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
More than half of human trafficking incidents in Canada remain unsolved
More than half of human trafficking incidents remained unsolved in Canada by police as the number of incidents increased over the past decade, according to new data released Friday.
Human remains found in Markham, Ont. in 1980 belonged to prison escapee: police
More than 44 years after human remains were found in a rural area of Markham, Ont., police are revealing that the deceased was an inmate who had escaped prison just a month before his body was found.
WATCH 'It's mind-boggling': Drought reveals U.S. town submerged in the 1940s
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Manitoba RCMP identify infant human remains, asking public for help with investigation
Manitoba RCMP are looking for more information after the remains of an infant were identified.
Those typing monkeys will never produce Shakespeare's works, mathematicians say
Talented though they may be, monkeys will never type out the complete works of William Shakespeare, or even a short book, a new study suggests.
Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
'I couldn't stay home': Canadian with no prior military training joins Ukrainian forces
In the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Adam Oake, a Canadian with no prior military training, sold all of his Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia to buy a plane ticket.
Children's doctors reporting unusual increase in walking pneumonia cases in Canada
Children's hospitals across the country are seeing an unusual increase in the number of serious and more complicated cases of walking pneumonia affecting much younger patients, according to medical experts.
Life with narcolepsy: 'It's not a joke, it's a very serious illness'
Matthew Horsnell began falling asleep for no reason when he was in sixth grade.