Super Bowl LX arrives Sunday as the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks face the AFC champion New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Both teams finished 14–3 and now meet on the league’s biggest stage with championship stakes and a new generation of stars defining the matchup.
Seattle is seeking its second Lombardi Trophy and first since the 2013 season, while New England is chasing a record seventh Super Bowl title. Though the franchises met in Super Bowl XLIX, this year’s meeting features entirely different rosters and storylines.
For Missouri football fans, this year’s game carries a smaller but still meaningful connection. Only two Missouri natives are on active Super Bowl rosters, both with Seattle: Lee’s Summit quarterback Drew Lock and Maryville center Jalen Sundell, while New England enters the matchup without a Show-Me State representative.
If circumstances force Seattle to turn to backup quarterback Drew Lock on Sunday, the Super Bowl stage could feature an all-Missouri quarterback-center exchange, with Maryville native Jalen Sundell snapping the ball to Lee’s Summit’s Lock, a rare Show-Me State connection at the center of the NFL’s biggest game.
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Missouri players have periodically appeared on Seattle Super Bowl teams over the years, creating a subtle pipeline that continues with this year’s roster.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) warms up before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium during the 2025 season. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Born in Columbia and raised in Lee’s Summit, Lock became one of the Kansas City area’s most productive high school quarterbacks at Lee’s Summit High School. He threw for more than 5,000 career yards and completed 206 of 312 passes for 2,717 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior, earning Kansas City Star All-Metro Player of the Year honors and the Simone Award as the metro area’s top high school football player.
Lock continued his career at the University of Missouri, where he developed into one of the most prolific passers in school history before being selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. His professional career has included multiple stops before returning to Seattle.
Vapor Carbon quarterback Drew Lock (15) passes the ball as he warms up during Nike Football ‘ The Opening’ at Nike World Headquarters on July 9. 2014. / Steve Dykes-Imagn Images
Now in his second stint with the Seahawks, Lock serves as the backup to starting quarterback Sam Darnold, providing veteran depth for a Seattle team making its first Super Bowl appearance in more than a decade.
Sundell built his foundation at Maryville High School, where he was a four-year letterman and earned all-conference honors on both the offensive and defensive lines. He was named the 2017 Class 3 Offensive Player of the Year while helping the Spoofhounds capture a state championship and finish 13–2.
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Seattle Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61), a Maryville native, blocks for quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
He later starred at North Dakota State, earning All-American recognition before signing with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2024. Sundell made the roster as a rookie and steadily expanded his role along Seattle’s offensive line.
Entering the 2025 season, Sundell won the Seahawks’ starting center job and has started all 13 games he has played after returning from an injury earlier in the year, anchoring the interior of the offensive line during Seattle’s Super Bowl run.
Although only two Missouri natives appear in this year’s game, Seattle’s earlier Super Bowl appearances also featured players from the state.
Lebanon native Justin Britt was part of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl appearance during the 2014 season (also against the Patriots), which culminated in Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015. A multi-sport standout at Lebanon High School who excelled on the gridiron and as a state champion wrestler before playing football at the University of Missouri, Britt was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft and started at right tackle as a rookie in that Super Bowl, marking his lone Super Bowl appearance with Seattle before later transitioning to center during his tenure with the team.
Lebanon native Justin Britt (68) started at center for the Seattle Seahawks, seen here snapping the ball to quarterback Russell Wilson, during their last trip to the Super Bowl in 2014 against the New England Patriots. Maryville native Jalen Sundell is expected to start at center for the Seahawks against the Patriots on Sunday. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Raymore-Peculiar product Chase Coffman also spent time with Seattle during the franchise’s Super Bowl era after a decorated high school career that included multiple first-team all-state selections before continuing his career at Missouri and in the NFL.
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Seattle’s first Super Bowl run during the 2005 season included Webb City standout Grant Wistrom, a dominant two-way high school player who later became a first-round NFL Draft pick and starting defensive end during the Seahawks’ early 2000s playoff push.
Webb City Cardinals Hall of Famer Grant Wistrom (98), a Super Bowl champion with the St. Louis Rams, helped lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2005 season as a starting defensive end after signing with Seattle in free agency.. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Missouri representation is lighter in this year’s Super Bowl, yet the state’s presence remains visible through Lock and Sundell, whose football paths began in different corners of Missouri before converging on the same championship roster.
Their inclusion continues a pattern of Show-Me State athletes contributing to Seattle’s biggest seasons.
The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether the so-called “Missouri First” map is unconstitutional.
