“Go, Wildcats, go!” Bess shouted, joining in.
Nancy, Bess, and Ned threaded their way through the crowd until they found a spot near the protected area around the bonfire. From there, they could see the cheerleaders’ faces more clearly. Danielle Graves was on one end, her black hair flying out as she moved. Nancy was relieved to see that she was smiling brightly. She seemed to have recovered from her scene with Randy.
“See the dark-skinned girl in front, the one with the short, curly hair?” Ned asked, pointing. Nancy found the tall cheerleader in the front line, then nodded. “That’s Tamara Carlson, Susannah’s sister.”
“One of the finalists for homecoming queen, right?” said Nancy, and Ned nodded.
Nancy clapped along as the cheerleaders finished and ran down the steps, still waving their pom-poms. From its place beside the platform, the band played a rousing song, and the crowd clapped along in time.
A handful of school officials took the platform now, and Nancy recognized the bearlike figure of Dean Jarvis among them. One of the others, a tall, hefty man with slicked-back silver hair, stepped up to the podium.
“Who’s that?” she asked Ned. “I don’t remember seeing him before.”
“He’s new. Dale Mitchell, coach of the football team,” he told her, clapping along with everyone else.
The coach raised his hands and waited for the noise to die down. “I hate to start off on a negative note, but I’m sure you’ve all heard the bad news. It’s true, our quarterback has been benched for this game.”
Several groans rose from the crowd. Nancy nudged Ned and asked, “Randy’s benched?”
“No,” said Ned, bending to speak into her ear. “Randy’s the second-stringer. He’s been moved up to play quarterback for this game. The first-string quarterback is Josh Mitchell, the coach’s son.” Ned gave Nancy a meaningful look before adding, “Josh has been put on academic probation because of his grades.”
“No matter what you’ve heard,” Coach Mitchell’s amplified voice rang out again, “I’m here to promise you that we haven’t given up the fight. On Sunday afternoon we’re going to give Russell University a beating they’ll never forget!”
“Yeah!” the crowd roared.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the coach shouted above the cheers, “I’m proud to present the members of Emerson’s winning football team!”
The cheers rose to a roar as the players, wearing their purple-and-orange jerseys, filed up the wooden stairs at the front of the stage. Their heavy footsteps pounded against the boards, making a rumbling noise that added to the excitement. They stood in a single line that stretched across the back of the platform.
“All right!” Bess shouted. “Let’s hear it for the team!”
“I’ll start with this week’s quarterback,” Coach Mitchell announced. “Number nineteen, Randy Simpson—”
A loud cheer erupted as Randy emerged from the group, jogged to the front of the platform, and waved at the crowd.
One by one, the other players ran up and waved as each of their names was announced. Nancy looked up at the sea of color formed by the team jerseys. The orange on the jerseys glowed brightly in the flickering light of the bonfire.
“Number thirty-four, wide receiver Jerry McEntee—” the coach announced.
“Hooray!” Bess shouted, jumping up and down. A tall, slim player sprinted to the front of the platform and saluted the audience. “He’s just as adorable as ever,” Bess murmured to Nancy.
Nancy had to agree. The wind tossed Jerry’s thick, light brown hair, pushing a few wild strands over his forehead, and his smile was warm.
When the entire team had been introduced, the players and speakers filed off the stage, and Dean Jarvis took the podium alone. He made a short speech about Emerson’s pride in scholastic and athletic achievement. “Before you head off to the victory party in the gym,” the dean concluded, “let’s hear one more cheer for our new quarterback, Randy Simpson!”
Randy dashed back up onto the platform and leaned into the microphone. “Thanks!” he said. “I just want you to know that the team appreciates your support, and I promise to do my best to lead the Wildcats to a homecoming victory.”
Dean Jarvis patted Randy on the back, then walked down the stairs to leave him in the spotlight alone.