Unified athletes participated in a thrilling basketball game against teachers on Feb. 6, while Titans in packed bleachers cheered them on to victory.

    Athletes accompanied by their buddy students sped down the court, hitting many layups and baskets. 

   “Being a buddy is special because you can connect and learn about people from other communities, and my favorite part is making new friends,” junior Kenny Post said.

    The team of teachers stepped it up on defense when the students were in the lead. 

   “The coolest part of this experience was having the staff and the rest of the school be a part of this event and being able to see the athletes and the students work together was also great,” special education teacher Katie Svatos said.

    The teachers who played enjoyed preparing themselves for the game and seeing their students in the stands cheering for them as they swished the ball into the hoop.

    “There was a big difference between our team compared to the students’ team because we never practiced. The students’ team was re- ally good, and it was nice to see everyone in the stands,” biology teacher Susanne Colyer said. 

   Students in the bleachers had a chance to show pride with their Unified peers. The smiles on the athletes’ faces brought joy to everyone who was around them.

   “Honestly this was my favorite event at Poway High — the fact that it’s not required to go, yet we still had a packed gym is awesome. Their peers also brought signs for them as they cheered them on, which was really heartwarming to see,” English teacher Satin Abtahi said. 

   During halftime, the Unified team was given the Unified Champion School award by Special Olympics of Southern California for its newly added unified PE program, which pairs students with and without intellectual disabilities. 

   PE coach Carissa Jones Fletcher started Unified PE here to give the kids and athletes time to pursue their sportsmanship on and off the court. Jones-Fletcher with the help of ASB organized the event, so everyone was able to show their pride for players with fun wristbands and cool t-shirts.