Special Needs Student Receives Signed Football

There was a memorable moment Saturday inside the Liberty Memorial Middle School gymnasium, as a torrential downpour of rain was happening outside.

A loud thunder and lightning stopped the eighth-grade football game between Liberty Memorial and Los Cuates, and both teams ran inside the LMMS gym.

One of those running in was Javier Sias-Martinez, Liberty Memorial’s water boy. Javier is a special needs student.

Athletic coordinators/head football coaches Lonnie Lopez of Liberty Memorial and Rolando Lopez of Los Cuates planned to recognize Javier at the game, but the weather did not cooperate.

So they moved their emotional presentation inside. The visiting Los Cuates players had autographed a football for Javier.
Coaches and administrators from both schools gathered inside the gymnasium, and when Gomez presented the ball to Javier on behalf of Los Cuates players, Javier was all smiles.

Javier’s parents and younger brother were there as well.

It was a moment Javier will never forget.