Mikey Hayes for the Tigers made a jump pass to avoid the ZFD defender. | CREDIT: Matthew Dotson, The Buzz
I was not sure what to expect my first time stepping into the James D. Singer Activity Center in Zanesville. Inside, the bleachers were filled with players, cheerleaders, family, friends, and local spectators who had come to watch what was a Zanesville tradition. For about 10 years now (aside from a couple of years during COVID), the Zanesville Fire Department has been volunteering to play the Muskingum County Special Olympics Tigers basketball team.
The game was a highlight of the Tigers’ season, which consisted of 12 regular games and a regional tournament. The March staple at the James is part of the MCBDD’s events for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
“The game began both as a way for the players to engage the community and as a way to raise awareness for the Muskingum County Board of DD and, particularly, Special Olympics. The community was given an opportunity to see just how good the athletes played,” stated the MCBDD Special Olympics Coordinator Carrie Cabeen.
The Tigers have 15 players on their 2025-2026 roster including: Amanda Loy, Jeremy Palmer, Tyson Queen, Jonathan Smith, Jeremiah Davis, Brandon Riley, Jessie Coles, Tianna Cruz (not present at the game), Chelsea Cruz (not present at the game), Mikey Hayes, Nathan Lemmon, Vance Snyder, Joshua Loy, Ricky Shutt (not present at the game), and Carmen Barnett.
The game had a lot of camaraderie between the firefighters and the Tigers. The Firefighters would put a shot up, and the Tigers would dribble the ball back down the court and pass to a teammate who would make a jump shot, holding pretty close to their opponent as they were trailing by just a couple of points at halftime.
During the break, the Tigers’ cheerleaders performed for the packed crowd, performing several routines and adding in a couple of choreographed songs to amp up the players.
Back on the court, the Tigers tied up the score and kept it neck-and-neck with the firefighters to end the fourth quarter at a draw to send the game into overtime. In the final minutes of the game, the Zanesville Fire Department fell behind by two points, giving the Tigers a final winning score of 46 – 44
Tigers guard Mikey Hayes has played the game against the Fire Department for about seven or eight years and is a 27-year veteran for the Tigers. Hayes was responsible for a good number of the points scored by the Tigers.
“[The Game was] alright, we could get better, we won by one shot, we could do better,” stated Hayes.
Jeremiah Davis, a five-year veteran for the Tigers Special Olympics team, said: “I feel like we struggled sometimes, but down the stretch, we got it, but after all, I think we did good when it comes down to it.”
After the game, the Firefighters, the Tigers, and the cheerleading squad all gathered together for pictures, as well as a few individual selfies with friends and teammates
“You know what? We love this. I’m going to get emotional. This is a great group. We love to come out and do this in the community. It’s touching. As you can see, we like to egg each other on a lot. And a lot of hugs and a lot of sweat and tears go into it, because we love these guys like family,” said Assistant Chief Doug Hobson, who has been playing the game against the Tigers for about 10 years.
“It was a lot of fun. A lot of sportsmanship, a lot of fun, some competitiveness. Great time,” stated Zanesville Fireman Jason Ankrum, “This is actually my first year playing. I’ve been on the fire department for almost 19 years, but this is the first year I’ve played with them.”
This is definitely a game that the two teams look forward to each year, and a great celebration for the Zanesville community.
