Scrapper Nation

#4 Wake Forest 70, #1 Duke 68

2009-01-28T22:33:00.004-05:00

As predicted only a few hours earlier, Wake dominated Duke in the post outscoring the Blue Devlis 42-24 down low on the way to a huge ACC home victory. For a complete analysis of the game listen to the postgame podcast below. I'd also like to remind everyone that I will be available later tonight to chat live to discuss the game.

#1 Duke vs. #4 Wake Forest Preview

2009-01-28T17:30:00.002-05:00

There is a big game tonight as the #1 Duke Blue Devils travel to Winston-Salem for a top 5 showdown. After a long time thinking about this pick, I'm picking the Demon Deacons to pull off the upset. For my complete thoughts on the match-up listen to the pre-game podcast below. Post-game podcast will be up shortly after the game and I will be available to chat live later tonight:

Duke 83, Southern Illinois 58

2008-11-20T22:46:00.004-05:00

After committing double digit turnovers in the first half, Duke came out after the break and flat out dominated Southern Illinois. Gerald Henderson scored 20 points and appears to have snapped out of an early season funk, Brian Zoubek proved he can be a key contributor after putting the Blue Devils on his back in the first half, and Coach K proved once again why he is one of the best coaches ever. To hear my complete thoughts on Duke’ s 83-58 victory over Southern Illinois listen to the podcast below:

Since Duke has a big game tomorrow night, I will be online tomorrow chatting live in real time from 1-3 pm Eastern time. Just come to Scrapper Nation and use the Meebo chat application on the top right.

Tase Me Bro

2008-11-14T13:58:00.002-05:00

One of my friends volunteered to get tased last week and The Scrapper was there to catch it all on video and get a post-tasing interview. I'm going to The Swamp tomorrow to see the No.4 ranked Florida Gators (my preseason title pick) take on the no.25 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. I'll podcast from the game but in the meantime, enjoy watching Scott get tased...

Here is it from another angle (thanks Jen):

Blue-White Scrimmage

2008-10-19T22:13:00.005-04:00

There’s nothing like sitting 3^rd row behind the bench for the Blue-White scrimmage. I had the pleasure of doing just that on Saturday and served as the eyes and ears for Scrapper Nation. Enjoy the videos, pictures, and interview with heralded Duke recruit Ryan Kelly (all courtesy of The Scrapper's blackberry).

Format of the Scrimmage

The scrimmage was organized into two “second halves.” Each team started out with 45 points and every player started with 3 fouls. It’s obvious the major goal of the scrimmage was to work on late-game situations, a problem for recent Duke teams.

Notes

First Half-The Teams

Blue Team- Lance Thomas, Greg Paulus, Olek Czyz, Marty Pocius, Brian Zoubek, Jordan Davidson, and Elliot Williams
White Team-Nolan Smith, Gerald Henderson, Dave Mcclure, Jon Scheyer, Miles Plumlee, Kyle Singler, and Steve Johnson

1) It quickly became obvious that the white team’s roster was stacked. The trio of Henderson, Scheyer, and Singler, proved to be unstoppable.

2) In his first exposure to a true Cameroon-like atmosphere, Elliot Williams looked passive (not necessarily a bad thing at this stage, especially so considering he was being hounded on defense by Gerald Henderson).

3) Miles Plumlee appears very skilled for a freshman big man. He has a good left hand and looked confident in taking the ball, spinning, and kissing a left hand hook off the glass and in.

4) Everyone looks a little stronger and seem to be bearing the fruits of an intense summer workout regimen.

5) The new 3 point line (moved back a full foot) doesn't look like its going to affect shooting percentages too much.

At halftime the coaches switched the teams. New teams:

White-Paulus, Scheyer, Gerald, Lance, Singler, Elliot Williams
Blue-Jordan davidson, Marty, Nolan, Mcclure, Plumlee

6) Suprisingly, the blue team pulled of a shocking victory. How?

Nolan Smith looked great handling the ball and scrapped on defense (including blocking a 3 point shot attempt by Gerald Henderson). It was also great to see a healthy Marty Pocius play. He really contributed to the Blue Team’s victory in the second game. The big question is whether or not a healthy Marty will be given the opportunity to contribute.

