Written by Katlyn Marotz, Staff Writer & Sports Editor
Under the bright Friday night lights, a lone figure stood midfield, waiting for her music to begin.
Even though performing on a football field wouldn’t have been her first choice, sophomore Dakota Beresford was extremely grateful for the opportunity.
The initial plan was for the rest of the Hawkettes dance team to join her. They had been practicing virtually, preparing for the Oct. 23 Homecoming game, but then one member came in close contact with a COVID-19 case, causing a chain reaction resulting in five of the six members deciding not to perform.
That left Beresford, and she decided she still wanted to dance. Dance she did, even when she had to freestyle for a minute because the announcer initially cued up the wrong music. Beresford didn’t miss a beat.
“My initial feelings once I got on the field were mixed because I’ve been doing dance since I was 3, so I am used to performing in front of a big amount of people, but then I realized it was for my school; that was the scary part,” Beresford said.
Beresford’s coach was amazed at the teen’s ability to deal with the unexpected situation.
“Do you want to know what this amazing, confident, creative young woman did? She began to improvise a dance! And no one would have even known,” said Janelle Ebner, Hawkettes dance coach and Indian Trail special education teacher.
After Ebner got the attention of the announcer in the sound booth to change the song, Dakota perfectly executed the planned dance — “Replay” by Iyaz.
“With a smile on her face and bravery in her soul,” Ebner said. “She represented the spirit and courage of the entire team 
and we are grateful to have her with us.”
The IT cheerleading team also performed a cheer and dance for the crowd who huddled in hoodies and blankets, trying to salvage any warmth they had left.
Seniors Ethan Barry and Bella Bratzke were crowned king and queen under the fluorescent lights and strutted down the field wearing each one’s crown.
Despite the limited-sized crowd due to COVID restrictions, excitement filled the air as soon as the clomping cleats came running back down the field of Jaskwhich Stadium. A firm, deep voice bellowed from the press box, cow bells rang out, and heavy thumping feet bounced up and down on the metal bleachers, releasing IT’s energy.
Senior quarterback Argjent Iamaili led his football team to its first win of the season, with a final score of 26-20. Even though the Hawks were set back multiple times, players managed to hold on and keep their heads in the game.
And even with freezing toes and runny noses, fans kept up the positive energy. Just like each refrain of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” got each spectator to lift a smile under their mask, the dancers, cheerleaders and athletes brought victory home to IT’s Homecoming 2020.