Football rivals band together in support of inspiring athlete

(MyFoxBoston.com) -- Taylor Sack, a Millis-Hopesdale High School football captain dealing with a devastating injury, had his entire team behind him Friday night during a scrimmage against their rival, Medfield High School.

From their unconventional coin toss to their strategy on the field, Medfield and Millis-Hopedale were opponents in every way during their preseason scrimmage.

"When you're on the football field, you're almost like enemies," Taylor Sack told FOX 25's Erica Ricci.

But because of Taylor Sack, enemies have become friends and their opposition reserved only for the game.

"We just felt like this transcends football and rivalries can be competitive and communal," Medfield's coach Erik Ormberg said. "It's not like we're two different teams going up against each other. It's just two towns working together."

The teams are working to raise money for Taylor Sack. He was paralyzed from the waist down following a skiing accident on Wachusett Mountain back in February. All the money brought in – a total of $4,500 – is going directly to him.

"It's incredible, I'm just blown away by it," Taylor Sack said of the generosity.

It's the encouragement he needs as he's faced with the challenge of opening the season in a wheelchair on the sidelines.

"They're doing things and they're hitting each other and you wanna' be out there really badly and occasionally somebody's getting tired and they're dogging it a little bit. You can tell he doesn't wanna' be there that much and it's like they don't realize how much I would give just for one more chance to be out there," Taylor Sack said.

But the fact that he's here means that he understands the fundamentals of football his coach, Dale Olmsted, works so hard to drive home.

"We're here to educate the kids on life and how to deal with relationships and the workforce and your spouse, and for me and Coach Ormberg our venue is football," Olmsted said.

A funny thing happens though when a student really embraces a lesson – he becomes an educator himself.

Medfield claimed the victory by a final score of 21 to 12, but those aren't the numbers that really matter for this game.

The money raised will be used to cover medical and therapy expenses insurance does not.

For more information: Taylor Sack Foundation

Cox Media Group