The map, passed by Republican lawmakers in September and signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe, stretches the boundaries of the 5th Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold, eastward into heavily Republican regions of the state. It also moves part of the current 5th District into the 4th and 6th districts, currently represented by Republican congressmen Mark Alford and Sam Graves. Incumbent Democrat Emanuel Cleaver is running for reelection in the 5th District.
Opponents of the Missouri First map’s main argument focused on the map being passed by lawmakers without any new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The congressional boundaries tossed out by the Missouri First map were based on the 2020 U.S. Census.
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Attorney Chuck Hatfield represents those challenging the new map passed by Republican lawmakers last fall.
“The whole idea is tethered to the census data. You must do it at the census, and you only do it at the census,” Hatfield told the High Court. “The court’s precedents also support this.”
Solicitor General Louis Capozzi, representing the Missouri Sec. of State’s office, disagreed, saying the Missouri Constitution is silent on mid-decade redistricting.
“Mid-decade redistricting had happened in Missouri in the 1870s, and mid-decade redistricting was common around the country in the first half of the 20th century,” he argued. “Article III, Section 45 of the Missouri Constitution sets out only three requirements for the redistricting of seats in Missouri, ‘The district shall be composed of contiguous territory, as compact, and as nearly equal in population as may be.’ And as long as the General Assembly complies with those three rules, this court said that Missouri courts, ‘shall respect the political determinations of the General Assembly.’”
Meanwhile, roughly a hundred demonstrators held signs across the street from the Missouri Supreme Court building, condemning the Missouri First map and calling for the Missouri Supreme Court to strike it down.
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“Voters should choose our politicians,” said Missouri League of Women Voters Director Kay Park. “The League (of Women Voters) believes redistricting should keep communities of similar culture and race together to strengthen their vote and promote partisan fairness.”
The Missouri Supreme Court will rule on the congressional district map later.
Missouri senior forward Mark Mitchell was recognized Monday with a second-team selection to the All-Southeastern Conference teams.
Mitchell has led the Tigers all season long and tops the team in scoring (17.9 points per game), rebounding (5.2) and assists (3.6). He would be the just the second player in program to lead all the categories in one season, joining Albert White from the 1998-99 season.
Mitchell is also on pace to become the first player in program history to average at least 17 points, five rebounds and three assists since Anthony Peeler in 1992, the year he took home the Big 8 Conference Player of the Year award.
Mitchell was the only Missouri player to be recognized in SEC postseason awards.
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Five players were named to each of the three All-SEC teams.
Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas), Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee), Thomas Haugh (Florida), Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama) and Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt) made the first team.
Acuff was named the conference’s player of the year and freshman of the year.
Joining Mitchell on the second team were Nate Ament (Tennessee), Rueben Chinyelu (Florida), Otega Oweh (Kentucky) and Dailyn Swain (Texas), while Rashaun Agee (Texas A&M), Alex Condon (Florida), Keyshawn Hall (Auburn), Aden Holloway (Alabama) and Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State) were named to the third team.
The All-SEC defensive team consisted of Chinyelu, Somto Cyril (Georgia), Felix Okpara (Tennessee), Billy Richmond III (Arkansas) and Tanner. Chinyelu was selected as the defensive player of the year.
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Appearing on the all-freshman team were Acuff, Amari Allen (Alabama), Ament, Malachi Moreno (Kentucky) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas).
Swain was selected as the newcomer of the year, while Urban Klavzar of Florida was named the sixth man of the year.
The 2026 Missouri high school basketball state championship brackets continue on Monday, March 9, with eight games in the sectional and quarterfinal round of the higher classifications.
High School On SI has brackets for every classification in the Missouri high school basketball playoffs. The championship games will begin on March 19.
Missouri High School Girls Basketball 2026 Playoff Brackets, Schedule (MSHSAA) – March 9, 2026
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Sectionals
Doniphan vs. Potosi – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
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St. James vs. St. Francis Borgia – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
Notre Dame de Sion vs. Oak Grove – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
Smithville vs. Benton – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
Cardinal Ritter College Prep vs. Clayton – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
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Orchard Farm vs. Kirksville – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
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Boonville vs. Strafford – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
Reeds Spring vs. Nevada – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
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Quarterfinals
Festus vs. Lift for Life Academy – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
Grandview vs. Kearney – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
MICDS vs. St. Dominic – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
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Helias vs. Marshfield – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
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Quarterfinals
Jackson vs. Marquette – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
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Rock Bridge vs. Staley – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
Incarnate Word Academy vs. Troy-Buchanan – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
Kickapoo vs. Lee’s Summit West – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
