Crowd erupts as Rosanna, Leopold share unforgettable 2-pointer

With just 30 seconds remaining in a Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament first-round matchup with Oak Ridge, Leopold Wildcats coach Gary Poyner made a call to the bullpen.

In for the Wildcats came Caleb Rosanna, a 5-foot-8 senior guard who had a penchant for the ball, knowing that he had to get his shot off with time expiring.

The baseline inbound pass came directly to Rosanna, and after firing off a few shots from the left block, he finally drilled a shot that instantly sent the Show Me Center crowd into a frenzy.

Just two points, in a game that was already more than decided. But those two points just meant something more. Rosanna took to the floor and made the most of his playing time with a tear-jerking 2-pointer that almost made the game at hand seem meaningless.

Rosanna, a team manager turned player who donned the No. 31 jersey for Leopold in its tourney matchup with seventh-seeded Oak Ridge, has Down syndrome.

Despite this, he continues to work out with the Leopold basketball team. After managing Poyner's team through high school, the veteran Wildcats coach gave him the opportunity to suit up for the Leopold High School varsity basketball team.

"Caleb comes to practice every day," Poyner said. "Caleb does the drill work with us. He's just one of us. He's a special person.

"For him to have the opportunity to get out here on this big floor and get out here and play is one of those moments as a coach that's -- that's special. It's one of those things that you remember through your whole coaching career."

All of his hard work paid off in an opportunity to showcase his talent on the hardwood. And when he finally put in his shot that only managed to cut the deficit down to 26 points, he received a roaring cheer as loud as any you'll hear at the Show Me Center.

That support is something that Caleb's mother, Jennifer Rosanna, lauded immensely over the phone as she drove away from the stadium on a cold December night.

"It's so nice to see not only our team and our fans but to see everyone else come up behind him and root him on," Jennifer Rosanna said. "Even as we were leaving the Show Me Center tonight, I had multiple people stop and congratulate him, telling him 'Good job' and 'Good shot.'

"It's so nice to see how happy that makes him, that he gets to do that and that other people will rally behind him. It's obvious that he has differences and challenges. But when he's out there on that basketball court, he's just like all the other boys."

After playing with the Wildcats in elementary school, his role changed with Leopold's junior and senior high teams.

While he didn't get the opportunity to rack up playing time, he became part of a family. On top of that, he shared a moment with the crowd in front of 7,000 red seats that many will never forget.

"With this year being his senior year, he really wanted to play with the team," Jennifer Rosanna said. "The boys and his coach have always made him an important part of the team. They've always accepted him and included him in everything.

"They're basically his family. He's best friends with everybody on the team. He calls them all his boys. He's just one of the team, and he's one of the boys."