Grady Gallagher | Blogger

Each summer one of my favorite events to watch other than the NBA playoffs, the NHL playoffs, golf, Cubs’ games (new addition this year), and AG’s JV baseball games is the ESPY’s. Fun fact: the ESPY’s were the event that sparked my obsession with Justin Timberlake. If you remember the summer of 2008 well (Also called the “Brett Favre Saga Summer”) I suggest wasting 10 minutes of your life here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c48JtDNRydE . The fact that 2008 was seven years ago BLOWS MY MIND.

It’s always fun to look back at old ESPY videos as they award some of the best athletes of the year and you think to yourself, “HAHAHAHA! Eli Manning was a relevant NFL QB in 2008! What happened?”

Anyway, I usually rank the top plays of the sports year at BV but due to complications this year (student teaching, the grind, and being friends with people who let you golf for free), I didn’t think I had enough ammo to count down top plays. So, instead, I welcome you to The Tack’s edition of the ESPY’s for the 2014-2015 school year. (Remember, I’m biased towards basketball. Deal with it.)

Best Game- BVU vs Simpson
(Honorable Mention: BVU Men’s Basketball vs Gustavus)

The most entertaining football game I’ve ever watched (not been apart of) was this past October’s clash between the Beavers and the Storm. This was the day Gunner Gilland broke most of BV’s receiving records (none held by Chase Weaver) and I think Bobby Brown threw for 900 yards. Paul and I’s Simpson friends informed us of their weak secondary in prior weeks so we went straight to Bobby and sat him down just as Jon Gruden does with, say Tyler Thigpen, on Quarterback Camp. Let’s just say, he took our word for it. BV scored it’s final points of the game on a 47 yard bomb from Brown to Gronk, but the day’s biggest play was still to come. Simpson drove the field twice in the 4th quarter in which they scored and settled for a field goal. BV’s offense couldn’t run out the clock and Simpson was driving again, down 38-31 with under a minute left near the BV 30 yard line. I’ll never forget, Weeden leaned over to me before the play and said, “The Grinder has got to make a play here.” Of course he was talking about Derek Schwartz (#9, senior, Harlan Alum, outside backer) whom we ate lunch with daily and always asked about the upcoming game. As I literally asked him the same questions every day at lunch and he never caught on, I expected the same answer on this day (the Friday before the Simpson game), but he suddenly looked at me with intensity. He leaned across the table and whispered in my ear, “I am…… the Grindfather.” All of this going through my head and Simpson snaps the ball. Their QB (last name Berkey and brother of, friend and BV alum, Brooke) drops back and looks to his right, the far side of the field. He launches a laser towards an outside receiver running a 10-and-in route toward the middle of the field. Oh nooooo, YESSSSSSSSSSSS. INTERCEPTED BY SCHWARTZ!!! INTERCEPTED BY SCHWARTZ! The crowd went nuts as #9 fell to the ground and secured the victory. The senior backer was emotional running off the field towards the home crowd. It was amazing. Weeden kept trying to be that guy saying “Grinddddddddddddddd!!!!” (Remember, this was when we were immature 1st semester seniors. That nonsense would never happen now.) (PFFFFFFFFFFFF) I wish I could write the chant coming from the BV student section started by, none other than, my whitty roommate. Unfortunately, you had to be there. Since that day, I believe Schwartz and I have been cursed with an eternal bond. He must always throw up the deuces when he sees me, and I must always remember the legend of the “Grindfather.”

Record Breaking Performance- Seth Woodson
(Honorable Mention: Bobby Brown and Gunner Gilland)

Two press release cut outs from Seth’s races:
Senior Seth Woodson capped off his stellar indoor track and field season on Saturday afternoon with his fourth place finish at the NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field Championships held in Winston Salem, N.C.
He crossed the finish line in 1:54.81 and was only .70 from a top-three spot. The winning time of 1:51.94 was by Tufts’ Mitchell Black.
Woodson becomes the program’s first indoor All-American since 2009 and its the highest-ever indoor finish for a Beaver in the 800m run.

And

Buena Vista senior Seth Woodson put his name in the Beaver record books yet again on Thursday as he broke the school record in the 800 meter run inside of Drake Stadium as he took part in the 2015 Drake Relays.
The previous outdoor record was set by Woodson himself back in 2013 (1:51.52). On Thursday during an event made up primarily of Division I athletes, he clipped that mark by crossing the finish line in 1:51.29 and placing sixth overall. In the process, he climbed to seventh in Division III and earned himself a spot in the upcoming NCAA Outdoor National Championships.
Earlier this year, Woodson became an All-American in the indoor 800 meter run and also set a new school record in that event.

I honestly wonder if I raced Seth, how many lengths he would beat me by. Not meters, lengths. That’s a horse racing term.

Best Play

This was the best play at BV this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFKIw9Mbmj0

(Smiles when there is more than one video when you youtube “Nick Wuebker.” Enjoy.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yGe_WzTY10

So enthusiastic. So polished. I am genuinely upset no one does this after BV games for any sport. I’m nominating this as Best Post-Game Interview Ever!

Breakthrough Team and Best Upset: BVU Volleyball

It’s great when you can knock out two awards with one team. Obviously Coach Slight did a tremendous job with this young team to get them to the Conference Tournament final. The upset I’m talking about was their 3-1 thrashing of Wartburg at Wartburg to make the final and get some heads to turn. It will be interesting to see what the team can do next year, even though they lose senior leader Jordan Henningsen. Although, I was always curious to why no one notified her that her jersey top never matched the rest of the team’s. Must be a tennis and volleyball thing, wearing mismatching uniforms and whatnot.

This is the end of Part 1 of the Beaver ESPYS. Tune in Monday for Part II!!

Thanks for reading!!!!!