#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 7 Final: Blue Streak
November 29, 2011
DETROIT – Only a few drives into the MHSAA Division 7 Final, Bennett Lewis came to Saginaw Nouvel coach Mike Boyd with a request.
Give me the ball until Pewamo-Westphalia stops me.
Never happened. The senior running back ran for five touchdowns, and his Panthers scored 56 points – both to set or tie MHSAA Finals records.
And both were accomplished over just two quarters as Nouvel cruised to a 56-26 win and its third football championship.
“I can’t say enough how proud I am of my teammates, especially the offensive line. We’ve been playing together a long time and they really executed in the first half,” Lewis said. “Their defense is one of the defenses we can run our offense against really well. We just executed and made big plays. ”
This championship goes with Nouvel’s back-to-back Division 6 titles in 2006 and 2007, and the Panthers finished 13-0 to match their perfect record in 2006. Pewamo-Westphalia made its first appearance in an MHSAA Football Final and finished 13-1.
The Panthers had scored 63 and 62 points, respectively, during the first two rounds of the postseason. And as Boyd said after, he had an offense built for speedy strikes – especially at an inside venue like Ford Field.
Nouvel blew past the previous MHSAA Finals record of 42 points in one half set by both Farmington Hills Harrison in 2000 and Jackson Lumen Christi in 2001.
“Maybe our third drive, Bennett came off the field and came right up to me and said, ‘I want the football. Until they stop me, give me the football,’” Nouvel coach Mike Boyd said. “I said, ‘Absolutely.’
“Great competitors, great leaders. Just a great group.”
Lewis, the Associated Press’ Division 7-8 Player of the Year this fall, ran 15 times for 200 yards – all in the first half – to push his season rushing total to 2,077. The five touchdowns gave him 36 rushing for the fall. Senior quarterback Joseph Buchalski was 7 for 10 passing for 196 yards and three scores. He also ran five times for 50 yards – again, all in the first half.
“That’s the best team I’ve ever played. The fastest. (And) I don’t hesitate to say Bennett Lewis is the best player I’ve ever played,” P-W senior quarterback/cornerback Justin Thelen said. “We fought, and I’m proud of that. But they had us on our heels right away.”
Thelen was 10 for 21 passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Alex Thelen ran 16 times for 77 yards and a score. It was a tough end to a courageous run by the Pirates, who suffered through the death of classmate and baseball teammate Brendon Nurenberg in a car crash earlier this month, but battled through with his memory an additional motivator.
“He was just a fun guy. The guys loved being around him. And the guys rallied around that,” P-W coach Brad Weber said. “They did it for Brendon for the most part. They knew he would have fun, so they did too.”