HANK'S SPORTS BLOG

Mitchell homecoming king provides moment community won't forget

Brian Haenchen
bhaenchen@argusleader.com

On a night littered with big-time performances, it was Mitchell's final touchdown in a 79-22 victory over Sturgis that will go down as the most memorable.

Nicknamed "T-Man," Kernels senior Tayler Reichelt was born with down syndrome. He has appeared in a few games over the past two seasons according to the Mitchell Daily Republic, but on Thursday, thanks in part to Sturgis coach Chris Koletzky, he not only got to take part in a play, he got to score a touchdown.

In this Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016 photo, Mitchell High senior Tayler Reichelt (43), known as the "T-Man," races past a pair of Sturgis defenders on a 58-yard touchdown run during a high school football game in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs in Mitchell, S.D. His teammates mobbed Reichelt, who has Down syndrome, after he scored.

"To me, it's a no-brainer," said Koletzky, who called timeout when he realized Reichelt was on the field as Mitchell was taking a knee to run out the clock. "It's a great thing because that's something he'll never forget and we're all out here for the kids and to create memories. That's a great one tonight and I bet our kids won't forget it either."

"Coach Koletzky had recognized the situation and initiated the whole thing," Mitchell high school activities director Cory Aadland said via email Friday morning. "I can’t say enough about him and the Sturgis football program. There’s a group that gets what sports is all about. It isn’t all about wins and losses. It’s about making an impact on the lives of young people and using sports as a method to teach life lessons... He had the impact that we are all trying to have and did it in a stand up way."

Reichelt took the handoff from his quarterback and carried it 58 yards, dashing past diving Sturgis defenders on his way to the end zone, where he was promptly mobbed by his teammates.

"I don't have the words," Mitchell coach Kent VanOverschelde told the Daily Republic. "That'll be a moment, that all of us will cherish. Anyone that was in this ballpark, will cherish that moment for a long time."

Reichelt's senior year has gotten off to a pretty tremendous start. In September, the Mitchell high school student body voted him homecoming king.

"The crowd reaction was incredible," Koletzky said. "The way this football team, the student body and the entire Mitchell community has embraced 'T' is unbelievable. It makes me extremely proud to not only be involved with the Mitchell School District, but to live in Mitchell."

(H/T Mitchell Daily Republic)

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .