Preise » hen her teammates tell her to stick to basketball

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Andre Roberts believes in second chances. Fortunately for the Lions receiver, quarterback Matthew Stafford is willing to dish them out.Roberts, who signed a one-year contract with Detroit in June after being cut by the Redskins, made a crucial 20-yard reception late in Sundays game to set up the go-ahead touchdown in a 20-17 win over Washington.Detroit trailed by four with less than a minute left and Roberts delivered, leaping high for a 12-yard pass from Stafford. He tipped the ball to himself, brought it down and ran an additional eight yards to the Redskins 18. Two plays later, Stafford connected with Anquan Boldin for an 18-yard touchdown, giving the Lions (4-3) their third consecutive victory in dramatic fashion.Roberts acrobatic grab provided redemption after he dropped a deep pass in the second quarter.It was a very fine bounce-back catch, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said Monday. Often times, you dont get that opportunity.Roberts only had four receptions for 29 yards entering Sundays game against his former team.Were all human, he said. We might drop one ball every once in a while, but were going to get the opportunity to catch another one. Things happen so fast in a game. I completely forgot about it.Roberts had to make an adjustment on the fourth-quarter reception when Staffords throw sailed a little high.You concentrate the same, whether you catch it the first time or bobble it, Roberts said. I just wanted to come down with the catch, regardless of how it was being caught.Boldin was not surprised by Roberts ability to rebound in a critical situation.That was big for us, but we expected that out of him, Boldin said. I dont think Matt hesitated to go back to Dre, just because he had a drop. Matt is pretty confident with the guys we have out there. Hes going to give you a chance.Roberts has been a welcome addition, giving the Lions a versatile receiver in the post-Calvin Johnson era, plus an important special teams player. Roberts, among the NFL leaders in punt returns, had an 85-yard touchdown return at Chicago in Week 4. Detroit made room for Roberts on its 53-man roster by trading receiver Jeremy Kerley to San Francisco in late August and cutting TJ Jones.Hes learning, developing, Caldwell said of Roberts. Hes an integral part of what we do. Were lining up in four wides more than weve done previously; thats because we think hes certainly capable. He even returns punts and kicks. Very important role he plays.Getting targets from Stafford can prove difficult with so many playmakers on the Lions offense. Receiver Marvin Jones leads with 33 receptions, followed by Boldin (32), Golden Tate (31), Theo Riddick (26) and Eric Ebron (18). Riddick missed the last two games with an ankle injury and Ebron missed three games with ankle and knee issues.I have to keep myself in the game, keep myself involved, Roberts said. I come in for the other guys, so I am involved. I play every position. I understand that my role may be limited, but I have to make the most of my opportunities.Making a big play against the Redskins was even more rewarding.It was definitely sweet being against my old team, Roberts said. Getting a win and making a pretty big catch in the game, it feels good. Kerry Wood Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. Kendall Graveman Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. 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Yu Darvish Jersey . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Ever since she was 5 years old, ears have surrounded Samantha Brunelle when she hits the basketball court. Now that shes the highest-ranked sophomore basketball prospect in the nation, all eyes -- including two that belong to Geno Auriemma -- are upon her.Some say scoring is in her nature, and the Brunelle family traces that to their vast backyard.A decade ago, Rod and Katie Brunelle put down asphalt and put up a portable hoop so their only child could hoist a few shots in their vast backyard. The Brunelles live on a 300-acre family farm at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Ruckersville, Virginia.Samanthas uncle Billy runs the farm -- countless dairy cows and turkeys -- but Samantha handles the basketball department, honing her game on a half court surrounded on three sides by enough corn to make an Iowan envious.A year ago, Brunelles mother surprised her by painting white lines on the asphalt court. Free throws, 3-pointers, out of bounds -- they were all marked. Katie went even further by painting a yellow 33 inside the free throw area.That court is amazing, said Samantha, who wears No. 33 for her high school team. I put my headphones on, and I can shoot, and I can think. Its a peaceful time for me.That court represents utopia for Brunelle, but it has helped cause chaos for her opponents. As a freshman at William Monroe (Stanardsville, Virginia) last season, she broke two state records. Her 28 rebounds set the single-game Virginia mark, and her 650 points crushed the state record for points in a season by a freshman.Undeclared for college, Brunelle averaged 23.8 points, 17.5 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She matched her uniform number and scored 33 points in her high school debut. She had a high of 52 points last season. The Central Virginia Player of the Year, she had a game in which she went 18-for-18 from the foul line.Her numbers explode off the page, and thats despite the fact that she faced constant double-teams and junk defenses, William Monroe coach Jess Stafford said. Theres nothing you can do at this level to keep her from putting the ball in the basket. Its in her nature to score.Hoops above allThat nature, of course, has a lot to do with Samanthas parents.Rod, now a realtor, was a 6-foot-3, 215-pound outfielder and first baseman. