As far as the running game, the Pats have struggled all year to solidify a starting running back, and have relied on a number of different guys to make it happen on the ground.  Ranked 20th in the NFL with 110.2 yards a game, look for New England to make most of their plays through the air.  The only Patriot  running back that sounded remotely familiar was Kevin Faulk, who at 35 is probably out of his prime. I wouldn’t expect much from the ground game tomorrow.

Defensively this year, the Patriots are far from the days Teddy Bruschi defense, but a strong line has really kept them in most of their games this year when the offense couldn’t get it done.  The defensive line headlined by 325-pound monster Vince Wilfork. They have an incredible pass rush that I believe will keep Eli Manning throwing short and off target.

New York:
Once again, Eli Manning is still at the helm for the Giants after leading New York to the world championship game in 2008.  Although he’s taken a lot of hits this year, Manning has continued to stand tall in the pocket.  Eli has proven that he has what it takes to lead a high caliber offense, however he has not been able to get out of the shadow of big brother Peyton Manning.  Along with Eli,  second year receiver Victor Cruz has been a steady source of exciting plays all year and I expect nothing less in the big game.

There is not much to say about the Giants running game this year, as it has been dismal at best.  Ranked 32nd out of 32 teams in the NFL, New York is the worst rushing team in the league.  Ahmad Bradshaw and the injury-prone Brandon Jacobs have been non-factors this year, but in order for them to win this game,  there will need to be some rushing spark if the Giants want a chance to win this one.  Although Eli has done admirably throughout the year, his arm isn’t strong enough to carry the Giant’s offense in such a big game.

Finally, defense.  A huge edge for New York here.  With the athleticism of the d-line, I might take New York’s defense over any teams. Defensive tackle Osi Umenura and defenseive ends Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul are a force to be reckoned with, and they will be hard for New England’s line to handle.

Predictions:

Offense: Edge-Patriots
Tom Brady has been to the big dance too many times to be beat by the same team twice, whether it’s in a super bowl game or a regular season game. Wes Welker, Deion Branch, and tight end Rob Gronkowski, if healthy, are going to wreak havoc on the Giant’s secondary.

Defense: Edge – Giants
New York’s d-line is too athletic for New England’s big men, and are going to cause a lot of problems for Tom Brady.  Look out for Jason Pierre-Paul in this game.  The man has only played football for seven years, but in two years being pro he has been among the best in sacking quarterbacks.

Special Teams-Even
Both teams have proven that they can kick clutch field goals(the Giants in the NFC Championship with Lawrence Tynes, a former Chief, and New England in what seems like every Super Bowl)..

Ultimately, the team that plays the best on all three fronts will win the game, best said by John Madden.  I’m expecting a good struggle in this super bowl.  I’m going to pick the Patriots simply because they get it done on offense.  Defense wins championships, but if they are able to score more than they are stopped, I like my chances with the Pats.

Sherman will have to undergo scans every 60 days for the rest of his life to confirm that the cancer has not returned to his system.

“It’s been a tough battle,” Sherman said.  ”But at the end of the day I am just happy to be back with my players.”  At the end of the season Sherman told the team in a post season meeting that his return to the head coaching position relied solely on his cancer treatment.  Simply put if he beat cancer he would be back as the head coach and if the cancer came back he would have to take a season off to be with his family.

Watch a recording of the boy’s 58-52 victory over Lawrence.

Live in the present, not the past.

Matt Baker a Maryville University wrestler and 2008 East graduate is being featured on NCAA “All Access”. In this video mini-series the NCAA selects a school and one of their athletes to do video blogs of their daily life. So far Baker has shot four videos, and he is continuing to shoot them weekly. After Baker shoots the videos, he submits them to one of his assistant coaches where they are passed on to “All Access” and posted to be viewed on the NCAA’s Website.

Currently Baker is a fourth-year junior, but his first three years of college were not spent at Maryville. After graduating from East in 2008, Baker began his wrestling career at Division II wrestling powerhouse, the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO). Baker redshirted his freshman year, earned 24 wins the season after that and was a Division II All-American last season. After a national championship win in the 2010-11 season, UNO and head wrestling coach Mike Denney had won their third straight, and sixth out of the last eight Division II National Championships. Just hours after winning the national championship, Baker received a text from assistant coach Ron Higdon to return to their hotel as soon as possible.

