A Little Bit of Everything

Let's start tonight in baseball. I am just having a hard time thinking about a White Sox-Twins playoff game.

I told you several weeks back that Joey Devine of the Oakland A's was having an outstanding season.

Devine set the all-time lowest ERA of any pitcher who has pitched a minimum of 40 innings. Major League Baseball, however, states that to be the official winner on this list, a pitcher must pitch at least 50 innings.

Devine allowed just three earned runs all season. He probably would have gotten in more than 50 innings, but he missed the middle of the summer with a sore elbow. When he got off the disabled list in early August, he did not allow a run for the remainder of the season.

Not bad for a pitcher who gave up two grand slam home runs in his first two appearances in the Majors a couple of years ago for Atlanta.

The final stats on Devine were a 6-1 record, one save and an ERA of 0.59.

Richard Collier, the Jacksonville Jags player who was shot several weeks ago in Jacksonville ,has lost a leg. Doctors had to remove the leg after Collier was shot 15 times. There is even more bad news for Collier one of those shots hit his spine and he will never walk again.

I have just listened to the news conference of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis explaining why he fired Lane Kiffin. Can someone explain to me why Al Davis doesn't reside in the loony bin?

Matt Bryant, the kicker for the Tampa Bay Bucs, buried his infant son on Saturday. He then flew to Tampa Saturday night for a team meeting. Sunday, he went 3-for-3 on field goals - including the game-winning kick in overtime.

Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden was asked why Bryant played and he responded, "Matt needed football, his teammates and the fans to get over his tragedy."

It is amazing what people can do when they're at their lowest point.

I just got back this afternoon from doing a Faith Christian School volleyball game. It's the first time that I have been in their new gym at the Beechwood Dr. campus.

After 14 years of hopping from one school to another to find a place to play its indoor sports, the people at Faith have really kept the faith and they have a prize. It will not be too many more years until their entire school is at one location.

Thursday night's game against Northern Vance (2-3) is the final non-conference game for Rocky Mount. The real games start Oct. 10.

I know it's Thursday night and this being an away game, it will be hard to get fans there. Guys, we need more fans there than NV!

I had forgotten to bring this up, but wasn't the field's paint job great Friday night?

The "RM" at mid-field was painted gold and the numbers on the yard lines were white with a navy blue shadow to them. We all need to thank one man for that work, but he was embarrassed and annoyed when I announced his name during a JV game a couple of weeks ago.

His name will go unnamed here, but I think most of you know who did it.

Great job, person who shall remain nameless!

Much To Do About Something

If you attended the Rose game a few weeks back. you paid $7 to get in the game.

There was a sign on the gate that the extra dollar was going into a fuel fund to help Rose pay for the expense it will incur next season when it starts playing all their conference games with the Wilmington 4-A schools.

I believe that is called a "Pitt County Tax."

Just maybe if Pitt County made all their schools approximately the same size like Nash County did, they wouldn't have that problem.

Every Monday I make a visit to one of the warehouses behind the football stadium on Barnum Rd. I have to check my company's inventory and as I rode by the football field it sure did look like there was a party there Saturday.

The trash was in bags piled up, but it looked like either the wind had either turned some of the piles over or an animal had gotten in several bags.

It looked like a tornado had come through the parking lot. By lunch time, the city had it looking like a parking lot again.

I think the Down East Viking Classic has become a big hit for Rocky Mount.

When Rocky Mount High School gets its new stadium on their new campus, there should be some kind of expansion done at RMAC. I don't see why if the stadium was big enough, 20,000 people would show up.

Somewhere in the future, N.C. Wesleyan might become a Div. III football power and large crowds might come see them play.

There will be no JV game this Wednesday night due to the fact that we have already played Northern Vance. Remember, that game was played on the Thursday night when the varsity should have been playing.

By the way, we won 34-zippo.

I know that the entire athletic department at Rocky Mount High was not very happy being about the only game that got postponed that Friday night against NV. All other high schools watched the weather forecasts and moved their Friday night games to Thursday and they played in dry conditions.

Apparently, no one in Vance County has a TV, radio, Internet or telephone. They had no idea a tropical storm was coming ..

I am just thinking to myself now, but if we have a chance to lay a hurting scoring wise on Northern Vance Thursday will Coach Holt get some revenge??

So far, no one has scored on the Gryphons in the first quarter. I have said this before ,but we need Northern Vance to give us a tussle. We don't need to start conference play with out having broken a sweat in any second half. I'm being serious when I say that.

Don't forget that the game is a 7 p.m kickoff. If you decide to stay close to home Thursday, we will begin the Gryphon chatter at 6.30.

The way this team is playing, they deserve your support.

NFL Week 4

Ever since college football went to 85 scholarships per team there has been an ever so slight slide to where unless a team is decimated with injuries scores are closer.

Very seldom do you see the 65-14 score any more - it is more like 38-24.

Since the NFL merger way back in the 60's when the old NFL decided to quit fighting with the upstart AFL, teams are getting ever so close. There is a fine line between winning and losing.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been the Duke Blue Devils of the NFL having lost nine games in a row.

One of the hottest teams, Denver, lost today to the coldest Kansas City to break the nine-game losing streak. KC 33, Denver 19

Oakland put up a monumental effort for their coach, who Al Davis wants to fire. I think the city needs to fire the owner of the Raiders. Oakland used to be one of the best NFL franchises. Now, it's a joke.

Time has left Al Davis behind. San Diego scores 25 points in the fourth quarter to escape from Oakland 28-18. Philip Rivers has lead his team to three leads in the fourth quarter this year, but the San Diego defense gave two back late in the fourth.

Rivers has now led San Diego to three 15 points or more deficit in his career and won. Brett Favre has never won a game trailing by 14.

Ever since Tennessee changed quarterbacks, its offense has started scoring points. They have the best defense in the league and it looks to me unless they put Vince Young back at quarterback, the AFC Championship will have to be won in Nashville.

Buffalo is 4-0. They will be hard to catch after the snow starts falling in the AFC East. I think the first coaching change in the NFL happens Monday in St. Louis.

Jacksonville like San Diego is 2-2 and had better not fall any further behind in their division or they will be playing for a wild card. Houston, I think, is still in a hurricane funk.

Tampa Beats Green in the battle of the Bays. Aaron Rodgers has a hurt shoulder for Green Bay. I wonder if Brett Favre is available.

According to all the media expert ,Dallas had one foot in the Super Bowl, but they couldn't beat the lowly Redskins, who are tied with the Cowboys - Skins 26, 'Boys 24

Has any body noticed when Carolina runs the ball they win? Is the coach for Atlanta a brother of John Fox? They look just a like in different uniforms. Fox chews gum. Check these two guys out the next time each is on TV.

In the battle of who is the worse team in Ohio, the winner is Cincinnati.

Everyone wanted Farve to light up the scoreboard last Monday possibly his final appearance on Monday Night Football, but it took until today. Farve finally played in jeans today and slung six touchdown passes all over the pasture. His victim was the Cardinals.

If there is one point to be made about the NFL is you had better be ready every Sunday or hear the boos.

Another College Saturday

I want to see a show of hands who picked Duke to be the best D-I football team in North Carolina?

Duke breaks its almost four-year strangle hold of ACC football futility with a 31-3 stomping of Virginia. They had lost 25 straight conference games until today.

