By Cassie Silkoff ’25
On Friday Nov. 8, 2024, at Lou DeFilippo Field, the Unified Sports team played in a flag football scrimmage during halftime of the Waterbury Career Academy versus Derby High School football game. Unified Sports is a team at Derby High School that is inclusive for all, celebrates uniqueness, and advocates for equal opportunities in high school athletics. It is a growing club in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC).
The game played under the Friday night lights exuded the same energy as a professional football game, as the team finally got to play in front of a live crowd for the first time this season. Before the team ran onto the field, emotions were high with anxiety and excitement tangled into one. The scent of raider dogs filled the air and once the cheerleaders finished their routine, the unified team sprang into action. From the first snap of the ball, the game was very fast paced as there was only 12 minutes left on the halftime clock. Derby High School Physical Education Teacher and Unified Sports coach Carlin Ali exclaimed that, “the scrimmage went very well, we had about 20 kids show up, we were able to get everybody some playing time and we had some super great touchdowns!” Scorers included Bryce Orchano ‘25, Johnny Briscoe ‘27, Mason Izquierdo ‘25, and Antonio Ortiz ‘25.
For the athletes, the live audience was extremely meaningful as the team held practice games a few weeks earlier with the unified sports teams from Oxford and Watertown. The team was overjoyed at the opportunity. Luke Camara ‘27 said that, “The opportunity to score big touchdowns and big plays under the bright lights in front of a live audience means a lot.” Orchano also stated that playing under the lights was, “Very interesting, not going to lie, it was very different, but it was awesome.”
The play that ended the game was a deep ball from Camara to Orchano for an unbelievable touchdown, signaling the end of half-time alongside a victory for the team with the red penny’s. Camara claimed that he and Bryce had been practicing that play, “everyday so it was really nice to see the work pay off.” Orchano said, “Although I am excited for our next sport which is basketball, flag football is my favorite because I am down at the field everyday practicing and putting the work in.”
The team’s next big can’t miss event will be basketball. Ali explained that, “Practices are beginning and we are already scheduling some games against Oxford, Amity, and some other schools.” Izquierdo declared that he, “loves basketball and can’t wait.” Stay tuned for unified sports upcoming events. You won’t want to miss this tremendous team displaying their talent!
The Raider Press 