“I didn’t know what was happening,” said Baker, “My first thought was that maybe someone had gotten hurt, but really I didn’t know what to expect.”

Nothing could have prepared the team for the news they were about to receive. After gathering in the lobby of their Kearney, Neb. hotel, the team was told that UNO athletic director Trev Alberts was proposing moving from Division II to Division I. If the school made the jump, they would join the Summit League which does not provide funding for football and wrestling, and therefore the programs would be cut. On the eve of their third consecutive national championship, a night that should have been spent celebrating, the UNO Mavericks were in utter disbelief.

“At that point I thought no way,” said Baker. “No way this could come true, there is no way they could let this happen.”

When the team made their return to Omaha, they began to organize any kind of student resistance they could muster up. Unfortunately, the resistance was a waste of time. Alberts had told Denney that the move was just a proposal, and nothing had been decided yet. But in reality, it was too late. Upon meeting with the wrestling and football teams for the first time, the decision had already been made; the programs were going to be cut.

Fortunately for Denney and his team, their success was admired and sought after by many other schools. Within a day of hearing the proposal, Denney was bombarded with phone calls and e-mails from schools interested in offering him a coaching job. However, one of the offers seemed to stand out from the rest. Maryville University, a private school in St. Louis did not have a wrestling team, but was highly interested in adding one. Jeff Miller, the vice president of Maryville made an offer for Denney, his coaching staff and the whole UNO team to make the move to Maryville. Upon hearing the offer, Baker and some of his teammates began to discuss it, and could not deny its appeal.

“I remember thinking, if we get enough guys, and the right guys, we can win a national championship next year,” said Baker.

Denney accepted the offer from Maryville, and the wrestlers began examining their options. Ideally, the whole team and the recruits they signed would have been able to make the move, but due to everyone’s individual academic and family needs this was not a reality. Being that Maryville is a private school, the tuition was also more than everyone can afford. Even after these hurdles, 12 of the 19 wrestlers on Maryville’s roster either wrestled at UNO or were incoming freshmen planning on wrestling there.

After figuring out who would be joining him in Maryville, Baker soon realized that a National Championship may not be in the cards for this season. But that does not mean that the future for Maryville’s program is not bright. On campus, the interest level in wrestling is high and gaining even more support. The roster is set with one of the top freshmen classes in the country and with leadership from upperclassmen like Baker they are getting better week by week. Three of these freshmen start, and have gotten first place finishes for the team at multiple meets this season. Denney says that he believes he has about eight years left of coaching, and Baker is confident that during his tenure Maryville will bring home a national championship.

“It probably won’t happen this year,” said Baker, “But Coach Denney will be able to in his time here, I have no doubts.”

For more on the cutting of UNO’s football and wrestling programs, check out the ESPN Outside the Lines report.

View other episodes of Harbie Practice Squad

Wrestling

At the game’s tentative start, however, neither side jumped out to a big lead. Immediately after the tip-off, East had the initial advantage after the Lancers favor as they gained possession of the ball and junior Vance Wentz sunk a deep field goal to put two points on the board. It appeared to be the perfectly scripted start the Lancers were looking for. But as the first quarter continued, the advantage slowly went to Rockhurst. Players like Kyle Wolf and Clay Guy put points on the board for the Hawklets with deep field goals. Their defensive full court press shut down East, who couldn’t get anything going inside the paint or from the three point line. And as the somewhat anticlimactic and low-scoring first quarter drew to a close, Rockhurst was ahead 8-5. Not at all how East wanted to start the highly anticipated match-up against the Hawklets.
As a matter of fact, Head Coach Shawn Hair has told his team again and again how they need to put up at least 60 points in a game. According to Hair’s philosophy, if you get 60 points you win the game.

The second quarter didn’t push the Lancers much closer to this goal. Juniors like Vance Wentz and Zach Schneider, who normally put up big points from the three point line, were virtually silent. Whether it was jitters or a mental break-down, East wasn’t producing offensively like Hair had hoped for. And for Rockhurst–they did a wonderful job of maintaining. They held on to their lead, lengthened it, and ended the quarter with senior Andrew Kramer sinking a half-court shot to put an exclamation mark on the impressive first half. It was Rockhurst ahead 23-12.

