North Hall manager Bennett gets his day in the sun <b> (VIDEO) </b>

GAINESVILLE -- You won't find Mt. Everest, or any semblance of it, anywhere near North Hall High School. But for one hour on Saturday, Nicholas Bennett might as well have been at the summit of the world.<br /> <br /> The North Hall senior and normally team manager for the boys basketball team, Bennett started his first-ever varsity game and scored his first-ever points on the opening play of the game against Gainesville.<br /> <br /> And for good measure, he drained a half-court shot at halftime -- his 1,000th according to coaches past and present -- and was carried off the court by the entire student section.<br /> <br /> Bennett had no problem claiming it the "best day of my life."<br /> <br /> "I felt like I was in heaven," Bennett said of his ride around the court on the shoulders of his North Hall classmates. "I never dreamed of anything like this."<br /> <br /> Bennett, who suffers from autism and was adopted by Tim and Nancy Bennett when he was nine months old, had no idea he was in for a day like Saturday.<br /> <br /> Former North Hall boys coach and current Gainesville boys coach Benjie Wood, along with current North Hall boys coach Tyler Sanders, however, had been planning a day for Bennett for more than a year.<br /> <br /> "Nick is just a blessing to everyone, Wood said. "He's just a joy to be around. We've been working on something like this for a while."<br /> <br /> "(Nicholas) shoots with the team everyday and they just have a blast," Sanders said. "He can shoot the ball. He used to play some amazing games of H.O.R.S.E with (former North Hall standout) Ebo (Smith) that would last 30 minutes or more. He's just a great kid. We'll miss him (after he graduates)."<br /> <br /> Most of us are just looking for our 15 minutes. Bennett had an entire day. No one in the gym is sure to forget it either.