BY KARINA JENNINGS

“I’m looking forward to going home with the gold for our team and our state,” said Harley Navigato from Scottsdale, Ariz. For the first time, his flag football team won the Arizona state championship to earn a chance to compete at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games. The 13-member unified team is made up of Special Olympics athletes and officers from the Scottsdale Police Department who partner with them. His teammate, Ryan Kelley, who just joined the team and began training with them two weeks ago, agreed. “I really like being here and we want to win!”