East could never really recover. The third quarter began and the Lancers appeared to become more desperate as time wore on. Wentz, Schneider and even junior Chase Hanna, who normally do well inside and beyond the three point arch, were throwing up desperation three pointers from way outside that weren’t falling. Credit is due, of course, to the Hawklets who had players scoring from all over their roster. Role players like Wolf and senior Pat Roberts held their own, while lesser-known junior Connor Kuhlman was involved in almost every scoring opportunity. An even offensive and defensive attack helped Rockhurst gain a convincing lead.

The fourth quarter, for the Lancers, was ultimately more like a funeral–in the sense that East fans and players looked to be mourning something that was already dead. Rockhurst held a commanding lead and didn’t let up; they won the game 54-28 when it was all said and done. East fans got excited when Hair put senior Chris Heady, who has been with the program since his freshman year, in the game but there were not a lot of highlights otherwise. However, even with the defeat, Lancer fans left the court by singing the school song. Obviously, they’ll be ready to do it all again next year.

Watch a recording of the JV boys 44-42 victory over Rockhurst.

Watch a recording of the Varsity boys 54-28 loss to Rockhurst.

The Varsity Lancer Dancer’s Halftime Dance

To view more photos click here.

Preview of the East vs. Rockhurst Basketball Game

The Lancer Basketball Team will be taking on cross state rival the Rockhurst Hawklets for the 37th time this Friday.  You can view this game right here on www.smeharbinger.net.  The JV game will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the Varsity at 7 p.m.

Previewing the game with Rockhurst Coach Mark Nusbaum

How is your approach to this game different from others?
We try to keep it as normal as possible on the practice floor, but we also know that the school treats this week different. We talk about the atmosphere, the noise, the energy is different from most Friday nights.

Is this game one that you look forward to coaching?
I always look forward to this game because of my friendship with Coach Hair, the competitive spirit of both schools and the added dimension of the Coaches vs Cancer fundraising.

Does the home team have a sizable advantage each year?
I don’t know if it is sizable, but playing on the road in that atmosphere is tough. What a great Friday night feel!

Describe your team this year?
The strength of our team this season is balance. We have several players who can score in double figures on any given night. This kind of forces teams to pick their poison, so to speak. This year we’ve got more depth at each position. Also more balance.

From your time scouting East, what are your thoughts on them?
They have the same characteristics as all Coach Hair’s team does. They play tough, physical, smart basketball. They can play different speeds at either end of the floor.

What is going to be the key to the game?
Matching their intensity and blocking out the crowd.

Previewing the game with East Coach Shawn Hair

Do you feel like the home team in this series has a sizable advantage?
I’d play every game at East if I could. I think playing at home definitely helps you. It’s one of those games where both crowds are just so jacked up that it’s gonna be a sellout at 4 o’clock. But you know, it’s not like you’re going to Allen Field house and every fan in there is cheering for KU. It’s pretty evenly split up.

What is the strength of the team this year?
We’ve got really good balance. Vance obviously is our best scorer and Zach has really picked up his scoring as well, so I think that’s been really crucial because teams are really starting to guard Vance hard. And you know, we are starting to get contributions from Andy Hiett, Chase Hanna, Billy Sutherland and Henry Simpson, so those are bigs. All of those guys are crucial to our balance.

What is the difference between this years’ team and last?
We can defend. Holding Shawnee Mission West to 26 points, that’s a big deal. So hopefully we can build on that going into McPherson and come back ready to go ready to play Rockhurst.

What are your thoughts on Rockhurst?
They’re good. They’ve got good size. They’ve got three guys inside that are really good. Kyle Wolf, who is a junior, is about 6’5 and is a really good player. Probably their leading scorer. And then Brian Fosselman who is about 6’3-6’4 and kind of a three man. And then Pat Jones is a really good guard so they’re just a solid team all the way around.

What is going to be your approach to stopping their “big three?”
More than anything, you’ve got to keep them off of the boards, got to get back in transition. Can’t give up offensive transition buckets to Rockhurst, got to make it a half court game and you can’t give them second chance opportunities. If you give them second chance opportunities, they’re going to finish.

