Moments of truth
AP’s top 10 plays of the year feature wide range of sports
Some were championship-defining events. Others capped upsets. One seemed to defy the laws of physics.
Great moments are what make sports memorable, and there were many in 2017 that will not be easily forgotten.
Whether it was a human being jumping over another human being, a ridiculous kick return that will be remembered for not actually getting into the end zone, a shot that ended an epic winning streak or a diving grab that punctuated a Super Bowl comeback for all time, this year was filled with plenty of plays that are likely forever etched on those who got to see them happen.
Without further ado, here are the sports plays of the year:
10. No sliding needed: The Toronto Blue Jays’ Chris Coghlan had three options: Go through St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina, go around him or go over him. He smartly chose the last one. Coghlan was trying to score on Kevin Pillar’s triple. St. Louis right fielder Stephen Piscotty’s throw to the plate was a few feet up the third-base line, putting Molina directly in Coghlan’s path. Coghlan went airborne, flipped over Molina, somehow landed on the plate — and the Blue Jays took a 3-2 lead.
9. Right on time: Julia Duquette’s only goal of her senior season at Plattsburgh State in upstate New York is one she’ll never forget. Duquette’s shorthanded goal with 20.7 seconds left in regulation pulled the Cardinals into a tie with Adrian in the NCAA Division III women’s hockey final — and Plattsburgh went on to win it in overtime for its fourth consecutive national championship.
8. Upset in Baltimore: Always Dreaming and Classic Empire were the favorite horses going into the Preakness Stakes, the middle leg of the Triple Crown, and those two dueled most of the way — until Cloud Computing decided it was time to beat them both. Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Javier Castellano, he stole the race in the last half-dozen strides and paid $28.80 on $2 win bets to its backers.
7. Strike the pose: The Miami Heat’s Dion Waiters was in no hurry. He knew exactly what he was going to do. After Kevin Durant’s dunk pulled Golden State into a 102102 tie with Miami with 11.7 seconds left, Waiters took the inbounds pass, coolly brought the ball upcourt, made a move on the Warriors’ Klay Thompson and delivered a straightaway 3-pointer that gave the Heat a win — punctuated by his striking an arms-folded pose afterward, one that quickly became part of Heat lore.
6. It’s a Mericle: Cole Mericle kicked what ended up being the game-winning field goal for Lima Senior High School in Ohio with three seconds left, but no one will remember that part of his team’s 25-24 victory over St. Francis de Sales. Mericle’s ensuing kickoff turned into a five-lateral return as St. Francis advanced the ball to the Lima 2 — but the returner then stumbled a bit on the turf, Mericle ran him down in the nick of time and Lima escaped.
5. Title Hunter: Clemson’s Hunter Renfrow, a former walk-on, caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson with one second to play in the College Football Playoff championship game, giving the Tigers a 35-31 win over Alabama. It was the biggest play but not the only big play of a title game rematch in which the sequel was just as good as the original.
4. Down goes UConn: Morgan William wanted the ball, got it and made history. William’s jumper with no time remaining in overtime lifted the Mississippi State women’s basketball team to a 66-64 win over Connecticut in the national semifinals, ending the Huskies’ 111-game winning streak. Mississippi State led by 16 points, then found itself trailing by three late before William — who later said “I live for moments like this” — delivered the dagger.
3. Making her point: It’s hard to pick one play that stood out for Sloane Stephens in her ride to the U.S. Open tennis title this summer, but her 25-stroke point might have been the gem. Stephens was serving down 4-5, 30-30 in the third set in a semifinal against Williams, and Stephens needed a backhand winner down the line to help her eventually hold. Had that shot missed, she would have faced match point. Instead, Stephens went on to capture the title.
2. Bunker mentality: Here’s how you win a golf tournament playoff: Hole out from 60 feet from the sand. Jordan Spieth hit plenty of stellar shots in 2017, none of them probably more memorable than his bunker shot in a playoff to beat Daniel Berger and win the Travelers Championship. Berger had a 50-foot putt that just missed after Spieth’s dramatic moment — and tipped his cap afterward. Said Berger: “Jordan does Jordan things. So there’s not really much you can say.”
1. Super catch: Down by eight points with about two minutes left in the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots needed all the heroics they could get — and Julian Edelman delivered. His diving, juggling catch of a Tom Brady pass that was almost intercepted was perhaps the biggest moment in the Patriots’ stirring rally from being down 28-3 before beating the Atlanta Falcons in overtime for their fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy.