Unified Sports at Bridgewater-Raritan High School partners individuals with and without disabilities on the same team, breaking social barriers in high school and opposing stigmas about athletes with disabilities. 

Head Coach Ms. Cynthia Wong reflected on the season goals for the  Unified Basketball Team.

“The goal for every season is for the athletes to improve their basketball skills and knowledge of the game, to increase membership with both athletes and partners, and for exposure to the Bridgewater-Raritan High School community and to continue to do well competitively,” Wong said.

One other major goal is to win the NJSIAA Group A tournament.

Bridgewater-Raritan is No. 3 with power points to earn the third overall seed in the state Group A tournament.

Bridgewater-Raritan began the state Group A tournament with a 35-29 victory over sixth-seeded Ewing High School on Tuesday, March 4,  in the quarterfinals at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. .

The surivor of the state quarterfinal game between second-seeded Florence High School and seventh-seeded Hunterdon Central Regional High School on Wednesday, March 5 will meet Bridgewater-Raritan in the state semifinals. The state semifinal game will be played either  on March 10, 11 or 12 at the gym of the higher seed.

Bridgewater-Raritan fell in the state tournament’s semifinals last year to Hunterdon Central.

The state championship game is slated for Sunday, March 16, at Rutgers University.

Entering the 2025 season following an impressive 7-3 season, the Unified Basketball team at Bridgewater-Raritan High School hoped to continue their impressive prowess. The team finished 6-2 during the regular season, including victories while sweeping both Hillsborough and Old Bridge.

On the other hand, Bridgewater-Raritan lost twice to Hunterdon Central, each time by 10 points. On January 2, The Panthers had their last game against the 2-7 Hillsborough Raiders. The Panthers won, 32-29, and were led by Andrew Gallup, who scored 10 points.

Jayden Patel is one of many Partners in the Unified Basketball program. He spoke on his  enjoyment of Unified because of the new friendships he made with and without disabilities.

“I like playing Unified Basketball because it allows everyone to play the game I love,” he said, as an avid basketball fan.

On the team, there are two types of players: Partners and Athletes. Partners help out in-game by making the game fun for the Athletes; they focus on rebounding and passing the ball to the Athletes. Athletes focus on shooting and making shots. Jayden Patel is in his final year of high school. After graduation, he plans to go to college for business.

Coach Wong leads this initiative, fostering a welcoming yet competitive environment for all students.

“My favorite parts of coaching the Unified Basketball team are the relationships formed between athletes and partners,” she said.

Andrew Gallup, a member of the unified basketball team this season played a huge role in the team’s success. Andrew led the team in points and contributed heavily to the team’s wins this year. Andrew had 52 points on the season which led the team, and also had five rebounds and five  steals in seven games played.

“I enjoy the relationships I have with my teammates; this is my favorite team I have played on,” Gallup said.

Andrew also added on that he is excited for the state tournament which begins next week.

Coach Wong reminisced on this year’s season and the seasons prior.

“At the beginning of every season, everyone’s a little hesitant about how to work with each other and communicate with each other, but towards the end of the season everyone blends in and there’s no difference between athlete and partner.  The best is when I see the relationships continue after the season is over and partners and athletes see each other in the hallways and greet and/or have a conversation,” she said.