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 15th round in 1985 but never made it past Class A ball. He averaged .277 and hit 21 homers over four seasons.Katie, now the principal at William Monroe Middle School, was a 5-foot-10 post player at Division III Bridgewater College in Virginia. She later became the head high school basketball coach at Orange County (Orange, Virginia) before settling in as an administrator.Between Rods love for baseball and Katies devotion to basketball, it was mom who knew best. When the couple took newborn Samantha home from the hospital, the baby girl was wearing a pink dress and tiny, white, high-top sneakers.She was going to be a basketball player, Katie said with a laugh.Brunelle tried other sports. She competed in travel softball and volleyball leagues, and she was an aggressive hitter in both those endeavors. But there was something about basketball.One day when she was in seventh grade, Brunelle came home from practice and told her mom she wanted to be the best basketball player in the country. Katie explained that reaching that goal would take hard work and laser focus. The next day, Samantha announced to her parents that she was quitting softball and volleyball to devote her athletic energies to basketball and her quest to be the best.ddddddddddddA unique tasteDespite all her basketball success, Brunelle is still a kid at heart.Ive never seen her have a bad day, Rod said.She has a go-kart -- it has some fender damage from when she drove it off an embankment -- and she has had loads of fun driving. She loves to joke around; telling people their shoelaces are untied when they actually arent is one of her favorite gags.She enjoys dancing, even when her teammates tell her to stick to basketball. At the very least, shes unafraid to try any move and post it on Twitter. Her latest attempt is Hit the Quan.I know the move, Brunelle said. Whether it looks good or not, I dont know.More than go-karts, practical jokes and dance moves, she loves ketchup. She puts it on just about any food, and she makes sure shes never too far from her favorite condiment.I always keep a few packets in my purse, she said. And I keep a miniature tube in my locker and in my lunch box -- just in case.Her penchant for ketchup sometimes disrupts her clean basketball look.I was wearing a white jersey, Brunelle said in citing an example. I was eating a hot dog at Jasons Deli, and my coach told me, Dont get any stains on your uniform. Sure enough, on my first bite, I got ketchup all over my jersey.It happens every time.Strong rootsTheres more to Brunelle than ketchup stains and dance moves, though. Shes an excellent student, with a 4.25 GPA. Shes interested in studying business and communications. A recent presentation won her third place in the state as part of the Future Business Leaders of America.In July, she culminated her impressive freshman year by helping USAs U17 team win a bronze medal at the FIBA world championships in Zaragoza, Spain. It was her first trip abroad but likely not her last.She got her first college scholarship offer when she was in seventh grade (Wake Forest), and Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma has already been to two of her practices. But Brunelle, who plays AAU ball for the Boo Williams program and coach Mike Davis, said its too early to decide where she will enroll. She plans to take several official visits in the next few months -- she has already visited a handful, including Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas -- to start exploring her choices.Even so, she remains humble. When USA Basketball invited her to their U17 Colorado tryouts in May, Brunelle, playing against older girls, surprised herself by making the team.She received an even bigger shock when she returned home from Colorado. Hundreds of Greene County residents lined the streets to celebrate her accomplishment. She received a police escort once she crossed the county line, and that took her to her high school, where more friends awaited.There were a massive amount of people with signs saying, Sam, we love you! Stafford said. There was a guy with a tractor who had a sign. There were people on pickup trucks. There were news crews waiting for her at school.Sam had tears of joy. She had no idea this was coming. Shes a humble kid who just happens to be pretty good at basketball.Brunelles police escort went down Route 33, naturally.Its nice coming from a small town, she said. I have a community that is so loving and caring. I wouldnt want to be anywhere else. ' ' '