The Eastern Final

Last year the Gryphons made it all the way to the Eastern finals. I am not sure how many people thought that would happen. We had a shot to win right up until the last minute of the game.

Practically the entire team is back from that team that walked off the field knowing they almost won last year.

This team has played the entire season as if there was only one thing that mattered and that was getting back the Eastern Finals.

Only twice all year have we faced a half of a game that we didn't win that half and that was against Eastern Alamance as they out scored us 21-7 in the second half after we had posted a 35-0 half time lead.

Northern Vance shut us out in the second quarter of that game 10- 0 to tie us at the half 10-10.

Other than those two circumstances no team has been able to deter the Gryphons.

The Eastern finals will be played at the RMAC with two teams that are undefeated on the field this year.

We have played three common opponents.

There was Southern Wayne where West Craven smacked them 41-7. A couple of weeks after that the Gryphons laid a hurting on the Saints 63-7 in which our second team fumbled the ball just before the half and the Saints ran it in for a score.

Then we played Rose and shut them out 36-0 stopping their long streak of of consecutive games scoring. West Craven beat them 36-29 also in Greenville .

Last week West Craven played Southwest Edgecombe for the second time this year beating them 21-6 and 42-27. Both games were played at West Craven while the Gryphons shutout the Cougars 7-0 in Pinetops.

The Eagles scored 140 points in those four games while the Gryphons scored 106 in three games.

West Craven averaged 35 points while we scored at 35.3 against the same teams.

Here is the difference between the two. In those same games the Eagles gave up 17.5 points while the Gryphons averaged giving up two points a game against the same foes.

West Craven will throw the ball dink and dunk. Throw out in the flats and let their receivers go one on one. Every once in a while they will throw long.

Zack Williams our right cornerback got hurt on the opening kickoff against Eastern Alamance. Johnathan Williams up from the JVs filled in admirable. Hiawatha Bunn has not played defense since hurting his knee in the Fike game and he has started at left corner all year.

Thats two secondary spots that will see a lot of action against the Eagles.

Their quarterback is 6 feet 4 inches tall much like the kid from East Forsyth. The last two weeks we have had a hard time containing the quarterbacks from getting out of the pocket.

We batted down three balls against Eastern Alamance and I think we will need more of that as they will try to get the ball quickly outside.

One of the radio announcers from Eastern Alamance made the comment as they were wrapping up this past Friday night that he had never seen a team with as much speed as the Gryphons.

Because of our defensive size I was more worried about being match up against SWE or anyone that pounds it straight up the middle with big linemen.

Trying to get the ball to the outside is playing into our defensive strength.

The computers have the Gryphons a twelve point favorite.

Signing off Friday night I picked 35-28 Gryphons but I'm changing just a little.

I think you can make arrangements to visit Winston Salem on December 13th as the Gryphons win 34-21.

Let us all hope for a safe practice this week with no more injuries. Bunn will play Friday but right now Williams is a big question mark.

Regional finals are a rarity. Rocky Mount makes their third appearance in Four years. You never know when the next one will come back to Rocky Mount. Don't let this team down.

BE THERE

The Final Four

In 2004 I gave up my season tickets to N C State football when my wallet said no to life time rights seating.

I have managed to see at least one game every year since and yesterday I returned to Carter-Finley to watch Philip River's replacement five years in the making.

Can anyone tell me who the player of the year will be in the ACC. There is no standout hands down winner. My nominee will be red shirt Freshman Russell Wilson of the Wolfpack.

He is the most relaxed player when he is under pressure that I have ever seen.

The Pack is back.

Carolina,Wake,ECU, and the Pack all are bowl eligible. The question is will any of them play close enough to get a crowd to go see them play?

ECU will play for the Conference USA title next Saturday at Tulsa. I suspect by then all the bowls will be in place and it will be an either or for the Pirates win you go here lose you go there.

The Gryphons will play for the Eastern Regional title for the second year in a row.

This time in front of the home folks.

I don't know what the official attendance was but it was a good gate Friday.

Gryphons will play host to the Eagles of West Craven 14-0 on the season and their quarterback has committed to ECU.

You can expect the ball in the air close to fifty times from West Craven so be prepared to sleep at the RMAC Friday night. It will be a long game.

It is down to four in the 3-A bracket as South Point will travel to Mount Ulla to take on West Rowan. Everyone has a lost except for West Craven so the combined records of all four teams is 53-3.

Down the road in Tarboro, Northside from Jacksonville will visit the Vikings.

Has there ever been two Eastern Finals played in the Twin Counties at the same time before?

Tickets for the Eagles and Gryphons will be on sale at the main office at Rocky Mount High School from 8.00am-4.00pm Tuesday-Wednesday- and Thursday. They are $7 in advance and $8 if you stand in line at the gate.

I think there is a chance for six thousand people or more so come early.

Sometimes You Can Learn A Lesson In Victory

The Gryphons coasted to a 35-0 halftime lead and found out the teams we are playing now are not going to lay down and die.

Luckily for the Gryphons the score wasn't 14-0 at the half but they had enough cushion to win.

Like most other games Eastern Alamance had no answer for the quick Gryphons and by the time that got use to our speed they were 35 behind.

The Gryphons scored on 5 of their 6 tries in the first half including a 70 yard drive in six plays to start the game.

L'var Silver left the game in the second quarter but not before he had obtained over a 100 yards rushing for the first time this year.

Jordan Ford had two touchdowns Marquavis Alston one and Nick Hahula all scored in the first half.

The Eagles lost their quarterback in the second quarter when the score was already 21-0 and their wide receiver Carter came in an did a respectable job of evading Gryphon defenders and passed for 176 yards mostly in the second half.

The second week in a row the Gryphon give up more than 300 yards but again most of them came trying to make the game respectable.

The Gryphons had four sacks lead by Nick Harrison who had three and Jermaine Fields with one.

Fields also had two batted down passes and Harrison one.

The Gryphons did not come away from this game in good health as L'Var Silver fullback, and Zack Williams starting cornerback neither played in the second half. Zack Williams being out and Hiawatha Bunn still nursing a bum knee the Gryphons played the entire game with second team cornerbacks in the game Hasheem Hatu and JV Johnathan Williams playing the entire game. The first unit was not in the game on the last score by EA to make the score 42-21

I am sure the second half will give coach Holt plenty to preach about next week since a team that may throw the ball 50 times is up next for the Gryphons.

Gryphons advance to the Eastern Finals again 42-21 over Eastern Alamance

In other Action

West Craven passed better than Southwest Edgecombe ran it and will make a trip to Rocky Mount next Friday as they whip SWE 42-27

Tarboro fell behind early but came back for a 28-12 Victory over Goldsboro.

Western action saw Southpoint beat Asheville 28-0 and West Rowan nipped Carver 20-16.

Next Friday night both Rocky Mount and Tarboro will host eastern finals

Tickets for the eastern 3-A finals will be on sale in the office at Rocky Mount high school starting Tuesday at $7 each. If you wait until the gate next Friday tickets will be $8.

I have to tell you this tonight the Gryphons were aided by Morgan Doughtie who was on the sidelines filling the water bottles. Morgan says she helped lead the Gryphons to victory.

Third Round Friday

To me this is the ultimate of high school football. Football on the Friday night after Thanksgiving

There are four teams left in the east and four in the west who all think they can still win it all.

I have been on vacation all week and was able to visit practice three times this week including Thursday morning. I think the Gryphons are ready.

It has become tradition to bring in a speaker and after practice Pete Weaver Gryphon football player 1977-1979 spoke to the team.

Pete who works for the Rocky Mount fire department he spoke to the team about choices in their lives and responsibility.

We have reached the point where a fluke play may turn the tide one way or the other, the four teams still a live in the east are a combined 48-3 on the season.

In the west West Rowan will be hosting Winston Salem Carver and Asheville will travel to South Point.

You can ask who do I think will win the west? My answer is I have no idea. All four teams still a live in the west have not played any common opponents at all with any one we can relate to.

South Points only loss all year was from a team in South Carolina. Dudley beat Carver the first game of the season and they haven't lost since. West Rowan lost to a 4-A school for their only loss and Asheville has lost three times this year.

If the Gryphons put forth the effort tonight they will host the eastern finals next Friday night.

Our pregame show starts at 6.45 and we will have a pregame interview with coach Holt near 7.00pm on am1390.

You have no excuses. The temperature at kickoff should be about 48 degrees. For November 28th that is as good as it is going to be.

Please come early and stay late and listen to the coach talk to the team at games end. They need your help and remember the team across the line of scrimmage has Alamance on their uniforms.

It may not be the direction on their uniform we wanted but we still must survive to advance.

Time To Be Thankful

The Gryphon boys basketball team is off to a 3-0 start to the 2008-09 season which to me is quite surprising considering four or five football players are missing.

The Thursday lineup of Thanksgiving football looks as if they are all duds.

