Union City High School’s Unified Team led until 4:21 remaining in the 4th quarter in Sunday’s state basketball championship game held at Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers University in Piscataway. Then Hunterdon Central High School pulled ahead for a three point victory, 22-19.
Union City High School’s Special Olympics Unified Program has been in place for the past decade. This season’s co-ed basketball program had 15 players, some with disabilities, others without.
The squad went 8-2 during the season, then won quarter-final and semi-final games prior to battling Hunterdon Central on Sunday. While the outcome was disappointing for Union City, Coach Lozano told the team how proud he was of their season-long effort. They must remember to take this loss as a learning experience, and move forward.
Each member of the Union City team received a medal for their efforts.
Both teams displayed wonderful sportsmanship during the game, and during the congratulations line following its conclusion. Union City High School and the Board of Education should be extremely proud of their effort.
