2022-23 Unified Flag Football State Finals Recap
Oct. 15, 2022
Brownsburg wins Unified Flag Football State Championship
Forty-one teams were entered in the Fifth Annual IHSAA Unified Flag Football State Tournament and it was Brownsburg High School still standing at the end celebrated winning this year’s state championship.
The Bulldogs, a first time state finalist, topped defending state champion DeKalb 28-18 in the final game contested at the Grand Park Sports Event Center in Westfield.
It was Brownsburg's first state championship by a school team since 2017 when the Bulldogs captured the wrestling state title.
The Bulldogs, coached by Kayle Somer, won six games during the tournament including their first sectional and regional crowns over the previous two weeks. It was the school’s third year of fielding a team.
As part of the “Champions Together” partnership between the IHSAA and Special Olympics Indiana which launched in 2012, Unified Flag Football enables persons with and without intellectual disabilities to participate on the same team for sports training and competition.
Brownsburg Teammates receive Cox Mental Attitude Award
Following the state championship game, it was announced that Scotty Tienda and partner athlete Carson Knox, both of Brownsburg High School, were the recipients of the Bobby Cox Spirit of Unified Mental Attitude Award.
Recipients of the award are nominated by their principal and coach, and must meet specific criteria to be considered. An athlete must excel in mental attitude, joy, courage, self-advocacy, and commitment during their time in high school. A partner athlete must excel in mental attitude, inclusive behavior, courage, advocacy, and commitment during their time in high school.
Scotty is the son of Carrie and Ignacio Alonso Tienda of Indianapolis and Carson is the son of Allison and Madaryll Knox of Brownsburg, Ind.
The award, established in 2020, is named in honor of the IHSAA's eighth commissioner Bobby Cox, who served as the Association leader from 2011 to 2020. His embrace of the Champions Together project led to the establishment of Unified Flag Football and Unified Track & Field, both co-ed, as sponsored IHSAA sports. A $1,000 scholarship was presented to Brownsburg High School’s general scholarship fund in the names of Scotty Tienda and Carson Knox.