This Wawasee Unified Flag Football team member is in the eye of the Warsaw Unified Tiger defensive player in a match-up between the two teams last week. There are three unified co-ed football teams in the county as well as track teams. Tippecanoe Valley joins the trio and was last year’s state runner-up champion.

SYRACUSE — The stands are only filled with family and friends. There are no cheerleaders, no pep band, no student section.

Yet they are watching the most spellbinding game and example of sportsmanship they will see. It’s hard to pull yourself away.

What they are watching is a unified coed game of flag football, now in its second year. It is a sanctioned sport through the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

The co-ed teams are small in number, made up of students with and without intellectual disabilities. Only the coaches and the players know which students are the athletes and who are the support team members.

This Wawasee Warrior Unified Flag Football team member carefully looks ahead for a path to take after receiving the ball from the quarterback.

Kosciusko County has three unified flag football teams — Tippecanoe Valley, Warsaw and Wawasee. Tippecanoe Valley was last year’s state runner-up.

Sponsored by Special Olympics and IHSAA, the three teams along with 34 other teams throughout the state, will be participating in the Unified Flag Football State Tournament with the local sectional held at Tippecanoe Valley at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. The winner will go on to regional competition Saturday, Oct. 12, with the state finals Saturday, Oct. 19, in Westfield.

“Seeing them get out and playing, their facial expressions when they score a touchdown,” is something special seen by Tori Parrett, assistant coach for Warsaw’s team. “They normally don’t get that chance.”

“It’s still exciting for us,” said Andrew Wilson, coach of Wawasee’s Unified Football team, now in its second season. “I’ve seen growth of the players but as people as well.” Wilson noted the inclusion movement is not only important for those students who qualify for Special Olympics but for every student. “We’re starting to get more inclusive members on the team than last year, providing a lot more benefits from unified sports.”

Chris Banks, head coach for Warsaw’s team, believes “the kids are just excited to have something to look forward to, being able to wear the jerseys and everything. It means the world to them.” Banks noted for these students this is their first experience in athletic organized sports.

Jeff Shriver, coach at Tippecanoe Valley, said the kids at Tippy Valley are excited about the program. “Football is a great sport. I love the sport of football. You learn a lot about life, as with any sport, but football is a great metaphor for life – its ups and downs, ebbs and flows, about life and perseverance.” Unified sports is an opportunity, according to Shriver, “for more students to participate in football and play a great game.”

The athletes and coaches have the same rules and regulations to follow as any high school athlete – physicals, grades, eligibility. The difference is the playing field. Unified Flag Football is played on a 25-yard by 40-yard field with five players on each team on the field at a time. They play two halves, 20-minutes each. Touchdowns are worth six points, an extra point from the five-yard line is worth one point, while two points are added for a successful play from the 10 yard line. Two points can be scored for a safety.

Kent Roberts, one of the referees, said the game has its own set of rules. “It’s interesting, a lot of the rules are monitored by the coach in good faith. There’s a certain number of athletes and unified partners, we don’t know who is who and I don’t want to know honestly.” Roberts noted the big difference is there are no turnovers, it’s a non-contact, non-tackle game. There’s no kicking (as in field goals and extra points).

There are also unified track teams for all three schools.