The Tennessee Titans I would suspect will take out some punishment on Detroit after losing for the first time this past Sunday.

Dallas plays the Seattle Seahawks and I think even if they have a bad game, the Cowboys win.

Texas plays Texas A&M. Texas needs an impressive win over A&M for the poll voters to stay ahead of Oklahoma in the BCS standings. Look for Texas to lay 50 on A&M.

Finally, the NFL Network which stands for "Not Found Locally: has the Cardinals at the Eagles.
Looks like the Eagles have given up on Donavon McNabb, but who else do they have.

I hope everyone has a very wonderful Thanksgiving because we are have plenty to be thankful for:

The Gryphons have won 21 straight home games. They have a home game Friday night in the third round. Since you haven't been to the first two playoff games, here is your chance.

According to the latest weather forecast sunshine Friday.

We should all be thankful this year for the baseball championship.

We should all be thankful that a man named B.W. Holt found Rocky Mount six years ago and has given us the best six years in Rocky Mount history. (win-wise) 70-12.

Hopefully, the baseball team has just opened the flood gates for others to follow.

Football practice is at 9 o'clock Thursday morning. For those of you who can never get by to see them practice at 3 p.m., here is your chance. Show your thanks to them and your support for their efforts. I doubt it will last more than an hour.

This senior class, the ones who played two years of JVs and two years of Varsity football, are 46-1 in their four years. Show them your thanks.

This is the fifth Thanksgiving football practice for the Gryphons in a row. Be thankful that is not as easy to do as you think.

Have a most thankful day!

Could Be a Record

This kind of went unnoticed last Friday, but Webb had two rushers in the game to get at least 100 yards rushing.

Akeem Daniel, Webb's tailback has 106 yards on 20 attempts, while their quarterback Antwan Thorpe collected 156 on 18 carries.

Much like a home run hitter who hits two dingers, when they trail 13-0 their yards felt like it came at mop up time since the Gryphons had such a big lead.

We need to get the Gryphon encyclopedia to work, Charles Alston. Has there ever been a Rocky Mount game when two runners from each team collected over 100 yards rushing in one game?

Marquavis Alston had 196 and Jordon Ford picked up 156. Between them, they had four touchdown runs with the shortest being 35 yards and the longest 74 yards.

After both Warrior touchdowns, the Gryphons responded by scoring on their first offensive play a 74-yard run and a 71-yard jaunt. So long for any come back.

During our broadcast of the game there was a concern about the personal fouls that the Gryphons were getting four in all.

In Sunday's Rocky Mount Telegram, RM head coach B.W. Holt was quoted as saying the penalties were from blocking to the whistle which is what he wants. Such blocking is the main reason the Gryphons are able to break off such long runs.

It would be a different matter of the personal fouls were mouthing off penalties.

Four times during the game the Gryphons had first downs, but lost yardage but still managed to get either first downs or touchdowns after the four dead-ball penalties.

For those of you who like to watch practice, they are going to do so at 9 this morning (tentatively scheduled, since Wednesday is an optional teacher workday) and 9 Thanksgiving morning.

Wouldn't you know it that the forecast is for rain Friday. What else would you expect this year?

What ever happened to the drought?

Pregame starts at 6.45 p.m. Friday on AM 1390. This is what we call the playoff edition.

I can't make practice today, but I'll be there Thursday.

Focus

I stopped by practice for a few minutes on Monday to see for myself what the atmosphere was like.

Seemed like a very good practice. One thing when you have dominated everyone like we have for the most part is thinking you don't need to worry.

I didn't see any of that. It was a very spirited session.

There is no school on Wednesday so practice will start tentatively at 9.00am. That will be followed by a Thanksgiving practice on Thursday morning which will probably not last much more than and hour.

The Gryphons are still unscored on in the first quarter this year.

For the fourth year in a row, we will play an Alamance County school in the playoffs. So far we are 0-3.

The Gryphons have not lost at home since the 30-10 loss to Western Alamance in the 3-A Eastern Finals in 2005. That is now 21 straight home games.

The computer rankings are out and predictions are out for Friday night's games.

Tarboro is a nine-point favorite over Goldsboro.

West Craven is a six-point favorite over NEW 6 member SouthWest Edgecombe.

The Gryphons are 23-point favorites Friday over Eastern Alamance. A 23-point favorite in the third round. We were favored by 24 last week and 38 against Jacksonville.

I think the Gryphons had better take care of this easy bracket cause starting next week, it will tighten up big time.

Based on this week's ratings, the Gryphons will be favored by seven over West Craven and if they were to play SWE, they will carry a 12-point margin.

If Eastern Alamance were to upset the Gryphons, it would be 14-point underdogs at West Craven and a eight-point dog at home if they were to play SWE.

Of course, putting a number on a game is only a game in itself. It has no factor in winning and losing.

According to the computers, Independence would beat Rocky Mount by 12. A school with more than 2,700 students and a school with a little more than 1,200.

It sure would be fun to see how we'd stack up after we win in Winston-Salem. But a lot of snaps of the football are yet to unfold before then.

Third-Round Matchups

The Twin Counties still has three teams alive in the high school football playoffs Thanksgiving weekend for the first time ever - Tarboro, SouthWest Edgecombe and Rocky Mount.

Tarboro is having the best year it has had in 10 years (1998 squad reached 2-A state finals). This week they find itself going up against Goldsboro a team they waxed earlier in the year.

I find it hard to believe that Goldsboro took out Bunn by 20 points. Tarboro stands at 12-1 on the season a hard-fought 13-7 loss to SouthWest Edgecombe being their only blemish to their season.
I see Tarboro taking out Goldsboro for the second time this year may be a tad closer than before but a victory for Tarboro 28-6.

SouthWest Edgecome has played both West Craven and Rocky Mount already this year. In order for the Cougars to make it to the state championship game in Winston Salem, they may have to play both again.

After having seen the Cougar JV team this year since the playoffs have started, the Cougars have improved with the addition of the size of their line.

If I had my wish I would rather have to play West Craven in game four over SWE. I think styles of play the Gryphons match up real well with West Craven.

Southwest's first game of the year was with WC. However, it was West Craven's second game of the season and I think that was a major advantage for the Eagles and also playing at home.

This time I think SouthWest ends West Craven's season: 30-21.

Back in B W Holt's first season at Rocky Mount ,the Gryphons had a tough draw when they had to play Jack Britt in the first game.

The way the playoff system is devised who you play in your bracket is luck as far as who is in your bracket over missing someone who matches up well with you.

This year, the Gryphons got the good draw. They got Jacksonville, then a good Webb team, but not a complete team.

Eastern Alamance, this week's playoff opponent, lost by two touchdowns at home to Webb 34-20 and it also beat Northern Vance 13-7 at NV.

Like everyone except SWE this year, Eastern Alamance will be faced with having to score every time they get the ball to keep the game close.

I think they will slow the Gryphons down some, but the Gryphons will play another Friday as they will hang a 38-7 score on EA.

In the eastern 3-A playoffs, of the 12 games played so far, I am 11-1 on my picks as I missed the Hertford County game against Eastern Alamance.

I think the injury to the Hertford County quarterback in the first series of that game was big.

That is one factor that no one knows will happen. A key injury for any team can be devastating.

Barring injury, the Gryphons will play in December for the second year in a row.

Ramblings

I noticed during the first challenge during the State-Carolina game that the announcers talked during the whole waiting process.

Seems to me that would have been a good time to get some commercials out of the way. Instead about three plays later there was a TV time out.

How can a team that thinks they are good enough to win a national championship give up 65 points? Texas Tech cannot complain to anybody about what ever bowl game it gets now.

After Florida State's victory last night over Maryland, N.C. State can no long win the ACC's Altantic Division.

Stephan Virgil of Rocky Mount High Class of 2005 had a great fourth quarter for Virginia Tech last night - coming up with two interceptions.

Rumors are flying around Chapel Hill that Mack Brown is coming back to Carolina in two years as athletic director.

I think we should have a pep rally at Rocky Mount High school about 10 a.m. Thurday to salute the Gryphons on the practice field at the end of practice.

Our pregame show may start at 6.45 Friday night.

Wes is going to try to get a pregame interview with coach B.W. Holt. The further we go in the playoffs we will probably wind up with a one-hour pregame show if we make it to Winston-Salem.

There will be no more talk in the NFL about an undefeated team as the Titans fell at home to the Jets today.

I think the Titans have the best defense in the NFL, but for some reason they don't score enough points for me to feel good about them in the playoffs.

I don't know what has happened to Carolina's offense. The last three weeks their offense has been awful, but their defense has won the games.

Doesn't look like the defense can help today as they are down 17-0 in the second quarter as I write this.

This is the fifth year in a row the Gryphons have won at least 10 games. During this stretch, they are 61-9.

I realize that most folks stayed home Friday night using the excuse of the cold weather.

We don't have to look very far right here in our own county when Northern Nash was just in the championship game a few years ago.

Don't take winning for granted!

Support the Gryphons in hugh numbers against Eastern Alamance!

Big MO

In football, the team that wins the turnover battle most of the time wins the game.

When you have six turnovers and you don't create any yourself, most of the time you don't have a chance. Today, Carolina didn't have a chance.

I can hear it now, all the Carolina faithful will say we didn't have any life. It didn't look like we wanted to play.

That's what happens when you turn the ball over. It takes away MOmentum. In Carolina's, case today six times when it had the ball it gave the ball to N.C. State who from those turnovers got Big MOmentum and steamed rolled Carolina 41-10.

Tidbits from Friday's results:

I hear Hertford County lost its quarterback during the first series of the game and he never returned. They lost 15-13 to Eastern Alamance

I don't know whether either or both teams will make it to the eastern Finals, but if Rocky Mount faces SouthWest Edgecombe on Dec. 5, they will need to bring in extra bleachers much like they do for the Down East Viking classic.

I can see 10,000 fans showing up for that game.

That's still a long way off.

Wonder how strong of a schedule Rocky Mount played this year?

East Forsyth, Northern Vance, and SouthWest Edgecombe will be playing next weekend along with the Gryphons. The Gryphons won those three games by a combined score of 76-24.

Biggest surprise to me was Bunn losing to Goldsboro by 20. Tarboro is next for Goldsboro.

Three No. 1 seeds fell last night - Hoggard, Harnett Central and Mount Tabor. Being a No. 1 seed is not an automatic invite to the state championship.

Did we find out what we wanted to know? Dudley stuffed Fike 46-0. Rocky Mount handled Fike 52-7. What have we learned? Dudley and Rocky Mount would be some game.

Those of you that stayed home last night you missed a treat in the quarterback for Webb Antwan Thorpe.

I wish you could watch the film. On one play, there was five Gryphons who had a chance for a sack and no one got one. But the pressure did cause an incomplete pass.

On his 78-yard touchdown run I think all 11 Gryphons thought they had him.

This to me is the most special week of the high school football season. There will be 32 North Carolina High school teams hoping still to win the state championship.

Coach Holt has always tried to get a player from the past to come talk to the team after their practice on Thanksgiving morning, like a Rocky Mount legend Danny Talbott.

This will be the fifth year in a row that Rocky Mount has had a practice on Thanksgiving.

We should all give thanks because you never know when you will practice on Thanksgiving again. Prior to 2004, RMHS hadn't since 1977!

A Blowout In Round Two

I enjoy going on NCPreps.com and reading all of the junk that is written by people who think they know what they are talking about.

I don't respond, I just read and laugh at some of the comments.

The biggest question coming from the Webb fans was their quarterback faster than Brian Goodwin.
What the Webb Warriors forgot was that it didn't matter whether he was or not. Webb didn't have 21 other players faster than the starting lineup on both sides of the ball for Rocky Mount.

The Gryphons, in their usual fashion, showed the Warriors that if they want to stay in this game, they had better score every time they get the ball and they didn't.

Rocky Mount scored the first four times it had the ball while holding the Webb Warriors to a single score.

The only time Webb held the Gryphons in the first half, the best defensive player for Webb was the clock as the Gryphons were driving when the half ended with Gryphons leading 27-7.

Nick Hahula, Collins Cuthrell and L'Var Silver all had short touchdown runs and following the Warriors score in the first half, Jordan Ford, on the first play following their score, ran 71 yards following Keith Strickland's downfield block, which has to be the longest block in Gryphon history.

Strickland blocked his man for a good 25 yards and Ford stayed behind Strickland for most of it until he sprinted for the goal line.

In order to take any doubt whether this was going to be a game or not, the Gryphons took the second half kickoff and drove right down the field and Ford scored on a run straight up the middle without a hand being laid on him for 35 yards.

A bobbled snap from center by Collins Cuthrell and at the end of the half was the only time that the Warriors stopped the Gryphons through the first three quarter,s and then they scored two straight times in the fourth quarter before the benches cleared to finish the game.

Antwan Thorpe showed why everyone at Webb loves him as he took off on a 78-yard TD run in which the Gryphons had him boxed in only to see him jitterbug away for the touchdown.

To remind the Warriors that he could run too, junior Marquavis Alston went 74 yards on the longest of his two second-half scores.

To its credit, Webb collected 319 yards in the game as 151 came from the shoes of Thorpe in 19 carries, but the total was meager when compared to Alston's 197 yards on 12 totes and Ford's 158 on a mere seven carries.

In the last two weeks, Ford has 234 yards on nine carries.

The bottom line was this.: In the match up of speed, Goodwin did touch the ball one time for a 11-yard gain. We didn't need any more from him except his defensive play. Thorpe needed more than he got because what he got had no bearing on his team having any chance to win the game.

There will be football at the RMAC on THANKSGIVING Friday for the third time in the last five years. This is five years in a row the Gryphons have advanced to at least the third round.

Gryphons 48, Webb 14

SouthWest Edgecombe made the NEW 6 look good again as it will be playing on Thanksgiving Friday for the second time in the last three years after pounding Kinston 47-13.

The news is not good for Fike as it is drubbed at Dudley, 46-0

It has been awhile (1998), but Tarboro will be playing on Thanksgiving Friday as the Vikings slammed Franklinton 34-14.

I need to go to bed so I can be ready come high noon to watch the Pack take out the Heels!

Another Mushy Friday

I know that most folks really love to see it snow the way it has this morning. Big fluffy flakes and not sticking.

I have been told it started about 4.00am and has continued for a good three hours without much consequence other than a wet road.

This is the 13th week of the football season and have we had more than two Fridays that the sun shined all day without any perspiration?

We have had two games moved to Monday. Last week we played in the rain but for the most part it has rained every Friday this year and in most cases cleared off by afternoon.

The forecast today is clearing by lunch time with a high today of only 42. Sounds and feels like football weather to me.

There are only eight teams left playing in the eastern 3-A bracket and last week I picked all eight games. Not that hard when most of the games the winners were double digit favorites before they started.

Looking at this weeks games:

Eastern Alamance is making the trip east to Hertford County and the Bears are a five point favorite.

Southwest Edgecombe travels to Kinston where SWE is a five point favorite.

Washington already this year a ten point loser at home to West Craven is a 20 point dog at West Craven.

J F Webb is a 24 point underdog to the Gryphons.

The one pick that I don't understand is Dudley is only an 18 point favorite over NEW-6 third place Fike.

Thats what the computer people think is going to happen tonight and as the saying goes "That is why they play the games"

Air time on am1390 will be as close to 7.00pm as possible. Gates open at 6.00pm. Remember that there should be a hugh crowd tonight so it will take awhile to get everyone through security.

GO GRYPHONS!!!!!

Babe Ruth Payoff

The signing of Tyler Joyner and Brian Goodwin to Division I national letters of intent this week is another step in showing that you reap what you sow.

Tyler of Northern Nash is what every scout, whether they are high school, college or pro, drools over - a left-handed pitcher. He has been the ace of the 13-and 14-year old Nash County Babe Ruth teams that made it to the semifinals and finals in the Babe Ruth World Series.

His sophomore year, he led the Knights to the finals in the east until they lost out to the eventual state champions from .C.B. Aycock.

Brian also was the center fielder on those same Babe Ruth teams and put on a display of his abilities from power hitting to base stealing to flagging down any ball hit in the air.

He won the MVP award during the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series this past May as the Gryphons won the state 3-A baseball title.

Both Northern and Rocky Mount players, along with Nash Central, have benefited from their experiences in Babe Ruth.

There seems to be that 14-year olds is the last of the dedicated to one-program age bracket. Starting at 15, Junior Legion and other teams begin to divide the players to where they all go in different directions.

Between little league and 14-year-olds, Nash County has become a force in baseball and at the high school level they start dividing up to the different schools.

Even when they have divided up, the last two years with Northern going to the eastern finals and Rocky Mount winning it this year shows you how much experience means to any player and program.

As for Tyler and Brian, their biggest common denominator is that their parents have been with them every step of the way.

As many games as these guys have played in the past five years, it is hard to take three weeks off to follow your child to a state championship, then to a regional in Tennessee and a World Series in Massachusetts.

Their families have sacrificed to make it happen and to be able to watch their lives unfold.

After graduation, you can expect it to start all over as these guys start to travel all over the country to pursue their dreams in college and who knows, maybe even in pro baseball.

J.F.Webb vs. Rocky Mount

We have come to the point in the season when there are no more patsies left.

There are some good teams and great teams yet to play another day. Who are the great and good are yet to be determined.

The New England Patriots last year won the first 18 games of their season - something no one else has ever done. But when there was one more, they failed to deliver.

This year's Gryphons came into the season with most of last year's 14-1 team back to play again.

They played two 4-A schools winning by a combined score of 79-14.