What in the world has happened to Virginia?

Wake Forest, after an impressive game at Florida State last weekend, lays an egg against Navy.

That was the worse performance I have seen from the Deacs since Jim Grobe has been in Winston Salem.

Carolina gets a good win in Miami. It may have found the quarterback it needs in Cam Sexton.

Just eight days ago, ECU was looking at a BCS bowl game. Now, it's humbled at home by Houston.

N.C. State looked like Southern Wayne against the Gryphons in the first half. The best thing that happened to the Wolfpack was the down pouring of rain which gave most of the fans a reason to leave before half time.

I was flipping the dial for most of Saturday night as I watched Virginia Tech beat Nebraska at Lincoln. It is only the 38th time the Cornhuskers have lost at home in the last 292 home games.

Former Gryphon great Stephan Virgil blocked a punt through the end zone in the first half,and sealed the deal for the Hokies by causing a Cornhusker fumble on the last play of the game.

Who is the best team in the ACC - Virginia Tech or Duke?

At least for this week.

The Down East Viking Classic goes to Elizabeth City State 24-13 over St Augustine's. A huge crowd tailgated for most of the day at the RMAC on Saturday afternoon.

Alabama, Oklahoma and LSU took giant steps toward moving to the front of the pack in major college football.

Southern Cal, Florida and Georgia took giants steps backwards.

Watching the N.C. State-South Florida football game, I am sure there was not one advertisement in which you could not buy something in three easy payments of $19.95. What happened to a good old car dealer ad? You know the now is the best time to buy ads. Not a one on the game.

Finally, I would like to close tonight by telling everyone of a wonderful movie that is must see.

"FireProof" hit Rocky Mount Friday night and the family took it in Saturday afternoon. The movie is made by the same church that made "Facing the Giants."

If you believe in the Lord, this one is must see - especially if you are married.

It's after midnight, which means it is T-minus 12 days to NEW 6 Conference opener against Northern Nash.

Homecoming Blowout

I don't think anyone expected this game with Southern Wayne to be close, and it wasn't.

Rocky Mount scored on every possession in the first half, EXCEPT for the one time that we felt bad for the Saints and let them score on a fumble recovery, which still means there was a score on every Rocky Mount possession.

It looked like a scrimmage of the varsity against the JVs.

Baseball has the 10-run rule to end games. High school football has the 40-point mercy of not stopping the clock in the second half.

I don't know who benefits the most from the mercy rule - those that are losing in the game or those watching.

It took over and hour to play the first half and 30 minutes to play the second. The halftime of crowning a homecoming queen took longer than the second half did. Our post game show on radio lasted longer than the second half.

I don't know whose idea it was to put the J.H Rose blue No. 23 in the end zone to honor Jequan Waller, the Rose player who died last week. But that was classy.

I'm glad that WNCT Channel 9 actually filmed the Gryphons standing in the end zone before they came on the field behind the number.

It made me proud to support the Gryphons the way they supported the Rose High team and the Waller family.

If you are a junior or less and play football at Rocky Mount, you have never lost a game on the field in the regular season.

I honestly think if we came out and threw 40 times in a game, we would still win by the scores we are winning by. Our passing game is really good. Our running game ain't bad either is it?

After scoring three touchdowns last week, Nick Hahula got only two carries. Jordan Ford got only a couple of touches. One of the drawbacks of getting such a big lead early is you can't give everyone there regular touches or no telling what the score might be.

We desperately need someone to give us a test. No fooling. We need to find out how we will react when things don't go our way all the time.

Do you realize that no one has scored on us until we've had at least 28 point?. I don't know if that tells you how good our defense is or how good the offense is.

Enough of this! Gryphons 63, Southern Wayne 6

In Other scores......

What a comeback for Southern Nash - down 21-7, the Firebirds score twice and after the second score go for two and the win over North Johnston, 22-21

The Bunn at Nash Central game was postponed until next Thursday night because of a wet field.

Fike downs Hunt for the second time this year. Unlike the first game which went to overtime at Fike, the Golden Demons handled Hunt 38-9 at Hunt.

One of the best battles in a long time between SouthWest Edgecombe and Tarboro goes SouthWest's way, 13-7

Do you think after receiving a trashing from Rocky Mount last week, Hertford County may have had a Gryphon hangover? Probably: Northeastern 39, Hertford County 33

It has been over three years since Northern Nash has won a home football game, but Randy Langley and everyone who bleeds Northern green can celebrate tonight.

A defensive penalty gave Northern the ball for one last play after the clock has expired and Chad Smith's Knights took advantage of one more play and beat Southern Vance 20-15.

This is the first time that Chad has been able to walk off the field after a game and shake the other coach's hand as a winner in his short coaching career.

Northern has been improving as of late and almost got one at Bertie last week

We have made it through five games and the Gryphons are healthy.

Conference play starts in two weeks and the Gryphons will play a team on a winning streak -Northern Nash. They have this week off.

We will talk after the college games.

Time For The Kickoff

I doesn't matter how bad a day I may have on Fridays, I always have the kickoff to fall back on.

When my feet hit the floor right after I thank the Lord for giving me another day, my attention turns to football.

It doesn't matter how work goes on Fridays, it passes fast because I can put off any problem that needs to to taken care of until Monday.

Looks like the field conditions will not be very good Friday night from the rain we have already received and what is expected early Friday.

The weather man is promising clearing skies Friday afternoon and I'm holding them to that promise.

The Gryphons are almost forced to play Friday night rain or shine. Why?

First, it's Homecoming. There may be a class reunion or two planned around the football game.

Second, Saturday the field is being used for the Down East Viking Classic. There will be tailgating going on all day Saturday.

Finally, if the first two reasons weren't enough if the game is put off to Monday, then we only have three days until we play at Northern Vance next Thursday night.

I am sure Mike Gainey will do everything possible to play Friday night as long as there is no lightning. In fact, it has not rained today like I thought it was going to. It has rained a little bit then stop for a while and rained some more.

Here is a hard fact about not playing on Friday nights. The gate may will suffer for people may not go to sit in the rain or slosh through the mud on Friday, but they will not go any other night either. Friday is the largest possible night for the gate.

People have already made other plans for other nights.

I suspect we will kickoff at 7.30.

Can you imagine what the field and the parking lot will look like Sunday morning following two games in the slop.

Last year, Gryphon athletics had one of their best years ever.

The Lady Gryphon volleyball beat Northern Nash Tuesday to force a tie for first place. They have lost only once all season. They are 11-1 right now.

The boys soccer team beat Fike in a big match and they now stand at 10-1-1.

Not to be outdone The girls tennis team is 10-1

The JV boys football squad had a great comeback to keep its winning streak a live at 26 games. They are 5-0 this season.

The pressure is really on the varsity football team to keep pace with the other sports.

The word is out with SouthWest Edgecombe going back to 2-A next year and Hunt replacing it - the conference will be missing the "E" in the NEW 6.

The committee putting together the bylaws for the new conference has requested the Big East 3-A as the name of the new conference.

The new conference will be submitted to the NCHSAA and unless there is some objection ( kind of like when you get married they always say does any one here know of any reason? There never is ) the Big East is back in business as a 3-A league.

