STATE CHAMPIONS: Huntsville's Unified program wins inaugural state title

Mar. 5—DEL VALLE — Huntsville's Unified basketball program traveled 148 miles Tuesday to face Judson for the program's inaugural UIL Unified State Basketball title. With the help of Da'Marcus Gable's game-winning three-pointer, the Hornets clinched the title with a 37-33 victory.

Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability.

The Unified basketball team was created earlier this year and the Hornets played six games over the course of the season, going a perfect 6-0.

"When I made the game-winning shot, I thought I was going to miss it," Gable said. "But when I hit the shot, I looked at all of my teammates yelling and screaming, I was ready to burst out crying."

"I would see all the kids playing basketball in P.E. and then I met with some of the Special Olympics members and they brought up Unified and I thought it would be really cool," founder and coach Amber Bryant said. "A lot of this came together at the last minute and the district was a big help. Having the partners was a big part of it and it showed just who the guys are. You get to see them with the athletes and I really loved that. They've known each other for so long and just to see the bond they have, it really shows."

The Tuesday night game went back and forth, but the Hornets never gave up. Led by head coach Jason Elliot, assistant coach Jason Smith and Bryant, the Hornets team never backed down.

"Going into halftime, we had a lead and I went and talked to the kids a little bit and I told them that basketball was just like life," Elliot said. "I told them Judson was going to go on a run and we are going to have highs and lows during the game, good teams weather that and that's how it is in life. We came back out and Judson took the lead and we settled the kids down and they responded."

After Judson was able to take the lead back late, Huntsville never yielded and listened to their coaches to get them the trophy.

"I was so glad," Noah Cummings said. "We've been through a lot of ups and downs and we went through it as a team. We did this as a team and we are the first team to ever do it. Da'Marcus and I are going to keep running it back over our four years."

The creation of this league came from the unanimous passing of Texas Legislature SB 776, a bill authored by District 27 senator Eddie Lucio, that went into effect on Sept. 1, 2021, allowing these programs to form at schools across the state. As the bill was written, UIL was set to become the host of this team, giving kids with special needs the equal opportunity to play alongside their peers.

"When Mrs. Bryant said we would make the team, I thought, 'man this would be a good team,'" Gable said. "We all work together with the high schoolers, and Noah and I have been dreaming of this since we were little."

The team is made up of athletes and partners, with the partners coming from the Hornets Buddies Club.

Huntsville partners includes Huntsville football and baseball player Bun Shelly, Hornets tight end Mathew Long, Hornet Buddies club president and football player Seth Carroll and Hornets football player Isaiah Collins.

"It meant a lot to me," Carroll said. "I've been in the Buddies Club for four years and my sister was a co-founder of this club and it means a lot to take this in. Being the president of this club and being a player just means a lot. I've known the kids for so long and seeing their faces when we won made it so special."

But even for the partners, getting the state championship was a memorable experience.

"It felt really good," Long said. "I quit playing basketball in eighth grade so it felt good to be a part of the team. Being on the team with people I know and feel comfortable with, it just means the world."

With this being the first year of the program, there is still plenty of room for growth for this organization. With plans to continue growing to reach a bigger audience, the possibilities are endless.

But one thing is for sure, the Hornets will always be able to call themselves the first-ever Unified champions in the state of Texas.

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