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Health & Fitness
SPORTS
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GRE
ITAIQ-QAIM FOR THE 110q1186
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Record Holder
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Sophomore kicks into
the books for Penn.
Will be donating their services to help support
the homeless men, women, and children at
Steve Stein
Special to the Jewish News
used to play-
ing Division
I football and
ndrew Samson didn't kick
college life in
a football in a game until
general!"
his junior year at Bloomfield
In addition
Andrew Samson
Hills Andover High School, but you'd
to enjoying a
never guess it.
comfort zone on and off the field this
After winning the placekicking
fall, Samson feels he also benefited
job against two competitors in his
from a having a new long snapper and
freshman season at the University
holder.
of Pennsylvania, Samson, of West
Soccer was Samson's main sport
Bloomfield, had a spectacular sopho-
until Andover football coach Scott
more season this fall.
Sugg convinced him to give placekick-
He kicked a school-record 16 field
ing a try the summer before his junior
goals, and he increased his school-
year in high school.
record streak of converted extra-point
Samson played travel soccer for sev-
attempts to 49-of-49. Samson has
eral years and he was a four-year starter
never missed a PAT at Penn.
at sweeper for the Andover boys soccer
Setting a school football record at
team, earning All-State honorable men-
Penn is a singular accomplishment
tion when he was a junior.
because the team just completed its
On the gridiron, Samson made 8-
131st season of competition.
of-11 field goals (with a longest of 43
"It's pretty cool: was all the normally yards) and 17-of-20 extra points for
thoughtful Samson could say about the
Andover when he was a junior. He was
field goal record, which he set in dra-
7-of-9 in field goals and 11-of-11 in
matic fashion during Penn's 23-6 sea-
extra points as a senior despite missing
son-ending victory Nov. 22 at Cornell.
two games because of a leg injury suf-
Samson kicked three field goals in
fered during an Andover soccer game.
three attempts during the snowy, windy
Samson is attending Penn's
day, helping the Quakers finish 6-4
renowned Wharton School of
overall and 5-2 in the Ivy League in
Business. He's proud of his 3.12 grade
their first winning season since 2004.
point average after graduating from
The field goal that broke the record
Andover with a 3.95.
was a season-long 44-yarder. Earlier,
"I wouldn't have been happy with
Samson made three-pointers from 40
that GPA in high school, but Wharton
and 28 yards out. It was fourth time
is extremely competitive and the
this season that Samson personally
courses are very difficult:' he said.
outscored Penn's opponent.
"You have the best and brightest stu-
Samson was named the Ivy League's
dents from around the world here and
Special Teams Player of the Week for
everything is graded on a curve. My
his efforts against Cornell, making
goal is to graduate with at least a 3.0."
him the first Penn football player to
win a league Player of the Week honor
Texas Hold 'Em
three times in a season.
Here's an early note on Block-Israel
Samson led the Ivy League in field
and Pisgah-Zeiger's sixth annual Texas
goals and scoring for kickers, big rea-
Hold'em poker tournament, a fund-
sons why he was the only sophomore
raiser for the B'nai B'rith units and
named to the All-Ivy First Team offense. B'nai B'rith International.
So how did Samson turn an admit-
The tournament will be held Jan.
tedly "shaky" freshman season into a
25 in the conference center at the
sophomore year that was anything but
Jewish Community Center in West
a jinx?
Bloomfield. Cost is $55 for B'nai B'rith
"Last year was a transition year for
members and $65 for non-members
me:' the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder said.
by Jan. 22; $60 and $70 at the door
"I had to get used to kicking the ball
off the ground instead of a tee, and get
Record on page C10
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December 11 • 2008
C9