Don't forget in case you decide to stay home on Friday night, AM 1390 will be there to bring the game to you in your living room or car. Wes and I hit the airwaves at 7 p.m.

Wes tells me we have some new radio toys to play with tomorrow night. We have a new mixer to plug our microphones into ( that's radio lingo).

See you at the kickoff!

Can't Let Up

We begin the directional portion of our football schedule.

We get SOUTHERN Wayne, NORTHERN Vance, NORTHERN Nash, SouthWest Edgecombe and SOUTHERN Nash over the next five weeks.

If you look at the won-lost records, the next three should be by scores of whatever Coach Holt allows it to be.

One thing I like about coach, you can just look at the Hertford County games as an example. When he gets you down like Hunt and Hertford County, he starts putting in backup players. Not necessarily the entire team, but he starts giving backup players quality time - even in the first half.

We have averaged 25 points per game in the first half, and only 16 in the second,

When you have someone down by 25 at the half and you score the first time you have the ball in the second half, more than likely if you wanted to win by 60, you probably can at this point in the game.

Coach Holt has these guys in the game that will be the starting players next year and the year after. They gain experience for when it's their time to lead.

In past years, we have had to have more than one quarterback to make it through a season.

B.W. Holt is not 60-12 at Rocky Mount because he only plays his best 22.

When there have been times of scoring 60, the defense has helped push the score up, too.

We may find out how really good this team is the next three games to see if it plays up to its potential and light up the scoreboard.

He's at it again ...

Former Gryphon QB - now Elon wide receiver Terrell Hudgins leads the Div. I-AA, or as it is called now, FCS with 40 catches in four games. The next closest receiver to him has 32.

He is second in the nation in total yards receiving.

I realize this is only Terrell's junior year, but there is and an outside chance, barring injury, he may become the all-time leader in FCS football history in total catches for a career this year.

He has 223 while at Elon, the NCAA Div. I-A all-time record is 300.

Elon has seven games to play and if its makes the D-I AA playoffs, it could happen.

Terrell is a Jerricho Cotchery-type receiver (6-3, 233). If you have ever been up close to Terrell, one of his hands is bigger than both of mind put together. So when the ball is near him, he can put those catcher's mitts on the ball.

Turning quickly to the NFL...

My vote right now for MVP of the NFL is Philip Rivers. In three games, he has nine touchdown passes and only two interceptions.

The Chargers have scored 110 points in three games. Remember this is the NFL.

Boy, last week, it looked like New England and Pittsburgh were the best two teams in the NFL.

What happened??

In case you haven't heard, the JV football game has been moved to Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Dudley to avoid the incoming inclement weather.

Time to sign off for tonight. Don't forget Homecoming Friday Night...

Showdown Tuesday

Tuesday afternoon at 5.30 in the Rocky Mount High School gym the Lady Gryphons will try to avenge their only loss of the volleyball season.

They play host to the Northern Nash Lady Knights. This will be the rubber game this year as each side has won and lost against each other.

The Lady Gryphons beat the Lady Knights in the season opening tournament, however during conference play, Northern got the best of our ladies.

A loss would eliminate the Lady Gryphons from any chance of taking home the regular season crown.

Debbie Webb's team is off to an 11-1 start heading into this showdown with Northern.

I watched the boys soccer game against Northern on the Stretchlon Sports Show Sunday night.

If you pull for Northern, the word Gryphon sends chills down your spine while when Northern shows up in green, all Rocky Mount folks see is red.

You know what I mean - the soccer game was intense and victory for the Gryphons.

The Northern-Rocky Mount football game is only 18 days away.

Friday night's football game is Homecoming. Should be a large crown of alumni (like the Class of 1978 in town for their 30th Class Reunion) on hand to watch one of the best football teams in the state.

I'm not sure whether the football team is going to wear their new gold jerseys or wait until the Northern game.

I think it is official that the baseball team will be honored in front of the Northern Nash crowd and receive their state championship rings.

I wonder why they won't give them out this weekend???

YOU KNOW WHY ... IT'S NORTHERN!!

I watched the replay of the Rocky Mount-Hertford County game Saturday morning. I enjoy watching the game again because I can see things that you can't see when you have to follow the ball on every play.

I can tell you this - Hertford County is a good football team.

We made them look average.

I understand that Tuesday is dress-down day at Rocky Mount High School. Morgan has been giving us a fashion show here at home tonight as she is going way down on the dress down.

The Cast of Characters

One of the worst things that can happen to the Rocky Mount Gryphon football team is to start believing all the press clippings.

If at any time during the next seven regular season games they think they have won the game before they step on the field, that will be the game where five fumbles occur and they'll never get on track and a loss slaps them in the face.

The varsity Gryphons have won 17 straight games on their home field. The JVs have won 25 games in a row.

The culture of winning is in the air for the Gryphon Nation. Coach B.W. Holt will not accept anything less than their best effort. Now in his sixth year leading the Gryphons, coach Holt has spread his Gospel through the entire program now and no one that plays football at Rocky Mount knows no other way.

Teams that lose regularly at some point in each game have the thought "what's going to go wrong tonight"? Winners think what can I do to help us win?

Let me show you some examples from this past Friday's game against Hertford County.

Jordan Ford's 57-yard touchdown run was highlighted by the pancake block that was thrown by offensive lineman Torey Lee around the Bears' 20-yard line.

Torey is a 255-pound lineman whose job it is to make hole way back up the field at the line of scrimmage. This play, the line of scrimmage was the Gryphon 43. What he is doing way down there?

Hustling!

During the third quarter, there was a running play on the HC sidelines in which back Ron Gatling, the Bears' best runner Friday night, took off around the end and seemed headed for the end zone. Trailing the play by five yards, linebacker Chris Pittman put on a burst of speed and ran Gatling down before he could score.

Even though Chris was out of the play, he was hustling.

Hiawatha Bunn was the Gryphon quarterback last season. Coach Holt can afford to move Bunn to the defense with the emergence of Collins Cuthrell as the signal caller. Hiawatha leads the team in pass interceptions (four).

Bunn playing defense has strengthened the defense and Collins gives the offense a weapon with the pass.

Hiawatha Bunn is a team player.

These are just a few examples of players doing what they have to do for their team to win.

There are many other examples by others members of the team which go unnoticed, but it is all part of winning.

The last two victories by Rocky Mount over Rose and Hertford County speak volumes about how good this team is.

Just remember this....

We have only played four games. Two-thirds of the regular season is still to be played. If we should make it to the state championship game, that contest is 12 games away.

That's still a whole season to play!

Goal Post Still Standing

Earlier this week I made the prediction here on this blog that N.C. State would beat East Carolina and protect the goal post at Carter-Finley Stadium.

The goal post are still standing tonight.

Just two short weeks ago there was doom and gloom in Raleigh. In Greenville, the Pirates had just won what was possibly their biggest game ever and there was talk of a BCS Bowl game.

If Rocky Mount Gryphon fans can take hold of one thing that happened on the football field is that you can't look past anybody.

Were the Pirates already thinking of a BCS bowl game? If they were, that's all they will do as the major bowl for ECU is a distant hope now.

Two weeks ago the Wolfpack may have been the worst team in Div. I football, and today they are the most improved.

Wolfpack in overtime over the Pirates on Greenville's Andre Brown overtime touchdown run, 30-24

In Chapel Hill, Carolina's dreams of playing in its first ACC championship game took a big hit against and old crafty coach Frank Beamer.

The Hokies, with quarterback play which looked like N.C. State until today, stole victory away from Carolina.

Former Rocky Mount Gryphon Stephan Virgil sealed the deal with a late interception for the Gobblers as they moved to 2-0 in the division and in the driver's seat to play for the conference championship.

How much worse can it get for first year Greenville Rose coach Todd Lipe?

During the summer, a Rose football player was critically injured while at a water park. The players were at a team outing when defensive end Garrett Ball hit his head on a water slide. Ironically, Ball served as honorary caption of the team Friday night,

Last week, Rocky Mount put an end the longest scoring streak in North Carolina high school football when it shutout Rose 36-0.

Today word comes that backup running back Jaquan Waller was stricken on the field at Rose's home game last night and has died today.

Waller carried the ball five times for five yards in the game against the Gryphons last week.

Every time a player steps on the field, injury is a possibility on any play. Waller becomes the third North Carolina High School player to die this year from football-related injuries.

There is not a game played in any sport that is worth the life of any person.

My heart is deep with sadness for all of the Rose coaches and players. You know we play Rose as much as we play our own conference members and we all know the coaches as well as any in our own conference.

I send out prayers tonight to the family of Jaquan Waller and to the entire Rose High school community.

Clash of the Titans

Friday night's game featuring Hertford County against the Gryphons was a special moment for me.

I was in the booth covering a game against the team that I basically covered for 22 years. It all started in 1971 covering then-Ahoskie High School and ended 1992 as Murfreesboro and Ahoskie merged in 1988 to become Hertford County.

Earlier this week, I had done a radio interview with old friend Gattis Hodges, who took my place behind the mike and has a Thursday night hour of sports on the Murfreesboro radio station.

Once I left Ahoskie and moved to Fayetteville in 1992, I came to Wilson one Friday night and Gattis let me do the play-by-play for the whole game.

I think it was 1994 when Hertford County played Conley in the in the playoffs and Gattis, his color man, could not be there and I filled in for him on a Thanksgiving Friday night.

We were able to greet each other in the press box. I hadn't seen Gattis in a while. I think the last time we were together was during the Watermelon Festival, which is in Murfreesboro in August several years back. Gattis was doing spot reports for the radio station and we happened to bump into each other while walking through the crowd. Gattis interviewed me on the radio that day.

Once the kickoff occurred, the Clash of the Titans became a re-run of Gryphon first-half highlights.

So far this season, the Gryphons have been scoring 24 points in the first half of every game and this game proved no different. Twenty-eight points raises the Gryphon average to 25 in the first half and a disappointing score for Hertford on the last play of the half ruined what has been a perfect season in the first half for the D-Block - giving up its first points of the year in the first half.

Hertford County came in scoring 50 per game and its average dips while the Gryphons came in averaging 41 and they got it again.

If there has been any question about whether Rocky Mount might return to the eastern finals again this year, this squad looks more and more like anybody who wants to win the state championship will have to beat Rocky Mount to do it.

Rocky Mount 42, Hertford County 14

Northern Nash traveled to Bertie and gave the Falcons all they wanted but come up short. NN, with the game tied at 22-all very late in the game, went for a 4-and-3 on its own 35 and was denied. Very soon after, the Falcons scored the winning TD.

Bertie 28, Northern Nash 22

Southern Nash spotted Hunt a 7-0 lead, but scored twice and held Hunt out of the end zone after that to pick up a 13-7 victory over the Warriors.

Fike remains the only undefeated team in the NEW 6 battering C.B. Aycock 35-6

SouthWest Edgecombe hammmers Southern Vance 45-13

Nash Central found an offense, but its defense continues to play well as Nash Central pounds Washington 34-zip.

Tarboro traveled to the land of the pulp mill - Roanoke Rapids and continued to thrill the Viking faithful 48-0 over the Yellow Jackets.

Now that we are four games into the season, trends are developing with this Rocky Mount team and the most impressive trend is when those players get off the bus, they are ready to play.

Championship teams play great defense and giving up 14 to one of the highest scoring teams in the state is very impressive.

If this Gryphon team stays healthy, you might need an overcoat in December to go watch the Gryphons play.

Some Games Are Bigger Than Others

Tomorrow night's battle with Hertford County is just another football game.

If you believe then that what have you been drinking?

Even though this is still a non-conference game, it is more important to Rocky Mount than Hertford County and I will tell you why.

Both teams this year played endowment games. So that means they are able to give up a loss during the season and still have a 10-0 record according to the NCHSAA.

Since we had to forfeit a game ,we already have our loss. So in order to reach a possible top seeding, we cannot afford to lose any more games.

If at the end of the season there are three teams that have undefeated records, they will be put in a hat and a drawing will be held for the top three seeds.

Now let me throw another wrinkle at you....

Let's say we beat Hertford County tomorrow night and that is the only loss they have all year their record would be 10-0 according to the NCHSAA.

If Rocky Mount doesn't lose another game all year they would also show a 10-0 record.

If Hertford is 10-0 and we the same should we not get the seeding ahead of them?

Not so fast my friends.

If two teams or three teams are 10-0 in the eyes of the NCHSAA no one has beaten any of those teams they are all equal.

All equal teams are put in a hat and the seeding fall as they may.

That could mean Hertford County could get the No. 1 seed and another team could get No. 2 and Rocky Mount get No. 3 just by the luck of the draw.

If everyone remembers Nash County has never done well in drawings just ask Jim Brett and his 9-1 team at Northern Nash that failed to make the playoffs because of a drawing a few years back.

That fiasco is why almost every team in the state makes the playoffs now. The state association did not want a 3rd place team Like Northern Nash not make the playoffs when they had a 9-1 record.

So it is possible that Rocky Mount could have to go to Hertford County in the playoffs even though they might beat them Friday night.

If Hertford County wins then Rocky Mount has 2 losses and can only be at best 9-1 and all this what iffing is down the drain.

How important is seeding?

The No. 1 seed could possibly get four home games. Number two three home games and the Number three seed two home games and a possible third game at No. 2 and a fourth game at the No .4.

This is, of course, only occurs if the top seeds win all games as expected.

If I have totally confused you, join the crowd. The NCHSAA has tried to make seeding as fair as they can. Regardless of what system they use there is always someone who gets bit by the system and this year it could be Rocky Mount.

The Gryphon Stat Sheet

I love to look at maps. I can take a map and see something that I have never noticed before every time I look at one.

I am the same way with a stat sheet. Charles Alston's e-mail sending out the official stats after verifying with game film is like a road map to me. I see different things everytime I look at one.

Marquavis Alston is last of all the ball carriers with a 4.8 yards per carry. The team is averaging 5.7 yards per rush. We have six players over 6-yard averages.

Our top two players in attempts have not started any games. Damien Bynum has 26 rushing attempts, as does and L'Var Silver.

One half of all our rushing touchdowns have been scored by non-starters.

We are averaging 41 points per game despite playing usual 3-A power in Wilson Hunt and two 4-A schools.

The Gryphon defense is giving up 1.77 yards per attempt.

The pass defense is allowing 5.03 yard per attempt.

