Teen Crowned Homecoming Queen Scores Field Goal at Father's Last Game as Coach
The teen had just been crowned wearing a football uniform.
-- Meet 17-year-old Jodie Farnetti, who's been dubbed "Miss Friday Night" by her community and high school in West Blocton, Alabama.
The title is a fitting one for Jodie, who was recently crowned homecoming queen wearing a football uniform just before she scored a field goal at her father's last home game as head coach for West Blocton High School's football team.
And though the exciting homecoming event happened last Friday, Oct. 16, Jodie had been unknowingly preparing for the event for nearly a decade, according to her parents.
"My husband has been coaching the high school, which is also his alma mater, for the past 23 years," Jodie's mother Angie Farnetti told ABC News. "We only have two girls, no boys. When Jodie was 10, her dad taught her how to kick, and she would always be kicking a football while waiting for her dad and the football team's practice to be over."
Jodie's father Gregory Farnetti told ABC News that for a while now, people have joked that "one of these days Jodie might kick for ya'll," but he said that "Jodie loved softball and cheerleading too much."
Since this is Gregory's last season coaching, Jodie decided she wanted to actually kick at a game for her dad, so he asked the players if it was OK with them and they were "all for it," he said. The team decided that homecoming would be the day. Coincidentally, Jodie was also nominated for homecoming court and crowned queen on homecoming day.
A little into the last quarter of the homecoming game, the opportunity for a field goal arose. Video recorded by spectator Brian Wallace caught the moment Jodie took off her crown and ran to the middle of the field.
In the video, a marching band plays in the background as Jodie successfully makes the kick and the crowd goes wild.
The first person Jodie runs and hugs? Her father, of course.
"It was just so special to me, because number one, she's my daughter and I was a proud dad, and number two, it was my last homecoming game," Gregory said. "All the stars had aligned for her. It was such a great night."
Jodie is soon heading to a national competition with her cheerleading team before heading off to Wallace State Community College on a softball scholarship, her parents said.
"Greg's decided to give up football now because he doesn't want to miss Jodie's softball career," her mother said. "The whole time is going to have a bit of a hard time adjusting since football has been such a big part of our life together, but we're so excited for her to play softball. We're so proud of our daughter."