The game grabbed Shane Proulx’s attention, causing him to sit up and take notice.
In 2019, the “League of Legends” World Championship took place across three international locations (Madrid, Berlin, Paris) with 24 teams from around the globe competing for the grand prize. After a grueling tournament, the final match pitting team FunPlus Phoenix (China) against team G2 eSports (Europe) was viewed by over 100 million people, eclipsing the viewership of that year’s Super Bowl by nearly three million! When a hard-fought League of Legends match ended, team FunPlus Phoenix claimed victory and the $834,375 purse … eSports had officially arrived.
At Beecher High School, Ja’Kobe Derricks was a fleet-footed, sure-handed defensive back who gave opposing offenses nightmares. His gridiron skills made Derricks an All-Stater. His feet carried him to a 100-meter dash state championship, running a time (10.78 seconds) bettered by only five others in Genesee County history. Nearly three years after last suiting up for the Buccaneers, Derricks found himself longing to again experience the full-contact competition and camaraderie football offers.
While growing up in Ashton-in-Makerfield, situated roughly 18 miles east of Liverpool in central England, Andy Wagstaff envisioned the trajectory he hoped his soccer career would take.
Davison wrestler Cam Freeman was hanging on. With the state championship in the balance and a one-point lead, he was on the ropes. His Detroit Catholic Central opponent had turned the tide and was threatening to take the lead with 15 seconds left. Shouting encouragement and watching the clock, Freeman’s Davison teammates were frantic. Scrambling, he continued to thwart his opponent and when the clock struck zero, Davison was once again the best in the state. The team erupted in triumph, jumping and hugging each other. The battle against DCC was over with Davison victorious. For first-year Coach, Zac Hall, it was a fitting end to a trying, yet incredible year. “That match just about gave me a heart attack,” he says. “The last 15 seconds were absolutely crazy! Freeman looked dead to rights, but he’s a Davison Cardinal and he fought through it. That state finals match-up was one of the best of my life. I may be biased but, in my opinion, it was one of the top five best finals of all time – two titans going head-to-head. It was great.”
Roy Marble, Trent Tucker, Glen Rice, Deanna Nolen, Charlie Bell, Mo Peterson, Mateen Cleaves, Jeff Grayer, Pam & Paula McGee, Monte Morris, Demetrius Calip, Desmon Farmer, Linnell Jones-McKenney – the list goes on and on. The number of exceptional basketball players and teams from the small city of Flint is astounding and an outlier when compared to cities of its size. Basketball and Flint go hand-in-hand and its reputation for the game is legendary. “The city’s reputation in basketball has helped us tremendously and we have players asking to come here,” says Kevin Mays, Team Market Owner of the newly formed Flint United Basketball franchise. “Basketball is a sport synonymous with Flint and we want to continue the tradition. A professional team in Flint just made perfect sense.”
The team was beaming at halftime of the Division 7 State Championship football game. Playing at Ford Field, the New Lothrop Hornets ended the first half up 35-7 against perennial championship contender, the Traverse City St. Francis Gladiators. The Hornets seemed unstoppable, but Coach Clint Galvas did his best to calm the team – they still had an entire half to play and anything could happen. “It was the best half we played all year,” stated the veteran coach. “The guys were feeling pretty good and I felt like we lost focus a little bit.” That’s understandable, as New Lothrop had absolutely dominated the first half. They scored quickly and often, holding the St. Francis rushing attack to a single touchdown. New Lothrop held the ball for only a quarter of the first half and that was all they needed to build a lead. “We really weren’t sure what adjustments to make,” explained Galvas. “We weren’t yet sure what they were trying to do.” New Lothrop buzzed into the second half with the trophy in sight; however, St. Francis wasn’t about to let it go easily.
Willie Mack III was eight holes into his PGA Tour debut January 28 when The Golf Channel’s cameras found him.
Clutching a flag and sporting a Detroit Red Wings jersey, 13-year-old Jon Merrill was awestruck as he waited in the tunnel at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena prior to a 2005 playoff game. The Holy Family seventh-grader had been chosen as a flag bearer for the contest and was moments away from skating a lap around the ice in front of a typically raucous postseason crowd.
As the final horn blared at Game 6 of the NBA Finals last October, the Los Angeles Lakers came together on the court and began celebrating their first NBA Championship in ten years. Among them were JaVale McGee and Kyle Kuzma, who both rose from humble beginnings in Flint to reach the NBA. They were raised by single mothers who made tremendous sacrifices to help their boys realize their dreams. McGee and Kuzma soon embraced each other amid the celebration. “Winning it for Flint, baby!” said McGee as he turned toward Kuzma.
Just east of Toronto on the shore of Lake Ontario in his hometown of Pickering, Brennan Othmann spent hockey’s offseason finding ways to stick to a disciplined training regimen.
Most people can answer that simple question without much thought. Chris Thibo is not one of those people. “Very good question. Let me see,” he says while beginning to walk through his Holly home. “We have six in the house and then, let’s step out into the garage so I can count those.”
