New York: Special Needs Student Blaze Mayes Lives Dream in Football Championship

In Rochester, McQuaid Jesuit High senior Blaze Mayes, born with Down Syndrome, finally suited up and took snaps in the state championship game against Aquinas Institute, a 21-14 thriller where his team fell short but won hearts. Mayes carried the ball once for a gain, mobbed by teammates in a post-game huddle of hugs.

Heartwarming experience:

Mayes' dream, nurtured since elementary school, was fulfilled through peer advocacy, teaching lessons in empathy. Viral X videos captured his beaming smile, with comments like "this is why we play" highlighting how the moment transcended the scoreboard for an entire community.