Wednesday, May 22, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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Coaches were putting the finishing touches on plans for the annual “senior walk” when Dion Lee came up with the idea to honor his program’s most popular member. Senior manager Richard Curry would dress for the final home game, when seniors are announced and take the field with family during a pregame ceremony.
“It dawned on me that his parents would be surprised to see him dressed,” Lee said.
That night against Faith Lutheran turned out to be more than uniform and pads for Curry, who is autistic. On the final play of the game, he scored a touchdown on a 26-yard run in a moment coordinated by coaches of both teams.
Curry rarely spoke when Lee approached him a few years ago and asked him to join the team as the ball boy. It was a job he mastered.
“He took pride in that job and got confidence because the kids accepted him,” Lee said.
Before the game, Lee and Faith Lutheran coach Vernon Fox coordinated to allow Curry to have his moment—but only if the game was out of hand. Curry, with Bonanza trailing by six touchdowns in the final minute, entered the game not knowing what to expect.
Soon, he was in the end zone and at the center of a massive celebration.
In an unscripted move, players from both teams jumped up and down to celebrate. Video of the moment was captured and went viral.
“The aftermath, we didn’t plan,” Lee said. “That was the excitement of the game. That’s the thing about kids—they care about each other.”
Curry is no longer reserved. Being part of a team, even if it is in a supporting role, has helped his development. The touchdown was an added bonus.
“He is the man on campus. All of the kids gravitate to him,” Lee said.
That includes the Faith Lutheran players. What made the touchdown so memorable was the joy the opposition shared.
“That’s what sports and high school sports are all about,” Fox said. “At the end of the day, it didn’t matter what the score was. What mattered most was making that moment special for Richard.”