What’s going to be the key to winning this game?
The key for us is going to be settling down immediately; everyone is going to be jacked up, amped up. Settle down; get in the flow of the game as quickly as possible. Understand that every possession has got to be one; the offensive possession has got to be won. If we do that, we should be in good shape.

Link to live broadcast recording and game wrap up from the game:

http://smeharbinger.net/sports/live-broadcast-boys-jv-and-varsity-vs-rockhurst

In the second round of the 48^th Annual McPherson Invitational Tournament, the Lancers fell to the hometown Bullpups 60-51. From the beginning of the game, Coach Shawn Hair’s team was unable to establish any rhythm on the offensive end. In a pregame interview, Hair said the Lancers would have to take care of the ball and not let the turnovers get the best of them. This was not the case however, as the Lancers turned the ball over 26 times.

The second quarter was characterized by more offensive woes from the Lancers as they continued to struggle with turnovers. McPherson senior guard Jordan Hart provided most of their offensive firepower. None of the Lancer defenders seemed able to contain him. After struggling to retain quality offensive possessions, senior guard Andy Hiett led an 11-5 Lancer run to end the quarter. Going into halftime, East trailed 29-20.

After carrying the momentum into halftime, the Lancers found themselves down 15 early in the third quarter. Juniors Vance Wentz and Zach Schneider proved to be the key sources of offense for East again as they fueled a comeback to bring the Lancers within one. Key assists from senior guards Henry Simpson and Alex Schoegler helped fuel the run as well. Late in the quarter, Schneider hit three free throws to give the Lancers a one point lead, their first of the game.

Coming into the fourth quarter, the Lancers looked to be controlling the game. McPherson was able to pick up the intensity on the defensive side and force more Lancer turnovers. Hart continued to give the Bullpups solid offense and got some help inside from junior Keaton Sorenson. After East gave up a few buckets and failed to convert on the offensive end, McPherson finally pulled away.

The Lancers drop to 6-4 on the season, and will play a tough Lawrence Free State team in the 3^rd place game tomorrow at 5:30. Hair’s team will be looking to rebound against a Sunflower League opponent who fell just short of the tournament’s championship.

Points by Player:

Wentz: 20

Schneider: 14

Hiett: 10

Tuttle: 4

Simpson: 2

Sutherland: 1

]]> http://smeharbinger.net/sports/live-broadcast-boys-basketball-vs-mcpherson-high/feed 0 http://smeharbinger.net/sports/weekly-winter-sports-update-week-2 http://smeharbinger.net/sports/weekly-winter-sports-update-week-2#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:21:34 +0000 The Harbinger Online Staff http://smeharbinger.net/?p=38993 Swimming:  
Last week the Lancer’s won their duel meet against reigning state champion, Blue Valley North, in what was an extremely close meet.“Going in we knew we could we win but all of the [Blue Valley] North kids thought that they had the meet,” senior Jack Haverty said. “The entire meet their was so much energy, I’ve never heard the pool that loud. In all of the relays we were underdogs but we came out victorious in all of them.”

The second quarter was very similar to the first with sloppy Lancer offense and continuous turnovers. Senior Alex Schoegler and junior Billy Sutherland found themselves in foul trouble midway through the quarter, forcing them both to take a seat on the bench. Junior Chris Tuttle filled in strong in the paint for Sutherland as he controlled the defensive boards and went 4/4 from the free-throw line. Steadman continued to carry the offensive load for Derby as he played all 16 minutes of the first half. Late in the quarter, the Lancer offense hit its stride as juniors Vance Wentz and Zach Schneider started to heat up. Wentz hit a three to give the Lancers a two-point halftime lead, as the half came to a close the score stood 30-28.

After halftime, the Lancers looked like a completely different team, and immediately took all of the momentum. East outscored Derby 19-6 and opened up a 15-point lead thanks to the shooting of Vance Wentz and inside presence of Zach Schneider. Derby head coach Brett Flory made it clear that they were going to focus their defense on stopping Wentz and Schneider, but they were unsuccessful. The Panthers opted to bench Steadman, and the result was sloppy offense without much rhythm. At the end of the third the Lancers were ahead 49-34.

