It’s a warm, clear homecoming night at Mount Vernon High School. The student section stands are packed shoulder-to-shoulder. It’s a white-out. Players jump up and down, wave their hands and do anything they can to fire up the home crowd.

But the loudest cheer of the night occurs when the Mustangs’ senior kicker Gunnar Fishler walks onto the field.

He is the shortest player, but might have the biggest heart. From an early age, Fishler has struggled with balance and coordination issues. He needs a walker to help him move. With each step he takes toward midfield, his walker shines under the Friday night lights. And the cheers grow louder.

Fishler’s parents say there has never been an official diagnosis. But his challenges haven’t stopped him from participating in one of the things he loves most – sports.

“Usually he is, I would say, pretty active,” Gunnar’s dad, Frank Fishler, said, “but he gets tired easy.”

A love for sports – football specifically – came naturally to Gunnar Fishler. He grew up cheering for the Iowa Hawkeyes and Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson is his favorite player, so naturally, he now roots for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His father is an assistant baseball coach at Cornell College.

Gunnar, an only child, played adaptive baseball while he was growing up because his parents valued the lessons sports can bring. When Gunnar reached middle school, his parents urged him to continue in team sports.

Bob Haugse, the principal at Mount Vernon Middle School, brought up the idea of football. The Fishlers thought about it, went home and presented the idea to Gunnar. He was ecstatic.

“He liked to kick,” Frank said. “So, we decided that a controlled special kick would help him to play and be a part of the game day.”

Fishler played two years for Mount Vernon Middle School before making the transition to high school. With the help of high school principal Steve Brand and athletics director Matt Thede, Gunnar joined the junior varsity team his freshman year. After two years on JV, Fishler moved up to the varsity team last season.

Every game the Mustangs play – home or away – often begins with Fishler’s right foot striking the ball. Technically, the kick is ceremonial. Mount Vernon has reached an agreement with each of its opponents to allow Fishler to kick the ball without anyone on the field. It’s like a celebrity throwing out the first pitch in baseball. Following the kick, the ball is re-spotted at the 40-yard line, where senior Bennett Harp handles kicking duties.

But don’t let anyone in Mount Vernon tell you Fishler’s kick doesn’t count. The cheer from the crowd each time his right foot connects with the ball is one of the loudest of the night. Players celebrate like it’s the biggest play of the game, huddling around Fishler, giving him high-fives and tapping him on the helmet. Smiles fill the Mount Vernon bleachers.

Frank Fishler insists Gunnar doesn’t get nervous when he walks onto the field for Friday night football games. He has his own gameday routine, heading home after school, eating his pregame classic McCrispy from McDonald’s, and then starting to focus on his goals for the night.

Because there are goals. From the very beginning, Gunnar set the goal for himself of kicking the ball 10 yards. In high school, it started happening. And then on Oct. 4 this season, something historic. During an away game against Davenport Assumption, Gunnar walked onto the field, lined up for his kick, bent his right leg back and thrust it forward as fast as he could. When the ball stopped rolling it landed 15 yards downfield.

A personal best.

The special teams players, lined up next to him, ran over and slapped him on the helmet. A few embraced him. As Gunnar came back to the sidelines, the entire team surrounded him with hugs and high-fives.

“Attaboy, Gunnar!”

“Nice kick, Gunnar!”

“Way to go, Gunnar!”

Gunnar couldn’t escape a compliment. But all he could look for was his family.

“I was thinking about them in the stands,” Gunnar said. “I just wanted to get a powerful kickoff. It pumps up my teammates.”

Now, even as Mount Vernon’s season ended in the Class 3A playoff semifinals, Gunnar’s impact to the school and community are clear.

“He’s at everything. He literally shows up at everything.” Thede said, shaking his head with a laugh. “And everyone can see that.”

Ever since Gunnar arrived at Mount Vernon, he’s formed a special relationship with the school’s athletics director.

“I see him during the day, and we joke about racing down the hallway,” Thede said with a smile. “We talk about baseball, joke about the Cubs and Cardinals. It’s always just a joy when you see him.”

This is not your average student-teacher relationship. Gunnar has made a bigger impact on his teacher than he’ll ever know.

“Gunnar always brings those things back to me. Like, why we even do sports,” Thede said.

He paused for a moment, glancing at the bench where Gunnar sat.

“Everybody is unique in every battle they fight in life. It’s just a great life reminder every time I see him,” Thede said.

Through therapies and, according to Frank, hard work, Gunnar is progressing steadily. Post-high school, Gunnar has plans to attend a transitional school. While he’s still uncertain about what exactly he wants to do, Gunnar has thought about staying in sports, perhaps even following in his father’s footsteps as a coach.

For Frank and Meg, this fall has been a season of lasts for them as well. Just like Gunnar, they’re trying to soak in every minute that remains of their son’s high school football career.

“I’m going to miss seeing him come out here every Friday night just being embraced by the community,” Frank said. “And when he comes out, having that ambition to kick the ball 10 yards.”