At the October 7, 2017, Bay Shore junior varsity football game against Smithtown East, there was a very special moment just after the second half started. Ramel Johnson, a sophomore at Bay Shore High School, was given the ball for the first play of the half.
Ramel is a special education student with multiple learning and cognitive disabilities, who had a dream of playing football. After he showed up for tryouts at the beginning of the season, the administration, teaching staff and coaching staff at Bay Shore worked together to ensure he could be part of the team.
Members of the JV football team embraced Ramel, and helped him learn the sport and feel welcome on the team. When approached in the days leading up to the game about running a special play, the Smithtown East coaching staff and players showed tremendous grace in agreeing to allow Ramel to have a shining moment at Bay Shore’s last JV home game of the season.
As Ramel ran 50 yards down the field to score a touchdown, the two teams came together to show that some things are bigger than the game.
Pictured: Bob Panariello, Bay Shore Athletic Director; Stephen Costello, Smithtown East JV Coach; Megan Jensen, Bay Shore High School Teacher; Ramel Johnson; Michael Carter Moore, Bay Shore High School Paraprofessional; Michael Brown, Bay Shore JV Head Coach