Athlete Aeryen “Sauce” Ashburn-Scott scored nine points in St. Cloud’s 34-28 win over Vero Beach in the FHSAA Unified Basketball state championship. The Bulldogs won their fourth title. (Photo/Taylor McFee)
St. Cloud High Athletics Director Bryan Smart will have to find room for another state championship banner.
That became necessary on Saturday morning when the Bulldogs Special Olympics Unified Basketball team upended Vero Beach, 34-28, to win its fourth state championship and its second in the last three years.
Sanctioned by the FHSAA, Special Olympics Florida Unified is an inclusive program designed to bring students with mental or physical challenges (athletes) with non-challenged students (partners).
Most of the regular rules of basketball apply, with three athletes and two partner players on the court at the same time. Each athlete must be on the floor for at least two minutes of each half.
Athlete Aeryen “Sauce” Ashburn-Scott was St. Cloud’s star, scoring nine points. His totals included three field goals and 3-of-4 from the line – including a pair of free throws at the buzzer that gave the Bulldogs a 18-13 lead at halftime.
“We call him Sauce, because he’s up and down the court and just blends in with everyone,” Bulldogs coach Braxton Ansbaugh said. “Aeryen is a good ball player on both ends of the court.”
Although St. Cloud led for most of the game, Vero tied the game 25-25 midway through the final period. But Ashburn-Scott put the Dogs ahead for good when he hit another free throw and then extended the lead to 28-25 with a layup off a missed shot.
Athlete America Campos-Feliz, the only girl on the court, put the game away in the final seconds by hitting a free throw to give St. Cloud a four-point lead in the final seconds.
She finished with three points. Athlete Preston Vanetten chipped in four.
Partner Peyton Williams, a sophomore, said he became involved in the program at the recommendation of a classmate and inspiration from a family member.
“My buddy Brody Ansbaugh told me about the program and my aunt has always been a special needs teacher at a local school,” Williams said. “So joining the United program was a natural fit for me.
“You understand early on that the athlete are just like everyone else. They want to be included and they want to compete. Personally, it brings me a lot of satisfaction to be privileged to participate.”
Braxton Ansbaugh, a UCF student who played four years as a partner in the program before becoming a coach, says the win was a total team effort.
“This was so much fun. Our athletes played extremely well in beating a really good Vero team,” he said. “Our partner players understand the role they play in these games and that is to facilitate and help coach the athletes. At the end of the day, they are there to provide a great, inclusive experience for the athletes.”
