Many will remember the University of Massachusetts football game against Liberty for the large amount of points put up through multiple overtimes, but one family has a lifelong memory after the surprise of a lifetime.

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One unsuspecting UMass cheerleader saw the return of her mother, who had been deployed overseas for the last year in Kuwait.

Command Sgt. Maj. Donna Ortiz, who has been deployed under Operation Enduring Freedom, surprised her daughter Alejandra, a member of the UMass cheerleading squad.

"Alejandra had no idea her mother was coming home today, let alone attending today's game to watch her cheer," the PA announcer said. "We applaud Command Sgt. Maj. Donna Ortiz and graciously thank her for her service to this great nation."

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT