The Valley Regional/Old Lyme football game against Coventry High School on Thursday night ended with a heartwarming moment for one senior.
Peter Kuhn, a senior with Down syndrome, scored a touchdown in front of a roaring crowd and excited teammates.
“Given that Petey’s a senior this year, we wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to get out there on senior night,” said Hill Gbunblee, head coach of the Valley Regional-Old Lyme football team. “Pete is the heart and soul. Pete's been integral part of our team for a long time.”
While the team defeated Coventry 25 to 8, Kuhn’s touchdown was the winning moment Thursday night.
“Pete made it a point of letting me know yesterday that he wanted his play to be ready to go,” Gbunblee added, “and he wanted a direct handoff. Direct snap from the center.”
Kuhn typically gets to score a touchdown at the end of every junior-varsity game, the coach said, but for his senior night he got to do so with the varsity team. Gbunblee coordinated with Coventry’s coach to make it happen.
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“As I told my players at the end of the game, it was the most proud I’d been all year of them,” said James Edinger, Coventry’s head football coach. “It was an awesome moment. We all contributed to making a great memory for everyone. The players, coaches, families and fans. It was incredible.”
Even in the rain, the crowd erupted in cheers.
“We had a sneaking inclination that a lot of people were there just to watch Pete run the ball at the end of the game,” said Gbunblee. “As soon as we got to that stage, that's when the whole stands came alive.”
Judging from the video, the players loved it just as much as Kuhn did.
“They've wrapped their arms around him and you know each year you have a different team and no matter which team we've had from his freshman year to his senior year, they've all they've all been very, very inviting and warm around him. So that's kudos to the kids.”
