When I arrived at the banquet, I looked around the ballroom and found our table. My aunt, uncle, and grandma had joined us tonight. I spotted Rita James and saw she’d drawn a crowd of fans. She’d obviously made a trip back from LA for this so she could see Halle get her cheerleading letter. She must have thought this was a black-tie event because she was in a sleek black gown that must have been custom made to fit her so well. Rita was wearing a diamond necklace and matching earrings. If I didn’t know better, I would guess she was royalty. Then I remembered she really was Hollywood royalty.
I walked up briskly.
“There you are. I need you to meet some people,” I said.
I offered my arm, and she accepted it. Jeff, my favorite reporter, came forward with a photographer.
“Rita James, I would like to introduce Jeff Delahey. Did you want to get a picture of Ms. James?” I asked.
I started to step away, but Rita held onto my arm. Halle saw what was going on and came forward, and Rita insisted that she join us. Halle was similarly decked out, except instead of diamonds, she wore rubies. Rita let them take a few pictures of the three of us, then gracefully stepped away so that Halle and I could share the limelight. I had a moment of clarity and wondered if this was a glimpse into the future when we’d be on the red carpet for our new movie.
“So, do you have anything on Unity you want to share?” Jeff asked.
“Can I make a shameless pitch before we talk about sports?” I asked.
He scratched his head and gave me a lopsided grin.
“Could I stop you?” he asked.
“No, but I was hoping you might pass this along to your entertainment editor.”
“Alright, have at it,” he said, as he turned on the recording app on his phone.
I told him who I was wearing and that the ad campaign for Star Academy had started. I asked Rita and Halle to give him background about The Secret Circle that we would start shooting in a few days. Then I gave him a few minutes on Unity and our upcoming game.
“Will there be any big announcements tonight?” Jeff asked.
“You know I can’t spoil Mrs. Sullivan or the Booster Club’s big surprise.”
“Can you confirm that Coaches Diamond and Zoon are leaving?”
“On the record?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Then no, I can’t,” I said.
Jeff turned off the recording app on his phone.
“Did you get the guy from Springfield?” he asked.
“Looks like it. We also have a guy to take Coach Diamond’s place: my quarterback and legendary NFL coach, Bud Mason, is coming out of retirement to run our offense next year.”
“How did you pull that off?”
“I have no idea. I was told during a meeting to discuss all the facility improvements the Booster Club plans to make.”
“Any hints?” Jeff asked.
“No. I want Mrs. Sullivan and the boosters to have their moment. They really have done a lot for us.”
“I understand.”
“We good?” I asked.
“Yes. Thanks, and have fun tonight,” Jeff said, and started to walk away, but turned back. “Beat Unity.”
Mom had absconded with Rita, so I had to settle for Halle. Poor me. Proudly I took her around as I talked to all the parents and told them about how well their sons had done this year. The cheerleaders were all there with their parents. We found Jan with Yuri and his mom and grandma.
“David, you do good. You say encouraging words to families. This good thing,” Yuri’s grandma said.
“Come,” I said, offering her my hand to help her stand. “I want you to meet my grandmother.”
When I made the introductions, they at first sized each other up, and I worried this might not be so good. Both grandmas were strong women.
“Go,” Yuri’s grandma told me and waved her hand to dismiss me.
I looked at Grandma Dawson, and she wore a faint smile. I decided I would rather spend my time with my friends.
Before dinner started, the coaching staff and the Booster Club presented awards. They handed out letters to those who’d earned them. The people who already had letters were each given a pin in the shape of a football to add to their jacket. I would add it to my two other football pins and my baseball one. The cheerleaders also got their letters and/or pins. Alan received a letter, and his pin was in the shape of a football coach’s whistle. His expression showed that it meant a lot to him.
The coaches then announced the All-Conference and All-State selections. I was saved for last.
“David, could you please come onto the stage?” Coach Hope said.
Mrs. Sullivan was standing beside him. I joined them on stage.
“David Dawson has been a busy young man. This summer he was named Co-MVP of Elite 11, an invitation-only competition among the best quarterbacks in the nation. That reinforced his hold on the top spot as the top quarterback prospect in the junior class if not the entire country. He currently has forty-two scholarship offers from many of the top programs in college football.
“David was named Player of the Year for both our conference and State. I was just notified that he has been selected as the Gatorade State Football Player of the Year. Lincoln High has the honor of being the first high school in the state to have back-to-back winners. Bill Callaway won last year and is now starting at wide receiver for USC.
“I was also contacted by Rivals and have been told that David has been named first-team Junior All American,” Coach Hope said.
Mr. Sullivan walked out on stage with a framed poster that showed me in warm-ups before a game, without my helmet on, dropping back to pass. It was from Rivals and proclaimed me an All-American. Jeff’s photographer took several pictures with me, the poster, Coach Hope, and Mrs. Sullivan for the paper.
“Great job, David!” Coach Hope said and hugged me.
“I would now like to present Lincoln High’s own, David Dawson,” Mrs. Sullivan said into the mic.
I didn’t know I was supposed to give a speech. My friends and teammates enjoyed my discomfort. I was usually okay in front of a crowd. Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself.
“This is a surprise. I realize I come across as corny when I say that I couldn’t do all this without your help. Most of you know how much I put into this. I’m up almost every morning running, seek out specialized training, and go to the best football camps I can find. I personally dedicated myself to be the best I could be. This summer, I worked with a team of players and my friend Alan Douglas to help make Lincoln High the next state champion. Then, when football started this fall, we all came together. All our hard work has gotten us to this point.
“It’s moments like this that you start to realize what football really means. I play the game because I love it. I like the physical contact, the strategy, and the thrill of a big play. While all that’s fun, what I’ll take away is the friendships I’ve developed with each and every one of you. We’ve bonded under some trying times. I’ve watched each of you, and us as a team, rise to meet challenges I wasn’t sure we were capable of meeting.
“Sometimes, you just have to be a hero. I’ve watched that happen time and again. Being a hero isn’t always recognized, like the heroic block Johan put on a nose tackle to spring Ty for a touchdown. Then there are situations when you’re simply in the right place at the right time like Yuri was when he was handed the ball in the Nazareth game. I guess what I’m saying is, without football, none of us could be a hero or more importantly, a teammate.
“We’ve had the opportunity to create lifelong memories, and I’ve just been lucky enough to be recognized for something I love. We’re not done, though, are we? I want us to create one more memory this year. I want to hold up the trophy that proclaims us this year’s State Champions,” I said, and everyone seemed to agree.