March 19, 2024 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – Kansas City Comets News Release
KANSAS CITY, MO – The Kansas City Comets have announced that Kansas City’s all-time leading goal scorer Leo Gibson will retire after this season. Leo the Legend will be honored with a retirement ceremony before the Comets’ regular season finale on Saturday, March 23.
Gibson’s decorated career will conclude with 355 goals throughout his 17-year indoor career, with 334 scores coming in his 14 years with the Comets. He will go down as the greatest player in the organization’s history and is the franchise’s leader in points (631), goals (334), assists (297) and games (305) while also being among the leaders with 229 blocks.
Gibson’s accolades include two championships, an MVP award in 2015, five All-League First Team honors, three All-League Second Team, three All-League Third Team and an All-League Honorable Mention. Gibson was also recognized as the 2018 Ed Tepper Humanitarian of the Year for his charity work with former teammate Worteh Sampson in their Kicks for Christ foundation.
A native of Monrovia, Liberia, Gibson played two seasons at King College in Bristol, Tennessee, before venturing to play for several professional outdoor teams. He was drafted 40th overall in the 2007 MISL Draft by the California Cougars but signed with the Detroit Ignition. He helped the Ignition to the 2009 XSL championship before splitting the 2009-10 season between the Philadelphia KiXX and Rockford Rampage, earning Player of the Week honors twice.
The Comets signed Gibson in 2010 ahead of the team’s MISL re-launch with head coach Kim Roentved. Gibson’s impact was immediate as he was named Offensive Player of the Month for November. He helped out on both ends of the turf throughout the season to earn All-MISL First Team honors as a defender and earned All-MISL Second Team the following season.
Gibson helped the Comets to the 2013 MISL Finals but fell to the Baltimore Blast as his offensive production ramped up with 26 goals while recording a career-high 41 blocks to earn All-MISL First Team honors. Gibson and the Comets returned the following season to reverse course and beat Baltimore to win the 2014 MISL championship as Gibson contributed 25 goals and 24 assists to earn another All-MISL First Team honor under first-year head coach Vlatko Andonovski.
The 2014-15 season was the most outstanding individual season that the MASL has ever seen. Gibson tallied 48 goals and 45 assists to earn MVP and…