Interview with Ryan Kelly (interview conducted by my friend Sumesh)

Ryan Kelly is a 6-9'', 210 lb. forward from Ravenscroft high school who is rated as one of the top players in next year's recruiting class and will be enrolling at Duke next fall.

Q: Ryan, are you going to be turning out to a lot of Duke games this year?

A: I'm going to try to go to as many as I can. Obviously my first priority is to my own games.

Q: When you're here watching the game, how do you think you watch the game differently than the average fan?

A: Once you've been playing for several years you get a better understanding of it all. You see the whole game not just the guy with the ball, you see the whole thing. I'd say a better understanding.

Q: How do your friends react to finding out that you're coming to Duke, any North Carolina fans?

A: Some of them love me some of them hate me. You know I think most people, even if they're Carolina fans, are going to root for me.

The Scrapper’s starting lineup:

Greg Paulus, Jon Scheyer, Gerald Henderson, Lance Thomas, and Kyle Singler.

Singler, Thomas, Zoubek, Plumlee, and Mcclure will form the rotation up front. Also look for Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams to be major contributors to the backcourt (hopefully Marty will also be able to contribute here).

The football game

I ended up going to the football game and although we lost, I think Duke really showed something by having the lead deep into the 3rd quarter against an extremely talented Miami team. Check out the video of the football team being recognized as they walk through Cameroon before the game.

Continued Dominance

2008-10-08T23:59:00.008-04:00

“There have been a lot of natural and man-made disasters on the water. The Titanic for instance, Tom Hanks in Castaway, but the biggest disaster I’ve ever seen on the water is the second year team…we were the iceberg to their titanic. We sunk ‘em dead in the water…it was awesome.”

-Tyler after consecutive victories over the 2^nd and 4^th year water polo teams

What do you get if you mix football, swimming, soccer, rugby, and wrestling?

Water Polo.

Yeah that’s right, water polo (watch the video at the bottom of this post for a quick instructional video). The Scrapper doesn’t know much about water polo but he knows that the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s 1^st year team might be the most dominant sports team in history (so dominant that the team managed to pull about 40 members of the 1^st year class to their latest beating).

The team pulled off two gargantuan wins in a row by thrashing the 2^nd years last Thursday and demolishing the 4^th years just last night. Listen to the podcast below and the recap of the beatings (Becca and Jessica provide the details).

Water Polo Podcast

Recap of victory over the 2^nd years

Before the previously undefeated 2^nd years knew what hit them, Becca Ur and Kip Byrum scored on back to back bombs. Obviously toying with the struggling 2^nd year team, the first years held off scoring again until the second quarter when John Vossler erupted for two Gretsky-like scores aided by the multitalented Trey Godwin (Trey also had a 60 yard run for the 1^st year flag football team tonight as they advanced in the playoffs). During the second quarter, Trey “the game changer” Godwin scored again. With the game already decided, the fourth quarter passed quickly with John Vossler completing a hat trick.

Recap of victory over the 4^th years

Following this victory over the second years, the MS1 class began playoff competition, playing the MS4 class for their first match. The notoriety of the first years had spread, resulting in a colossal crowd witnessing Tuesday night’s victory. Excellent goal keeping support was provided by Jason Paluzzi, with the final score as 8-3. While the 4^th year team was definitely larger, more experienced, and favoring a European form of beachwear, the 1^st years proved which class has the title of athletic superiority.

In the words of Tyler Pace, “We were the iceberg to their Titanic”.

Presidential Quote of the Day

“It solidifies our dominance over the medical school classes in pretty much every sport overall…it’s good to dominate everybody”

-Jimmy Turner, 1st year Class President

Happy Birthday Mr. President.

Water Polo Video

60,000 Hites

2008-10-05T21:59:00.010-04:00

Just a few days ago Scrapper Nation crossed the 60,000 hit plateau. It’s an important milestone that couldn’t have been possible without all of you, the loyal readers of Scrapper Nation that have stuck with The Scrapper and kept coming back for more.

