Lake Orion High School students were treated to a break from class on Feb. 9, as the Lake Orion Special Olympics basketball team played a game in the school’s fieldhouse.
The LO team of Special Olympians and unified athletes edged visiting Jardon (of Hazel Park), by a final score of 34-23.
The Dragons were led by the energy of John Adams, and the clutch shooting of Terry Beardsley.
‘The best part was John Adams, he was the MVP,? Dan Plotzke said afterwards. ‘We are lucky to have such good teammates.?
‘We are the bad boys,? he added.
Beardsley enjoyed playing in front of such a big crowd, and said that putting the game away was his specialty.
With Jardon edging back into the game after trailing by 15 at halftime, Beardsley hit two three-pointers late in the third quarter to distance the Dragons a bit.
In the fourth, Adams took over. His late three-pointer and lay-in sealed the victory for Lake Orion.
‘We were up by 15 and we got a little comfortable,? said Sammy Taormina of Jardon’s comeback. ‘They turned it up.?
‘It was a hard fought game,? he said. ‘Jardon is a really good team.?
The Lake Orion team, coached by Rob McClellan and Jenna Bendle, is preparing for the state unified tournament, on March 10-11 in Kalamazoo.
Between 40-32 teams will be at the tournament, competing in various divisions based on skill level.
McClellan said a great deal of his team’s success was due to the 18 unified athletes on the squad.
‘We hear a lot of negative things, but that shows just how good kids are,? he said.
‘We have eight unified girls,? McClellan said. ‘It’s the first time we’ve had more than one girl.?
One of the unified girls, Melanie Lamerato, is enjoying the experience so much that not even being on crutches can stop her from playing.
‘It’s fun because you get to meet a lot of people and hang out with them all,? Lamerato said of the large team.
Special Olympians Lauren Boling and Alisa Harding agreed that a big team means more fun for everyone.
‘This is my third year and it’s really fun,? said Boling, who was kept out of action by shoulder surgery last season.
‘We have really good teamwork,? added Harding.
McClellan credited the recruiting skills of Sammy and Anthony Taormina for getting such a big group of unified athletes.
Late in the fourth quarter, the brothers actually had an opportunity to play at the same time.
‘We’ve done that before,? said Anthony. ‘It gives the fans a real treat.?