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Avon Senior With Leukemia Scores Touchdown During Homecoming Game

HS football players

Follow @Nate_WekSDPB

The Colome Cowboys defeated the Avon Pirates 56-22 in the Avon High School homecoming game on Friday night. Even though the game didn’t go the Pirates way, one Avon player made an unforgettable play that is surely to make the highlight reel.

Avon senior Brendan Anderson is currently battling Leukemia. Because of the treatment and chemotherapy, Anderson can’t participate in contact sports, which includes - play football.

Before the game, both coaches arranged for Anderson to participate in just one non-contact play. What happened next was an act of sportsmanship that nobody will forget.

With an assist from the Colome Cowboys, Anderson took a run play 83-yards for a Pirates touchdown.

In an interview with KSFY-TV, Anderson described the series of events that took place.

“We ran a 36 sweep. They pitched it to me, I was the three back on the left,” explained Anderson. “I started running down the field and everyone started cheering. It was a great feeling!”

After Anderson scored, players from both teams met him in the end zone to celebrate with him. This is certainly a homecoming game that people of Avon and Colome will never forget.

Nate Wek is currently the sports content producer and sports and rec beat reporter for South Dakota Public Broadcasting. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism Broadcasting and a minor in Leadership. From 2010-2013 Nate was the Director of Gameday Media for the Sioux Falls Storm (Indoor Football League) football team. He also spent 2012 and 2013 as the News and Sports Director of KSDJ Radio in Brookings, SD. Nate, his wife Sarah, and three sons, Braxan, Jordy, and Anders live in Canton, SD.