In response to the many emails I’ve received from readers who could care less about The Scrapper’s flag football exploits (although many of you have commended my smack talking skills), I’m devoting today’s post to real football.

Panthers 34, Chiefs 0

Today turned out to be a big day for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers pummeled the Chiefs on the back of Deangelo Williams’ 123 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. The Panthers should be proud of an effort that was without a doubt the most dominating performance to date of the current NFL season.

What word comes to mind in describing this Panthers team?

Balance.

The running game features two first round picks in Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. The Panthers have quickness, agility, and game breaking speed in Deangelo Williams while Jonathan Stewart has proven himself to be the rugged, strong back that Carolina has been searching for since the Stephen Davis era.

At wide receiver, the re-arrival of Muhsin Muhammad as well as the addition of D.J. Hackett have given the Panthers legitimate threats to complement Steve Smith.

Along with upgrading skill position players and a steadied offensive line, The Panthers defense has been nothing but exceptional all year. Last year’s Panthers squad had a big problem with their rush defense. With a rejuvenated Julius Peppers, the Panthers have yet to concede a 100 yard rushing game to an opposing running back. It’s quite an accomplishment when you consider the quality of running backs the Panthers have already gone up against this season: LaDainian Tomlinson, Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, and Larry Johnson.

But you know what jersey I’m wearing to school tomorrow?

That’s right, no. 17-Jake (the snake) Delhomme. Before the season began I was nervous about how well Jake would be able to perform after having off-season Tommy John’s surgey. Delhomme is the first starting quarterback to have undergone the surgery and his chances of a full recovery weren’t certain. Jake has put all of my fears to rest with a calmness and serenity in the pocket that I haven’t ever seen from him. He has made good decisions and been the key to the Panthers’ newfound offensive firepower.

At this point in the season I think it’s safe to say that the Panthers are one of the elite teams in the NFC (along with every team in the NFC East).

Power rankings coming soon...

Reaching the Mountaintop

2008-10-01T00:40:00.003-04:00

"Well I think no matter what it establishes us as the dominant force to be reckoned with in the med school. Obviously you can’t argue with a 3-0 record and when you’ve beaten two teams of older med school students... they got seniority on us but we sure as hell have the athleticism."

--Scott after having defeated both 2nd year med school flag football teams

It's rare to have a team that is completely dominant, undoubtedly superior, and utterly invincible. The Pats were almost that team last year, Duke Basketball does it every year, and the Wake Forest Medical School Class of 2012 Flag Football team did it tonight. And when you reach that mountain top, it’s time to talk some smack.

A week ago today, I talked about how the 1st year medical students pulled off an unbelievable upset victory over the highly hyped 2nd year medical school team (click here for a recap of that victory). Tonight, the 1st year medical students cemented their comprehensive dominance over the 2nd years by coming away with a hard fought, knock down, grind it out victory to bolster their record to 3-0 on the season.

Listen to the podcast below for post-game interviews with Ed (starting quarterback), Trey (middle linebacker/defensive coordinator) and Scott (after an LT-esque performance).

Play of the game

Before tonight I’d been going back and forth trying to decide whether the best single football play ever was the end of the Cal/Stanford game when the band started marched out on the field or the end of the Boise St./Oklahoma game a couple of years ago. After the trickery we put on tonight, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that the Wake Med 1st year students put together the single best football play in history. The breakdown:

Ed’s at QB, Scott is in the slot, and Carey’s split out wide. After the snap Carey immediately starts running a hitch and stops. As soon as Ed throws a backward pass to Scott (who runs across the line and back a few yards), Carey ditches his receiver and takes off and the two connect for a 60 yard bomb that will forever be remembered as the best play in history.

Key to the game

The 2nd years brought a lot of passion and intensity to the game tonight and made key adjustments to keep the game close. After being under intense pressure the first few series from the 1st year defensive ends (Trey, Carey, and The Scrapper), the 2nd years dropped back into the shotgun and took advantage of short dump down passes to pulling lineman. Eventually, the athleticism of the 1st year students was what sealed the victory.

College Football Recap

2008-09-28T01:34:00.009-04:00

What a wild weekend in college football.

