The power of prayer

Credit: Shannon Friedman

Moments after witnessing a motorcycle crash Saturday, about 160 teen-aged football players spontaneously knelt and called on God's power to aid the accident victim.

By: Steve Welker | Morganton News Herald
Published: August 24, 2008

Morganton --

Moments after witnessing a motorcycle crash Saturday, about 160 teen-aged football players spontaneously knelt and called on God's power to aid the accident victim.
Shannon Friedmann of Lincolnton is the mother of one of the boys playing in the Pioneer Football League's first-of-the-season "blitz" games at the N.C. School for the Deaf's field. She witnessed the scene shortly after noon and captured it in photographs.
"The league is made up of boys, who for various reasons, attend schools that do not have a sports program or are home schoolers," she said in an e-mail. "...All of the teams were present for this event.
"During the event, a man flipped his motorcycle on the road right in front of the football field. He flew into the air and, along with his bike, rolled several feet down the pavement.
"As soon as the bike was airborne, my 16-year-old was dialing 911, as were many other people around me.
"Within 20 seconds of this man hitting pavement, several of the team coaches jumped the fence, were stopping traffic and holding this man's hand.
"Within another few seconds, 160 teenage boys were dropped to their knees, praying. It was all I could do to keep from bursting into tears.
"I happen to be the team photographer and, as instinct kicked in, I began snapping photos of the accident and the praying boys.
"I have no idea what the motorcyclist's condition is, but my family is continuing to pray for him. What I do know is that, though I appreciated my son's Christian league before, I have an even newer and stronger appreciation for them now."
Her son's name is Alek. He plays for the Lake Norman Storm's varsity.
His sister was at the field, too.
"You don't expect to see something like this at a football game," said Chelsea, 18. "The accident happened, the motorcycle is in four pieces on the highway and the coaches, who you would not exactly call active, are running and jumping over the fence to help the rider. And then 160 boys, 12 to 18 years old, kneel on the field and start praying. And then we're all praying. There must have been more than 200 people there. We don't know who it is or how bad he's hurt and we're all calling on God to help him."
"It was inspiring," agreed one of the coaches, Bill Holloway of Mooresville. "The players sort of gravitated together on the field. Then they took a knee and started praying. Everyone came out on the field — parents, younger kids, just everyone — and gathered around the circle and started praying, too."
Holloway said he had been in the stands, watching the Morganton Mountaineers and Carolina Crusaders scrimmage in full pads and uniforms, when he spied the motorcyclist out of the corner of his eye.
"He was trying to do a wheelie. He gunned it, the bike went up in the air, the bike went to one side and he went to the other, he slid and the motorcycle tumbled, end over end, and came apart," Holloway said.
Police said Jamie Freeman, 21, of Morganton, the driver of the motorcycle, is lucky. The accident happened on Burkemont Avenue.
Morganton Department of Public Safety Sgt. Jason Whisnant said Freeman told officers he was trying to ride a wheelie in front of the group of people at the school.
Whisnant said Freeman lost control of the motorcycle.
Freeman's speed at impact was estimated at 50 mph at impact, Whisnant said. No other vehicles were involved, he said. The motorcycle came to rest a little more than 200 feet away on Henredon Road, Whisnant said.
Freeman was taken to Grace Hospital, where he was treated and released, according to hospital officials.
Whisnant said Freeman was charged with careless and reckless driving to endanger.

The power of prayer

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