Bemidji High School Hosts First-Ever Unified Basketball Game

For the first time ever, a Unified basketball game took place at Bemidji High School, and a jam-packed crowd was on-hand to witness the big game.

The Lumberjacks Unified Basketball team defeated the Menhaga Unified Basketball team 54-40 on Wednesday. Both Bemidji and Menahga will be competing at the Minnesota Unified Basketball State Tournament later this month at the Target Center.

Unified Sports combine people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by the principle that training together and competing together is a path to friendship and understanding.

The Bemidji High School gymnasium was filled with community members, BHS students, Bemidji State student-athletes and coaches, the BHS pep band, and the BHS cheerleading squad. KBUN play-by-play announcer Joel Hoover was the PA announcer. Bryan and Jackie Stoffel are the Bemidji Unified Basketball team’s co-head coaches. The Menhaga Unified Basketball head coach is Isaiah Hahn.