Liam Settles, a 6th-grader at Bell Elementary who was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer, had the honor of running out with the Titan varsity football team and being involved with the coin toss Friday night, Oct. 4, when the Titans faced off against the Kearney Bearcats.
Liam was selected as an honorary team captain by senior linebacker Tye McDougal, a varsity team captain. McDougal knew about Liam because of his little sister, and his mom who is a counselor at Bell Elementary.
“[Liam] is a great kid. My sister is friends with him, and my mom also works in the building as a counselor. They all have good things to say about that he is a great kid,” McDougal said. “[Liam] always has a positive attitude, and so I thought of nobody better to lead us out there on the field than him.”
McDougal said the team wanted Liam to have a good time.
“I hope it gives him a chance to experience Titan Football … and to give him a good chance to have just a fun time on the field for him and his family,” McDougal said before Friday’s game.
Having Liam there meant a lot to the whole team.
“Coach [Tim] Clemenger said at the beginning of the game, when Liam was in the locker room with us, he broke it down just like the level of adversity [Liam] is fighting through and everything that he is going through,” McDougal said. “He puts it into perspective: We can fight through adversity that we are going to face during the game.”
McDougal said he, and Liam, would remember this night.
“It was pretty special that I could share that experience with him, and it was fun to see him run out with the Titan flag,” McDougal said. “The players were really positive and happy. Liam was smiling from ear to ear, which was good to see. It was a fun experience for everyone involved.”
Liam’s mom, Kati Settles, assistant superintendent of Human Resources for PLC Schools, said it was an exciting experience for her son.
“Liam really had an incredible time and was made to feel very special by Tye and the other captains as well as the coaches and team,” Kati Settles said. “He really loved the huddle and pep talk in the locker room, and he was amazed at being allowed to run out through the tunnel with the flag.”
Senior Jordan Harris, a member of the team’s Unity Council, said Liam’s presence made an impact on the team.
“We had something more to play for that day,” Harris said. “He was there for us. If someone made a play, and you looked at him, he was smiling. It made everyone happy and gave everyone motivation.”
Liam being at the game on Friday also impacted junior running back Derek Jones, another Unity Council member.
“It made me play for something more than just the game, more than just to get a win,” Jones said. “It made me play for him, because you never know when he is going to experience something like this ever again.”
Even though Harris was injured before the game and unable to compete, he said this would be a night he would remember forever.
“I’ll remember [Liam] being happy to be there. It was really cool to be part of the team that day. I hope that he remembers the feeling of the excitement and the energy in the locker room and running out,” Harris said.
During the third quarter, Liam was invited up to the press box to join PLV Media students who were live streaming the game.
Junior Mackenzie Frederick, PLV Media football producer, spent time showing Liam around.
“We did a tour of what we had. He loved the production booth, and he sat out on the South deck for a while. We talked about the game, and took some pics,” Frederick said. “He then watched on the North deck for a while and went home.”
Kati Settles recapped the night, saying: “We appreciated the thoughtfulness put into this experience but also the light that it shines on pediatric cancer awareness. Kids going through cancer treatment have a lot to deal with every day besides the normal challenges of growing up. This was a great example of how others can help to lift them up during their battle.”