What do those two figures tell me?

Two runs and a pass and it is 4th and 1.

The Gryphon defense has faced 130 plays so far this year in three games.

The results: six quarterback sacks, four fumble recoveries and five interceptions. That does not include any play that was for no gain or minus yardage or and incomplete passes.

In our three games to date, we have averaged leading 24-0 at the half. The third quarter has been our second best quarter of the year, behind the first quarter.

We have averaged 12 points per game in the third quarter.

This tells me the old ball coach B.W. Holt is really prepared at the start of the game and then makes adjustments at halftime. It also tells me he doesn't let the Gryphon sit on their laurels coming back after the half with a big lead.

Jordan Ford has carried the ball 20 times this year for a 10.8 average per attempt. He also has a reception for 30 yards. Did I mention he also has a 99-yard kickoff for a touchdown?

Nick Hahula has kickoff 21 times and 14 have been touchbacks. Two of his kicks were brought back with one foot in the end zone.

Twenty different players have at least one tackle so far this year led by Chris Pittman with 18.

Keith Strickland is averaging five catches per game. If he does that all year, he will have 55 at the end of the regular season.

Finally tonight, here is a really good one.

Nick Hahula has punted three times for a total of 76 yards. We have six backs that have rushed for more yards that Nick's punts have gone.

What does that tell me? We are not punting a lot and we are dominating the line of scrimmage.

Please make plans to be at the stadium Friday night. This could be a special game between two super powers of the East.

Come early and bring your Walkman to listen to the game on AM 1390.

Be there or be square.

Baseball Ramblings

I realize this was a Northern Nash player, but I met Mike Tyson, former second baseman for the St Louis Cardinals, during the summer of 2007.

I met him when he came home for his father's 80th birthday party (Wayne Tyson) at Sunset Avenue Baptist Church.

What is all this leading to?

Coaches in the minor leagues hope to work their way up just like players do.

I am happy to report today that Torre Tyson, son of Mike and grandson of Wayne, who this past summer was the manager of the Charleston Riverdogs, was called up to be a part of the Yankee coaching staff this September - just like several players were called up.

Torre, who is named after Joe Torre who played with Mike in St Louis, may be the next manager for the Yankees. The way the Steinbrenners go through managers, it may be sooner rather than later since it doesn't look like the Yankees will make the playoffs.

Even though Torre was born in St. Louis, there is a Rocky Mount connection.

Remember Joey Devine, the N.C. State fireball relief pitcher who was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and made history by being the first pitcher to give up two grand slams in his first two appearances. Well, don't look now, but Devine won his sixth game of the season Sunday and in 36th relief appearances for the Oakland A's. He has an ERA of .066, one of the tops in the league.

Now that the era of the juice ball is over is there a better home run hitter that Ryan Howard of the Phillies?

Looks like Tampa Bay and Milwaukee are running out of gas toward the end here in their bids to bring the little guys in baseball back to prominence.

If you think Rocky Mount should be a big favorite Friday, Hertford County is coming to town averaging 50 points per game which includes a big win over Winston-Salem Parkland.

There could be a 100 points scored Friday!

Winning Is Not That Easy

It is really easy to assume that you can pick out the wins on your schedule before the season starts. Rocky Mount High School is in the midst of its greatest six-year football winning period in history.

It hasn't been that long ago that Rocky Mount was in a 20-year period of being average and sometimes that was at best average.

A roll like the Gryphons are on now you easily forget that you have to earn every victory.

Just take a look today in the NFL. The odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl, the San Diego Chargers, find themselves 0-2 and they have scored 62 points in the first two games.

It looks like Philip Rivers is back in Raleigh quarterbacking the N.C. State Wolfpack where in order to win they had to score 50 most games.

In New York, everyone wrote off the Patriots and gave Brett Favre a victory today because Tom Brady was out for the season. What we all saw was Tom Brady is not the world's most valuable player like we thought. The Patriots can win with a quarterback who doesn't make mistakes because they still have one of the best defenses in the NFL.

We can all see why now why the Green Bay Packers wanted to ship Favre to retirement because No.12 Aaron Rogers is pretty good.

Indianapolis has been awful on offense in both its games and yet, it is1-1 and today it found a way to win or Minnesota found a way to lose - you make the call.

Anyone notice that the Carolina Panthers play better on the road than at home. Why is that? Today was their first home-opening win in five years.

You know the best team in the NFL right now might be the Tennessee Titans as long as Kerry Collins is the quarterback

The worst team in the NFL might the Tennessee Titans with Vince Young at QB.

I wish I was kidding about that, but I'm not.

Turning to college football:

Carolina is off to a 2-0 start and has a home game Saturday against Virginia Tech. I think the Tar Heels will win but hold on Tar Heel fans you haven't played anybody, yet.

In three games, the N C State offense has scored in one game and the N.C. State defense has scored in two games. Maybe they should trade sides and see what the defensive players can do on offense.

Duke won its second game of the season. You have got to give it to Coach Cutcliffe. He talks a lot different than anyone in Durham since Spurrier left.

All of you fans that said that the fans running out on the field at ECU last Saturday was just college kids having fun, there is a letter in the mail asking all Pirate club fans to pay for all that fun. Conference USA fined ECU for unsportsmanlike conduct.

ECU is 3-0 on the season. In order to protect the N C State goal post this Saturday, I'm predicting the Wolfpack this Saturday. Don't ask me why, but I really do like those goal post in Raleigh.

Finally, I will finish up with this:

Referees have a hard job, but today there was a game-changing play made when the head referee blew his whistle on what he thought was an incomplete pass, when in fact Jay Cutler had fumbled the ball.

The ruling was I made a mistake and because I made a mistake, here's what we have to do. Instead of the Chargers getting the ball and a victory, the Broncos get two more plays and a win.

I'm sitting, I mean standing in my living room hollering 'not again' at the Charger defense which has taken two fourth quarter winning drives away from Rivers in the first eight days of the season.

But you know what, I can live with the call because that's the rule. I hate that rule, but too bad.

I'll go to work tomorrow and have to abide by rules that I don't like sometimes, but they are the rules. What choice do we have? Have no rules and live in chaos or follow the rules.

Level Headed

There was no mad dash around the field by the players after Rocky Mount's stunning victory over Rose.

The stunning part was how dominating the effort was.

Coach B.W.Holt had told the team all week that this Rose team was beatable and that they must respect them or they could still beat the Gryphons.

Pregame chatter by the Rose coaches was that if we were as good as advertised, Rocky Mount would win.

You always listen to that kind of talk as if they are setting you up for a surprise. No surprise. The Gryphons were as good as advertised.

Regardless of what sport or business you are in, assistant coaches or management always talks the talk of the company line.

In the locker room after the game, the chatter was we did what we had to do. We can still improve.

One of those impressive things about this team so far this year has been when they needed four yards for a first down, they got six. If they needed 15, they got 18.

This team is playing as if they have blinders on. They see the finish line and they are doing what is necessary to cross the line first.

What I saw was a team after the game that knows last night was just one game - it meant nothing other than another win. It did not guarantee a playoff spot or even a top-seeding for winning.

Next week is much more important in that regard because Hertford County is a road block to winning the State Championship. That is of course if we both wind up in the 3-A or 3-AA bracket together.

