Owen's Saevion Gibbs discusses Christ School departure

When Saevion Gibbs walked back onto the Owen High School campus last January he was stopped in the hallway and asked the same questions multiple times by his peers.

Why are you back? Why would you leave Christ School?

The 6-foot-3, 330-pound lineman had transferred from Owen to the Arden private school before the 2017 season along with his brother, running back Sidney Gibbs.

Both were successful during their time at Christ School.

Despite multiple injuries, Sidney played his way to football scholarship at Shaw University. Saevion earned a starting role on a Greenies team that finished as a state runner-ups in 2018.

Saevion's decision to return to Owen two years later was surprising. The recent trend has been for top local football players to transfer from a public school to Christ School. They don't reverse that decision.

"My experience at Christ School was amazing," Saevion said. "I grew as a person, player and a student. I met so many good people, but I had personal things going on and I had to make the decision to come back."

Public school athletic rules that force athletes to sit out a year for athletic transfers do not apply when a student moves from public to private school.

"Everyone was shocked when I came back," he said. "But they wanted some exciting reason, but I loved Christ School. I just had to come back."

Saevion, whose family lives in the Black Mountain area, looks to be one of the top returning lineman in the area and will play a huge role for an Owen team looking to improve on a four-win season from 2018.

"We have a lot to prove to a lot of people," Saevion said. "But I don't feel any pressure. I'm just excited. I know what we can do and I'm excited to go all out for my senior year."

Owen coach Nathan Padgett said he was "very excited to have Saevion back at Owen" and that he will make "an immediate impact on our program with his leadership and experience."