Before the game, Lancer assistant coach Todd McAtee said that a key for East would be transition offense, and until the fourth quarter this was basically nonexistent. The trio of Lancer senior guards, Schoegler along with Henry Simpson and Andy Hiett forced pressure on the Derby guards which led to a series turnovers and fast-break points. Because of the transition offense and high-percentage shooting, the Lancers ran away with the game in the fourth and at one point held a 30-point lead. The game finished with a score of 79-50, and earned head coach Shawn Hair his 200th win at East.

The Lancers improve to 6-3 on the season as Derby falls to 7-2. Tomorrow, the Lancers face the McPherson Bullpups on their homecourt who are fresh off a win against Maize in the opening round. Be sure to tune in for the broadcast tomorrow at 8:15.

Points By Player:
Wentz- 32
Schneider- 17
Hiett- 7
Tuttle- 6
Hanna- 5
Simpson- 5
Sutherland- 4
Schoegler- 2
Marak- 1

“We need our play makers to make plays in big games,”  Stein said.  “Even though they did that for the most part we were just not able to convert.”

The Lady Lancers have a full week of practice before their next game.  Tuesday, Jan. 24 the Lady Lancers will take on the SM Northwest Cougars at home for the first time this season at home.

Girls Bball:
The lady Lancer Basketball team plays Shawnee Mission West tonight at 5:30 at East. “Its going to be a really big game because of the rivalry and its also a league game,” Senior Caroline Dodd said.  “Because we beat them the first time we played them this year, they are going to be out to get us. We need to be aggressive from the start.”  

Wrestling:

This weekend is an important one for the wrestling team; they will be going to Basehor-Linwood for the Bobcat Invitational. This tournament will be THE toughest the team has all year; even tougher than State. Last year East placed 11th out of 34 teams, and Blaine Hill took first place at the 171 weight class. The tournament will take place over both Friday and Saturday. I’ll be participating if you want me to text you results.

Bowling:

During this past week, the Lancer Bowling team had a match against both KCC and Maranatha. Both the boys and the girls varsity teams placed first at this tri-meet and the Lancers ended up taking first place overall. With two upcoming matches this week, the Lancers hope to keep their winning streak alive.

“Next week we are going to be against Shawnee Mission South and Olathe East on Tuesday,” says Junior Dee Dee Guthrie, “On Thursday we bowl against both Shawnee Mission West and Leavenworth High School.”

Boys Bball:

The Boys’ basketball team got back on the right track this week and broke their two game skid after winning their first league game on Tuesday against Olathe North. The win made the Lancers 1-1 in the league, and 4-3 overall for the season. Tonight, they take on rival SM West to avenge their early December loss, a heartbreaker that went down to the wire. Head Coach Shawn Hair told the team at practice last night the loss to the Vikings still stings, and added, “If we have any chance at winning the league, we need to win tomorrow night.”  Injuries: On the JV level, C/F Lucas Jones is ruled out until the middle of Feb. after fracturing his wrist in practice. Center Chris Tuttle suffered a shoulder injury during practice yesterday and sat out most of practice. No status is known whether he will play or not.

Girls Game Wrap Up

>>By Andrew McKittrick

Watch a recording of the Lancer’s 46-26 victory over SM West.

Boys Game Wrap Up

>>By Will Webber

“I think we are off to a good start we won our first meet and did well yesterday too”  Patrick said.  “I feel really good about how our team has been playing early.

“The coaches pushed me to start wrestling,” senior Tyler Nelson said, “But once I got started I just could not quit.”

The Lancers were favored over the Pioneers last night, as their returning state-placers had an advantage over a less experienced Leavenworth team. The seniors got some help from junior Gavin Jorns who quickly pinned his opponent scoring the team six points. Senior Ben Randolph struggled in his match against a less experienced Leavenworth opponent, but was still able to come out with a victory.

Senior Ben Randolph along with Blaine Hill are the two Lancer wrestlers planning on receiving a wrestling scholarship next year. Benedictine and Cornell College are currently Randolph’s top choices, while Hill remains undecided.

“Wrestling was my favorite sport through high school, I think lessons I learned from it will stay with me for the rest of my life,” Randolph said.

