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11/07/2023 01:31 PM

Guilford Unified Sports Surge After Boys’ Soccer Senior Night


Pictured are Jason Li, Magnus Fencil, Andrew Jarrin, Andres Gutierrez, Sergio Garcia-Perez, Mathew Carmona, Owen Medvecky, Ian Campaigne, Anthony Malatesta, Ryan Melillo, and Aidan Soper, the senior members of the Guilford boys’ soccer team that helped to give Guilford’s Unified Sports program a big increase in popularity at their Senior Night game on Oct. 20. Photo courtesy of Andrea Perez

It hardly mattered that the skies opened up just as their big moment arrived. The 15 Guilford Unified Sports athletes beamed, undaunted, braving the torrents alongside their coaches, paraprofessionals, and parents. They had been anticipating this Oct. 20 event with Unified Head Coach Jaye Carlson. They had been dancing on the puddled sidelines as the boys’ varsity soccer team warmed up. After all, this Senior Night matchup vs. Wilbur Cross was not only a special evening for the 11 senior Grizzlies soccer players, but it was also the night the Unified Sports athletes got to take the field under the lights at Kavanaugh Stadium with the senior boys’ starters.

And so they proudly did, remaining side by side in matching pinnies for the national anthem. What proved to be more powerful than the driving rain and the show of inclusion within the GHS community was the accompanying shower of support from spectators, who raised $423 for the Unified Sports programs. To add to the success of the event, Carlson has since noted a surge in students registering to join Unified Sports athletes on Tuesdays after school as volunteer coaches. Such support is no fair weather phenomenon.