More than a touchdown: Kason Loveland & Thunder Ridge football

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Ask Kason Loveland about his favorite moment of the football season, and his answer comes quickly.

“My touchdown made me happy.”

For Kason, a senior at Thunder Ridge High School, that touchdown was more than one trip to the end zone.

It was months of practice, a dream he had shared with his coaches and a moment that showed just how much No. 77 means to the Thunder Ridge football program.

Before the Titans took on Bonneville earlier this season, Kason got his chance.

Thunder Ridge had been preparing for it for months.

A Thunder Ridge coach said Kason was asked in the spring what he wanted to accomplish during his senior season. His answer was simple: he wanted to score a touchdown.

So the Titans went to work.

The team practiced the play roughly 10 to 15 times. Thunder Ridge then reached out to Bonneville, which agreed to help make the moment happen.

When the time finally came, Kason took the football and headed for the end zone.

The plan may have been rehearsed.

Kason’s reaction was not.

One teammate said he had never seen Kason smile so much.

For Kason’s father, watching his son reach the end zone brought back memories that went far beyond football.

He said he teared up as he thought about the challenges Kason has faced throughout his life and how much being included with others has always meant to him.

Then, when Kason came off the field, his dad gave him a hug.

The celebration did not end there.

Thunder Ridge records its plays so players and coaches can review them on the sideline. After his touchdown, Kason went straight to the iPad with his coaches and teammates.

Just like any other player, they broke down the film.

Was the blocking right? Was Kason carrying the ball correctly? Did everybody do their job?

His coach said one of his favorite parts of the moment was that Kason wanted to be coached.

Since then, Kason has watched the touchdown plenty more times.

His father estimates at least 100.

Sometimes Kason will go into his room, pull up the video and sit on his bed smiling as he watches it again.

But the touchdown only tells part of his story with the Titans.

Kason has Down syndrome and has limited speech. During his interview, he used his communication device to talk about the things that matter most to him.

“I love football.”

“I love my teammates.”

“I’m 77.”

And around Thunder Ridge, his teammates make it clear that Kason is not simply someone who stands on the sideline.

He is one of them.

He comes to morning weights. He is at practices. He celebrates with the team. He breaks down huddles. He greets players coming off the field with hugs and fist bumps.

One coach said Thunder Ridge’s offensive linemen look forward to seeing Kason when they come off the field — before they have to hear what the coach thought about the previous series.

His teammates say Kason has also become the person who can change the mood when football is not going well.

After a bad drive, when frustration starts building, Kason is there.

After a loss, he is there.

One teammate recalled sitting in the locker room upset after a loss to Bear River. Kason came over and gave him a hug.

Another said Kason helps remind the Titans that even when they are locked into a game, football is still supposed to be fun.

“Honestly, it’d be so boring without him,” Senior Colt Crystal said.

For another Thunder Ridge player, the relationship started during one of the lowest points of his own football career.

After suffering an ankle injury last season, he was stuck on the sideline with crutches when Kason came over and began joking with him.

The friendship grew from there.

The two spent time together at school, talked outside of football and became close enough that the teammate now calls Kason one of his best friends.

He said he plans to keep Kason in his life even after high school ends.

That bond is hardly unique inside the Titans’ locker room.

Kason’s father said players regularly text and FaceTime his son to see what he is doing.

And as Thunder Ridge has enjoyed one of the strongest starts in the program’s young history, Kason has been right in the middle of it.

He celebrates the wins.

He joins the team.

He gets excited with the student section.

And through it all, his coaches say he has also taught them something.

Offensive line coach Christopher Carnes said Kason has reminded him to enjoy the days that come with a football season — good or bad, rain or sunshine — instead of letting each practice or result become too serious.

That may be Kason’s biggest contribution to Thunder Ridge.

The touchdown gave him a moment he will never forget.

But every day since has shown why the Titans were so excited to celebrate it with him.

Because Kason Loveland did not become part of the Thunder Ridge football team when he crossed the goal line.

He was already a Titan.