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.