Last Friday, Sept. 5, the 10th day of the school year, was the day in which the daily attendance is sent to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. The NCHSAA will later get those numbers and schools will be lined up from biggest to smallest. The halfway point in each classification will be drawn and the top half will be AA and the lower half A.

If you remember, we were only three schools before the break line between A and AA last year, so it is going to be close either way again this year.

The Hertford County game will be the fourth game of the season and the Gryphons have not played a game yet against a team with a loss.

The Gryphon defense has been dominate. This is a senior-laden group and are playing as if it has been their before.

I think they call that experienced.

I think it is hard to imagine, but if last year's team would line up against this year's team, it would be a two-touchdown game for this year's squad.

We were 14-1 last year. Now that is scary!

We have had a difficult time over the past few years making it the whole season with one quarterback.

If Collins Cuthrell stays healthy, this offense may break last year's record-breaking year by a landslide.

Thursday night at the JV game, while talking with Holt, we were talking about our backs and he made the statement,."we don't have a great back in the bunch, but we got a whole lot of good ones."

I would advise everyone to tell your neighbors Friday night's game against the Bears of Hertford County could very well be the eastern state championship preview. Get there early..

The main thing is .... Be there!!!!!!

Sky High!

I thought all along this week that Rocky Mount would beat Rose, but never in my wildest dreams did I think we would kick them this bad.

Now let me see if I can tell you the keys to the game:

1. Kicking game - It's hard for a struggling offense to do anything when it starts on the 20 all night.

2. Defense - It is unbelievable how good the RM defense is. In three games, teams are averaging two yards per attempt rushing the ball against them.

3. If you can't run, then you need to pass and the Gryphons held Rose to five yards per attempt.

4. The best thing Rose had was its defense and yet, the Gryphons had 454 yards total for the game.

5. Running game - Steady even after Alston went out with sprained ankle on the first offensive play.

6. Passing game - We got a cool customer at QB. Collins Cuthrell makes good decisions when not to throw and can throw deep and even when on the run.

7. We got a receiver that can get open. Keith Strickland came up just short of a school record for receiving yards in a game with 202 yards on six catches. Mike Mason holds the record with 204 against Havelock in 2001.

8. If we get inside of your 30, we going to score some way or the other. Nick Hahula set a record tonight becoming the first Gryphon kicker to kick three field goals in one game.

9. So far this season, no one has beaten us on the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball.

10. This team is having fun.

Rose was shut out tonight for the first time in over 11 years - 148 games, which was tied (with Reidsville) for the longest active streak in the state.

Here is what I see so far for these Gryphons. Coach Holt has them focused. They are workmanlike going full tilt on every play both offense and defense

Gryphons 36--------Rose 000000000000000000000000

Next week's foe Hertford County crushed Northern Nash 62-20. At least Northern got 20.

Nash Central keeps rolling along 9-0 over Hunt.

Beddingfield shut out Southern Nash 20-0

SouthWest Edgecombe battered Farmville Central 53-6

Tarboro stayed undefeated rolling North Edgecombe 57-16

Fike clobbered Eastern Wayne 44-0

Sorry to have to report that Nash Central has been bitten by the same eligibility rule that Rocky Mount discovered last week.

Unfortunately for them, it was unaware of the rule until the Rocky Mount question came up and it will have to give back two hard-earned victories.

Northern Nash also has lost a football player and soccer player from the same rule. In their case, no wins are effected and in soccer, the player had not played during any of their victories.

Now let's try to be level headed as much as possible. This Rose team is probably a good football team. Line this year's team up against the last 10 Rose teams and this one is the worst.

But when you have only beaten a team five times in the last 23 tries, this 36-0 pasting sure is sweet!

Post game Thursday

Just walked in the door from one of the best JV football games that I have ever seen.

I was thinking tonight might be the end of the winning streak for the Baby Gryphons against Greenville Rose, but it didn't happen.

Rose tried a two-point conversion with about three minutes left, but the little Gryphons stopped it and hung on for a 30-28 victory.

Each team had a 200-yard rusher and both quarterbacks passed for at least 100 yards. Neither team could stop the other until the last two-point attempt.

That makes 24 straight win for the JV Gryphons.

I sat down in my recliner to watch some of the Carolina-Rutgers game and what is up with this Duke blue mess?

I realize that Carolina gets all of their uniforms from Duke after those Dark Blue Uniforms fade into light blue.

What happened? Duke send some new pants to Chapel Hill to thank Carolina for the ball that Carolina sent them by parachute opening night?

Come on Butch Davis. Those dark blue pants with the light blue stripe are about as ugly as Greenville Rose's kelly green and light blue.

I take that back, Rose's kelly green and baby blue wins the ugliest award by a long shot.

Somebody needs to remind Butch Davis his team plays in Chapel Hill, not Durham.

I see that the ECU-Tulane game is still on in New Orleans for Saturday.

The Houston Texans' Sunday NFL game has already been moved to Monday night in Houston.

Several college games for Saturday have had their dates changes to avoid Hurricane Ike.

The National League pennant race is really messed up now. The Cubs at Houston Friday and Saturday's game have already been postponed to allow every to run for cover from Ike.

After tonight's JV game. I am really fired up for tomorrow night.

If you think Rose High School l is too far to go to support the varsity football team, you can listen to Wes and me - starting at 7 p.m.

We will give you all the Gryphon propaganda that we can muster!

The AM1390 pregame starts at 7. Kickoff is anytime they want as long as we are on the air. 7.30 is OK with me.

Reality Check Time

I am not a big fan of taking a week off after non-conference play before opening the conference schedule.

Now the Gryphons will not have an open week due to the lack of TVs in Vance County where nobody knew a storm was coming.

Instead, our open week has come before what has to be the biggest game of the regular season for the Rocky Mount High football team.

Two impressive victories have come and gone and it seems like a month ago since we played Hunt.

This game will not make or break the Gryphons, but it will go a long way telling us how good this team could be.

Last year's game with Rose was much like the Carolina Panthers -San Diego Chargers game this past Sunday.

Nobody thought that Carolina had a chance, but in the end, everyone found out Carolina is a lot better than any one thought.

Who would have thought that Rocky Mount had a chance and yet, the Gryphons won 17-7 last season.

Friday night will give us some idea whether we are really a deep playoff team or a pretender.

We do not have to win the game, but if it goes down to the final seconds and the winner is not decided until then, then this will tell me this Gryphon team will be OK come playoff time, barring major injuries.

If Rose dominates from the get-go and and we are never a threat to win, then we are nowhere near as good as we think we are.

If when all the smoke clears and the Gryphons get on the bus to come home with a victory, then this really could be a special team.

It has worked out that the last two times when we have beaten Rose, we have a 20-0 regular season record - last year and in 2004 combined.

What does that tell me? Rocky Mount has to be pretty good to beat Rose - anytime.

I hope the Gryphon faithful come out in droves Friday night.

Barring more rain, the JVs play Thursday night and their 23-game winning streak will be put to the ultimate test.

We are experiencing the good old days right now with the level of quality football that B.W Holt has brought to Rocky Mount.

Don't miss out - see ya at both games ...

Storming the field

What a great day in East Carolina football history. The Pirates nail two top 25 teams in two straight weeks to start a season. That had never been done in Pirate history.

