The Lubbock High Westerners and Andrews Mustangs put in a very important player on their team for one big play!
Evan Sparks, a senior with special needs, got into the game quite frankly, because the fans. The Mustangs were up 64-14 over Lubbock High with only seconds left on the scoreboard. The students wanted to see one of their favorite players on the field before the game ended so they united in yelling ‘We want Sparky, We want Sparky.’
Sparks has one lung, severe scoliosis, neuropathy, gets his nutrients through a feeding tube, and waited years for his doctor’s approval to play football. Finally, he was given his chance. His mom, Jamie Moore, said this is a dream come true.
But what’s crazy is that the opposing coach is the one who had the idea! Lubbock High Head Football Coach Juan Rodriguez called a timeout and called the referees over with a suggestion.
“There are things outside of football, sometimes there are a lot more important things that we need to focus on,” Rodriguez said.
So the referee returned to the head coach of the Andrews Mustangs, Tom Harvey, and relayed the important message that was shared by the opposing coach. Harvey recalled the conversation.
“He calls the official over and he sends the official over to tell us and says, ‘You could put #34 in. We won’t touch him,” Harvey said.
Pretty amazing, not a dry eye in the house when Sparks made the game-ending tackle. Pretty amazing!
“This act of kindness is going to be bigger than what you’ll ever, I said, bigger than what the score is right now. And I said, you’ll understand, you may not understand it all tonight. But, as you breathe it and understand it and you live it, you’re definitely going to remember this play for a long long time,” Rodriguez said.