With two returning Sunflower League Champions and four returning state-placers the Lancers have high expectations for the rest of the season. League will take place on Feb. 11 and state is two weeks later starting Feb. 24.

In the first quarter, the Indians were putting a lot of pressure on the Lancer guards as soon as they would cross half court. They were also emphasizing their defense on junior Vance Wentz, as they would double-team him almost every time he touched the ball. The key source of offense for the Lancers was in the paint coming from junior Billy Sutherland. Sutherland’s size caused a mismatch for the Indians, and he was able to take advantage as he finished the game with 15 points. At the end of the first, the Lancers were on top 11-9.

The second quarter was pretty evenly matched, and seemed to just be going back and forth. Senior guard Josh Wilkes was able to get a couple of three-pointers for the Indians and helped to jump-start their offense. The Lancers continued to go inside to Sutherland, and also tried to establish Wentz on the offensive end. He continued to be double-teamed, and struggled to find open looks. Going into the half, the Lancers remained ahead 24-23.

Right after halftime, it was a display of lock down defense by both teams, and neither scored for the first three minutes. However, the Lancers were able to break this cycle with their guard play. Senior guards Andy Hiett and Alex Schoegler got the transition offense going, and jump-started the Lancer run late in the quarter. The Indians were outscored 13-6 in third, and at the end of the quarter the score stood 37-29.

The Indians were able to generate more offense in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit they had gotten themselves into. Any time it appeared that they were starting to make a run, the Lancers would answer back with a basket of their own. After the defeat last Friday against Shawnee Mission South, the Lancers have rebounded nicely and have won back-to-back games. The team now stands at 3-1, and it appears that their season is back on track.

Girls’ game:

Boys’ game:

Jake Crandall | Harbinger Online

I had been seeing an asthma and allergy specialist after a particularly unhealthy year, which included three bouts with pneumonia and a hospital stay. So there I sat, in the sterilized doctor’s office, awaiting the results of my blood tests.

The doctor informed me that my immune system doesn’t work so well. I catch nearly every disease around me, and my body does nothing to prevent it from spreading and growing in severity. Every week for the rest of my life, I would infuse healthy antibodies into my blood stream through IVs. The process usually takes two hours, and yes, it does hurt every time I push the needles through my own stomach. Even worse is the toll that it takes on my body afterwards; I become overwhelmed with soreness and fatigue. I didn’t react to the diagnosis. I felt sorry for myself. But three weeks later, everything fell back into perspective.

It was the first day of summer football conditioning when Coach Sherman told us about his cancer. I sat in stunned silence along with the rest of the team.

How is that even possible?

He was invincible in my eyes; this was the man who opened up the weight room at the crack of dawn to work out harder than any guy half his age. I couldn’t accept that someone so healthy could get cancer. I guess Coach wouldn’t accept it either; he came to practice each day with the same vigor and positive attitude that we had always admired.

Even as he battled this terrible affliction, Coach put others’ well-being before his own. He recognized how I struggled on the first couple of days following each treatment and suggested that I sit out anytime I began to feel bad. Sure enough, I did feel bad, but I tried to follow his example and push through the pain. He was facing Stage 4 cancer and never showed a trace of weakness. I believe his attitude provided me with a dose of inspiration that helped me in ways my treatments never could. The whole team felt this motivation from Coach, and we showed our support by shaving our heads as he underwent chemotherapy. I wanted Coach to beat his cancer more than anything.

Jake Crandall | Harbinger Online

Was I really trying to tell a man fighting cancer that this was too much for me? My treatments lasted two hours; his lasted seven. My shaved hair would return in a matter of weeks; his wouldn’t. I think Coach knew what I was trying to do, but he stopped me from making a monumental mistake.

“Maybe you could try things out at linebacker this week,” he suggested.

“Yeah. That sounds good, Coach.”

I played every game this season for the first time in my career. Between my freshman and junior year, I caught bronchitis, H1N1 and pneumonia multiple times. But this year, nothing was more contagious than perseverance. I became part of a team that just wouldn’t quit.

In the last few minutes of our playoff game against the eventual state champs, everyone knew that we were facing imminent defeat. But none of us could accept that it was over. This couldn’t be the last time that I would congratulate a teammate after a touchdown. I cherished every neon-orange second that ticked down the end of my career. This couldn’t be that last time that I would line up on the 50-yard line and bitterly shake hands with the opposing team. But as I solemnly repeated “good game” to each Olathe South player, I realized that it wouldn’t be their last. And I boarded the team bus for one last ride.

In a few weeks, I probably won’t remember where I’m supposed to line up in our stack defense. But I’ll never forget Coach Sherman’s true lessons. He proves every day that no challenge is too great for the human spirit. Coach showed me that I’m not a quitter; I’m strong enough to overcome my own obstacles. I couldn’t quit if I tried.

***

Jake Crandall | Harbinger Online

As my teamates and I slowly walked off the field, coach spoke out in his raspy voice over the crowd. He needed the juniors and seniors, apparently he had some thing to “talk to us about”.

Nothing could have possibly prepared me for what I was about to hear, or how I’d react. He calmly told us he had been diagnosed with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer.

I was devasteted. It seriously felt like I had been hit by a train. The first thing that came to my mind was, how long does he have to live? Over the next couple of weeks he proved me wrong time and time again. Not only did he continue living, but he didn’t skip a beat. He was so nonchalant about it. He made it seem like it was just going to be easy.

And it wasn’t all what he did, but what he didn’t do that inspired me. It was the times when he wouldn’t complain even though anyone else would have. These were the times that he taught me and all of my teamates so many life lessons without trying. These were the times that made him Coach Sherman.

Every single day he would come to practice with just as much energy as anyone of us on the field. Never once did he complain. Not when the hot sun from practice was bothering him after a day of chemo. Not when the radiation was making his throat so sore he could barely talk. And definetly not when a treatment session happened to land on the same day as a game. He never needed to worry, since he was so mentally tough. That definitely made me play harder. If he could do it, I could block better. Being able to watch him go through his unbearable fight was such an honor and a learning opportunity for me in so many ways.

***

The worst feeling you can have as a running back is seeing the ball fall out of your hands. Seeing it roll around on the turf is agonizing. The main job the running back has is to hold onto the football and when the ball is on the ground, you have failed, and in week four of my junior football season, I experienced that feeling of pure terror for the first time ever on a varsity stage. As I walked off the field I felt nothing but pure disgust in myself. I looked over at Coach Sherman and at that moment, he began one of the most prolonged butt-chewings I have ever been apart of on a high school playing field.

Jake Crandall | Harbinger Online

As I stood there on the sideline licking my wounds, Sherman came over to make his real point. He came up to me and looked me straight in the eye and said “Adam I believe in you, and I want you to go out there and show me what you can do.”

Sherman knew I could handle that, in fact, he knew that the butt chewing I had received that night would stay with me for a long time and help me even after football. He knew that because he cared and he made sure he really knew us, unlike most football coaches. But Sherman was one of a kind in that way. He was such a good teacher and motivator that he made the things he taught us on the field applicable in life. At the end of the game, I could tell Sherman knew I took someting from the football field that day; not necessarily about how to hold a ball, but how to take criticism and use it to learn on the spot.

He was able to teach me a lesson while also showing us respect at the same time.

***

Ever since I started playing football in sixth grade, I had always dreamed about my senior football season. I had alwasy hoped I would stay healthy and enjoy a great last year on the field, but on Aug. 23, just nine days away from the the first game, my hopes took a hit from a 250 pound deffensive lineman.

I got tackled on my left knee, and ended up tearing my MCL. I would miss at least two games of my senior season.

This was a gut check. Never had I ever felt so down for so long. All my hard work flew out the window. I felt like I could watch it staring me down while I sat in the doctors office hearing the diagnosis.

I didn’t feel like going to school that next day, but then I thought of Sherman. I knew in the back of my mind that this was exactly what he would not want me to do. When I eventally did tell him, he reacted just like Sherman would. He was positive and didn’t rush me back into the game before I was totally ready.

The majority of football coaches would try and hurry you back to play and not really be worried about your health, but not Coach Sherman. Again it was what he didn’t say that really made the difference. I knew he didn’t want to hear what I was saying. But he swollowed that urge and told me exactly what I needed to hear. He would be there at anytime of the day or night if there was anything he could do to help me. And I loved him for it, because he actually meant it. I’ll always remember what he told me before I left his office: He told me that he knew I would be strong and get through this. He believed in me, and he wasn’t afraid to tell me that either.