Here it is mid-week and the athletic departments finds themselves trying to figure out what went a muck after the game.

The first hint was the interview with Coach Holtz following the game on ESPN. The lone state trooper assigned to guard coach Holtz could not hold back the throng of eager Pirate fans who had stormed the field and who wanted to be on-camera.

The one of the ESPN experts back in Bristol, Ct. made a comment that went something like "that poor cop didn't have a chance against that mob."

If they only knew that all those poor cops were being over run everywhere on the field.

Regardless of whether it is N.C. State tearing down a goal post or ECU celebrating a major upset, fans are warned during the game that they are not allowed on the field.

I know it is the "college thing" to do to run to mid-court or sprint to the 50-yard line just to say you were there, but once there, what can you do. Get hurt is all!

My only time to try to enjoy Times Square on New Year's Eve, I found myself jammed up against 300,000 people and none of them I knew. We were shoulder-to-shoulder and I think I was the only sober person there.

I thought 'You know, if I fall down I will be trampled to death and nobody will know who I am.'
It was certainly not what I thought it would be.

All that running around - several people were knocked down and scuffles broke out among the security there.

Today, those who were trespassing want to file charges against the security people for doing their job.

I hear that there are pictures of officers using force against several of the rowdies, but, of course, nothing of what they did to incite the officers. Not even that they were trespassing while this was going on.

What has happened to our society? We now punish those during their job while the guilty run free to run on another basketball court or football stadium next month.

If we are not going to let security secure the area, then don't have any next home game - just let them tear up the field.

You know, it got so bad Saturday that Coach Holtz made his players leave and go to the locker room until order was restored and then he let them go back out to sing with the band.

If the home team felt threatened, how do you think the West Virginia players felt?

I guess you have heard of the game in which the University of Washington quarterback ,who scored on the last play of the game, threw the ball straight up in the air about 10 feet and got flagged with a celebration penalty.

The only problem was his touchdown made the score 28-27 and Washington needed the extra point to send the game into overtime.

It became a 27-yard extra point, which it was blocked.

All the expert commentators were furious with the referee who threw the flag. They forgot to tell you that it was the poor blocking when the extra point was blocked.

We have become a society of lets blame anyone except the guilty.

Paul Harvey, my favorite newsman, says that "self-government will not work without self-discipline."

Friday night when you head to Rose High School, there will be a reason that you go through a metal detector before you can enter. If it wasn't checked someone would bring a gun.

I realize some of the officers panicked, but they were there in the mob.

The rest of us were in the stands where we were suppose to be or at home safe in front of the TV.
None of us know what they felt and I have a hard time blaming them if they delivered a bloody nose or two.

NFL Week 1

Tom Brady threw for a record 50 touchdowns during the regular season last year.

Monday's MRI could change the entire NFL season.

Dr. Doughtie says Brady is through for this year. All of a sudden, the MVP of the NFL may not throw one touchdown this year.

I hate to see anyone get hurt, but if Brady is out for the year, the Pats may be in a mad scramble to even make the playoffs.

I found myself rooting for Philip Rivers to beat Carolina today, but clearly the best team won the game.

The Panthers showed a running game that if they can do that all year, they may be in the Super Bowl.

If the Chargers can't stop the run any better than what they did Sunday, they won't be playing in the Super Bowl.

Rivers played great, but the Chargers' defense was mighty porous. It almost reminded me when he was at N.C. State and the Wolfpack had to score 50 points to win games.

Michael Turner is no longer a backup running back any more. The Matt Ryan Era starts off very well for the Atlanta Falcons, but Turner stole the show with over 200 yards rushing.

I know this week the news media will start pushing the Dallas Cowboys as the team to beat for the Super Bowl after their romp over Cleveland

I would like to see them win a playoff game first. Dallas has not won a postseason contest since 1995.

Dallas and the New York Yankees are a lot alike. The media loves both of them because they are glamour teams.

The Carolina Panthers have been to more Super Bowls this century than Dallas, and the Florida Marlins have won more World Series than the Yankees.

If the Rocky Mount Gryphons can learn one thing from the opening week of the NFL season is that you have to win them on the field.

All the talk about how good you are only counts when you prove it on the field.

The Gryphons get to the hard part of their non-conference schedule with J.H. Rose and Hertford County back-to-back. Both are 6-0 combined.

Every game so far this year has had rain doubts and depending on what Hurricane Ike does, rain may be in the plans for Friday.

If any of you know of any local athlete playing on the college level, whether it's a Gryphon athlete or from another school, please let me know so we can pass the info on about all of our local athletes.

Bye, Bye Hanna

I sat home on a Friday night deflated from not having a football game.

Morgan, our freshman Gryphon, is going to sing the National Anthem next Wednesday afternoon at a home volleyball game at her old school, Edwards Middle.

If I didn't know the words before, I do now as Morgan has sung, hummed and played on the piano the National Anthem more than Greg Fishel has given Tropical Storm Hanna updates in the last 24 hours.

Thought I would pull an all-nighter Friday and watch the storm as it passed, but there was no need to. Praise the Lord.

I hope Hanna is not playing the Hurricane Dennis role by giving us a good soaking before Ike arrives next week. If you will remember, Floyd followed behind Dennis in 1999.

What a game for the ECU Pirates today! This just might be the biggest win in school history, considering that the Pirate history is they have lost following a big win like last week. Good job of stepping forward and not living on last week.

The Pirates should pop into the Top 25 with this start.

I don't know if you have heard about this or not, but Friday night, Thomasville High was suppose to host Davie County in high school football.

When they went to turn the lights on at Cushwa Stadium, someone had stolen all the copper wire in the electrical panel.

I did play-by-play of the 1988 2-A state championship game at Cushwa Stadium as Thomasville beat Hertford County, 13-10.

Could it be that Stephan Virgil is heading for All-ACC honors this season? Today, he had his first career interception as Virginia Tech beat Furman. He also had five tackles - two for losses, and for good measure - he batted a pass away.

Keep it up Stephan!

Stephan's old running mate Terrell Hudgins passed a milestone Saturday afternoon.

Elon was playing Stony Brook College on Long Island, New York - right in the middle of Tropical Storm Hanna.

It didn't matter to Terrell, who grabbed 11 passes for 138 yards in Elon's win. In doing so, he hit a milestone in recording his 200th collegiate reception. He is now at 207. He also grabbed his first touchdown of the season.

Not bad for a guy who wanted to be a college quarterback.

I see that Duke's winning streak is over at "1". Northwestern did the Blue Devils in. There is a rumor going around Durham that Duke can't win in football unless they use Carolina balls.

For those of you who didn't catch it, at Duke's season opener Saturday before last, a skydiving team was to drop the Carolina game ball on the 50-yard line at Kenan Stadium at UNC's season-opener, but it got it mixed up and landed eight miles northeast of its target at Wallace Wade Stadium instead.

It seemed to spur Duke on to victory.

I wonder where the skydivers landed tonight. Raleigh?

Gryphons lose without playing

I had been gearing up this whole week getting my mind right that we were playing tonight, rain or shine.

Wes Bradshaw called me about 1 p.m. to tell me the Northern Vance game, due to Tropical Storm Hanna, had been moved to the Thursday night of Oct. 2, which is our open date week.

