My story in today's News is part of series in which we're looking at some of the most inspirational stories of the year. It's on Deshanaro "Day-Day" Morris.
Part of my story is the speech that Dick Gallagher -- the patron saint of WNY high school football -- gave in awarding Day-Day the "Player of the Decade" award.
It's not the greatest video in the world -- you can't even see Day-Day from where I was sitting, which was at the front, near the podium. This was a surprise part of the banquet, so I didn't want to run across the hall with my iPhone.
But it's the audio and the crowd reaction that matters. Here it is:
Today's story is one that I was certainly glad to write. It was special to follow this year's Sweet Home team, and Day-Day, all the way to another state title.
Here are some links that tell the story of Day-Day, and Sweet Home's season: the accident; Day-Day comes home from hospital; season preview; Sweet Home blows by Iroquois; Panthers surge past Grand Island at The Ralph; Sweet Home beats Aquinas again; heading back to the Dome.
For the state final preview, I wrote about how Day-Day remained a leader for this year's Panthers.
Here's the state championship story ... here is the outstanding audio slide show and state title page ... and here is Pat McMahon being named the Player of the Year.
Here's Day-Day after the state championship victory:
Here's what has become part of Day-Day's cell phone message, another video that is more about the audio -- Tashard Choice's speech to his Georgia Tech teammates before Tech upset Clemson in 2007.
---Keith McShea
tagged
High school football | Sweet Home | Video
