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With Dunedin High's Blessing, Disabled Boy Shoots For Stars

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By STEVE KORNACKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 31, 2008

In his final basketball home game Wednesday night, Eddie Blackshear got a surprise: His coach at Dunedin High School sent him running out with the starters.

Eddie, a senior whose mother is in prison on cocaine charges, is designated as mentally disabled but trainable and is something of a celebrity at Dunedin high. He learned to read in high school and has progressed enough to enter a career education program.

Seconds before Eddie was announced Wednesday night, the fans began chanting his name. He ran grinning onto the court, slapping hands with every teammate and shaking his head in disbelief while joining the other four starters.

Eddie didn't score as he played the first two minutes and 17 seconds of the game, but he returned in the final minutes of a lopsided loss to the powerful Boca Ciega Pirates.

He was fouled and made one of two free throws with two minutes and 12 seconds remaining. The fans chanted his name one last time.

"Edd- dee! Edd-dee!"

The shot didn't decide the game, not hardly, but, of course, that didn't matter. Falcons fans never miss a chance to celebrate Eddie.

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