Boy what a let down! Even this morning when the rain started, I was still thinking I might as well get ready - that even in the press box we might get drenched.

Blowing wind, down pouring rain - I was all set to wear my poncho tonight.

Now there is nothing to do on a Friday night.

More bad news. There had been a rumor and finally today, it is official that the season-opening victory by the Gryphons has been forfeited.

I know very little of the situation, other than what I understand the player was eligible under the North Carolina High School Athletic Association guidelines, but not Nash County guidelines.

Bravo to all concerned as Rocky Mount turned itself in to the NCHSAA once it realized the infraction.

The implication is always there if someone else turns you in that you were cheating. But when you turn yourself in it, shows a standard that you have set that you live by regardless of the consequences.

Thursday night, the JV Gryphons pounded Northern Vance 40-zip. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock.

Teams of the NEW 6 Conference had a better week than last week as everyone played on Thursday night.

The headline game was Wilson Fike's 14-13 overtime victory over arch rival Wilson Hunt. Fike trailed 7-0 into the fourth quarter. With the game at 7-all, Fike scored and made its extra point in OT, but after Hunt scored and it missed its PAT attempt (It was 35 yards long after the Warriors were flagged with an excessive celebration penalty after the OT TD!).

Despite not scoring an offensive touchdown, Nash Central won its second game in a row with a 10-9 victory Beddingfield.

SouthWest Edgecombe took some pain out on North Edgecombe. SWE was trying to forget its loss Monday night at West Craven and did a good job in doing so - winning 59-14.

Southern Nash edged Warren County 21-18. The game was up in the air until the last seconds when Southern was able to hold off the Eagles.

The only conference loser this week was Northern Nash, which was shutout by Tarboro 35-0.

Through Tarboro's three games this season, it has allowed only seven points.

In Northern's three game, it has scored only 11 points.

I think the fans in (Tarba) Tarboro have something special brewing in Viking Land this year.

Looking at future games, Hertford County put 60 on Northampton-East this week as Diego Hasty battered his old school.

We have the Bears here in a couple of weeks.

Well, since I have nothing to do but sit home and look at the radar on TV tonight, I may well blog again tomorrow.

Hope everyone is able to stay safe and dry this weekend ....

NEW 6

Winning the conference championship automatically gives the conference champion at least to homes games, if not more in the playoffs.

Regardless of how the non-conference part of any team's schedule goes, those last five games of the season are everything.

SouthWest Edgecombe's loss on Monday night to West Craven means that four of the six conference members lost their first game.

I know you are not suppose to do this, but we can get some idea of what kind of team Wilson Fike has this Friday night (scratch that - that game has be moved to Thursday) it hosts Hunt.

I like what I saw of Fike during the scrimmages at the jamboree, which was held at Rocky Mount.

You know, since the schedule change, Fike and Rocky Mount could clash for the conference championship the last game of the season.

Every team will play at least five games before conference play starts and one loss the first week of the season is not a disaster for anyone.

SouthWest played their first game of the season at West Craven, which was at home and playing its second game of the season. Don't count SouthWest out just yet because West Craven is always around when the playoffs start.

There is an old saying that teams improve the most between the first and second week of the season.

After you have been knocked around a little bit that first game, teams realize they aren't as good as they thought and pay closer attention to their coaches that second week of practice.

Nash Central came back this past week with a victory after it had taken a shellacking the week before.

Northern Nash improved and found the end zone, but this week they get Tarboro - a team that is giddy over the start it has had this year.

Tarboro has outscored its opposition 85-7 in its first two games.

I think most folks in Stanhope feel like the Firebirds let one get away last week against Bunn. This week, Southern Nash will have an opportunity to see if that second-week improvement deal is true.

Fike had the week off and many of its players were at Hunt watching two teams that they will have important games with in Hunt this week and Rocky Mount at the end of the season.

Now back to the home field, in at least the first couple of rounds, if not more depending on who survives the first couple of weeks in the playoffs.

Rocky Mount is 10-5 during the B.W. Holt era in the playoffs.

The Gryphons are 8-3 at home and 2-2 (wins at Gray's Creek, Hertford County) on the road. Where do you want to be when the playoffs start? I think there is a distinct advantage in playing at home during the high school playoffs

As of this minute as I write this on a Wednesday night, Rocky Mount's JVs are still on at home Thursday. No word on moving the varsity game, so I would assume if the weather is too bad Friday, it would have to be moved to Monday.

The Tarboro-Northern Nash game has been changed to Thursday night, as well as Beddingfield at Nash Central. SouthWest Edgecombe will have to travel to Leggett to face North Edgecombe Thursday evening.

This will be my last blog before the Friday night game at Henderson, weather permitting. Will be doing the PA tomorrow night at the Gryphon JV game.

See you there .....

Hurricane Watch!

Here we are in the third week of the high school football season and week No. 3 may find us watching a hurricane instead of football.

The track that Hurricane Hanna is projected could be from anywhere near Miami right up to Cape Hatteras.

If the storm stays out to sea longer and waits to hit North Carolina, that might take it until Saturday to get here.

Storms tend to pick up speed when they come onto land, so any landfall in northern Florida or Georgia might put the rain near us on Friday.

I called Northern Vance, Rocky Mount's scheduled opponent this week, today and made arrangements for us to come do the game Friday. It is wise to let the home team know that you want to broadcast a game from their facility. If there is anything special we might need to know, we'll know before leaving home.

I did ask the athletic director of a "What if" case in case Hurricane Hanna gets here ahead of schedule would the game be moved to Thursday.

The answer was, "we plan on playing Friday night, unless" and that unless was "we will play Friday night in the rain."

Maybe they saw last year's film of us playing Wilson Fike in the slop over at Buddy Bedgood Stadium and figure their best chance to win is to slow us down.

You know, even though the game against Hunt was on Friday, that was a day late due to the game being scheduled on Thursday to give everyone a jump on the Labor Day weekend.

If you watch TV any at all, the movie "Bull Durham" is on about once a week on some channel. Over the Labor Day holiday, I caught the last minute of it as the credits were scrolling.

When it came up on the part where it thanks people who helped to my surprise it said thanks to the Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation.

Does anyone know what happened during the filming of "Bull Durham?" Was something filmed here in Rocky Mount pertaining to the movie?

I realize most of the filming was in Durham at the old Durham Athletic Park, but how did Rocky Mount play a part in the movie?

I didn't move here until 1993, so I wasn't in the area during the filming otherwise I might have tried out for the radio announcer part.

Back to Gryphon sports: You know the football team is off to a tremendous start scoring over 40 points in its first two games for the first time in school history. Thanks to Charles Alston for that info (I stole it from his Gryphon Grapevine blog).

There is an old saying, "you are never as good as you think and never as bad as it appears."

Remember Gryphon fans, we have only played two games. Let's see how the Gryphons react after they fall behind for the first time.

The last part of that old saying is for Northern Nash fans. Wins have been few and far between in the last few years. I think all they need is a little luck to fall their way like picking up a fumble and scoring a touchdown and they just might get things turned around.

I hope we can bring you a game this week from Northern Vance. I don't care what day it is as long it is this week not next Monday.

J.H. Rose is awaiting next week. That would only give me four days to rest up for the biggest of our non-conference games. At my age, I need all the rest I can get.