By simply forcing McCain to work for North Carolina — and spend money here — Obama has already done more than some people in the state expected when the campaign first announced it would make North Carolina a priority. But it’s quite possible Obama will manage much more than that. One recent poll by a Democratic firm showed Obama winning the 828 area code, which covers the western part of the state. That one was probably a bit of an outlier, though. “If he does that in western North Carolina, this might be a slam-dunk,” Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat who represents Greensboro, said with a laugh.

Football: Albia Player Scores Touchdown of a Lifetime

 

The junior varsity football team at PCM-Monroe gave an opponent a moment in glory toward the end of the team’s game on Monday night. Leading 39-0 toward the end of the game, Albia sophomore Kyle Weiss returned a fumble sixty yards for a touchdown that prevented his team from being shut out.

 

Weiss, a special needs student at Albia, scored as teammates and opponents stayed out of the way, so he could have a “moment in the sun.” PCM quarterback Brandon Kain said both sides agreed to have the ball come loose in front of Weiss and stayed away as he scored the touchdown.

 

"You hear about people doing this kind of stuff all the time," Kain told the Des Moines Register newspaper. "I thought it would be kind of cool to let him have a time of his life, because I guarantee that doesn't happen that often for him."

The junior varsity football team at PCM of Monroe gave up a shutout against Albia on Monday night, in order to let a special needs student have the memory of a lifetime.

Kyle Weiss, an Albia sophomore safety, returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown on the final play of a 39-6 loss at Monroe.

The fumble was by PCM quarterback Brandon Kain. Both sides agreed to have the ball come loose in front of Weiss and for everyone to stay out of his way en route to the end zone.

"You hear about people doing this kind of stuff all the time," Kain said. "I thought it would be kind of cool to let (Weiss) have a time of his life, because I guarantee that doesn't happen that often for him."

Kain said he learned about Weiss during an extended timeout while PCM player Wyatt Lagergren was being treated for a broken ankle late in the fourth quarter. Kain said the officials talked about how Weiss had been in on a tackle and felt pretty good about it.

Albia coach Jerry Staton said thought was given to ending the game early. He said the PCM players resisted because they had one special play left in them, and he loved the ending.

"He ran into the end zone, and both teams cheered," he said. "They could have had a shutout, but they proved they were more than champions because to give up that shutout to let this kid have an experience of his lifetime was pretty neat."

Kain said the PCM players also enjoyed the moment.

"I'm speaking for the whole team. After that I felt really, really good inside and I know all the other teammates did too," Kain said. "You can have a really good performance and stuff, but you always consider it a really good game if you come out of it feeling like a better person. That's what happened to us."