Students from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) played their first home basketball game as part of the Unified Sports League on Tuesday.
Unified Sports is a partnership between the Massachusetts Special Olympics and schools around the commonwealth. The league brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities together to play sports.
“Students with intellectual disabilities are two to three times more likely to be bullied than peers without intellectual disabilities. Through our partnerships with schools, Special Olympics is helping to solve the problem of isolation and misunderstanding in the classroom by bringing students together on the field of competition,” the Special Olympics website states.
Led by special education and physical education teacher Ryan Kent, the Vineyarders, clad in purple and white, played against the visiting Falmouth Clippers.
“The games are an absolute blast,” Kent said. “Everyone is excited to get on the court. They get to be a part of the team.”
Kent said that the league will be playing basketball in the fall, and he hopes to get a track and field team together in the spring.
The Vineyarders opened up the scoring with two quick shots before falling a few baskets behind the Clippers.
Wynnie Wells was one of the game’s standout players, she finished with eight points. Wynnie’s parents were on the edge of their seats watching their daughter play.
“Wynnie was really excited,” Alison Wells, Wynnie’s mother, said. “She clearly has skills. It’s a real game. They’re just having fun — it’s cute.”
Wynnie’s father, Rod Wells, was similarly excited to see his daughter sinking shots. After Wynnie scored her first basket he shouted, “That’s my girl!”
Parents weren’t the only people in the stands. School spirit was high as Principal Sara Dingledy, Superintendent Matt D’Andrea and several students and teachers came to watch and cheer on the Vineyarders. The Vineyarders even had members of the cheerleading team come and do cheers during timeouts and halftime.
There were smiles all around as each student on both teams got a chance to dribble the ball and shoot a basket, and teammates helped one another with rebounds and passing. Each time someone scored, on the Vineyard and Falmouth teams, the audience erupted in cheers and applause.
Kyra Wildanger, who finished the game with six points, ran into the stands during a timeout to give high-fives to her friends watching the game.
Despite being down 26 to 8 at halftime, the Vineyarders closed the gap to finish the game 38 to 32, losing to Falmouth.
Other Vineyarders who scored were Ryan Murray with eight points, Mike Johnson with six points, and Connor McGrath and Andres Sanchez-Roa with two points each. Also on the team were Hollis Kelly, Matt Morris, Malik Blake, Talon Russillo, and Jaselle Wildanger.
MVRHS unified team played their first game of the season last week in Plymouth, losing 33 to 28. Their next game is Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 3 pm at the MVRHS gymnasium, against Bourne.