The Gryphons have played three 3-AA schools and won all three by a combined 122-23.

That leaves five conference games, Hertford County and a playoff game and the combined scores were 251- 42.

What does all this mean for this year's team?

Absolutely nothing come Friday night.

We will face a team that their offense is much like that of Western Alamance. I doubt that the quality of the whole body of this year's Webb team doesn't meet the quality of the three Warrior teams from Western Alamance that have taken us out of the playoffs the last three years.

We may actually give up more points this week than at any other time this year. Maybe.

We have seen this year the best way to slow down the Gryphons is to keep it away from them.
SouthWest Edgecombe did a good job of that, but you also have to score when you hold on to it.

I don't think Webb has an answer for our offense and our defense will bend but give up little as the game progresses.

When you get to this point in the season a fumble at the wrong time and there goes a chance to score. Just remember, the three straight turnovers we had against Rose in 2004 in the third quarter and lost 15-13 in the third round.

Despite how gaudy our record looks, we still have to perform at peak efficiency or we might be done sooner than we think.

Comparisons

There is no way when we play a team and then some one else plays that same team to compare how we stack up.

You never know who is injured and who is in or not from game to game. Did they play against us but not against the next team.

So in general you can have an educated guess.

Just two weeks ago we played Fike. On this particular night we ran Fike off the field. But if we played them three straight weeks could we continue to win 52-7. I doubt it.

This week Fike has the problem of going and playing Greensboro Dudley the number # one team in the 3-AA bracket.

All year long the talk has been Dudley and Rocky Mount who is better.

Since we are in the lower A in the 3-A playoffs and Dudley in the AA we will not get a chance to find out who is better.

We both have our work cut out in our own bracket to worry about someone we will not have to play.

Despite all the what ifs, who is better? We will get a chance after this second round to compare each other. Fike travels to Dudley just like they came to Rocky Mount.

Fike will be the only team that when it is all said and done can tells us who is better. The final score may not be the best judgement as to who is best.

Sometimes a coach can look at who is more physical, faster, who give them the biggest problems.

It will not matter at all who is better if both Dudley and Rocky Mount do not win it all in both our brackets.

Then someone else can ask Am I better than Rocky Mount or Dudley?

I don't think Fike can win this game but I think it will take them a lot of points to stay in it.

My pick Dudley 49- Fike 28.

Will we be able to compare Rocky Mount and Dudley?

Only Fike will know for sure!

Round Two Matchups

The real playoffs begin this Friday. The NCHSAA plays as many games as possible to make as much money as they can so last Friday's match ups were as bad for making money as our economy is right now. Also every game failed to make expenses.

The gates should be a lot better this week even if it rains because everyone is in jeopardy of losing.

Here are the Eastern 3-A Matchups:

Eastern Alamance at Hertford County.... EA is 11-1 while HC is 10-2
They have not play any common opponents. EA is averaging 28 points per game. HC is at 45.
EA is giving up 14 while HC 18.

This game could be a shootout and after Western Alamance has handled HC the last couple of years early in playoff EA will not respect HC plus the long drive to what EA will feel like will be the middle of no where. Hertford County 42 Eastern Alamance 28

Hertford County will play Rocky Mount twice again this year.

Washington At West Craven..... Washington 8-4 West Craven 12-0

They played each other in a conference game in early October with WC winning 16-6 at Washington. WC was 7-0 in the Coastal 4-A/3-A conference while Washington was 5-2.

Washington is averaging 24 points per game while WC has lit up the scoreboard for 37 a game. Washington gives up almost 20 while WC 11.

Score won't be as close this time playing at West Craven WC 35-Washington 14

Southwest Edgecombe at Kinston SWE is 9-2 while Kinston is 10-2

Common opponents... Nash Central lost to Kinston last week at Kinston 14-6 while during conference play SWE beat Nash Central 34-21 at SWE. Kinston has played Jacksonville 28-6, Hunt 29-10 and Southern Wayne 20-0 while Rocky Mount blew out all three of those teams. SWE hung with Rocky Mount all game.

SWE is averaging 31 points per game while Kinston almost 34. Defensively SWE ia allowing 15 while Kinston is holding the defensive scores to 15.

This has been a resurgemt year for Kinston Football but the Season ends at home as the Cougars win 26-20

J F Webb @ Rocky Mount Webb is 9-3 while Rocky Mount comes in at 11-1

Webb averages 32 per contest while the Gryphons 38. Webb gives up 17 while the Gryphons only 7.

The only common foe was Northern Vance in which we played NV at NV on Oct 2nd while Webb play them at NV on Oct 10th Gryphons won 26-10 Webb lost 24-23.

John Hammetts returns to Rocky Mount and Webb may be the first team to score on Rocky Mount in first quarter this year.

However too Much defense from the Gryphons and too much offense too

Gryphons 35-Webb 14

There you have it only four days to find out how accurate this is.

What A Season

It was just six weeks ago that the ACC football world was floored by the Duke football team.

Now as we head down the final stretch of the college football season Duke is the only team in the ACC that has been eliminated from the ACC Championship game.

N C State with a 2-4 record in conference play is still alive. There has to be about 20 different combinations of teams losing before it could happen but they have not been knocked out yet.

Maryland and Miami are in the drivers seat but there hasn't been anybody yet that has been able to figure out forward from reverse.

It is looking more and more like Appalachian State will make a serious run for four straight FCS titles. Saturday in Boone App State beat Elon to clinch at least a tie for the Southern Conference title. They look as if they will be seeded either first or second in the playoffs again.

In just a few years now NCWC has established itself as a good football program in Division three football. They finished their regular season at 6-4.

I found out that the Jacksonville coaching staff made arrangements before the game Saturday night that whenever Rocky Mount scored their 35th point to go ahead and let the clock run.

There is nothing like a coach with confidence to inspire his team.

It seemed to me any spunk that Jacksonville had they lost it all once the clock did not stop.

There are a few things that concerns me about the game.

The Gryphons were soft in the middle on defense and gave up way too many yards straight ahead.

With the injury to Hiawatha Bunn our backup play is shaky at quarterback.

When Brian Goodwin got back to Rocky Mount from his baseball all-star games in Los Angeles and Chicago he was trying to make the spectacular plays every time he touch the ball.

Once he settle down and got back to playing basic football boy has he become spectacular. He has had a end -a-round touchdown and a punt return at Nash Central. Two interceptions against Fike and a Kickoff and punt return touchdown against Jacksonville.

Is there a better Athlete in North Carolina?

I doubt if he is able to return a kickoff or punt for the remainder of the playoffs unless we get it to him on a reverse. Nobody in their right mind would kick it to him now.

I know you had a good reason for not being at the game Saturday night. Rain, a gimme game but those games are over the real playoffs start Friday night.

The Gryphons face a coach who if he never won another game Friday would be the one he wants John Hammett and the Webb Warriors.

Here Comes Round Two

All eight of the eastern 3-A top seeds have advanced to round two there they will begin now playing each other.

It took Rocky Mount exactly 14 seconds to let Jacksonville know that an upset was not happening in Rocky Mount this night as Brian Goodwin took the opening kickoff 98 yards and the points were coming.

The low point of the night was that Jacksonville pretty much ran straight up the middle almost on every running play and they managed 136 yard rushing in the first half including a 55 yard run straight up the middle just before the half.

I am sure they did not go unnoticed by John Hammett the head coach of J F Webb high school who was at the game to scout.

Hammett the Former Rocky Mount high coach from 1999 to 2002 saw that he had better not kick the ball to Brian Goodwin no way no how.

The final numbers are the second lowest of the season after the Southwest Edgecombe game.

After Jacksonville missed a 33 yard field goal in the first quarter the Gryphons took all of three plays to rush 80 yards 77 coming from Marquavius Alston who had runs of 50 and 27 for a touchdown.

The second time the Gryphons had the ball on the first carry Jordan Ford went 75 yards and the game was pretty much over . At that point the #1 seeded team in the east had a 98 yard kickoff and 4 running plays of 155 yards.

Having not thrown a pass so far the next drive belonged to Collins Cuthrell as he probably had his pass of the year as a defender thought he was getting a sack but Collins shook of the tackle just enough to throw a strike to L'Var Silver who scampered into the end zone to make it 28-0

For the second week in a row the Gryphons give up a big running play for a touchdown just before the half.

On the first play of the third quarter Jacksonville fumbled and the Gryphons threw to Keith Strickland for another touchdown.

Jacksonville decide they had enough and asked for the clock to run from that point on and the second teams handle most of the rest of the game.

Just to give John Hammett plenty to look at Brian Goodwin lined up to receive a Jacksonville punt over near the Jacksonville sidelines where they had been kicking the ball all night and scooped up a punt which was more toward the center instead of the side lines and went 56 yards for the final points of the game.

The Gryphons had only 155 yards rushing for the game but that no way tells how speed killed Jacksonville tonight.

