Regardless of how long Dickie Schock coaches at Rocky Mount, at least for the next couple of years, he will always be compared with B.W. Holt. Tonight, Schock's Gryphons started a new era of football with a 30-14 win at Northern Durham.
Holt's first effort at Rocky Mount could only put up 28 against Wilson Hunt, but he won also 28-19.
The Gryphons wasted little time as they took their opening two drives of the night down the field and scored, first on a Marquavis Alston 5-yard run and the second on a 5-yard run by Jamor Parker. Having yet to find a replacement for Nick Hahula on extra points, the Gryphons went for two both times and were stopped short.
Northern Durham ran a spread offense that I compared to going to a baseball game this summer at Northern Nash and fighting the gnats. Its short passing game annoyed us all night, but we were able to put up with it.
Finally at the 5.03 mark to go in the half, Northern scored to cut the lead to 12-7 on a 4-yard run. Like last season, whenever anyone scored on us, we would respond and go right back and get the score back and that is what the Gryphons did Saturday night. They responded with a nine-play, 69-yard drive to score with 1.20 to go in the half. The Gryphons led 18-7 at intermission.
The Knights' second drive of the third quarter was a nine-play drive that culminated in a Andy Henry to Anthony Burton 11-yard slant pass for a score to edge closer at 18-14.
The Gryphons came right back with an 11-play, 58-yard march and Quay Alston score his second score to jump the lead back to 24-14.
Northern responded and drove to the door step of the goal line, but the Gryphons held on a fourth down play at the half-yard line. The Gryphons punted, but only out to the 34-yard line. The defense then slammed the door shut and RMHS took over at its 45..
The Gryphons took three Alston runs of nine, 45 and one yards to add six more to the boards and to win by 16 points.
The Gryphons, however, were 0-5 in two-point conversion attempts. Spencer Bell, who caught a 15-yard pass in the first quarter, injured his shoulder in the first quarter and the Northern doctors on the sideline think he has fractured it. An MRI is coming Monday. Bell broke his nose late in the Gryphon varsity baseball season and he wore a contraption all summer in Junior Legion ball in order to be healthy for football.
Alston had 22 carries for 123 yards. Jordan Ford tallied eight carries for 101 yards. Collins Cuthrell had five totes for 17 yards as was five out of 10 passing for 58 yards.
Diandre Harris had two catches, Bell one, Ford one and Brandon Jones one catch.
Northern completed 22-of-38 passes for 238 yards and squeezed in another 122 yards rushing in the loss. The Gryphons had 242 yards rushing and added 58 passing.
The Gryphons play their home opener Thusrday at 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
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