Cypress Lake special needs student scores touchdown vs. Fort Myers in display of sportsmanship
Peyton Melton is one of Cypress Lake High School's biggest sports fans, as the special needs student is not just a regular at all Panthers sporting events but also has led the football team onto the field before games.
Friday night he got his chance to step between the lines with pads on and he didn't disappoint, running 20 yards for a touchdown in a pre-arranged extra play against Fort Myers High School. The Green Wave won the game 38-0, but Melton felt like the real winner after his play.
“I felt really good in the end zone and (to) score a touchdown and like, I just had a good time playing," Melton said. "And I’m so proud of myself.”
Melton also competes in Unified bowling and basketball for the school and led the Panthers to their first Unified bowling district title and a berth into the state tournament on Thursday in Orlando.
Cypress Lake ESE teacher and Unified sports coordinator Todd Dusenberry felt it was important to make the play happen.
"I think it just reinforces and reconfirms how Cypress Lake High School is so welcoming and that social inclusion and inclusion itself at Cypress goes above and beyond the classroom," Dusenberry said. "We were the first one to have a homecoming king and queen for the regular school with special needs. And we're going to be the first ones to have one of our special needs players run for a touchdown in a football game. And at probably the biggest game of the year and our biggest crowd of the year. And this means the world to our special needs students being accepted and to feel like they belong."
The Panthers finished the season 2-8, losing their final eight games, but Cypress Lake head coach Joey Mendes was happy the final play of the year would belong to Melton.
“He means a lot to us man," Mendes said. "He comes out to every game with us, he’s been around for years. All the kids love him, we love him. Just the energy he always brings to our sidelines is amazing, and for us to be able to do that for him, means a lot to him personally and to the school, and to the community. So it was a really good thing, Peyton’s awesome and we only want the best for him.”
− John Rinkenbaugh contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cypress Lake special needs student wows crowd with TD run vs. Fort Myers