Jake Crandall | Harbinger Online

McKenzie Swanson | Harbinger Online

Swimmers and non-swimmers alike were hearing floods of rumors and stories like these about Grant Minick, a senior who moved to the East area from Manassas, VA., a week before school started this year. East swimmers that swim for the Kansas City Blazers with Minick heard the news first and spread the word about this new teammate quickly.

But these high expectations were crushed when Minick fractured his left femur at a lacrosse practice in early October while cutting hard to dodge a fellow player.

“I was making a hard cut to my left and when I planted it just snapped,” Minick said. “I knew right away that it was my femur… because it popped really loudly.”

After the injury, Minick’s thoughts instantly jumped to his swim season and how it didn’t stand a chance. He thought about the time he spent at two-a-day practices and dry land to perfect his strokes and his speed. He thought that he wouldn’t have a chance to get up to his top shape for his last year on the swim team.

After about two months of physical therapy and easing back into swimming, Minick’s injury is healing and he expects to be able to compete for East after winter break.

East’s head swim coach Wiley Wright had never met Minick prior to his injury, but sympathized with him as soon as he heard the news. Wright had first heard about Minick when East’s girls’ swim coach, Rob Cole, told him in September that there was a new family whose daughter and son were strong swimmers.

“I felt sorry for the kid, you know, senior year, new school–that’s tough as it is and then to do that on top of that…I’m sure that wasn’t the highlight of his senior year,” Wright said.

The East swimmers quickly found out about Minick’s injury through word of mouth and were shocked, both because of the injury and what it meant for Minick’s swim season.

“I was kind of in disbelief about it,” sophomore Zack Holbrook said. “I was like, ‘wow, that can really happen to him after we just got him.’ He’s a great swimmer and I didn’t want to believe it.”

Because the injury was so close to swim season, the swimmers figured that Minick would be out through January and he would not have time to get in shape for the state meet on Feb. 16-18. However, Minick’s recovery has been quicker than they expected, partly due to Minick’s dedication to get back in the water.

The day after Minick broke his leg, he had surgery to insert a metal rod into his leg, which landed him on crutches. About a month after the surgery, Minick began working with physical therapist Lori Miller through the Athletic Rehabilitation Center three times a week. This was about two weeks before the swim season started. Miller focused on increasing the joint mobility to Minick’s hip and knee–the two joints that the femur is part of–and increasing his strength. Although Minick’s muscles were not harmed, they were weak from disuse after surgery.

At Minick’s first physical therapy session, Miller worked with him on bending his knee further and easy exercises to activate the quadriceps muscle. Since the first session, Minick’s strength has improved and he no longer needs crutches or even has a limp. At the most recent session, Miller continued to focus on strengthening Minick’s muscles, but was able to prescribe more strenuous exercises including squats, lateral band walks, and calf raises because Minick’s legs were stronger. So far, according to Miller, Minick’s healing process has been right on track and is going quickly now.

“[Minick] is starting to progress at a quicker rate now which I think it partly due to swimming,” Miller said. “He is getting more core and muscle strengthening by being in the pool which is definitely helping his recovery.”

Minick has noticed the quicker healing and strengthening as well, which has been faster than he, and the other swimmers, expected.

“I think [my recovery] is going a little faster than the average… I’m definitely trying to get back as fast as possible because I have sports to look forward to this year,” Minick said.

McKenzie Swanson | Harbinger Online

“Now he’s able to finish an entire practice and he’s going the same speed as everybody else at practice which is great to see,” senior Andrew Hornung said.

Minick is comfortable in the water now, but certain things are still hard for him such as sprinting and starts.

“Getting my speed back up [is hard] because I can do aerobic right now with my pull but my speed relies a lot on my legs and my leg’s really weak right now,” Minick said.

As of now, Minick hopes to be able to begin practicing with the East swim team after winter break. Until then, he will practice with the KC Blazers and not participate in meets. Minick will continue his hard work in and out of the water so he will be ready to race for East come January.