Gainesville over the next week.
Darcel McBath, a 2004 graduate of Gainesville High School, will be the first Leopard alum to play in the Super Bowl after the 49ers punched their ticket with a 28-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game on Sunday.
Super Bowl XLVII will be played at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 3 in New Orleans.
McBath, once a second round draft pick by the Denver Broncos, is a backup safety and special teams player for the 49ers.
The former Leopard finished the season with seven tackles as he helped San Francisco go 11-4-1 in the regular season before back-to-back postseason wins netted a trip to the Super Bowl.
While at Gainesville, McBath was a member of the 2003 Class 3A Division I state football championship team as a two-way starter at both safety and wide receiver. He also was a member of the Leopards basketball team that won the 2001-2002 Class 3A state championship.
