Michael T. Mondak speaks: Small Battles, Big Victories Chapter 10: The National Championship - Penn State vs. Notre Dame

The previous post talked about Penn State defeating Arizona in the Rose Bowl.  This chapter talks about Jackson Pryts and the Nittany Lions playing Notre Dame for the national championship at Jerry World in Texas.

The confetti from Pasadena had barely settled before college football’s ultimate stage came calling. The College Football Playoff National Championship — Penn State versus Notre Dame — two proud programs bound by legacy and faith.

The game was set under the bright lights of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a cathedral of football where history awaited. For most players, this was the pinnacle of their careers. For Jackson Pryts, it was something deeper. He wasn’t just playing for himself — he was playing for Cassie Day, the nine-year-old girl who’d become his greatest fan and friend who thought of him as her big brother.

This time around, Cassie would be there in person to cheer him on.

After months of treatments and countless hospital days, her doctors finally cleared her for a short trip. Penn State’s athletic department and her family coordinated everything — private medical escort, front-row seats, even a tour of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and a quiet pregame meeting Jackson had arranged himself.

On the morning of the day before the game, Cassie was interviewed by WKBN’s Ryan Halicki, who was covering the game.

“Cassie,” said Ryan, “how confident are you in Penn State winning the national championship tomorrow night?”

“I know it,” replied Cassie, “because Jackson and the Nittany Lions are going to finish the job and finish it strong.  I’ve done my part for them, and now it’s their turn to do their part for me.”

“How are you feeling health wise?” asked Ryan.

“Oh, I’m getting better,” Cassie said. “The doctors have noticed how well I have responded to my treatments.  There’s an excellent chance I will be in remission before my tenth birthday on March 8.”

Right before lunch, Cassie sat down for another interview.  This time it was with Suzy Kolber of ESPN.  She had heard about Cassie and her cancer battle.

“Cassie, I have heard all about your story and the bond you have with a special player at Penn State,” said Suzy.  “What does he mean to you?”

“Jackson,” said Cassie, “has been like a big brother to me.  He knows when he steps onto that field, he and his teammates are playing for me.”

“It seems to me,” said Suzy, “that before the season began there were folks that doubted this team’s chances.  Now what do you have to say to them?”

“I mean, I never doubted the Nittany Lions even after I was diagnosed with cancer,” said Cassie.  “They are going to win that national championship.  It’s been so long since they last won one.”

“How can a soon to be ten year old with cancer feel so confident about Penn State winning a national championship, especially from someone whose mother and father were not yet in kindergarten when they last won it all in 1986?”

“I mean, I have never felt more confident in my Nittany Lions in all my life,” said Cassie in reply.  “The Nittany Nation has waited forty years for this moment.”

Following lunch and a tour of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Cassie sat down in front of a computer for another interview via Zoom with Dana Balash of WFMJ.

“It seems to me,” said Dana, “that you and Jackson have had a very special bond even before your cancer diagnosis.  What has he meant to you?”

“I have always encouraged him even before the season began,” Cassie said in reply.  “Every tackle, every game, he plays for me.  He’s not playing for himself or his teammates.  He’s playing for me.”

“Is there by chance something bigger than the game here?” Dana wanted to know.

“I have been noticing,” said Cassie, “all over the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex there are people who are offering thousands of dollars for tickets to this national championship game.  Folks have refused them saying that kind of money would not change their life, but the national championship will.  The Nittany Nation has waited a long time for this.  I’m talking about forty years.”

“Health wise, how are you coming along?” asked Dana.

“There is an excellent chance I will be in remission before March 8, when I celebrate my tenth birthday,” replied Cassie.

Before Cassie and her parents went to dinner, Cassie did another interview.  This time it was Nick Saban, the former Alabama head football coach conducting the interview with Cassie.  Cassie was joined by her friend Jackson Pryts for this interview.

“She’s been my captain before the season began,” Jackson said, referring to Cassie.  “She’s a fighter.  I play for her.  That’s bigger than any championship on the field.”

Cassie smiled.  “Jackson is like a big brother to me,” she said.  “If I’m having a tough day, he’s always thinking about me and I'm thinking about him.”

“Jackson,” said Nick, “is there a message you have for your little warrior?”

“See you at midfield tomorrow,” Jackson said to Cassie.  They shared a special hug.

A big Texas-sized dinner followed.  When Cassie and her family returned to their hotel room, she sat down for another interview.  This time it would be Tanner Mondok of the Sharon Herald conducting the interview.  He was covering the game for the paper.

“Cassie,” said Tanner, “why do you believe Jackson and the Nittany Lions will win the national championship tomorrow?”

