On December 20th, Elmbrook’s Unified Sports Game took place at BC vs cross-town rival Brookfield East for both the boys’ and girls’ teams. Unified Sports is a program created by a Brookfield Central student, aiming to bring together athletes of all abilities. This year’s BC team was led by Mr. Flegel, the head coach, and Noah Thorpe ‘25, the program’s president. The matchup between Central and East’s teams was fierce and got the crowd extremely excited. 

Though the game ended in a tie, Central’s team had some very impressive performances. Some of the main stars of the show were the Matthews. Both Matthew McCardle (‘25) and Matthew Mamalakis (‘26) made some incredible shots, with McCardle making some crucial three pointers. Faris Omari (‘25), Carson Anderson (‘26), Phillip O’Brien (‘28), and Hailey Wuerl (‘25) also contributed some major points to the team’s score. On the sidelines, the Lancer Dancers, Bray Janz (‘28) Rory Lee (‘25) and Ayesha Sobhani (‘28) cheered on the team, showing off some incredible dance moves. 

Apart from the excitement of the basketball game itself, Unified Sports makes a significant difference in the lives of students with and without disabilities. President Noah Thorpe has been a part of the program since its start and is also the Vice President of Best Buddies. When asked why he finds value in participating in the program, Thorpe stated, “It is really amazing seeing not only the students, but the whole Brookfield community come together during the Unified Games. Unified Sports is a really special club that Elmbrook created, and it is wonderful to see the emotions of our athletes’ faces throughout practices and games.” His dedication to making these students feel involved is admirable. It is worth it to attend these games just to see the faces of the players light up on the court. Be sure to attend the second!