When millions of viewers tune in for the Super Bowl this Sunday, they’ll see a familiar local backdrop and a former Sonoma County football star on their screens. Jacob Averbuck, a 48-year-old former standout for El Molino High, is starring in a national commercial for a major tech company that was filmed right here in our backyard.
Per the Press Democrat, the production crew spent three days filming across Petaluma and Santa Rosa, but the ad’s “mini-drama” climax was shot on the football field at Analy High in Sebastopol—the very same field where Averbuck played in a regional championship game back in 1994.
Now a professional model, Averbuck says stepping back onto that turf to play a father watching his son’s game felt like a total full-circle moment. The high-budget spot was directed by Emmy-winner Lance Acord, and while the specific tech giant remains a secret until kickoff, local fans can take pride in seeing Sonoma County under the bright lights of the year’s biggest TV event.