The defense played better in the second half and along with the second team held Jacksonville to no first downs and only 30 yards in the second half.

Gryphons Advance 42-7 over the Cardinals

You know last night we held back from playing due to the fact that there was a possibility of thunder and lightning and safety was our top priority.

Last night as the cheerleaders from Gray's creek were heading to their game their van was involved in a wreck about a mile from East Alamance High School.

Apparently as the driver of the van turned left into the road that runs in front of East Alamance he misjudged his turn and was about to run off the road and decided to backup when he backed up a pickup coming around a curved crashed into the back of the van killing the driver of the pickup and injuring two of the cheerleaders.

Sometimes we forget how dangerous life is and a raining Friday night was no exception.

Fike makes it a good night for the NEW-6 as they go to Asheboro and lay a whipping on Aheboro 30-14. The game was much closer than the score as it was tied at one point 14-14 in the third quarter.

The top three seeds for the NEW-6 are still alive and Nash Central fought hard until the end before losing last night.

So once again the NEW-6 according to the power ratings the #1 3-A conference in the state proved it in the first round winning three out of four games.

Safety First

Officials when making decisions to play or not to play use every available means to determine the best option for completing any sporting event.

The forecast Friday night was rain with potential for thunder storms. The Saturday forecast was rain with the system moving out of the area as Saturday night approached.

In what would have been game time last night I don't think we had any rain at all in Rocky Mount but if you have seen the news this morning the reason the game was postponed was one of those thunder storm in which the area got last night hit the Elm City area well past midnight but life has been lost.

Thunder storms especially severe ones have potential for tornadoes and the Kenly to Elm City area was hit had. At least two people are known dead as this time.

Knowing what has happen over night and we are the only eastern 3-A bracket team that did not play last night I cannot say that I can fault anyone who goes safety first.

I am sure as the school year goes on there will be decisions to be made as to is it going to snow or when do we let school out?

We have to trust the people in charge of the decisions will make the very best at the time they make them according to the information they have at the time.

Now the forecast for tonight now is just about the same as last night but the kicker is it is suppose to start clearing off as we get into Saturday night.

Whether we are a go tonight or it is put off until Monday only time will tell us that and until we actually get there tonight we won't know if it right or wrong one way or the other.

Now lets Look at what did happen:

The #2 Seed West Craven had little trouble with Bertie 45-21 and they will meet conference foe Washington a 34-25 winner over Havelock. That is twice in three weeks that Washington has beaten Havelock.

The other side of that bracket Southwest Edgecombe rumbled for a 34-20 win over South Granville and the Cougars will now face Kinston who had the biggest struggle of the night winning 14-6 over Nash Central.

Remember I told you last week that Nash Central was going to be a hard out for who ever got them in the first round and Kinston survives.

In the upper bracket Hertford County had little trouble with Eastern Wayne winning 57-13 and they will play Eastern Alamance a 26-7 winner over Grays Creek.

Now the game of interest for the Gryphons John Hammett will be returning to the RMAC for the second time this year. He brought has Warriors to the Jamboree back in August and I had them as the third best team there. They beat Beddingfield 37-18.

There were no major upsets in the 3-A state bracket but there was one of major interest for Gryphon fans as Western Alamance the team that has knocked the Gryphons out of the playoffs three straight years fell in the western bracket.

It is now up to the Gryphons to hold up their end of the bargain.

A Washout Tonight

Anyone who has looked out the window,seen a TV, listened to a radio, Looked at a radar or anyone who has a bad knee knows it's raining and looks like an all weekend affair.

Before I say anything about whether I am glad or not either way let me just say that the decision was based on safety not how many people are going to go to the game.

Who Rah for that. A decision not made because of money.

But let's be frank Gryphon fans How many of you were planning to go tonight anyway because you thought the Gryphons would win by forty and it wasn't worth your time and the rain really gives you a good excuse for not going.

I doubt whether there was going to be a thousand people at the game tonight if it was 70 degrees and the moon shining.

The game has been postpone until 7.00pm Saturday night due to the fact that tonight's forecast is calling for Thunder showers where as tomorrow night is just rain.

If the game were to be delayed while the game was going on it's no telling how long we might be there trying to get the game in so it seems reasonable tomorrow night is just better.

The is no Thunder in the forecast Saturday night so there will be no worry of making Everyone leave the facility and come back when we decide to continue the game.

There is no way that you would dare put the game off til Monday. The teams could not trade film with next Friday's opponent until the early hours of Tuesday morning so it is either Friday Night or Saturday Night.

Rembember kickoff is 7.00pm instead of 7.30 and we will go on the air at 6.30 from the command center at the RMAC.

A bonus coverage will be held tonight on am1390 as Wes and Myself will talk Gryphon football from 7.00 to 8.00 tonight. We will look back at this season and I would suspect give you a prediction or two about who we think will win the different brackets.

SEE you then....

The Football Season Starts Now

There has been a feeling with the football team this year that there was a focus on the prize over other teams and other years. It may have something to do with the seniors leading this team.

Last years team walked off the field at Western Alamance thinking about a return to the eastern finals and onward to Winston Salem and the state championship game this year.

I don't know if we could have asked for a better script for the first eleven games. A few injuries but we didn't have an injury that we can say cause us to lose a game in that regard this has been an excellent year all around.

We have come to the portion of the season and one mistake could end it all. In looking at the context of any game there is never a point when one play loses it but when you add several together the end could be quick.

This team has shown the ability to step forward when the chips were down.

Tied 10-10 at the half at Northern Vance this team dominated the second half of the game.

Fourth and one at the goal line after Southwest Edgecombe had controlled the ball for 19 plays but #20 the defense held. The offense moved the ball away from the goal line and basically won the conference championship.

Tied 7-7 in the fourth quarter against Nash Central this teamed show why they are good and put on a display of raw talent and routed the Bulldogs.

Rocky Mount every time they have been asked to make a play they have. Rocky Mount has never won a football state championship as the Gryphons. This is the best chance ever.

The soccer all conference and all region teams have been announced and Matt Moore, Andrew Morales and Hunter Perry have made the first team. Justin Adams is on the second team.

The region five all region team has Moore,Morales and Perry on that squad also.

Last night I was in the auxiliary gym for the wrestling match with Rose. Rose was the winner but things could have been interesting if the Gryphons didn't have to forfeit 3 weight classes.

Tickets for the playoff game Friday night are available at the main office at the high school. Playoff prices are $7.

The gates open at 6.00pm and you can get in at either entrance at the north end of the field.

It has become big in recent years to get rings after winning state championships. The football team watched as the baseball team got theirs at halftime of the Northern Nash game.

Within 31 days we will know whether these guys need to be measured or not.

Multi-Tasking

I really hate to hear that Chad Smith is leaving Northern Nash and the area at school's end.

Being on the Rocky Mount coaching staff for four years, I got to know Chad and I am disappointed for him that the Northern gig did not work out for him.

I know many at Rocky Mount High remember Martha (Sykes) Proctor when she worked in the athletic office at RMHS. She is now at North Carolina Wesleyan working for athletic director John Thompson. Tuesday, she underwent a heart cauterization at Wake Med.

With homecoming going on this coming weekend at NCWC, I know she will and is greatly missed and if all goes well, she may be home on Friday.

You know the way the Gryphons keep breaking records, it is hard to keep up with all of them. There is one that has slipped by all of us and that is the record for most consecutive PATs made.

The record has been held by Howard McCullough since 1971 of 16 straight. Senior Nick Hahula has not missed an extra point since the third quarter of the Northern Vance game. He made one in the fourth quarter and the new string was started. After making seven more against Fike last week, he has now made 24 in a row.

You know one of the great successes this team has enjoyed this year is that Nick's has only punted 18 times all year for almost a 40-yard average. And his kickoffs, over two-thirds have been in the end zone, so the opposing team goes out and starts 80 yards away from the goal.

As begrudging as this defense is (ony allowing 6.5 points a game), the further you are from the goal line, the less likely you will get any points at all.

That is a great advantage for the defense. You know last year, one of the weakest parts of our defense was kickoff coverage where teams were starting on their 40 or beyond. I don't know the exact number ,but I can only think of three times all year a team has gotten beyond their own 40.

This year's squad is predominately seniors, so now is as good a time as the Gryphons are going to get to win a state championship.

With that in mind there are only five more possible games this season. This team has played like they were on a mission.

The first game of the playoffs they sit on the launch pad ready to sky rocket into history. Let's play these next five like we played the first 11.

Tonight, I will be at Rocky Mount High as I will be covering the wrestling match with Rose. This will be the first time I have ever covered wrestling.

In order to get as many sports as possible covered on the Stretchlon Sports Show, just this year alone I have cover volleyball and soccer for the first time.

Over the years, of course, I have covered football, basketball, baseball, softball and also a 10K race. You talking about and unusual event to cover on radio - that will be a good subject one day when the sports world is slow.

