St. Cloud High hosting—and playing in— state Unified Basketball championship Saturday

  • St. Cloud Unified basketball coaches John Stump and Braxton Ansbaugh talk with players during a recent game. (Submitted Photo)
    St. Cloud Unified basketball coaches John Stump and Braxton Ansbaugh talk with players during a recent game. (Submitted Photo)

    St. Cloud will host—and again play in—the FHSAA Special Olympics Unified Basketball State Championships this weekend.

    The Bulldogs, the 2016, 2022 and 2024 state champs, will play Vero Beach on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the Division 2 title game. The day will also include the Division 1 game between Hamilton and Lely at 9 a.m. and the Division 3 game between Tavares and Language Literacy at 12 p.m.

    The event is free for fans and will include appearances by the school mascots and their Unified cheerleading squads, along with other partners.

    Unified basketball is an inclusive program to bring students with mental or physical challenges—those who would qualify for the Special Olympics, called “athletes” in the program— together with who are not thusly challenged, those called “partners”. During play, three athletes and two partners must be in the game. Rosters are made up of six athletes and six partners, and all players must be in the game for at least two minutes per half.

    In years past, the Unified championships have been held in conjunction with the FHSAA state basketball tournament. When that event moved from its longtime home of Lakeland to Jacksonville this year, the state looked for a high school venue to have a better opportunity for more fans to attend.

    “With teams coming from the north and south, being centrally located helped,” said St. Cloud High’s John Stump, who has been a part of the program at SCHS since 2015. “Past successes might have played a role, as they know we care about the program.”

    Braxton Ansbaugh played as a partner for four years in high school and now helps coach the team.

    “I love the concept of athletes who wouldn’t get to play on varsity or even JV teams getting to be on a team and represent their school,” Ansbaugh said. “The partners who might not have played either, like me, also get to find another way to compete.

    “Saturday’s going to be exciting, playing for a state championship, at home. Traditional teams don’t get that chance, so we’re hoping the community will turn out to cheer them and the school on.”