From The Houston Chronicle:

Sometimes a box score tells the whole story. That’s not the case in looking at the numbers from the game between Dawson and Galena Park. Dawson won the regular-season finale 51-17. The Eagles out-gained Galena Park 503 yards to 254 and forced five turnovers.

At halftime, the Eagles led by 35 points. But the box score doesn’t fully convey what happened soon after. All it says is Mark Medina caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Dawson quarterback Ross Wicklund, doing so 23 seconds into the third quarter. It doesn’t say that no matter how many touchdowns Wicklund throws this season – he enters the playoffs with 11 – that one is the most memorable. It doesn’t say that afterward, one of the game officials – a veteran of 30-plus years – acknowledged the touchdown being the first he signaled with tears in his eyes.

“We’ve been doing that since freshman year, and I didn’t know if we’d get the opportunity on varsity,” Wicklund said. “So to actually see it happen was just awesome.”

Medina, a senior wide receiver with the Eagles, has Autism, a developmental disability that can have effects on normal brain function and affect communication and social skills. Four years ago, Medina’s parents approached the Dawson football coaches. They wanted their son to be a part of something and have the Eagles coaches and players look after him.

Dawson was beginning its run as one of Class 4A’s new perennial powers. The year before, the Eagles went 12-3 and reached the state semifinals. They’re 40-14 since and made a second trip to the semis in 2011. The chances of Medina ever playing were slim. He doesn’t participate in drills where contact is involved. And Dawson quickly has become a regular stop for college coaches and recruiters.

But Medina hasn’t missed a practice in four years, working out with his fellow receivers and catching passes. When asked what he likes about football, Medina says, “Everything.”

“Every now and then, you get lazy, and you want to take a play off, but he doesn’t take any plays off,” Wicklund said. “Even when he’s not in, he’s paying attention, and he’s learning. You have to take every play seriously because he is. That’s part of the reason he’s the best teammate I’ve ever had. He makes you work hard every play.”

Dawson had its way with Galena Park in the first half Friday, scoring four touchdowns in the first quarter and two more in the second. With a comfortable lead, Eagles coach Eric Wells approached Dave Handal, the Yellowjackets’ first-year head coach. Wells told him Medina was a special person and an integral part of Dawson’s program. He wanted to know if Medina could get in the game and have a pass thrown to him. Handal went one better.

“He said, ‘Coach, I’m not concerned about the score,’ ” Wells said. “ ’This a special deal you want to do for this kid. I’ll talk to my team, but throw it to him and tell him to go score.’ ”

Wicklund and the Eagles’ offense found out right before taking the field for the second half. With Dawson at its 40, Medina lined up on the right side. He ran 5 yards upfield on the snap and turned to find the ball while all eyes were on him. Wicklund rolled right and found his man. And as in a practice drill, Medina ran for the end zone. No one caught him until after he scored his 60-yard touchdown. That’s when the Eagles mobbed Medina and carried him off the field on their shoulders.

“It was very exciting,” Medina said. “I was very happy.”

And Handal was happy to be a part of it.

“Allowing Mark that opportunity – that’s bigger and better than a playoff win to me,” said Handal, whose team entered Friday with a chance to reach the postseason. “And letting our kids know there are more important things than wins and losses. Making a kid’s dream come true was unbelievable.”

When Medina met Wells on the sidelines, the ball was still in his hands and the excitement still on his face.

“It was one of the most exciting and proudest moments for me as a coach because of the fact that it was both teams, it was both coaching staffs, it was the set of officials – just everybody involved,” Wells said. “It was something small to be able to do it for us but such a big deal to Mark. It really was unbelievable.”

To watch the video of Medina’s touchdown on YouTube, visit http://youtu.be/wr62S4OcVkA.

Thanks to our friends at Silvercreek Tribune for sharing this wonderful story