I enjoy high school wrestling and can't understand how a fake entertainment like the WWE is so popular when there is really no competition at all.

The Matchup

Opening round of the playoffs are three days away and I suspect the Gryphons will be 40-point favorites.

Looking at the past games played against Rocky Mount and Jacksonville, there one thing that stands out.

Games with them have generally been defensive struggles.

Four of the seven games the winning team could muster only 13 points.

Only three times has the winner scored at least 20

I would hope we have 20 by the half this Friday night.

This year, the Gryphons are averaging 38 points per game. Jacksonville is averaging 13 per game.
The Cardinals scored in double digits just four times. The Gryphons score at least 24 10 times.

The Cardinal defense gave up at least 40 four times while the Gryphon offense scored 40 or more points six times.

The Gryphon defense gave up 71 points on the season. In its nine losses, Jacksonville could muster only scoring 91.

As the old saying goes, that's why they play the game. You never know that the Gryphons might turn the ball over three times and two are returned for score.

The Gryphons will need to be focused. Maybe the Northern Vance game is the only game all year where we didn't seem ready to play and yet, we lead 10-0 in the first quarter.

Friday starts a brand new season. A season of one-and-done. Survive and advance. Friday night should be their only easy game as starting with the second round the noose tightens.

The schedule Gods have granted us an easy one this Friday. Why not take advantage and do like we have done in so many other games this year.

I want to see the taillights of cars in the parking lot heading home at the half because another victim is down by 30.

The team practiced this morning since school is out for the holiday so the players will get to enjoy the afternoon off.

My pick: Gryphons 49, Cardinals 6

I would like to finish this today by saying THANK YOU to all our Veterans who have served to make this country free.

Step One For A Championship

I would be very tempted if I were B W Holt to start the eleven JVs brought up to be with the varsity this Friday.

Did our offense show the state of North Carolina what we can do when healthy or what?

I know it won't happen and it shouldn't happen but I hope by half time the game is secure and players can rest for there are 4 games left and each step gets tougher and tougher.

We have already seen what Marquavis Alston means when he plays over the games he sat out with injury.

I would doubt whether Hiawatha Bunn plays Friday with his leg injury from this past Friday. I think we can afford having him sit out this week to be ready for the second round. Our hope is he can play then.

The NFL is debating adding two regular season games and dropping two preseason games. That's too many games for the pros with their high dollar players.

What do you think 16 for high school kids is? Way too many.

Whatever happened to the rule you had to win four games to make the playoffs? A 4-7 team has no business being allowed to play much less a 2-9 Team like Jacksonville..

I hate to say this but I hope we score 75 just to prove a point. I know that will not happen because B W has cleared the bench once he has gotten a 28 point lead in the first half of most games.

Any time a team gets to 60 points in a game it pretty much tells you that the other side was out manned and threw in the towel. Southern Wayne comes to mind.

I think if we want to stay with a 32 team bracket lets drop the AA portion of the playoffs and use the same criteria for seeding that we use now.

That would eliminate the Northern Nash debacle of 2001 where a co-champion stayed home.

If we went back to just one division in 3-A here what the 3-A eastern playoff could look like this year.

Washington 7-3 @West Craven 10-0
Sothwest Edgecombe 8-2 @Kinston 9-1
Oxford Webb 8-2 @ Rocky Mount 10-0
Eastern Alamance 9-1@ Hertford County 9-1
Asheboro 8-2 @ Dudley 10-0
Triton 8-2 @ Ragsdale 10-0
NE Guilford 5-5 @ Western Harnett 10-0
West Brunswick6-4 @Northern Vance 6-4

Now doesn't that look more like what a playoff should be? If all the higher seeds win their round one game. These will be the second round matchups.

The playoffs should be a reward for showing grit when the chips were down you didn't give up.

The playoffs should not be who do we have left to fill out the brackets.

Home Sweet Home

Ever since opening night when the Rocky Mount Gryphons jumped out to a 43-0 lead on 4-A East Forsyth, the feeling in the Gryphon Nation was that anything less than a No. 1 seed would be a letdown.

Even though we feel we are No. 1 in the east, it took a drawing with West Craven to make it happen.

The Gryphons got that No. 1 seed and a date with the 2-8 Cardinals of Jacksonville High, which is a playoff foe from out of our 4-A past.

The big prize is that whoever wins the east 3-A will have to win it by beating Rocky Mount at the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex, where the Gryphons have not lost at home since Dec. 5, 2005 to Western Alamance in the eastern 3-A finals.

As long as the Gryphons win, they will play in front of the home folks. A victory Friday and they would play host to the winner of the Beddingfield-Oxford Webb (a possible return for former RM head coach John Hammett) game.

If they win four straight at home, they will have a date at high noon on Dec. 13 with the western berth winner in Winston-Salem at the old Groves Stadium, which is now called BB&T field until someone offers more money for the naming rights.

SouthWest Edgecombe, the NEW 6's No. 2 seed, will have a home game against South Granville Friday. SouthWest is the only team in the 3-A bracket to play both West Craven and Rocky Mount and if it wins its first two games , it would get a rematch first with West Craven - assuming all teams are still alive, and an eastern final is possible against SWE.

Nash Central, having won Friday, is the luckiest team in the 3-A bracket. Yes, this year they are a 3-A playoff team. Fike, which had a ADM of 1244, drew the AA bracket and Nash Central with a 1243 stayed in the small A.

So we have to assume Fike is the last team in the 3-AA and Nash Central is the first team that qualified as a 3-A school. Their Bulldogs' first-round game will be at Kinston.

Remember, I said a couple of days ago that who ever got Nash Central was getting a 7-win team, but because of the two forfeits, it is disguised as a 5-win squad. Kinston is the unlucky team that drew the Bulldogs.

Fike, as I said, is in the 3-AA and travels Friday to Asheboro in the first round.

Southern Nash is the most disappointed team in the league as they failed to get in with four wins.

Rocky Mount is not the only local team that will enjoy their confines of home. Tarboro is the No. 1 seed in the east in the NCHSAA 2-A bracket and have drawn Pasquotank from Elizabeth City in the opening round.

I understand that Jacksonville is in a 3-A school in a 4-A/3-A league and they are seeded as a No. 3 in its league, but there is something wrong when a four-win team like Southern Nash sits and Jacksonville plays.

It's the way the split leagues are looked at by the NCHSAA. I will use Hertford County as an example. Hertford County lost to Northeastern ,which is a 2-A school in that league. Northeastern got the No. 1 seed as the 2-A representative and Hertford County got a top seed as the 3-A rep from their league.

It seems to me that Hertford County should have been a No. 2 in their league. That is one of the screwy rules that I think needs to be changed.

When looking at Jacksonville, it finished seventh in its 4A/3-A league, dead last, but go as the No. 3 seeded 3-A school. A seventh place team in their league is in and a No. 5 in our league, Southern Nash, is out.

Go figure!

Lauren and Terrell

As I have told you, my cousin Lauren Doughtie won her first college golf tournament about a month back.

This week she was in Tampa Florida trying to make the LPGA's Futures tour which is the minor leagues of LPGA golf. I am proud to say out of the 252 golfers who tried to make the tour Lauren finished seventh which means she has made the tour.

However, she will not declare herself as a professional until sometime during the summer after she graduates from N.C. State. A couple of weeks back, Lauren hurt her wrist in a tournament in Chapel Hill which will require surgery. This means she will miss the rest of the spring golfing season as she recovers from surgery.

If Lauren had of declared to turn pro, she would by finishing seventh in the Futures tour qualifying tournament received her first check for playing golf.

I think she is planning on waiting until after she has another shot at the U.S. Women's Amateur before turning pro.

Now for Terrell Hudgins:

Going into Saturday's game against Western Carolina ,Terrell needed 37 yards to break the all- time career yardage receiving record at Elon.

What is the importance of this record in the history of Elon University? It is the last receiving record at Elon that Terrell Hudgins name is not at the top of the list.

If it has anything to do with a receiving record in a game Terrell owns it. If it has anything to do with receiving record for a season Terrell owns it and Saturday the last career record that Terrell didn't already own became his.

Terrell tried the best he could to make this career yardage total with a big splash but his first catch of the day for a 79-yard touchdown catch was called back for offensive holding.

In the second quarter, he had to settle for a 39-yard catch his first grab of the day to break the record by two yards.

In order to keep the rest of the game from being a complete bore for Terrell now that he has no more Elon Record to break his seventh catch of the game was good for 13 yards which gave him 106 yards in the game. That broke the Southern Conference total yardage receiving record.

Now remember that the Southern Conference is the league where State, Carolina, Duke and Wake use to call home in the first half of the 20th century.

Terrell finished the day with seven catches which gives him 262 for his career. He is 38 short of the all-time FCS record of 300 in a career. Terrell has two regular season games and ever how many playoff games than Elon will get to break the record this year. We are talking what use to be a Division II record.

