“Torrential rains and constant lightning backed the kickoff at Bible Memorial Stadium from 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM. Midway took on 5A foe Vista Ridge in Leander. Midway lit up the scoreboard first with a field goal by Austin McDaniel. Despite the wet conditions, Midway was airing it out in the first and second quarters. Midway’s Ryan Smith tossed a beautiful touchdown pass to Anthony Betters on a hitch-and-go route. Late in the second quarter, Smith stood in the pocket and got clobbered right after he threw a perfect slant to Ahmad Dixon for a touchdown to stretch the lead to 17-3 at the break. Midway never looked back. Senior Levi Norwood had a breath-taking punt return to the end zone in which he was seemingly wrapped up and then burst from the pack of Vista Ridge tacklers. Midway hopes to stay unbeaten next week at their homecoming game against Crowley.”

fyi…

This just further adds to numerous family combos that have played for Penn State. If that isn't the perfect indicator of the family atmosphere and loyalty to/within the program, I don't know what is. While this is not your typical father-son combo, a siblings combo is just as powerful. Heck, we are also doing it with the Battles in basketball.

Levi Norwood, like any other recruit that is willing to devote himself to Joe Paterno, the team and Penn State academics is a welcome addition to the program. I look forward to rooting for him in Saturdays to come.

After hearing the criticisms about signing Levi, most of those same thoughts you other guys have expressed immediately popped into my mind, too. But I have a couple other tracks in addition to the boom/bust coin flip to the scouting service (busts: Scott-4*, Wallace-5*, McEowen-4*, Harrison-4*, Bell-4*, etc.; booms: Puz-3*, Butler-1* walk on, Jordan Norwood-???, Astorino-2*, Zug-2*).

First of these is the issue of character, as evidenced by recent problems that PSU football has suffered, including players who like Bell (again), Baker, Logan-El, Taylor, Koroma (again and finally), and now McDonald (who were either dismissed or left on their own), Scirotto, Evans, and Bowman (who were able to get their act together, fortunately), and now 2009 recruit Glenn Carson already in trouble for alcohol related problems before even putting on a Penn State uniform. I doubt we'll see that with Levi.

More importantly, and directly related to the title of Devon's posting, is family. Penn State has a history of providing a family-type atmosphere that results in families continuing to send their children to PSU. Look at the names that repeat over the years, like Pittman, Conlin, Suhey, Mauti, Hull, Wisniewski, and the ultimate Penn State football family, the Collins boys. That doesn't even take into consideration siblings or offspring who play different sports (Graham Zug's sister Daneen, who plays field hockey )or no sport at all. The simple truth is that Penn State IS family, so I have no trouble at all with offering a scholarship to Levi. Of course I hope he proves it was a wise move, but if not, I'm still OK with it.

My understanding is he didn't play High School football last year because of the move to Texas. We know he's been taught well and knows the game. If we get the same effort from Levi as we did Jordan, we'll be seeing Norwood's in the end-zones again on Saturdays in the Fall.