By Tyler Dahlgren

Ally O’Hara caught the ball near the free throw line, used two dribbles to find an opening in the defense, and hoisted a jump shot that floated both gracefully and promisingly towards the cylinder.

The capacity crowd inside Millard North Middle School, which moments earlier had cheered so loud that NCSA Ambassador Kevin Wingard’s Apple Watch buzzed with a sound level of 95 decibels, went silent until the ball splashed through the net. 

Then they erupted, and the hardwood under O’Hara’s sneakers literally shook. It was one of many highlights in the Unified Mustangs’ 34-26 triumph over a (much taller) team comprised of MNMS staff.

“It means so much to have them included in everything and to have them involved with the rest of the school and a part of the community,” said Ally’s mom, Mollie. “It just makes you proud. I’m so proud of her, and to watch her out there enjoying it and feeling like part of the group, it’s so great. She watches her siblings play sports, and for her to be able to get out there and get the crowd going like they do for her siblings, it’s such a cool thing.”

At halftime, MNMS unveiled its second Unified Champion School banner. Every Millard Public Schools middle school has one, and they’re the only middle school in the state with two. Special Olympics Nebraska Unified Sports Manager Amanda Gubbels-Svendsen was on hand to present the award.

“It’s been fun being recognized for all the extra work that our teachers who oversee the alternative curriculum program put into it,” said assistant principal Dr. Anna Thoma, whose team of staff trailed by 10 at half and never got closer than six down the stretch, much to the delight of a raucous yet respectful crowd. “You go above and beyond and when you’re recognized for that, it is rewarding. And it’s so fun to see how the entire student body gets behind all of our students.”

The game tipped off around 2 p.m. last Friday, with a steady stream of students filing into the gymnasium for at least 15 minutes before that. As both teams warmed up, which side would be enjoying a home court advantage quickly became clear.

“They cheer for the students, obviously,” Thoma laughed. “They don’t cheer for the staff.”

Right before an electric entrance that rivaled the famous Husker Tunnel Walk, superintendent Dr. John Schwartz stepped out into the hallway to answer a few questions. There was one problem, though. The concourse outside of the gym was buzzing with just as much excitement as there was inside the gym.

Like his staff of hoopers, who would have to deal with the Unified team’s scorching-hot shooting throughout the game, Schwartz handled the adversity and raised his voice to appease the recorder.

“The standards that are associated with becoming a Unified Banner Champion school really push a school to instill a culture of kindness and inclusion where all students feel welcomed and like they belong,” said the superintendent. “It makes the entire school environment more positive, a place for all students and staff to come every day and serve and have a great experience.”

The environment on Friday afternoon was something you had to see firsthand to fully understand. With each Unified bucket, the student body cheered louder. The Unified Mustangs fed off that energy. Their huge smiles served as proof.

“If you think back to 1975, days like today felt very different,” said MPS Director of Special Education Dr. Carrie Novotny-Buss. “On a day like today, when you can see an entire community come together to celebrate differences and similarities, there’s nothing quite like it, and that’s been happening around our district for the last few weeks now with all of the Unified Banner celebrations.”

For ACP teacher Nicole Root, seeing the surge of Unified sports across the state has been nothing short of an inspiring delight. The hand-made signs in the crowd for every player, the pom-poms and the confetti-it all accumulated in what she called a perfect afternoon.

“Inclusion is just one of the most important things that there is, especially for our kids with disabilities,” Root said. “Events like this get all the kids involved, and it’s really a big pull for some of our kids who decide they want to be involved in a unified sport. This brings the whole school together and it increases our inclusion. We get to see our kids become more known around the school and celebrated for an afternoon.”

This is their moment, Root added, and the team capitalized on it. 

“I feel so much happiness and joy for them,” said Root. “This is my favorite day of the year. I’ve been saying it all day. This is the best day of the year. It’s the most important day, too. It’s our kids’ day to shine.”

And shine, they did. With their winning personalities on full display, the Unified Mustangs put on quite the show. Inside of the game, there were hundreds of moments that both teams and the capacity crowd will remember for a long, long time.

Outside of the game, in the hallways and during passing periods on ordinary days, that’s where Thoma sees the payoff.

“This helps to close the social gap,” she said. “It provides a bridge that makes new relationships and new friendships possible.”