Old Rochester Unified basketball defeats Tri-town police in their final game
Adam Murphy poses with Chief Nighelli, Chief King, and Chief Assad, and Superintendent Nelson. Source: Marion Police Department 
Benino Petrone takes on Chief King. Source: Marion Police Department
Thomas Jupin dribbles past Jackson Daniel. Source: Marion Police Department
Hayden Perry and School Resources Officer Lenira Lima battle it out on the court. Source: Marion Police Department
Adam Murphy poses with Chief Nighelli, Chief King, and Chief Assad, and Superintendent Nelson. Source: Marion Police Department
Benino Petrone takes on Chief King. Source: Marion Police Department
Thomas Jupin dribbles past Jackson Daniel. Source: Marion Police Department
Hayden Perry and School Resources Officer Lenira Lima battle it out on the court. Source: Marion Police Department
MATTAPOISETT — 200 onlookers packed into the gym at Old Rochester Regional High School to cheer on the Unified Basketball team on Tuesday, Nov. 18 as they went head to head against Tri-town police.
Old Rochester’s Unified Basketball team pairs students with intellectual disabilities with students without disabilities. The annual police basketball game is their biggest fund raiser of the year, bringing in approximately $4,000 dollars.
“It's just a really powerful way to kind of connect students, build friendships, get them moving, and then obviously playing some basketball too,” said Emma Fenton, Unified head coach and special education teacher at Old Rochester.
The basketball team started eight years ago and has only been growing, with more students participating yearly. The current team is made up of 22 students, 9 students with disabilities and 13 without disabilities.
“The gym was absolutely packed…The student section was packed, which was really cool,” said Fenton.
One of Fenton’s favorite parts of the event was seeing the relationship between the players and police officers, some of whom were school resource officers previously.
“[The officers] kind of talk a little trash and push [the players] around a little bit in a fun way…There was at one point Sergeant Cardozo dove onto our bench on top of a couple of our players as a joke,” said Fenton.
“Having the police involved is a positive reminder for kids to see the police in a different setting and know that they can go to them if something were to ever happen because it really humanizes the police,” said Fenton.
Fenton loves that the community comes out to support the team while seeing the hard work all the athletes put in to truly become better at basketball.
“It's really valuable for people to see the true teamwork and the true athleticism and skill and just like the work that these players put in,” said Fenton.
Before the game, Old Rochester was awarded a National Unified Champion School recognition banner for meeting the Special Olympics’ highest standard for inclusive sports, leadership and engagement.
Old Rochester partners with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Special Olympics Massachusetts.
“That is like a huge accomplishment and something that we're definitely really proud of,” said Fenton.