So Terrell has gone past Elon records. He still has a few Southern conference records to get but now he is after all time records in college football

Also Terrell broke the career Southern Conference record of 18 games getting at least 100 in a game.

I think we have to go back to Phil Ford and Buck Williams to see a Rocky Mount player have the impact on his college sport the way Terrell has.


He was the North Carolina High School Athlete of the Year in 2005. He excelled in football basketball and baseball.

The only major college to offer Terrell a football scholarship was East Carolina and off to Greenville he went.

The visit did not last long as it became apparent that being a D-I quarterback was not in the cards for the pirates.

Transferring to Elon it didn't take long there either before he found himself split out away from the backfield at wide receiver.

Terrell found a home at wide receiver and from his very first game Elon had found maybe there best football player in the history of the school.

That is not to shabby considering that Elon won two national NAIA championship back to back in the late 70s.

Terrell will have a decision to make come this spring as he will be eligible for the NFL Draft. It is hard to believe but he still has one more year at Elon if he chooses to do so.

Not bad for a player that wanted to be a college quarterback.

Conference Champs!!!!

The last three weeks of NEW 6 Conference play have been three wins for the Gryphons, but they have scored only 66 points while allowing just 14.

People have been asking me what is wrong with the Gryphons. My answer has been I think our competition has had something to do with it.

The real answer may have been 'wait until we are healthy'. Tonight, the Gryphons showed what they can do when 100 percent healthy on offense.

By midway through the third quarter, the Gryphons had nine offensive possession and scored on eight of them - seven touchdowns and a field goal.

With 11 minutes to play last week at Nash Central, the Gryphons put 28 points on the board in the fourth quarter. Tonight, with 11 minutes to play, they had added 52 points in the first three quarters. So in a four-quarter stretch, the Gryphons had laid out 80 points against Nash Central and Fike.

B.W. Holt had the Gryphons ready and willing tonight as they, even leading 21-0, executed a perfect onside kick.

Gryphons won their third NEW 6 Conference championship in four years. Including the last Big East crown, they have won titles four out of the last five years.

In the four-year history of the NEW 6, the Gryphons were 18-2 in league play.

Tonight was also and this is correct this time, the 100th straight game in which the Gryphons have scored in a game.

Gryphons blast the Golden Demons 52-7.

This was a team effort and now the Gryphons wait for the seeding announcement some time between 3-6 p.m.

Most of the time, there is a posting at 3 p.m. and if someone sees there is a seeding error, they have until 6 p.m. to correct any mistakes.

If you remember a couple of years ago, Coach Holt looked at the seeding, called the coach he thought he was playing and made arrangements to meet him Saturday afternoon and on the way there, got a call that the seeding was changed we were playing someone else.

In essence, the brackets will not be official until 6 p.m.

In other NEW 6 action tonight....

Nash Central, needing a win in order to solidify its playoff hopes, took care of business at Northern Nash, 42-13.

SouthWest Edgecombe needed a win against Southern Nash and a Gryphon loss in order to create a three-way tie in the NEW 6. Well, they got half of it a 29-22 victory over Southern Nash.

We all must sit around and wait for the brackets. I feel like we are in the small 3-A, but we will have to hold our breath until we see it in black and white.

Depending on whether they are big AA or small A, Southern Nash, by only having four wins, could possible get Dudley or Rocky Mount in the first round.

I would like to pass along the JV score from last night as the Baby Gryphons, down 14-13 at the half at Wilson Fike, smoked the little Golden Demons in the second half to win 46-14. They finished the season at 9-1.

During the Holt era in Rocky Mount, the JV program under Chris Lee and Kent Cox, are 54-5. While the big team playing a little tougher brand of football has managed a fairly respectable 67-12 benchmark.

As soon as I know the brackets, I'll blog about it tomorrow night.

The Stakes Are High

Friday night's game with Fike is for the outright conference crown.

If Fike wins, there is a chance for some odd occurrences happening like in 2001 when Northern lost one game and a draw which left it home for the playoffs.

Nothing that bad can occur, but when you have been expecting to possibly be the No. 1 seed in the tournament and wind up No. 3 in your own league, that is a big come down.

A victory will mean a high seed. If the Gryphons stay in 3-A, it looks as if their worse possible seeding would be second and a potential for three home games.

A loss to Fike could set up a three way tie with Southwest Edgecombe, Fike and the Gryphons.

Since the three-way tie occurred because they all beat each other, then a drawing will be held and if the Gryphons win the draw, they could be seeded from second to maybe sixth in the state playoffs.

If they were to draw second, then their seeding could be from somewhere like seventh to 12th and third from 13th to maybe 20th.

Any seeding beyond sixth will mean only one possible home game during the playoffs.

The 3-A bracket seems as if it is down to us or West Craven for the No. 1 seeding.

SouthWest Edgecombe and Fike can not win the championship outright so a three-way tie is their only hope which means Fike has to win Friday.

If SWE was to lose at Southern Nash and Fike win, then Fike would be the conference champion due to the fact it would be a two-way tie with the Gryphons and Golden Demons and Fike won the head to head matchup.

The Gryphons can do themselves a favor by winning Friday evening and making our lives less stressful.

The only conference team that is truly preparing for basketball is Northern Nash. One win on the season so far and they are too far down the list to make the playoffs if they were to upset Nash Central Friday.

Nash Central is the team on the hot seat. It looks as if they will be a 3-AA team if they make the playoffs. Their two forfeits have them in a must-win situation Friday night in order to breathe easier Saturday as they wait for the playoff pairings.

A loss to Northern would make them a four-win team. If they do get in with four wins, remember they actually won two games on the field which really makes them a six-win team.

They could be a hard draw for who ever will get them in the first game of the playoffs.

A win Friday by Nash Central would be their seventh on the season, but minus the two forfeits they will be seeded as a five win or four win team.

Some 8-2 or 7-3 team will get them in the first round and Nash Central will actually be just as good as them except they will be on the road.

Championship coverage begins at 7 p.m. on AM 1390 Friday night. I would hope with the magnitude of this game you are in the stands cheering for the Gryphons.

Have your Walkman radio on 1390, of course.

Passing Of A legend

Forty years of my life was lived in Ahoskie.

I have been gone for 15 years. I don't have any of my family there any more, but my wife has a brother and three sisters that still live there.

We are able to keep up with the goings on by talking with her sisters on a daily basics.

I go online and read the Roanoke-Chowan News Herald to catch up ever so often, but mostly to read the obituaries to see if I am in there.

This morning, I was dismayed to read of the death Of Hunter Spencer Barrow.

Spencer Barrow was a high school football player at Ahoskie when I was maybe nine, 10 or 11 years old.

Spencer played during the heyday of high school football in Ahoskie. He played fullback and middle linebacker.

He ran like Jim Taylor of the Green Bay Packers and played middle linebacker like Sam Huff of the Washington Redskins.

As a 10-year-old boy, I wanted to be just like Spencer.

The Barrow family owned a saw mill in Ahoskie and after Spencer went off to college, they sold their operation to Georgia-Pacific and it is still there today.

I cannot tell you what a thrill it was to meet Spencer on the street in Ahoskie one day and he took the time to talk with me. As a 10-year-old, Mickey Mantle could not have made me happier.

Spencer was such a good football player than he got a athletic scholarship to North Carolina.

During his freshman year, there was a moment where he and Chris Hanberger were doing a drill and Spencer broke his leg.

Hanberger play football for the Washington Redskins for about 15 years.

One Friday night, Spencer came home for the weekend on crutches and in a cast and he went to the Ahoskie game that night.

To give you a feeling of seeing Spencer it was like Danny Talbott coming back to Rocky Mount for the weekend.

That was the last time that I ever spoke to Spencer - some 45 years ago.

I have followed his career. He graduated from Carolina never did he play football again after the broken leg.

He graduated from Wake Forest Law School and set up practice in Raleigh. From time to time, I would see him on the news about a case he might be involved in.

Spencer was a past president of the North Carolina Prevent Blindness as well as many other civic clubs in the Raleigh area. He was a leader in trying to restore downtown Raleigh.

As a youth, and I guess this applies all during your life, that a moment in time may not mean anything to you, but to someone else, it is everything.

That day on Main St. in Ahoskie and on the sidelines on a Friday night just a few words to me gave me a lifetime of joy.

Glut of High School Playoffs and Bowl Games

I want to talk tonight about my feelings on the high school playoffs.

There's too many!

Five games to win a championship is way too many. It will take almost all of November and half of December to have eight champions.

In other sports where you can play two or three games a week, the playoffs are over in three weeks.
Look at the NCAA Basketball Championships. Three weeks of high impact gut-wrenching drama and a champion.

Why in the world would I want my 4-6 team to have to travel to a team where I feel like I will be lucky if we don't lose by forty.

