LAGRANGE, Ohio -
An entire crowd is left standing after a scoring play at a local football game.
The game was all but over Tuesday night. Eighth graders from Wellington Middle School were convincingly beating their opponents from Keystone Middle School in Lagrange 32 - 0. That's when Lagrange's head coach asked for a time-out and walked across the field to talk with his opposing counterpart.
Wellington's head coach Keith Rowland tells Fox 8 News, "He had a special needs child that they would like to score a touchdown with and would I set my defense to allow that to happen." The coach says his team willingly agreed.
"It was just a question I asked," said Keystone Head Coach Mike Paris. "He was all about it. [Coach Rowland] too realizes that these fields are here for the kids, that it's not about the win loss record."
Seventh grader Robbie Assanakis, whose mother says has a mild case of cerebral palsy and hearing loss, joined the Keystone football team this year as a wide receiver.
Coach Paris says he is treated no differently than any of the other players, and his teammates have been great helping him learn the game.
With his team behind, Robbie lined up behind the Keystone quarterback and was handed the ball. He took it straight up the middle into the end zone to score his first, and his team's only touchdown.
The score sent fans on both sides of the stands to their feet.
"That's something for that boy to remember his whole life and his parents and his school- everybody, we all stood up and clapped for him," said Marcia Friend, whose son plays for the Wellington 7th grade team.
Other Wellington parents also believe it was one of the most inspiring moments they have witnessed, and are as proud of their team and their coach for allowing it to happen.
"It's every kid's dream to play football, and for him to do that, that was great," said Wellington parent Chris Santori.
"Those six points meant more to that little boy than they did to me," says Wellington's coach. The touchdown decision kept his team from having a shutout, but in turn may have accomplished so much more.
When asked how he feels about the opposing team's fans cheering for Robbie's touchdown, Keystone's head coach choked-up with tears.
"He deserves to be on that field like everybody else. He deserves to feel the same enthusiasm that everybody feels and that's what last night was about," he said.
The game was all but over Tuesday night. Eighth graders from Wellington Middle School were convincingly beating their opponents from Keystone Middle School in Lagrange 32 - 0. That's when Lagrange's head coach asked for a time-out and walked across the field to talk with his opposing counterpart.
Wellington's head coach Keith Rowland tells Fox 8 News, "He had a special needs child that they would like to score a touchdown with and would I set my defense to allow that to happen." The coach says his team willingly agreed.
"It was just a question I asked," said Keystone Head Coach Mike Paris. "He was all about it. [Coach Rowland] too realizes that these fields are here for the kids, that it's not about the win loss record."
Seventh grader Robbie Assanakis, whose mother says has a mild case of cerebral palsy and hearing loss, joined the Keystone football team this year as a wide receiver.
Coach Paris says he is treated no differently than any of the other players, and his teammates have been great helping him learn the game.
With his team behind, Robbie lined up behind the Keystone quarterback and was handed the ball. He took it straight up the middle into the end zone to score his first, and his team's only touchdown.
The score sent fans on both sides of the stands to their feet.
"That's something for that boy to remember his whole life and his parents and his school- everybody, we all stood up and clapped for him," said Marcia Friend, whose son plays for the Wellington 7th grade team.
Other Wellington parents also believe it was one of the most inspiring moments they have witnessed, and are as proud of their team and their coach for allowing it to happen.
"It's every kid's dream to play football, and for him to do that, that was great," said Wellington parent Chris Santori.
"Those six points meant more to that little boy than they did to me," says Wellington's coach. The touchdown decision kept his team from having a shutout, but in turn may have accomplished so much more.
When asked how he feels about the opposing team's fans cheering for Robbie's touchdown, Keystone's head coach choked-up with tears.
"He deserves to be on that field like everybody else. He deserves to feel the same enthusiasm that everybody feels and that's what last night was about," he said.
