By The Hawk staff

The Hanover High School Unified basketball team made a powerful statement as they took on a team fielded by Student Council in a packed gym on Feb. 6. While the final score stood at Unified 79, StuCo 21, what counted more than the many, many (many) baskets made was the teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendship on display.

For the Unified team, top scorers were Danny Campbell, Bre Thomas, Jillian Richards, JJ Molina-Para, and Adel Mustafa-Rivera. Dom Castaldini and Maeve Patten showed determination as they made passes and grabbed rebounds. Molina-Para wowed the crowd with his 360-turns before sinking several baskets, and Richards’ countless steals from StuCo players were almost criminal.

The StuCo team kept their spirits high, with several members of HHS basketball teams making impressive shots. The atmosphere was festive thanks to the play-by-play of HHS senior Thomas Perkins, and the Hanover Hawk mascot rallying the crowd. Congratulations to players from both teams! Special thanks go out to Unified Sports organizers Ms. Mann and Ms. Gately, Athletic Director Scott Hutchison and all the fans in attendance.

The HHS Unified team will take part in a Jamboree at Abington High School on Feb. 12, playing teams from Abington and Carver high schools. We wish them best of luck!

Pioneered by Special Olympics, the goal of Unified Sports is to partner people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. By training and playing together, Unified teams promote inclusion, friendship and self esteem, according to the Special Olympics website. An estimated 19 million young people participate in Unified Sports nationwide.