It is not every day that a local team is celebrated as national champions but that's what happened Thursday night for the Hall County Special Olympics basketball team.
“It’s just so awesome for everyone to play and win together,” said Will Crain, a team captain.
At the ceremony in Gainesville, Head Coach Teresa Young recounted the moment as the final buzzer sounded.
“When you win, as a coach, the greatest thing is seeing the parents. They cry tears of joy, of pure happiness and embrace their kids," Young said.
This team never had the odds in their favor. Yet, in the face of a difficult tournament, nearly 3,000 miles away, they persevered.
That being said, this victory was not a walk in the park. At one point, Young was not sure they would be able to take home the gold. After a loss to North Carolina, the team was promoted to a more difficult bracket. After trying her best to convince organizers not to promote them, she told the team they would have to dig deep and do their best.
For Nick Nixon, the tallest member of the team, this tournament was not going as planned. According to Young, “[Nick] couldn’t buy a bucket.” In the last game, a rematch against a North Carolina team that had beaten them earlier, Young knew she would need Nixon down the stretch.
Through Young’s encouragement and persistence, Nixon kept shooting. One shot fell, then two, then three. With Nixon’s hot hand and the play of the team’s sparkplug and only girl, Morgan McNeal, the team found itself crowned champion.
The Special Olympics USA Games were held in Seattle, Washington on the campus of the University of Washington.
