Rivals Give Last Touchdown to Player With Down Syndrome
by Tom Henderson Sep 21st 2009 4:38PM
The Maryville Spoofhounds could have shut out the St. Joseph Benton Cardinals 46-0 at last week’s game.
They let the other team score a touchdown.
They did nothing to stop freshman running back Matt Ziesel from running more than 60 yards to put the Cardinals on the scoreboard. Cardinals Coach Dan McCamey asked the Spoofhounds for their cooperation because Ziesel, 15, has Down syndrome and spent the entire season on the bench — begging the coach to let him get some action on the field.
Hats off to both teams for showing classy levels of sportsmanship and compassion. The rival high schools are about 42 miles apart. Both are north of Kansas City near the Missouri/Kansas border.
The Cardinals still lost the game but won a lot more.
Good sportsmanship by both teams.
The coach and players of Maryville showed exemplary sportsmanship. The won more than the game and their coach taught his team a lesson they will carry for the rest of their lives.
It’s unfortunate that this type of sportsmanship cannot be shown in collegiate and professional sports.
And when that player hears about how everyone colluded to make it happen, will he still feel good about himself? Perhaps I don’t understand enough about Down’s Syndrome, but I would imagine that would be a devastating realization.
If you want to support those with health disadvantages, why not back the President’s initiative on healthcare?
Even well-meant gestures are just that – gestures.
To poster 9/22 9:52AM — What makes you think that the youngster doesn’t realize that the coaches and other players cooperated to give him his moment? I’m sure that he feels the same way that any of us feel when others go out of their way to show us consideration — really, really good! Besides, other than being slow, the young man had pretty good form on that run.
Quite frankly it would have been better if they made it a little more competitive and actually gone after him!