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SARATOGA SPRINGS — As Raymond Eberly made his way down the football field at Westlake High School Friday night, the crowd cheered loudly for the honorary homecoming prince.
Though Raymond is 16 years old and attends the high school, his mindset is that of about a 5-year-old, his mother, Heidi Eberly, said.
The high school junior had a lot of anxiety about school last year and was hesitant to attend school this year, but he has been very warmly welcomed.
Named the honorary homecoming prince and the manager of the football team, Raymond is quite popular among the student body and gives everyone high fives.
"You get that old cliche, 'everybody loves Raymond,'" Heidi Eberly said. "... I'm not known as Heidi, I'm known as Raymond's mom, and I couldn't be more proud of being known as Raymond's mom."
Westlake High's student body officer adviser, B.J. Roberts, said special needs teachers nominated Raymond for homecoming prince due to his hard work and friendliness toward everyone.
"It was really cool, especially when they announced his name at the halftime, the whole crowd started shouting his name, and just to see how excited he was that people understood that he was somebody special," Roberts said.
Raymond also attended the homecoming dance with a date and danced on a red carpet as other students circled around him and chanted his name.
Raymond loves being a part of the football team, Eberly said, and he refers to it as his team. The football players are very kind to him and the cheerleaders have taught him cheers.
"It is amazing the support and love that the students of Westlake High School have given our son and our family," Eberly said.
Westlake High School football coach Steve Clements has a sister with special needs and got a degree in special education from Brigham Young University.
Clements said he is partial to people with special needs, and Raymond is always smiling.
"... Kids like Raymond I think are put on the earth for the benefit of others instead of the other way around," Clements said.
Eberly said she often worries that her son will be bullied or treated differently.
"... You just hope and pray every day that it's going to be a good day for him and that he's going to make the kind of impact on other people's lives as he's made on our lives and our families' lives and our friends' lives," Eberly said.