“I know it, Tanner,” replied Cassie, “because if I did my part in my battle with cancer, they’re going to do their part.  I told Nick Saban earlier today that Jackson has been like a big brother to me.  He’s always thinking about me on and off the field, and I’m always thinking about him, even if my day has been tough.”

That night, Cassie went to sleep with confidence, for she knew that tomorrow, she would see Jackson in person playing for the national championship.

The morning of the national championship dawned.  Cassie awoke still feeling confident.

“This is it,” she said, “the day the Lord has made!”

Dressed in her white Penn State hoodie that Jackson had given her, she sat down for interview after interview with every media outlet from Pennsylvania to Texas, reiterating her confidence in Jackson and the Nittany Lions winning the national championship.  Still too excited for the big game that evening, she calmly went through those interviews with personalities such as WPXI’s Alby Oxenreiter, WNEP’s Chelsea Strub, WPVI’s Jeff Skversky, WWNY’s Mel Busler and WVEC’s Brian Smith.

As Cassie entered the tunnel before kickoff, escorted by security and the stately Nittany Lion mascot, the players turned and saw her — the girl who’d inspired their season. Applause rippled through the locker area as Jackson broke from warmups, sprinted over, and knelt beside her.

“Cassie!  You made it,” he said, smiling softly.  He gave her a big hug.

“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” she answered, her eyes bright with awe.

On ESPN, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit narrated the moment live.

“There’s Jackson Pryts,” said Fowler, his voice steady but emotional. “And that’s Cassie Day — the heart of this Penn State story. She’s here tonight, seeing her team in person for the first time.”

“Man, that’s powerful,” Herbstreit added. “You can see what she means to them — that whole locker room is playing for her.”

The game itself was a battle worthy of the stage.

Notre Dame struck first, but Jackson and the defense found their rhythm. He played with unshakable focus — every tackle, every shout, every huddle carrying the weight of something bigger than football.

At halftime, Penn State led 17–10. Cassie sat with her parents, bundled in a white Nittany Lions hoodie, her eyes sparkling under the stadium lights. She looked small in the massive arena, but her smile lit up the entire section.

Late in the fourth quarter, with the score tied 31–31, Penn State drove down the field. The clock ticked down — six seconds left, Ryan Barker the kicker lined up from 42 yards out.

Cassie held her breath.

The snap. The hold. The kick.

Straight through.

“BARKER GOT IT!” Fowler shouted. “PENN STATE — THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AT LONG LAST!”

The team erupted. Jackson and the players stormed the field.  Coach James Franklin got his long-awaited Gatorade shower.  Confetti rained from the rafters as Jackson fell to his knees sobbing, overwhelmed by the moment.

Then, out of the tunnel, escorted once again by security and the Nittany Lion, came Cassie.

Jackson saw her, stood, and rushed to meet her at midfield. He knelt again — helmet off, eyes wet.  Cassie gave him a big bear hug.

“Congratulations!! You did it, Jackson,” Cassie said.

“No, Cassie,” he replied quietly. “We did it.”

That image — the star linebacker and the little girl who refused to stop fighting — became the photo of the year. Newspapers, highlight reels, and news shows everywhere called it “The Heart of a Champion”, just like at the Belmont Stakes.

Cassie didn’t have her balloons yet. That moment was still to come — but for now, under the confetti and the cheers, she finally got to see her hero win it all and raise the College Football Playoff trophy.

As the podium was being set up, Ryan Halicki from WKBN came up to Jackson and Cassie.

“Cassie,” said Ryan, “what was it like seeing Jackson win a national championship?”

“I tell you, I was instantly in tears,” said Cassie.  “He has supported me all season long, and now it’s my turn to support him.”

When the team arrived at the Harrisburg Airport with the College Football Playoff trophy, the team claimed their bags and boarded the familiar blue buses that had transported them to Beaver Stadium on home football Saturdays.  This time around, the buses were given a rousing escort back home to Happy Valley by various local police departments.  At long last, the blue buses arrived back at the Penn State campus, escorted by the university’s police department. Welcoming them home were more than 107,000 people to congratulate their national champions.

Jackson was one of the first to step off one of the buses.  He carried the trophy to the thunderous roar of the Penn State fans.  Mark Mancuso, a local meteorologist and special reporter for WTAJ, asked Jackson what it meant to be a national champion.

“What does it mean?” Jackson asked.  “I’m just one player on a team that was playing for something more than just ourselves.  We were playing for a young cub back where I am from in Mercer County.  She’s been fighting cancer, and to celebrate with her at Jerry World meant everything.”

Cassie could only smile and watch.  But the big surprise was still to come.