{
  "id": 13339487,
  "title": "'Something bigger than football': Hand, Cheshire unite to honor coach battling cancer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/something-bigger-than-football-hand-cheshire-unite-to-honor-coach",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-10T06:04:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/something-bigger-football-hand-cheshire-060429049.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Friday night, amid a football game between Madison's Daniel Hand and Cheshire high schools, a bigger narrative unfolded. Cheshire's assistant football coach, Mike Ciotti, was honored by both communities after being diagnosed with Stage 4 Acinic Cell Carcinoma, a rare type of salivary gland cancer that had spread to his brain. Despite his illness, Ciotti was in full form on the field, coaching his Cheshire Rams. The halftime ceremony, featuring both teams and fans in gray, was dedicated to Ciotti and his battle against cancer. Ciotti, a local hero and son of the founder of Hand football, acknowledged the support and love from the community, and reminded everyone that they would \"eat the bear\" and continue fighting.",
  "summary": "Both teams, both towns showed support for beloved coach battling Stage 4 cancer.",
  "key_points": [
    "Cheshire assistant football coach Mike Ciotti diagnosed with Stage 4 Acinic Cell Carcinoma.",
    "Ciotti coached Cheshire Rams during halftime ceremony honoring his battle against cancer.",
    "Community support expressed as fans and teams wore gray in solidarity."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}