Students come together for ‘Overcoming Obstacles’
LANCASTER — The Antelope Valley Union High School District’s second Overcoming Obstacles Unified Basketball Tournament was held on Nov 5.
The event was at the Antelope Valley High School and featured special needs and general eduction students representing the District’s eight comprehensive high schools — Antelope Valley, Eastside, Highland, Knight, Lancaster, Littlerock, Palmdale and Quartz Hill — who will compete together on co-educational unified basketball teams for the chance to be the best unified team in the District.
Highland High School beat Knight High School in the championship game to be crowned the Overcoming Obstacles Unified Basketball Tournament Champion.
The inaugural tournament was held in November 2019.
“It was a was a very good tournament and the turnout was great,” AV High Vice Principal John Najar wrote in an email. “It was a better turnout of parents and community this time around than in 2019.”
The District could not hold one in 2020 or 2021 due to safety concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All schools had very competitive teams and it showed out there on the court as the kids were all playing their hearts out,” Najar wrote. “We had kids shooting three point shots and moving the ball around like they had played together for many games. It was great to see the teamwork out there from all the schools.”
CIF Southern Section Commissioner Rob Wigod attended the event.
“CIF are encouraging more inclusive-type events on school campuses,” Najar wrote.
He added the AV High, as well as all of the AV Union High School Districts schools, “are proud to be able to put together events that promote inclusion for all our students.”