How Decatur Central used football to make a kid's dream come true

There’s no shortage of spunk to Wesley Everhart. Never mind that the Decatur Central junior higher spends most of his time in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy. Never mind that he’s been through more in 13 years than most will go through in a lifetime. If you think that will keep a smile off his face? You’re wrong.

Everhart is always smiling, and Everhart loves football. He spends his afternoons as a manager for Decatur Central’s middle school football team, getting water for players and encouraging them – or giving them a hard time, whichever he feels like. And for one night, he got to be on the field with them.

The Hawks 8th grade team played Greenwood on Thursday night, and Everhart lined up behind the quarterback on the first play from scrimmage down by the goal line. He took it into the end zone and spiked the ball, just like he’d practiced in warmups.

He emerged from a swarm of teammates with the biggest smile yet plastered on his face.

“This is a dream of mine,” he said.

Watch the video above for a look into Wesley's gameday experience.

Follow sports producer Matthew VanTryon on Twitter @MVanTryon.