OREGON, Ohio — As high school football teams get ready for the start of the season, Cardinal Stritch scrimmaged Woodmore. There was a play and a moment during the game that the team will never forget.
"Go get it. Run as fast as you can. This is your moment. He took it and did what he does best," Cardinal Stritch Head Coach Gene Rucker said.
Touchdown number 79. Riley Brossia.
"It felt great to score," Brossia said.
Riley may have Autism, but what he really wants is to show everyone that he can do anything he sets his mind to.
"That even people with disabilities like me can still do sports," he said.
"He's actually one of the hardest workers on the team," Rucker said. "He pushes everyone day in and day out, that's why it was so important he got his moment to shine in the scrimmage."
That touchdown meant more than the points on the scoreboard. It’s the life lesson of inclusion that the team will take with them after the pads come off.
"It means everything to me. As a coach, you want to prepare these young men for the future," Rucker said. "Wins are important but the ultimate goal is to teach them how to a proper young man."
Brossia is right there in practice, taking part in drills, giving it his all. Whether he knows it or not, he’s inspiring those around him to give it their all too.
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