Oregon State shocked no.1 USC, Ole Miss took down no.4 Florida, and Alabama routed Georgia 41-30

But the most shocking score of all:

Duke 31 Virginia 3

Listen to the podcast below for my complete thoughts on this crazy weekend in college football.

The Ultimate Win

2008-09-24T01:31:00.003-04:00

What do Hoosiers, Rudy, App St. beating Michigan, anytime Duke loses in basketball, and the Wake Forest Med School first year flag football team’s victory tonight all have in common?

The Underdog pulled off the shocker

Backlog

A few of us first year med students put together a flag football team for a league here at Wake. We didn’t really know what we were doing and barely squeaked out a win in our first game on Sunday. We knew we had the odds stacked against us for our second game against the big and bad second year med school team. This team had been ridiculously hyped up. They won their first game 19-0 on Sunday and had as their starting quarterback the president of the student government (who spent his college days as a backup quarterback at Davidson). We heard about how they had speed, strength, and 14 guys to shuffle in and out to keep their team fresh. And they had already played a whole year together.

Game Plan

We showed up with 8 guys (7 players on the field at one time) and immediately decided to install a new defense. We put 3 guys on the line and rushed 2 with the other guy on the line dropping back as a middle linebacker. We figured we’d have to bring some pressure on the quarterback and mix up our looks or he would just pick us apart. The defensive backs played a cover 2.

The plan for the offense was to take advantage of short dump down passes and to eat up clock.

The Shocker

We got the ball first and immediately drove the ball down the field and scored a touchdown (big time catch by Trey).

First play on defense The Scrapper (yours truly) drops back into coverage, picks off the QB, and takes it to the 2. We punch it in.

Defensive stand.

Touchdown us.

At the half we were up 20-0 but were fortunate that the other team’s qb hadn’t hit his stride yet. Second half came and they got to as close as 20-15 but with back to back sacks (including The Scrapper’s game-ending sack), we cruised to victory. And the first year med school class pulled off the ultimate shocker.

Players of the game

Ed (our qb-played quick and smart), Trey (defensive coordinator/stud), Carey (sack artist/sickest athlete ever), Jimmy (great coverage/spiritual leader), Brent(lockdown corner), Nick(reads QB’s eyes/cerebral), Scott (made the sickest no-look lateral pass in the history of flag football)…

It’s 1 in the morning and I’m still wired. I’m jacked up man. What a big time win.

Random Videos of the Day

“…I wanted to do hood rat stuff with my friends”

-7 year old Latarian Milton after driving away and getting into an accident in his grandmother’s car (see below).

That’s old news, Laterian is back in the news over some chicken wings…see below…

A Savage Beating

2008-09-22T05:44:00.005-04:00

Dolphins 38, Patriots 13.

Punctuated by Ronnie Brown's 2 yard touchdown run, Ronnie Brown's 15 yard touchdown scramble, Ronnie Brown's 5 yard touchdown run, Ronnie Brown's 19 yard touchdown pass, and Ronnie Brown's 62 yard touchdown burst, the Dolphins bent the Patriots over on Sunday in Foxborough.

Tom Brady didn't play. Laurence Maroney was out with a shoulder injury. That's all well and good, but the Patriots defense was healthy, and they got completely abused for 60 minutes.

After looking like a little league team against the Cardinals last week, the Dolphins went into Gilette Stadium as laughable underdogs and played a perfect game of football, flat-out embarrassing the Patriots and handing them their first regular season defeat in 22 games.

The way the Dolphins won was just as unexpected as the final score. Using the 'Wildcat' offense, developed by quarterbacks coach David Lee while at Arkansas, the Dolphins repeatedly flummoxed the Patriots defense by lining Chad Pennington up at receiver and direct snapping it to Ronnie Brown. After it worked the first time, resulting in Miami's first score, fans on Dolphins message boards were reluctant to celebrate, believing that New England would adjust and that the Dolphins would have to find a way to score without relying on gimmick plays.

The gimmick play worked, over and over and over, resulting in 3 touchdowns in the first half alone, and alleged football genius Bill Belichick, mastermind of the vaunted Patriots defense, could do nothing to stop it.

