Meet the longtime high school football assistant making his on-field debut
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Born with Down syndrome and requiring oxygen due to a lung condition, Haas doesn't let his challenges slow him down. For nine seasons, he's been a constant presence at practices, offering water, pep talks, and a unique brand of support.
"He just grabs you, hugs you, and says, 'It's okay, but you need to do better,'" said William Cornish, a Wildcats linebacker. "I'm always ready to go after I talk to him."
Haas's journey with the Wildcats began nine seasons ago when his older brother Cory played for the team.
"That was our excitement to get onto the field and see Cole and get that energy, and then go out and hit some people," Cory Haas told CTV News.
Cole Haas has been part of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team for nine seasons. (Cole Davenport / CTV News) Before every practice, Cole is there, helping bring out bags, the water bottles, the jugs, and most notoriously: the water hose.
“Cole is our resident sprayer. So he gets the hose and sprays our players when they get too close to the water,” F.W. Johnson Head Coach Dylan Hart said with a laugh. “He's a good jokester. Our guys love seeing him in the hallways, and they always chat him up and, get them all fired up for pregame.”
Even after his brother graduated, Cole continued to support the team alongside his father, Darryl. Each year, new teammates welcome Cole wholeheartedly.
"As a parent with a son with special needs, it's pretty huge," said Darryl Haas. "To see how they welcome him with open arms and no questions asked, it's amazing."
While Cole has played some other sports like basketball, his passion lies on the gridiron.
"He's such an avid football fan," said Cole's mother, Coralee. "He loves CFL, NFL, he just loves the game.
Cole’s love for the game goes to the point that it can have a major effect on his mood.
"He's either extremely happy or a little upset," said Coralee. "If his arms are crossed, you know the game's not going well."
Cole Haas has been part of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team for nine seasons. (Cole Davenport / CTV News) This year marks Cole's final year in his specialized program at the school, known as the Functional Integrated Academic Program (FIAP). As he prepares to move on, he'll have the opportunity to step onto the field alongside the team he's supported for nine seasons in a special play to open the team’s contest with the Thom Trojans.
"Don't put a limit on what they can do, and what they're capable of because every day of the week they're going to amaze you with different things," Darryl said. “His first instinct is for love. And that's what he brings. He brings the love. He brings joy. He brings happiness. He's never mad or grumpy. He loves life and I wish we could see life more through his eyes, as a world.”
“We feel like we learn so much from him because he literally doesn't stop for anything, so he doesn't let his disability or his physical ailments get in the way. He just keeps going, and he doesn't stop and he gives it 110 per cent,” Coralee said.
“Even if he does carry on next year, this is still the final year that he's in high school. And this is really such a big celebration,” Coralee added. “We've invited so many people so it should be a sell out.”
On a rush from the 20 yard line, Cole took the handoff and carried the ball to the endzone for a touchdown, cheers erupting as he crossed the goal line.
As chants of “Cole, Cole, Cole” died down, Cole marched the ball over to the grandstands at Leibel Field, handing it to his mom to close off his special moment as one of the Wildcats.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Conservatives call on Elon Musk to step in after Liberals provide loan to Ottawa-based satellite operator
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Sunken superyacht believed to contain watertight safes with sensitive intelligence data
Specialist divers surveying the wreckage of the US$40 million superyacht that sank off Sicily in August, killing seven people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, have asked for heightened security to guard the vessel, over concerns that sensitive data locked in its safes may interest foreign governments, multiple sources told CNN.
Myths busted and lessons learned: John Vennavally-Rao on his surgery to reverse his ostomy
Twenty-seven year CTV News reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I’m grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
B.C. election campaign officially underway
The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
Northern Ont. man fined for hunting bull moose without a licence after trying to cover it up
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
Heavy metal exposure could increase cardiovascular disease risk, study finds
A new study is adding to emerging research showing that exposure to metals such as cadmium, uranium and copper may also be associated with the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease.
Operation to remove Nearly 1,000 tires from the Saint Lawrence River
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
Hezbollah targets base near Haifa after Israeli strike in Beirut killed 37, including top commander
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group’s senior leaders as well as women and children.
Rescuers free entangled sea lion off Vancouver Island
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.