As classes were dismissed early, students, teachers, staff and fans took the gym to watch two unified basketball teams playing their hearts out.

This year, the Red Storm’s unified basketball team — a squad dedicated to unifying students with and without learning disabilities — tipped off against the Beekmantown Eagles in four quarters of inspired basketball.

The Eagles ultimately took home the 51-44 victory, but that didn’t matter a whole lot.

“You know what? The day we had here — the fun that all those players and student-athletes had, the fun that all the students had, the staff was jumping up and down, parents were jumping up and down — I’ll take that over a win any day,” Saranac Lake unified basketball head coach Patrick Kissel said.

Saranac Lake’s Ryan Knight follows through with his shot during Monday’s game against Beekmantown. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

Beekmantown led 25-18 at the end of the first half. However, the Red Storm couldn’t leave without putting up a fight as they cut the deficit to 36-32.

At one point, Saranac Lake brought the score within two points late in the game, but the Eagles did just enough to secure the victory.

While Saranac Lake didn’t come out on top, nearly every player — from Beekmantown or a member of the Red Storm — scored at least one basket. And after the student-athletes scored, or when their teammates did, there was a little bit of dancing and showboating.

“Some of these kids, they like to put on a show and we encourage that, as long as we are being respectful with it,” Kissel said. “We’ve had players in the past set some high bars and standards for how you’ve got to showboat for when you’re doing well. As long as it’s within reason and it’s respectful, we like to celebrate. With everything going on in the world, when you have a nice moment to celebrate something like that, it’s well encouraged to do so.”

The game was really about having fun, being good sports and teammates and giving kids a chance to be involved in an activity they normally wouldn’t participate in. But it wasn’t just the athletes having fun; the audience was nonstop celebrating. Some even brought their own signs for some of their favorite players.

Saranac Lake students celebrate during Monday’s unified basketball game. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

“Those signs were being made all week,” Kissel said. “There were multiple people involved in creating all of that and it’s really something. Even students without any direction from anyone in the school made a ton of their own signs. To see that level of support for their fellow students, friends and classmates is truly something special and something to really celebrate as a community.”

Kissel, too, joined in on the fun. During the late stages of the third quarter, he gave an official — whom he’s known for a long time — a “little grief” and got a technical foul.

This helped set up a free throw attempt for Beekmantown’s Caydence Rabideau, which she nailed with ease.

“It was unbelievable,” Kissel said. “The whole place just erupted. Her free-throw shot there was just one of those truly special moments that we get out of unified basketball. Those moments are why we do this, and why we put this on.”

Many times during the game, players from both sides would hand over the basketball to an opposing player, just so they could have their moment to shine. For Kissel, who has been helping coach the unified basketball team at Saranac Lake for the past five years, seeing players and community members support one another is special.

Saranac Lake’s Madison Storms looks to shoot during Monday’s game against Beekmantown. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

He added that the support makes it “a fun, supportive, courageous and prideful event where everybody is all on the same page and pulling for the same team.”

Throughout the past few weeks, Kissel said many students and faculty members have been excited about this game. Some SLHS staff members said it’s their favorite sporting event of the year.

“When we get back from spring break, it’s kind of one of the things that is really on everyone’s minds,” he said. “There’s a lot of great support from the staff, and they always look forward to it. This is a one-of-a-kind event, and one of the best sports adventures. To be involved in something like this is a privilege, it’s an honor.”

Saranac Lake and Beekmantown aren’t the only schools in the area that have a unified basketball team. There are six other Section VII schools — AuSable Valley, Moriah, Peru, Plattsburgh, Saranac Central and Ticonderoga — that compete.

All eight teams play against each other at least once, and each school holds one assembly game, right before the end of the school day. Kissel said the atmosphere is the same at each of the other schools during these assembly games.

Saranac Lake’s Christian Giroux looks to shoot during Monday’s game against Beekmantown. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

“They are always cheering, standing up and rooting for us,” he said. “That’s how unified it is. You’ve got to share that support and encouragement no matter what the jersey you are wearing is.”

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Saranac Lake roster

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0. Madison Storms

1. Ryan Knight

2. Christian Giroux

3. Zack McCarthy

4. Jude Mehalick

10. Sam Clark

11. Marcus Corrow

13. Zach Duncan

15. Shannon Thivierge

20. Vivian Hinkley

21. Lillianna Branch

22. Jatie Colby

23. Braylin Curtis

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Beekmantown roster

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0. Grace McCasland

1. Caydence Rabideau

2. Kolin Smart

3. Kali Pelkey

10. Kayden Fisher

11. Paige Ebere

13. Payton Parliament

14. Hailey Tripi

20. Julia Conroy

21. Savannah Finley

22. Preston Facteau

23. Maximilian “Max” Skowronski

24. Miguel Herrera

25. Ethan Curry

25. Marshall DeLong

33. Steven Bronson

40. Madison Ives

42. Gage O’Neil