Mason Wisnoski, who has Down syndrome, took the first handoff on senior night and ran thirty yards

Mason Wisnoski is a senior at Manvel High School in Texas and has Down syndrome. On senior night against Alvin he went out as a captain for the coin toss, then took the handoff on the very first play and ran thirty yards into the end zone. His teammates got to him before he had stopped running, and the offensive line lifted him onto their shoulders.

29 September 2026

Mason Wisnoski runs with the ball tucked under his right arm, in a grey Manvel jersey number 39 with HOKA HEY across the chest and a red helmet, a teammate beside him with an arm raised — Mason Wisnoski with the ball, in Manvel’s grey number 39.
Photo: Mason Wisnoski, via ABC13

Mason Wisnoski, a senior at Manvel High School in Texas who has Down syndrome, scored a thirty-yard touchdown on the first play of his team’s senior night game last Thursday, ABC13 in Houston reported from video shared with the station.

Manvel were playing Alvin High School at Freedom Field in Rosharon, two schools from the same district. Senior night is the game where a school brings out its final-year players before kick-off, and Mason went out with the captains for the coin toss.

The first play

On the opening play of the game he was given the ball. He took the handoff and ran thirty yards into the end zone, the first touchdown of his career, according to ABC13.

Mason Wisnoski running the ball down the right side of the field towards the end zone, teammates in grey ahead of him and Alvin players in white giving chase — The run. Mason Wisnoski, number 39, on his way to the end zone.
Photo: Mason Wisnoski, via ABC13

His teammates reached him in the end zone before he had stopped celebrating. The offensive line, the players whose job all night is to clear a path for whoever is carrying the ball, picked him up and carried him off on their shoulders.

Mason Wisnoski held up on his teammates shoulders with both arms in the air, in front of the Freedom Field scoreboard, another player in a red number 79 helmet below him — Up on the offensive line’s shoulders in front of the Freedom Field scoreboard.
Photo: Mason Wisnoski, via ABC13

A teammate with his arm around Mason Wisnoski, who is still in his red helmet and grey HOKA HEY jersey, looking out across the field — An arm round him afterwards, still in the helmet.
Photo: Mason Wisnoski, via ABC13

The rest of the night

Manvel won the game 53-0 and moved to four wins and no defeats for the season, according to MaxPreps, which lists Brayden Tuiasosopo, Kenneth Malone-Hayes, Xaiden Brown and Keith Williams among the scorers. Alvin were held without a point for the first time this season. Manvel play Pearland next, on 2 October.

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Written from ABC13 Houston’s report of 27 September 2026, which was based on video shared with the station, and from MaxPreps for the result. The photographs are stills from the video ABC13 published, all credited on screen to Mason Wisnoski.