Jeremiah Linnell runs through the banner at Enterprise High’s We Not Me game.
The second annual “We Not Me Bowl” was held at Enterprise High School on October 22.
The We Not Me Bowl is an event in which the football team, cheerleaders and band invite the special education students to play football with the varsity team, cheer on the sidelines with the varsity cheerleaders, or play in the marching band.
The event was created last year by head football coach, Darren Trueblood, as a way of giving all students the experience of being part of a “varsity” football game. While at the We Not Me Bowl, there was a feeling of family for everyone in attendance. Everyone belonged.
The We Not Me Bowl is a football game, with all the amenities of a normal, run-of-the-mill game. It has the tackling, the passing and the cheerleaders. It even has the touchdowns.
The game is a very important part of the football season, as all of the players on the Enterprise football teams look forward to its arrival. Coach Trueblood created the event as a way to include those kids who aren’t normally included in the school’s brightest shining sport.
The event started out with announcer Justin Jordan encouraging everyone to join the players and cheerleaders on the field. Everyone came down: coaches, parents, families, even students attending the game.
The football team, band and cheerleaders formed a tunnel from the corner of the field for the guest players and cheerleaders to run through. At the end of the tunnel the cheerleaders were holding a huge paper sign hat said, “We Not Me Bowl 2014” for the guest football players to break through. All the special education students began running down the cheerleader-and-football-player lined tunnel. Their smiles were almost blinding.
Leslie lamanuzzi, left, cheers with Sophia Nilges.
The game continued with the guest cheerleaders joining the Enterprise cheer team and the guest players joining the junior varsity and varsity football teams. The varsity team took half of the guest players, while JV took the other half.
Some of the kids from the special education students formed a line, while freshman football coach Mike Worley directed them toward a varsity player who helf a pad used for blocking in practices. The kids charged off one by one, each knocking a select varsity player onto his back.
All the while, girls such as Aryssa Martin cheered their hearts out on the sidelines. All of the players.
Toward the end of the event,Jor dan called all the football players to sit on the ground facing the 50-yard line. The cheerleaders proceeded to chant two different cheers, lead by the special education girls. When the girls were finished, the band played a few songs.
Then came the main event. The majority of the guests, including the cheerleaders and JV football team, moved to the end of the field, under the field goal. It was there that attendees watched in awe as all of the special education boys charged through multiple varsity football players and into the end zone, spiking the ball into the turf in celebration. Their euphoria was nearly palpable.
Enterprise High School students William Marlette and Alex Talladino participate in the We Not Me game.
When all was said and done, the football players and cheerleaders all sat in one big half circle, huddled together as one big family. Awards were handed out to all the special education students who played that evening. Coach Trueblood said a few words of encouragement and thanks to all who made the event possible.
Trueblood summed it up perfectly.
“This event has turned into something better that we could have ever expected.”
Katie Darling is a sophomore at Enterprise High School where she is the yearbook editor. She has a dog named Ralph. She loves taking pictures and being creative and expressive through her writing.
