Recently, there has been no shortage of negative stories about teens in high school–but this one is surely one to make you celebrate and restore your faith in humanity (and teenagers!). During a recent basketball game, one special needs student's dream became a reality after he was given the chance by a member of the opposing team to score the last points for his high school team in their season's last game. Mitchell Marcus, a special needs teen is the team manager for his basketball team, the Thunderbirds at Coronado High School in El Paso, Texas. The team had 90 seconds left of the game, when a teammate on the opposing, Jonathon Montanez, did the unthinkable by passing the ball to Marcus and giving him the chance to make a the last shot of the game.
Isn't that one of the most amazing things you've read today?
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According to reports, Coronado H.S. coach Peter Morales put Marcus in the game with about two minutes left on the clock. The team already had the winning lead, but the coach just wanted to give him a chance in the team's last game. "He wasn't going to be able to score, but I was hoping that he was happy that he was just put in the game," Morales told CBS News. Marcus missed a few of the shots he was given, but then one of the opposing team members did something unthinkable: Franklin High School senior Jonathon Montanez tossed the ball back to Marcus, who proceeded to make the final goal.
So what came over Montanez? "I was raised to treat others how you want to be treated," Montanez told CBS. "I just though Mitchell deserved his chance, deserved his opportunity." The selfless student figured that his team was already losing by ten points and with only a few seconds left, he thought it was the right thing to do by giving Marcus a chance to score.
With that last basket, Marcus' team went on to win by 5 points. Sure, he didn't score the make-it-or-break-it point, but the arena still exploded into cheers and everyone rushed to hug and congratulate their unlikely hero of the night. "I think I'll cry about it for the rest of my life," Marcus' mom, Amy, told CBS. The clip of her son's shot is so touching, it has since gone viral. Marcus was overjoyed to be given the chance to help his team out and told the station that the opportunity "made his night." Aw!
It's so great to see that this boy was appreciated by his coach, teammates–and even the opposing team was rooting for him! Uplifting stories like this one give me hope that kids today still have some compassion. One thing for sure is that these teens are excellent role models for their peers. They've proven that there is more to life than winning and that games should be played for fun and not rivalry all the time.
Image via CBS
