#SocialStudies v7.0
March 29, 2012
It's been a wild couple weeks for us here in the office -- and we know you've been missing your weekly lineup of viral video goodness.
Not to worry.
We're back, and with a vengeance. Not Bruce Willis-style, but close to it.
1. Grand Finale
Easily the most intense game from Basketball Finals (both Boys and Girls) was the Class A Girls Final between Grosse Pointe South and eventual champion Grand Haven.
Here's the archived video of the entire game -- I'll recommend speeding through to the last 10 minutes. Grand Haven roared back from 18 points down to give us some serious drama in the final minute of play. Oh, and Bucs senior Shar'Rae Davis? Full-court drive and the game-winning bucket with under 10 seconds to play? Pretty nice little memory you've got there, girl. Great game.
(Also, tune in at 47:50 to catch the touching story of Terry Reid and his grandson Kyle Hall. Click the photo below for a link to the video.)
2. Must be the thin air
We're not the only state with drama in championship games this month ... the 2012 Colorado State High School Athletic Association 5A Boys Basketball Championship ended on this ridiculously athletic circus tip-in. Congratulations to Chaparral High School. (Seriously, how long was that kid in the air???)
3. Because Ray said so
Ray Lewis, controversial as his persona is, can flat-out deliver a pep talk. This rivals anything I've seen in film as one of the best brief amp-you-up-to-run-through-a-wall hype chats ever.
For the record, Stanford went on to win their NIT semifinal over UMass, 74-64. Also, for the record -- I am definitely "not okay with mediocre" today.
4. Nothing but ... no way!
And finally, here is one way to become famous in 3rd grade if your name isn't Doogie Houser.
Remember: if you find something you think should make the grade here on #SocialStudies, send it on over!
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Wounded Warrior Project: DeWitt vs Portland
December 16, 2011
DEWITT -- The meeting of two state-ranked teams always will ratchet up a typical football night. Both communities, naturally, want to see which is better on the field.
But during the hour before the opening kickoff Oct. 14 of DeWitt’s game against Portland, those teams and their supporters together recognized a grander cause. The night was dedicated to the Wounded Warrior Project, which aids U.S. soldiers (and their families) who have suffered service-related injuries and illnesses.
Rain washed out some planned attractions, but the evening certainly was memorable. Both teams wore camouflage jerseys and each sent its captains to the pre-game coin toss with an honorary captain representing the military. A number of other service personnel were involved – including a local color guard that presented a 30-foot flag for the national anthem.
It’s understandable if people’s visions of wars and our military are focused an ocean away. But connections hit close to home. DeWitt’s honorary captain, Lansing’s U.S. Army Spc. Jacob Shumway, recently returned from a deployment and has been in the service for two and a half years. He’s a 2003 Lansing Everett graduate, and his mother Susan Land is the principal at Lansing Eastern. His cousins Ethan and Collin Rennaker start for DeWitt, and he walked alongside them for the pregame flip. Shumway plans to attend Lansing Community College and study digital graphic design.
Both teams are considered contenders for their respective state titles next month; DeWitt is ranked No. 7 in Division 3, while Portland is No. 4 in Division 5. And they played like it – Portland prevailed 22-20 in overtime.
A great game, no question. But similarly significant was a preliminary figure of more than $11,000 raised for the WWP.
For more about the Wounded Warrior Project visit http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org.