The name of the high school Sam, Sock & Andi attended, and where Mr Sprong teaches is "Robert Stroud High School". Stroud, a real-life inmate in the U.S. Federal prison system, was the inspiration for the title character from the book and movie "Birdman of Alcatraz". The 1955 book by Thomas Gaddis as well as the 1962 film directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Burt Lancaster were fictionalized versions of Stroud's life.
Ben proves he is ready to fight a demon by punching through a piece of plywood. While breaking boards (usually a 10 inch piece of 1X12 pine) is common in martial arts you just don't see folks punching through plywood. The different plies, or layers, have the grains running at 90 degrees to each other, making the planks almost impossible to punch through.