Soccer Drenched In Jacksonville

There were not 26-0 for nothing. The third round of the 3-A soccer playoffs will be a game that the Gryphon players will not soon forget.

Traveling 100 miles to Jacksonville the boys soccer team found that the rains of now low pressure system Ida just arriving as they arrived in town. The entire game was played in a steady rain but what the soccer team found out was the most unrelenting steady rain came from the Cardinals who found the net for five goals and shut out the Gryphons 5-0.

One of the most successful seasons ends at 20-4-2.

This fall has been a tremendous sports year for Rocky Mount Sports. Volley ball went undefeated in conference play and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Tennis tied for first and advanced to the third round. Soccer finished second and advanced to the third round. Both the boys and girls cross country team finished third and the girls advance to the state meet where they finished 16th.

Lindsey Thomas and Kate Gray finished 2nd in the state in doubles tennis. Addie Keeter and Caroline Nelson made it to the quarter finals in tennis doubles.

Terry Sanford high had to forfeit all their wins (9) this year for using an ineligible. They just Friday beat Jack Brett to win their conference. Jack Britt after the loss to Sanford was seeded number three in their conference. Terry Sanford was suppose to play cross town rival Pine Forest but Pine Forest has been awarded a victory for the first round and Jack Brett will stay as three seed.

The Principal at Terry Sanford was suspended last Wednesday after it was found that a players grades were changed to keep him eligible. If I can use my old noggin here and surmise, this sounds like a grade was changed at the end of school last year to keep the player eligible this year.

South Central versus Rocky Mount:

South Central is the # three seed from the Coastal Conference. Rocky Mount the # two seed from the Big East.

Playoff seedings The Gryphons are # eighth while the Falcons are the ninth seed.

South Central is 8-3 while Rocky Mount is 6-4.

South Central averaged 21 points per game, the Gryphons 21.5

South Central gave up 14.2 point per game while the Gryphons gave up 18.5.

Both teams played a team during the season that didn’t win a game. South Central played D H Conley who was 0-11. Rocky Mount played Northern Durham who was 0-11.

Rocky Mount played two teams that finished the year undefeated, Hertford County and SouthWest Edgecombe while The Falcons played Havelock who finished 10-1 and West Craven that finished 9-2.

The Falcons score over thirty points only twice. 48 against West Carteret and 62 against Conley. That is 45% of the points that they scored all year. Rocky Mount scored 30 against Northern Durham and 33 against Northampton East. That’s 30% of the points that the Gryphons scored all year.

The two games in which Rocky Mount played the undefeated teams Hertford County and Southwest Edgecombe they gave up 37% of the points scored on them all year.

Central played down against two 2-A schools. Greene Central and Farmville. Rocky Mount played Northampton East 1-A and SouthWest Edgecombe 2-A.

The Falcons and Gryphons both played Rose and Northern Nash. Both lost to Rose. Central lost 13-0 while the Gryphons lost 16-13. South Central beat Northern their third game of the year 13-7 while Rocky Mount took out Northern last Friday 15-12.

Looks like a low scoring evenly match game. The team that scores in the twenties will win. This is the way it should be when a eighth seed meets a ninth seed.

South Central is the team that knocked the 2008 baseball team out of the playoffs last year 4-1 at Rocky Mount.

Possible edge : Gryphons play at home. Final score is going to be something like 21-20.and that means it could go either way.

The winner will more than likely get South Johnston out of Four Oaks. They are the number one seeded team in the east and throw the ball all over the place.