Heart warming story about Ellie Bartoli coming out of Pittston, PA this morning!
TimesLeader.com: WILKES-BARRE — When Ellie Bartoli got the news Friday that she was days away from playing in her first official high school basketball game, her first reaction was to offer hugs to all the Pittston Area girls basketball coaches.
There were hugs – and some tears – all around Monday night after family and teammates shared in the experience as Bartoli, a senior with Down Syndrome, took the floor for a game at Coughlin.
Bartoli found a comfortable spot to the right of the basket and returned to it repeatedly to score the final 10 points in Pittston Area’s 67-33 Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 victory.
Ellie is an absolute rock star. 10 points? Those are solid numbers!
“Hopefully, we taught our players a life lesson. Everybody is special and we need to accept everybody in our lives.
“This is one of the greatest moments in my coaching career.”
The 18-year-old National Honor Society student has shared other special moments with her classmates. In the fall, Bartoli was selected as Pittston Area’s Homecoming queen.
Every person involved in this story are my new heroes, especially Ellie Bartoli. But, how about that quote by the coach, “This is one of the greatest moments in my coaching career.” What a stand up guy. That’s what I want to hear out of a high school coach. Pittston Area is producing great kids. Congrats on the Homecoming queen win too, Ellie!
Bartoli, who entered the game to standing ovation, clearly enjoyed herself from the start. She smiled as she dribbled the ball up court for the first Pittston Area possession after she checked in. When she missed from five feet on the right side, teammates retrieved rebounds and got the ball right back to her.
On the third try, Bartoli scored her first basket to another big cheer.
She was just getting started.
Bartoli didn’t need rebound help while hitting from the same spot on the first try on the next two possessions.
The last two times up the floor, she tried scoring on the move, dribbling up the right side for a layup. Bartoli wound up making five out of 10 shots, retrieving one of her own rebounds and getting the ball back from teammates two more times for scores, including once at the final buzzer.
Bartoli was lights out! Shooting 50% from the floor! Is this girl related to G-mac?