A Winning Play of Compassion: Gamble Montessori and Taylor High School Demonstrate True Sportsmanship

Behind every great team are great players — on and off the field. For the players and faculty of James N. Gamble Montessori High School football team, their recent heartwarming show of solidarity for Taylor High School following a devastating car accident exemplifies community beyond boundaries.

As news of the accident spread to the halls of Gamble Montessori, students and faculty wasted no time in extending their compassion. Despite the competitive nature of the two teams, the school stepped up to offer their support to their neighbors at Taylor High School.

“I woke up and did what I normally do every day at six in the morning, which is turn on the news for traffic and saw that there was an accident on I-50 near the Taylor High football field,” said Robert Rachel, head football coach at Gamble Montessori High School. 

The Gamble Gators were scheduled to face off against the Taylor High Yellow Jacket the day after the car accident. With no sign of a delay or cancelation of the game, Coach Rachel stepped up and made the call. “So when I saw that a couple of families and kids were injured, I reached out to get the number of their coach so that we can have a moment of silence for the families involved,” Rachel explained. 

Before Thursday's game, the two teams kneeled side by side for a moment of silence following a prayer for those involved in the accident. However, the pinnacle of their generosity came during halftime when Gamble Montessori's cheerleading squad presented Taylor High School with a handmade banner saying “Our hearts are with you.”

“When I first came out I was shaking the players' hands, trying to get a good vibe going into the game because you don't know if any of the people involved were their friends,” said Brent Thompson, Gamble Montessori senior and running back for the team. “I think it’s important to show our hearts and get a good vibe going into the game before we say, 'let’s leave all the drama and focus on the task at hand.'” 

While the game may have ended that night with a loss for the Gators, the sportsmanship and compassion left an impact on Taylor High School. 

Tristian Young, photographer for Taylor High School and former Cincinnati Public Schools coach, initiated a fundraising campaign in response to Gamble Montessori's kindness, collecting nearly $1,000.

The funds, which were presented before Gamble’s next game against Clark Montessori, are meant for pre-game meals for Gamble’s football and cheerleading teams throughout the rest of the season. 

David Miller, Athletic Director at Gamble Montes summed up the exchange of support, stating, "It just goes to show that when you do something for people, they will do something for you back. That's just all part of being a community. Therefore, no matter how far you're apart from that community or how close, this goes to show you that everybody can support everybody and love each other."