SHENANDOAH - Some Blue Devils are winners off the field as well as on it.
Many public school districts have a program designed for Life Skills students, who are handicapped but part of the student body. In Shenandoah Valley High School, during their lunch period, some football players spend time with the students.
"Our Life Skills program is there to help kids who learn to do the everyday tasks that you and I take for granted," Phil Andras, the Shenandoah Valley High School principal, said.
Those include hygiene from washing to brushing your teeth, learning how to make a bed, cooking classes and washing clothes. Liz Andrefski is the program coordinator who instructs the skills to the students. She is in her first year teaching the class.
"I really didn't know what to expect," Andrefski said with a smile. "This was a whole new experience for me. I was truly nervous."
The football players came into the picture in the fall of 2006. Star running back and linebacker Josh Metkus, who helped the team win a District 11 Class A championship and earned all-state recognition, got involved on his own. He didn't need anyone to ask him, according to long-time employee Ann Sinkus Kayes.
"Oh my gosh, Josh was so wonderful. He would have a study hall and instead of just sitting there he would go down to the Life Skills class and he would sit with the kids and start coloring," Kayes recalled with a big smile.
From then on it snowballed, Andras said.
"Our football players got dressed up as Santa Claus the first year, and they had a great time with the students. There was Nicoli Varga and Josh just being so patient and having such a fun time. The kids really loved it."
That started a tradition for the football players that continues today with one of the students, a 16-year-old who cheers at pep rallies, has lunch with the players and even sends notes and makes posters.
A year ago, Melissa Cortes couldn't wait until the lunch period when she would sit with wide receiver Bill Moyer.
"She really had a thing for Billy," Andras said.
Quarterback Chris Palubinsky and center Dakota Rakus, along with star receiver Nick Merva stepped in. The three seniors wait to greet her daily, but can't wait for the pep rallies. That's when Cortes really gets involved.
"She has a cheer for us every pep rally we have," Palubinsky said.
"She gets the biggest cheer from the student-body," Rakus said.
"We can't wait for the pep rallies and Melissa is such a special girl to all of us," Merva said.
Cortes has her own pompoms and rattles off the cheer: "V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, that's the Shenandoah Valley battle cry!"
"Our football players are very protective of her. They just have a special relationship with all of our Life Skill students," Andres said.
The tradition is also being handed down by Merva, Rakus and Palubinsky to sophomores Angelo Maskornick and Nick Gurski.
"We're kind of showing them the ropes," Palubinsky laughed.
And the players take the time to ask the students to come to the games.
"Some of them can't come, but some try and get there," Rakus said.
Recently, Cortes celebrated her birthday, and the players went all out to make it a special day.
"We had a crown for her and we all sang happy birthday with a cake," Palubinsky said. "Everyone in the cafeteria got up and sang to her. She was the star and it was so much fun to see her having that birthday."
Cortes draws up plays sometimes and hands them to the quarterback.
"She'll scribble some things and tell us it's a play," Merva and Palubinsky said.
Would they ever use it in a game?
"Who knows, maybe it would work," Palubinsky smiled.
Palubinsky is the all-time leading passing quarterback at the school with more than 4,500 yards and is in reach of the 5,000-yard plateau with three regular season games to play.
"All of those (Life Skills) kids are great," Merva said. "We look forward to being with them, as do our teammates. Everyone wants to help them as much as possible. We're the lucky ones, and in a way, we need them too."
Kayes may have said it best, "You know with all the bullying going on in other schools, we're going in the opposition direction."