Before the basketball championship game at the 2014 Special Olympics National Games, Plant City center Maurice “Mo” Eston knew he wanted to play better than in the previous game — he had scored eight points. In the big one, he led the team to the gold medal with 19 points in a 44-36 victory.
You guys were just on Fox News this morning. How was that?
It was fun. It was my first time being there. They asked about our games, how the dorms were and a lot of stuff.
You guys also just won the gold medal at the National Games. What was the competition like up there?
There was a lot of work to do. We had to play our hardest. One team was very good — Louisiana. We lost against them.
Tell me about the championship game.
It was a big stage, to me. It was my first time playing in a college gym. We played at Rider University. I was just trying to win. I had to guard No. 11. I played great defense. I did good on offense, but I kind of made some mistakes. I got 19 points. I scored from everywhere.
You guys had been working hard for this all year, and then you got the gold medal. How did it feel to be able to put that around your neck?
It feels good. We worked on this for a long time.
What was the rest of the experience like in New Jersey? What did you do when you weren’t playing?
We saw a lot of famous people. We saw the (WWE wrestler) Big Show. We went on a dinner cruise, it was fun. We saw New York City and the Statue of Liberty. They had some good food there — salad, brisket.
When you guys flew back home, did you have a lot of fans waiting for you?
Oh, yeah. It was very exciting.
Besides basketball, what other sports do you play?
Softball and soccer. My favorite is basketball.
What else do you like to do for fun?
I like to play guitar. I have a bass guitar, and a Fender acoustic guitar, too. I’m also in Athlete Leadership. We talk about games, and volunteer, and we help raise money to go places.
What’s your favorite food?
Pepperoni pizza.
What’s your favorite TV show?
“That 70’s Show.”
What’s your favorite movie?
I like action movies. I just like them all.
What are your plans for the rest of the summer?
I’m playing softball. I’ll probably play right field.