The playoffs are about teams with a chance to win, not teams to fill out the bracket.

In the NCAA bowl games, I bet you can't name two thirds of the bowls games.

Why in the world send a team off to a bowl game if they lose, they have a losing record?

The answer is money. In college football, TV pays the way to bring you the MidasPC.com Bowl.

Around Christmas, they can have live programming over starting to hit the reruns of the major show.
In high school, there is no TV money, so the NCHSAA figures that the more games played is more money in the bank.

Let me ask you this. Regardless of who Rocky Mount plays in the first round, when it is all over and both teams and the NCHSAA get their cut, who is going to stand up and say 'WOW, I'm glad we played this game'.

In the early rounds, the teams get a bigger share of the gate and the state a small share. As the playoffs go deeper, the teams get less and the NCHSAA more.

All expenses to hold a game is taken out of the pot from the gas for the visiting team to get to the game to refs and security.

If I am a 4-6 team, why would I want to get humbled to make a few hundred dollars?

The reason is, of course, money.

I would like to see no more than the top two teams from each conference get in the playoff.

You know how important Friday night's game with Fike would be if we had to win to even make the playoffs. The stadium would be jammed.

Since both teams are in, the importance of this game is a trophy.

You know the greatest game in the history of ACC basketball was the 1974 ACC Tournament game when N.C. State and Maryland played for the right to go to the NCAA tournament.

State was ranked second and Maryland third and the loser Maryland stayed home.

Cutting down the number of teams would help the quality in the first round and give fans a reason to go see a great game instead of a blowout.

I would rather see a good third place team get left out over 12 teams that are going to get kicked in the first round.

Who Is Rocky Mount's Biggest Rival in Football

Nash Central High School has brought about a change in the dynamics of who is the biggest rival for Rocky Mount.

Back in the 60s, there was no bigger game than Wilson Fike and Rocky Mount. There was a time when the winner thought the next step after winning the Fike-Rocky Mount game was a state championship.

Friday night will bring back the excitement of what use to be in the series. Years ago, the winner played in the playoffs and the loser started basketball practice.

Regardless of what happens, both teams have already qualified for the playoffs ,so the games lacks the winner-take-all aspect.

I know it means a lot to Southern Nash when Rocky Mount week occurs, but Rocky Mount has dominated the series over the years.

Northern Nash has fallen on hard times in football. Northern has gone down hill right when Rocky Mount was on the upswing.

Just six years ago the roles were reversed.

To hear the Northern people tell it, Nash Central is made up of what should be Northern players.

The Nash Central -Rocky Mount series will really get serious the first time Central beats Rocky Mount (6-0 RM leads). Until then, it's all Rocky Mount.

Do you think it is coincidence that SouthWest Edgecombe started rising as soon as Raymond Cobb moved south in the county?

That also coincided with B.W. Holt arriving in Rocky Mount.

I have heard that B.W. and Raymond have already agreed to play each other in a non-conference game next year when SouthWest moves to the Eastern Plains 2-A.

There is no doubt in my mind that the best football rivalry for Rocky Mount is with SouthWest Edgecombe.

After what I saw of their JV team, I will make a prediction right now that SouthWest wins the 2-A state championship next year.

One of the reasons the conference schedule rotated this year was to not have SWE and Rocky Mount play the first conference game.

When do you want to play them next year in non-conference?

I think it is safe to say that Greenville Rose and Hertford County are on the schedule next year. So where would you schedule them? The first game of the season or the last non-conference game? Toss in a first-ever football meeting with Washington for the Gryphons, too.

Southern Wayne and Northern Vance have dropped us. So for sure, one thing we need to find two cupcakes to fill out those two games.

Not saying that this is a cupcake game, but I would like to see Tarboro back on the schedule.

Fuel being the way it is, the closer you can stay home, the better for the schools and fans.

Beddingfield has been on the schedule in the past and we must find a replacement for Hunt who we will now play us as a conference game.

So who does that leave to try to play non-conference? South Central, D.H. Conley?

When you are a power like Rocky Mount has become, no one wants to play you unless they have to in the playoff.

Sometimes the stars line up just right for a team. This year needs to be the year for Rocky Mount. A senior-dominated squad during a five-year cycle that has produced great football.

In order for the stars to line up right, we need to beat one of our greatest all-time rivals to win the conference championship.

It can be done, but winning the state title is harder when you are a lower seed.

Heads And Tails Of This Mess

I have been trying to figure out who is AA and who is A in the playoffs?

According to Rick Strunk of the NCHSAA, the 95 3-A teams they will start with the biggest and work their way down.

When they have 32 of the biggest that have qualified, then they will take the 32 smallest that qualify.

That begs the question how do you qualify?

Win four games.

Suppose there are not 64 teams in 3-A that win four games. Then they will pull from teams that win only three.

Once they have the 32 in each bracket, then they will seed them according to how they finished in their conference.

First, there are the conference champions. All champions that are undefeated go to the top of the list. If there are more than one, a drawing will be here by pulling out of the hat.

Next is conference champs with one loss, after all of those then the two-loss champs.

You say who is going to win a conference with two losses or three? It can happen if you were 1-3 in non-conference play or worse.

I remember Jim Brett led Tarboro to a 3-A state championship back in 1984 after starting out non-conference play 0-4. It can happen.

Once they are through with the 1st place teams, they follow the procedure for second on down the line until 32 teams are in.

Looking at the NEW 6, five teams have qualified.

Northern Nash is the largest school in our conference, but they will not qualify for the playoffs.
They are the 24th largest 3-A school in the state. If it had of qualified, it would have been a 3-AA.

Fike is the 40th largest. In order for it to be classified as a 3-A then 32 of the 39 schools larger than them must qualify for the playoffs. We already know one Northern Nash is not qualified, so only six other schools bigger than Fike cannot qualify to keep them out of the 3-AA.

Nash Central is next at 41st largest so they don't have any more cushion than Fike. In the past few playoffs, Nash Central has been 3-AA.

Southern Nash is 46th largest and Rocky Mount 48th. All are holding their breath waiting for 3 p.m. next Saturday when the brackets come out.

I have tried to look at all 95 3-A schools and try to come up with a number who has qualified, but I need about 24 hours and a slide rule to figure it out.

Regardless of if we are in the same bracket with West Craven or Dudley, we must win three games to get matched up with either.

First, there is this little matter with Fike Friday night. Oh yea, the conference championship.

Slow Saturday

North Carolina, State and East Carolina all off today, so I found myself watching old movies more than football on a Saturday afternoon.

If you just happen to be one of the fans in attendance today in Winston-Salem at the game between Wake and Duke, you got you money's worth.

You might also become a movie star. Today's game film footage will be used in an upcoming movie about John Abbate, a Wake Forest player who dedicated the 2006 season to his brother Luke, who was killed in a wreck.

Fans who stayed after the game were invited to be a part of the fans shots for the movie. So if you stayed you might make it in the movies.

Wake won in overtime, 33-30.

The girls cross country team ran this morning in the NCHSAA state cross country championships and Latoya Applewhite was the first Gryphon to cross the line in 53rd position.

The news is not good tonight in soccer. Burlington Williams beat the Gryphon boys soccer team 3-1 in second-round action. I have no details other than finding the score on the NCHSAA website.

Northern Nash also lost tonight in the soccer playoffs - 1-0 to Jacksonville White Oak..

The news is better for the Nash Central boys cross country team as it finished second in the 3-A state championship.

This completes all of the fall playoffs, except football,which hasn't even started yet.

I think last night's game with Nash Central shows why this year's football team is better than last year. The Gryphon defense played very well, even though they gave up more yards than in any other game all year.

When the team votes for MVP at the end of the year, I don't see how it will not be Nick Hahula.

Nick has scored 10 touchdowns (nine rushing, one receiving), kicked seven field goals, made 46 out of 49 extra points, rushed for over 300 yards, kicked two out of every three kickoffs into the end zone, and punted for a 38-yard average. He has played a few plays at linebacker, but not many and now he has thrown a pass which was good for a first down.

He should also be nominated for an Oscar in the Nash Central game because he completely fooled everyone in the stadium when it looked as if he was going to try to run for a first down on a fake punt - only to toss it to Hiawatha Bunn for a first down.

Without our passing game last night, we probably don't win.

I watched the second half on WHIG this morning as they only showed part of the game, but man did we block on both of Brian Goodwin's punt returns.

I could pick out a killer block by Carter Varnell on one and then on the TD interception return by Hiawatha Bunn, Chris Pittman laid out the Bulldog quarterback right in front of the Bulldog fans.

The entire game will be shown on replay on WHIG just as soon as the Stretchlon Sports Show is over Sunday night.

It has come down to the last game of the regular season and a victory the Gryphons makes them conference champs and a lost could result in a three-way tie.

This week is the reason for all the sweat you got from lifting weights in January. The reason for all the sprints in August in the heat.

Championship week!