Mitey Mite Warrior scores TD in honor of his Dad battling cancer

FALLBROOK – On Oct. 4, the Fallbrook vs. Rancho Bernardo Mitey Mite football game was expected to be played in extreme temperatures. For one boy, Tommy Tait, extreme emotions were reached that day as well.

Tommy, who normally plays the left guard position on the Warrior’s offense, was given the chance to play running back and honor his dad’s request with a two-yard touchdown that helped lead the Warriors to a 37-6 win over the Broncos.

Last month, Tommy’s father, Thomas Tait, a chief warrant officer stationed at Camp Pendleton, was diagnosed with Stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and is now battling the disease with the strength of his family and community. Tommy and his family, including four younger brothers and sisters, are huge football fans. So it was only natural when the coaches learned of the father’s illness they wanted to get Tommy into the endzone to score a touchdown in honor of his dad.

“It was a tough game for all of our players because of the intense heat, but they played even tougher,” said Floyd Dudley, Warrior Mitey Mite head coach. “[Tommy] ran that touchdown for his dad. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

There were deep emotions flowing through the team, including Tommy’s tears of joy, as he proudly ran over to the sideline after scoring.

“It meant everything to me,” he said, and he knew what it meant to his dad. Tommy was also named, “Defensive Skittles Player of the Game,” by defense coach Nathan Cable.

Coach Cable presented Tommy with the award after what he called “a stellar performance,” including a solo tackle for a loss and a few combined tackles for minimal gains. He described Tommy’s attitude as, “Always positive and always wanting to be better.”

Tommy was able to speak with his father on the phone after the game and give him all the great news.

The Warriors maintained a 16-6 edge at halftime with two touchdown runs by Mitchell Baker and Jacob Mendenhall, including two extra point kicks by Diego Wald. Then in the second half, the Warrior’s defense held tight, not letting the Broncos score anymore points and continued to produce big plays on offense. Mitchell Baker scored another rushing touchdown which gave the offensive coach, Tom Mendenhall, enough of a cushion that he felt the team could continue to pound the ball down the field close to the end zone where Tommy could take over and score his memorable touchdown.

The Warriors were victorious, 37-6. Their next game is Oct. 18 against the Vista Panthers.

To learn more, and help support the Tait family, visit http://www.gofundme.com/ezxdro.