On the last day before break (November 26th), high school students and faculty gathered in the gym to watch the second edition of the Unified Basketball Team’s 2024 Red and White Classic. 

The Unified Basketball Team, which plays other schools in the Pioneer Valley and the Berkshires, is composed of all students who tried out. At the Classic, the team is split into the Red Team and the White Team, which are both coached by senior players. 

The Red Team was coached by Efrem Chen, Kate Shelsy and Liam Noyes and included Trenttan Baird, Sam Bandy, Emmet Brownell-Wilkins, Aiden Champagne, Jacob Shelsy, Kennidie Johnson, Karolina Klinger, Mikey Klinger, Lily LaCasse, Daniel Lawson, Monte Melkonyan, Thomas Warren and Olivia Zoito. 

The White Team was led by coaches Mia Filiault, Ian Fredette and Devika Sharma. Players on the White Team included Henry Bergstresser, Nate Brody, Noah Fredette, Charlotte Garnish, Emilie Jones, Jackson Killam, Parker Langenback, Cole Narey, Emery Rotter, Laurelin Rotter, JT Szymanski, Charlotte Towler, Fiona Whaley and Andy Zheng. 

In a full house, the unified basketball team put on an amazing show. Szymanski, who played minutes for both the Red and White teams, led the scoring on both teams. The Red Team got strong contributions from everyone, with Lawson, Melkonyan, Shelsy and Warren all scoring. Champagne also added an impressive three pointer. The White Team, an equally strong team, was propelled by scoring contributions from Garnish, Langenback, Narey and Zheng. 

While the middle school did not attend the game, they sent their peers on the team off in style. Liza Barrett, a faculty coach, told the Echo that as the 7th and 8th grade players left class to go to their game, the rest of the middle school “went in the hallway with signs and posters,” cheering their classmates on as they prepared to play a fantastic game. 

After many twists, turns and a game of knockout for audience members, the White Team won. Unfortunately, the final score is unknown. Six people close to the game were asked about the final score and none knew exactly. The most important thing remembered from the afternoon was the wonderful atmosphere as the high school supported their classmates, and the court was graced with fantastic plays across both teams. Barrett explained that support, inclusion and positivity is what unified basketball is all about: “The student crowd was fantastic… There was an incredibly positive feeling in the gym that was incredibly supportive and exciting. Everyone got to shine.”