The 2006-07 Flight Crew dunk team. Photo Credit: Pistons Photo.

The high school gym seated all 600 students and faculty on one side and the band, cheerleaders and boys’ basketball team on the other. At first it looked like just another pep assembly, but the students soon learned it was something quite different.

“Everyone’s been super bored with the pep assemblies and all they do is complain about it, so we just wanted something shocking,” said junior Chelsey McDonald, a member of the student council that helped bring the Flight Crew to the school. “We tried to keep it from everyone else – only student council knew about it.”

As the surprise entertainment at Almont High’s Snowcoming (think “winter homecoming”) pep assembly, Hooper and the Flight Crew put on a one-hour, one-of-a-kind performance that kept the students buzzing through the weekend. The Palace complemented the Flight Crew’s acrobatic routine with an appearance by Detroit Shock guard Elaine Powell, two authentic championship trophies, a faculty-student shooting competition and prize giveaways.

For the Hooper & Flight Crew appearances, call 248-377-8607 or e-mail tgriswold@palacenet.com.

“That’s all they’ve been talking about,” said Colleen Ulmer, the student council advisor who came upon the idea after watching a promotional CD. “Students asking, ‘Can we have them come back next year?’ ”

“A lot of the kids got excited about it,” said senior Faith Lambert, student council president. “I asked my friend today, ‘Is this good enough for you?’ And she was like, ‘Oh my gosh, yes!’ ”

“No idea it was going to be like this”

Aaron Smith, director of Year Round Hoops for the Pistons and Shock, opened the Pistons’ portion of the assembly by asking Pistons and Shock trivia and passing out Shock headbands for correct answers.

The Flight Crew performs at Almont High School. Photo Credit: Ryan Pretzer/Pistons Photo.

Then Powell came to mid-court with the 2006 WNBA championship trophy and spoke to the students about how special it is to be a part of the league’s best team. That led to a students vs. teachers shooting competition.

The student team, which included senior basketball player Chris Duke, defeated the faculty, so all students received a discount ticket to a Pistons game, where they would have a chance to get a photo with the championship trophies and sit courtside during pregame warmups.

“It’s pretty cool. … (It gets) you pumped up for the game,” Duke said. The basketball team hosted its Snowcoming game against league rival Richmond later that night. “I had no idea what was going on today. I just knew we were going to have a pep assembly. I had no idea it was going to be like this.”

Duke’s favorite part, the dunk show, followed. Smith introduced Hooper and the Flight Crew – Glen, Dan, Samer and Tim – as they ran onto the floor with a handful of free jerseys for a few lucky students.

“I think when nobody knew about it and they were introduced, just (the look on) everyone’s faces (was the best part), because nobody knew what was going on when they were coming out,” McDonald said.

The Flight Crew members bounced off the trampoline and well above the rim, adding flips, twists and no-look passes to their aerial feats and dunks for 30 minutes while students clapped along to an upbeat soundtrack that included Eminem.

“People were saying that this was the loudest our gym has been in such a long time,” McDonald said.

Almont principal Jim Jenuwine assists with the dunking demonstration. Photo Credit: Ryan Pretzer/Pistons Photo.

The Flight Crew’s toughest dunk involved all four running in sequence, jumping off the trampoline and passing in mid-air to the teammate behind them until Samer dunked it home. It took precise passes, perfect timing and more than a few tries, to the students’ delight.

“Try it again!” roared senior Gordon Grover, a varsity wrestler whose voice carried over the crowd and music. He said the four-man relay dunk was his favorite part of the show.

“This was pretty sweet, the best (pep assembly) I’ve seen,” said Grover, who wouldn’t mind seeing them again. “Yeah, I’d like to see them come back.”

Finale

For the Crew’s finale, principal Jim Jenuwine held a ball above his head and stood between the trampoline and hoop, flanked by the Almont cheerleaders. Samer sprinted downcourt, jumped off the trampoline, swiped the ball from Jenuwine’s hand, flipped over his head and slammed the ball cleanly through the hoop.

Smith closed the assembly by thanking the students for their enthusiasm during the show. It was one of the first Flight Crew performances outside of The Palace, but certainly not the last.

“They say high school kids don’t want to have fun like this anymore, that they don’t want to do this,” Smith told them. “And you proved them wrong today. Thank you so much for the respect you’ve shown us today.”

The students’ reaction validated the efforts of Ulmer, Lambert and the student council to spice up the “same old” pep rallies, as Lambert called them.

The Almont Raiders, posing here with the Pistons 1989 Championship trophy, won their Snowcoming game 60-54. Photo Credit: Ryan Pretzer/Pistons Photo.

“We thought it would be good to bring (the Flight Crew) in, especially since it’s Snowcoming and deals with basketball anyway,” she said. “I think it really worked; they did a really great job.”

The Pistons’ 1989 championship trophy also was present for students to touch and take pictures with after the assembly, as were the Flight Crew members and Hooper. For a few minutes before it ended, however, the trophy stayed with Duke and the basketball team in their corner of the bleachers.

While Hooper and the Flight Crew cannot guarantee similar results at future pep assemblies, the Almont Raiders won their Snowcoming game, 60-54.