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!