By Kyle Coppola
Community Packs Stands for Leesburg High Centennial Football Game
Leesburg High School marked its centennial with a community celebration Friday night that stretched far beyond the final score. The Yellow Jackets ultimately fell to Gainesville High 26-6, but it was a game that doubled as a multi-generational reunion.
Former band members, cheerleaders, twirlers and other alumni spanning classes from the 1950s through the Class of 2026 returned to perform and reconnect under the Friday night lights. The evening highlighted the school’s 100-year history and its deep ties to the city.
Leesburg High School was established in 1926. For its first 42 years it served only white students. Following federal mandates for integration, African-American students who had previously attended Carver Heights High School down the street and Lake County Training School were reassigned to Leesburg High in 1968.
Carver Heights was converted into a middle school, a role it continues to fill to this day.
“I’ve attended many football games and events at Leesburg High School over the years, and I’ve seen how much they bring our community together,” says City Commissioner Alan Reisman. “It is wonderful to see graduates from so many different classes reunite this weekend to celebrate the school’s Centennial. Showing up for community events like this matters.”
Alan says the evening served as a chance to celebrate Leesburg’s history, connect with one another and most importantly show students that the community is behind them.
“Thank you to everyone who put so much time and effort into making this celebration special,” he says. “On behalf of the City Commission, our 550 city employees, and our residents, we’re honored that the City of Leesburg could sponsor this amazing community event.”
Lake County School Board member and 2013 Leesburg graduate Tyler Brandeburg echoed the personal impact of the milestone.
“As a proud Class of 2013 graduate of Leesburg High School, this centennial weekend means everything,” Tyler says. “It’s been amazing to see our community of alumni and other LHS supporters come together to showcase all that is great about LHS.”
Tyler says he wouldn’t have had any of the opportunities he’s been fortunate to have, professionally or personally, without the education and relationships he gained at LHS.
“And I don’t think I’m alone in saying that,” Tyler says. “Leesburg High had a massive part in shaping me into the man that I am today.”
Though the Yellow Jackets came up short on the scoreboard, the night served as a reminder of the school’s lasting role in shaping generations of students and binding the community together through shared memories and tradition.
Photos by: Jason Glatt/ITM Photos
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