Players of the game: Ronnie Brown (5 touchdowns), Joey Porter (3 sacks, backed up his trash talk), and Jake Long (dominated the Patriots defensive line all day, pictured below at the combine)

Are we seeing the start of something legitimate?

After last week, everyone (myself included) gave the Dolphins up for dead, expecting another season similar to last year's 1-15 nightmare. Things are looking a little bit different now. If the Dolphins can produce anything close to the level of play they displayed yesterday, they will be in the mix for the AFC East crown.

I'm not going to be foolish enough to predict a playoff berth now, but at the very least, this team has serious potential, and with Bill Parcells continuing to tinker with the roster, and Tony Sparano seemingly coming into his own as an NFL head coach, the sky is the limit for the Dolphins in the years to come. We are finally on the right track.

Having suffered through the last half decade as a Dolphins fan, it brings me immense relief to be able to honestly make that statement.

Memo to The Nation: The Scrapper is Back

2008-09-14T12:36:00.007-04:00

I’d first like to apologize to the loyal members and followers of Scrapper Nation who have written me repeatedly over the last few months urging my return. Frankly, between applying to medical school, being involved in a bunch of extracurricular commitments, and trying to live up senior year, it was difficult for me to give Scrapper Nation everything it deserved.

What’s The Scrapper up to these days?

I’m actually a first year student at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and halfway through Anatomy- an introductory 12 week boot camp-like course where you dissect and learn everything in the human body. For me, it’s been without a doubt the most grueling, intense, and demanding period of my life.

Then why back to the Nation? Why now?

It’s a good question. I’ve never been busier, never been more exhausted; some days you wake up at 6 am and you don’t go to sleep till midnight and the only thing you’re doing is studying the whole day. Sometimes you lie in bed trying to go to sleep and the only thing you can think about is powerpoint slides or a group of nerves that won’t stop rushing through your mind (kind of like how Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are going to rush all over the Bears today). It’s easy to let school take over, to become a robot, and to lose your sense and perspective on life and what makes you happy. And you know what makes me happy? What will never cease to bring a smile to my face?

Jake Delhomme looking like he’s the best quarterback in the NFL.

The Panthers marching the ball down the field to score a game winning touchdown with 0 seconds left on the clock to shock the Super Bowl-favorite San Diego Chargers.

Steve Smith, D.J. Hackett, Muhsin Mohammed, Dwayne Jarret, Rosario + Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart creating one of the most dynamic offenses in the league.

My Fantasy team dropping 140 points (thank you Wille Parker).

Duke Football winning as many games this season (2-1 right now!) as they’ve won in the last 3 years combined.

12 gold medals around Coach K’s neck (how is that not an NCAA violation? Oh man…)

Sports. It’s the light of my life. And I’ve realized that no matter how difficult I think my life is, how low or down you might feeling, we all need to turn to something that we love to get us through. The Scrapper’s hopping back on board, ready to give the world his unfiltered thoughts. I’m not going to promise to write everyday, every other day, or even every week. There might be a tough period where I go away for a little while (read: med school is hard). But don’t worry, I’ll come back (and so should you).

I’ll be here live today from 1-4 pm if any of you want to chat about anything going on in The Sports World (see the Meebo application on the right).

UNC Wins ACC Regular Season Title

2008-03-08T23:29:00.002-05:00

UNC 76 Duke 68

With a chance to win the ACC Regular Season title Saturday night, Duke came out flat. The Blue Devils weren’t there mentally in the first half as UNC built an 11 point halftime lead. After leading a valiant second half come back, Duke went to sleep again at the end of the game to choke away yet another close contest; a familiar sight for Duke fans.

Did Duke really just blow another game?

My complete thoughts:

Duke loses again: #4 Duke vs. Miami Podcast

2008-02-21T08:34:00.003-05:00

Duke 95 Miami 96

Duke dropped its second straight game in conference play after putting on an ugly, turnover-prone performance. My thoughts on the game and the recent skid:

#2 Duke vs. Wake Forest Podcast

2008-02-18T00:03:00.002-05:00

Duke 73 Wake Forest 86

The Demon Deacons put on a tremendous performance. My thoughts on the game:

#2 Duke vs. #3 UNC Halftime Podcast

2008-02-06T22:02:00.001-05:00

Duke 42
UNC 39

It's been a frenetic first half. As predicted, Duke has done a good job of forcing turnovers, scoring in transition, and shooting the ball from outside. Carolina has been all over the boards and dominated down low.

