#SocialStudies v. 2.2
October 25, 2012
By Andi Osters
Second Half social media guru
Welcome back to #SocialStudies! As we head into the start of our most popular tournament this weekend – we bring you another collection of the amazing, spectacular and just plain odd.
Warning: there is a panda in one of the videos below. I promise it’s not a San Francisco Giant.
1. 'Best kicker in the world' ... ???
If you missed it last week: Here’s a high school place-kicker from Washington booting a 67-yard field goal. Yes, 67 yards. No mention of a tailwind.
2. Lord of the Dance
This next video combines two of my favorite things: bad dancing and a teacher doing something totally unexpected. (Be careful of your speaker volume: this one has some loud moments.)
3. All hail the king
Hate him or love him: LeBron James does some things with a basketball that just … astound. Here’s a move to work on in your driveways, kids.
4. Watch this one twice
Speaking of sweet moves; here’s a guy you’ve never heard of doing something on a tennis court that you’ve probably never seen.
5. Give that guy a championship
NBC25 out of Flint supplies us with this Top Play selection from Week 9 … Damon Thomas of Fenton goes up to grab a TD pass and manages to hold on in a game that clinched a share of the Flint Metro League title for his team. Fenton (8-1) welcomes Farmington Hills Harrison (6-3) on Friday night to start their playoff bid.
6. Dude. Perfect. Borderline unbelievable.
And to close, a new trick shot video from the guys at Dude Perfect. Take six minutes and enjoy.
We know you’re all on YouTube daily ... so send us your favorite vids!
We'll watch those and see you again next time for more catching up on your #SocialStudies.
Division 5 Final: Powers Up
December 20, 2011
DETROIT – The final night of September was cold, wet and especially disappointing for Flint Powers Catholic.
Chargers coach Bob Buckel sensed that frustration as the bus rolled to to a stop after 6-0 loss and then silent ride home from Davison. Powers already was 2-3 heading into that game and needing to win out to guarantee a playoff spot. Now at 2-4, perfection the rest of the way was absolutely necessary to catch even the slimmest of shots at a postseason berth.
The last eight games became unofficial playoff games for the Chargers. And they won them all.
Unranked and the underdog, Powers downed No. 1 Lansing Catholic in record-setting fashion Saturday, 56-26 to claim the MHSAA Division 5 championship at Ford Field.
“We knew that we had to win out. Nobody shied to that competition,” Powers senior lineman Danny O’Brien said. “We really got after it.”
And especially Saturday. The 56 points tied Saginaw Nouvel’s from the Division 7 Final earlier in the day as the new MHSAA Finals record. They also were the most points Powers has ever scored, beginning with its first season in 1970.
Lansing Catholic senior quarterback Cooper Rush was named Division 5-6 Player of the Year earlier this week by The Associated Press, and his name can be found all over the MHSAA record book. He added 291 yards and three touchdowns passing, and another score rushing to his impressive three-year varsity career totals.
But Saturday it was Powers junior quarterback Garrett Pougnet who played his name into history.
Rewind 12 weeks ago. Lansing Catholic (13-1) beat Powers 37-17. Pougnet struggled, completing just 6 of 20 passes and running for 67 yards and a score.
His performance in the Final was one of the many differences in the rematch. This time, Pougnet was 12 of 15 passing for 258 yards and four touchdowns, and also ran 14 times for 159 yards and two scores. His 413 yards of total offense were second in MHSAA Finals history and just 13 off the record.
Buckel listed the other differences this time around: Heading into the teams’ Sept. 2 meeting, Powers (10-4) was coming off a big loss to Saginaw Nouvel and two players were out with concussions. Two more defensive backs were still playing on the junior varsity. And, of course, he used a few different formations in the rematch.
“I just said, when we get the ball, we’re going to be very aggressive,” Buckel said. “We had a play we put in this week called Ford Field. It didn’t work either time. But we just wanted to be aggressive because we really thought we might need to score 50 points to beat them, because nobody has slowed them down.”
Rush finished this season with 4,005 passing yards, good for second in the MHSAA record book for one season, and 48 passing touchdowns, which tops that list. This time, senior Connor Bartlett was the main recipient with 11 catches for 189 yards and two scores. Senior Matt Macksood also caught a touchdown pass, and finished this season with 95 catches (second for one season) for 1,590 yards (fifth) and 22 touchdowns (tied for second).
“We moved the ball pretty good when we had it on offense. We just didn’t have it. I think they scored just about every time they had the ball,” Lansing Catholic coach Jim Ahern said. “The big difference in the games where we came back – we came back from 21 down against Portland, which was a very good football team – was we got some defensive stops. We just didn’t get them tonight.”