In order to win, Duke needs to continue to shoot the ball well and do a better job of holding their own in the post.

More thoughts:

#3 Duke vs. N.C. State Postgame Podcast

2008-01-31T23:25:00.000-05:00

Duke 92
N.C. State 72

What else can you say about Greg Paulus? The guy put the whole team on his back and wouldn't let Duke lose. A few big-time 3 pointers, a big steal, a behind the back pass to Singler for a dunk, and exceptional defense. Paulus played out of his mind. More thoughts on the game below...

NFL Divisional Playoff Preview

2008-01-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

We're coming up on two great days of football. This week's divisional playoffs feature some incredible matchups. Here are my picks, for game analysis and commentary listen to the divisional playoff podcast.

Packers over Seahawks

Patriots over Jaguars

Colts over Chargers

Giants over Cowboys

Wild Card Weekend Picks

2008-01-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

Wild Card Weekend is upon us. I’m picking the lower seed in three of this week’s four playoff matchups. My picks and explanations below.

Fiesta Bowl Halftime Podcast

2008-01-02T22:14:00.000-05:00

You know what I love about the New Year? Big-time bowl games! #9 West Virginia is looking like they are in position to pull off the upset over #4 Oklahoma. Here are some halftime thoughts:

Panthers vs. Buccanears Recap

2007-12-30T16:33:00.000-05:00

The Scrapper here in Tampa, Florida reporting after the Bucs-Panthers NFC South showdown:

Memphis has the look of a champion

2007-12-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

Wow. Memphis just showed me that without a doubt they are the best team in America and the favorite to win the national title. Here are my thoughts about the thumping they just gave to #4 Georgetown and about their chances going forward.

As promised, here is the Derrick Rose freakshow youtube video. This might be the most impressive high school highlight I have ever seen.

A Great Day in Sports

2007-12-22T11:44:00.000-05:00

I'm finally starting to get over the Pitt loss. It exposed a lot of Duke's weaknesses, notably our inexperience and lack of an inside presence. What I'm interested in seeing now is the changes that Coach K makes in the next few games. He's the master of pushing the right buttons and it will be fun to see how he mixes up the starting lineup, rotation, playing time, etc. I'm confident the team will emerge stronger.

In the meantime, I'm excited about enjoying a great day on the couch watching some big time games. The college football bowl season is starting to get in gear but today is a big-time college basketball day.

Here's my television viewing schedule for the day:

12:00 pm- #2 Memphis vs. #4 Georgetown

Talk about a big-time college basketball game in December. I love Roy Hibbert and the Princeton offense. Watch for Georgetown's guards and zone defense to make the difference in this one.

2:00 pm- #12 Tennessee vs. #24 Xavier

I always enjoy watching Chris Lofton play and I've only read great things about Xavier's Drew Lavender. Expect this one to be a shootout.

4:00 pm- Florida at Ohio State

Although both teams are in rebuilding mode, I'll watch a rematch of last year's championship game anyday.

6:30 pm- #5 Texas vs. #10 Michigan State

How are the Longhorns better sans Mr. Durant? Anyone? I've been hearing a lot of good things about D.J. Augustine, it'll be fun to watch this kid.

8:15 pm- My Carolina Panthers vs. Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo, T.O., and the Cowboys seem distracted. This has been a tough year to be a Panthers fan, but I'll be cheering for my boys (especially now that we've won enough games to guarantee we won't get a really high draft pick). Here's an idea, put Steve Smith at quarterback and run the option. Why not, we've given everyone else a shot.

Off to the couch!

#7 Duke vs. #9 Pitt Postgame Podcast

2007-12-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

I'm in utter disbelief right now.

#7 Duke vs. #9 Pitt Halftime Podcast

2007-12-20T20:02:00.000-05:00