A Finish for The Ages

Before we go any further this morning I want all Tar Heel fans to confess. Most of you were so furious with the end of regulation that you turned the TV off and didn't even see the overtime. Luckily for me I went to my computer to look up Shaun Draughn stats on the game and when I came back to flip over to the U Conn basketball game Carolina was lining up to kick a field goal.

I said yesterday here that on paper this was going to be a good game and as it turns out and Instant Classic. Those of you having turned off your TV and went to bed at the end of the game Carolina wins in double overtime 30-27 despite one of the worse coaching job of Butch Davis's career the last minute.

During the stoppage of play for the review of whether Carolina actually caught the ball or not in front of the Carolina bench Davis argued the entire review that Carolina had already snapped the ball and they could not have a review. To me sitting at home I thinking to myself that he knows the ball was not caught and they are going to lose this review. I'm yelling at the TV to get his next play on the field and ready to go. I never saw any evidence that the ball was not caught and all I saw was Davis and company arguing instead of getting ready for the next play and they certainly looked unprepared those last plays.

Finally while shaking hands the officials who had seemed to be skating on ice and about to fall down all night asked for a review and Carolina lives. What in the world was Carolina changing player on that last play when all they needed was to spike the ball?

Tarboro's Shaun Draughn playing for the last time in a Carolina uniform ran 23 times for 160 yards and a 58 yard touchdown run in the first quarter. As Hazel use to say on TV Carolina wins a doozy 30-27 in double overtime.

Former Rocky Mount football player Travis Cobb finished his college career in style as he returned five kickoffs for 169 yards the longest being for 64 yards. He also caught one pass for 15 yards but his Wildcats of Arizona lost in the Alamo Bowl big.

Northern Nash's Steven Baker and Rocky Mount's Jacoby(Coby)Jenkins played in the Military Bowl in Washington DC for the Pirates of ECU.

You got to give Carolina credit they go to Nashville and beat Tennessee in a game that had 70,000 Tennessee fans and one little section of Carolina fans. The Vols lose in Nashville for the first time since 1984.

Coach K 880 And Counting

Is it possible that Duke may be a better basketball team this year over last year and a National Championship? They just might be even with out their best player. Duke had little trouble in giving coach Mike Krzyzewski victory number 880 last night which moved him past Dean Smith and 22 short of the all time record of 902 held by Bobby Knight.

Coach K came to Duke in 1980 and everyone forgets he inherited a senior laden team that won 20 games his first season. I had an opportunity to talk with coach K the Monday after the Blue Devils accepted a bid to the NIT after his first season in 1981. While working for the radio station in Ahoskie we had some Duke fans that wanted to get Duke on the Radio for the NIT since there was no coverage of Duke at all in the Northeastern part of North Carolina.

I called the Duke basketball office and who do you think answered the phone but coach K. The world we live in now you are put on hold for twenty minutes and hear elevator music and about once a minute they break in to tell you how important you are to them to keep holding. After explaining what we wanted coach K put down the phone and went looking for the person we needed to talk to. He came back and said they would be right there and instead of putting me on hold he thanked me for wanting to put Duke on the radio. All together we talked about maybe ten minutes about the 80-81 Blue Devils before the person who could give us the rights to carry the game came on the line. It was probably the most enjoyable ten minutes that I have ever be waiting on a telephone.

ECU yesterday was a perfect advertisement why 6-6 teams should not be in a Bowl Game. Coming into the game the Pirates were giving up 43 points a game and yesterday 51. I have never liked the West Coast offense of most of your passes never crossing the line of scrimmage. Yesterday playing their hearts out for out going coach Ralph Fridgen Maryland was all over ECU short passing game.

In minor Bowl games most of the time the team that wins is the one who feels that they are playing a big named school and has something to prove. ECU proved nothing yesterday. The 51 points was the most ever scored by Maryland in a bowl game. The way the Maryland players played for Fridgen you wonder whether the new AD at Maryland will last.

Tonight the Tar Heels get their shot in the Music city Bowl in Nashville. Of all the bowl games this year this might be the most even game on paper of any that will be played. Kick off is 6.40. GO Heels!

O'Brien Wins 100th

Most coaches when they realize the Gatorade bath is coming do all they can to deflect the flow but last night with just a few seconds left in the Champs Bowl Game N C State's Tom O'Brien stood and took the whole jug as if he enjoyed every drop.

It was his 100th as a college coach and squared his record in Raleigh to 25-25. The former Marines four years in Raleigh have been a road map and in other years when the defense needed Red Shirt players to play, O'Brien has stuck with the plan and let them sit a year and finally the fruits are blossoming. Regardless of whether Russell Wilson returns or not the Pack will be in the fight for the conference crown and if Wilson returns will have a Heisman candidate to tout.

Coach K can move past Dean Smith on the wins list tonight in Greensboro as the Blue Devils tangle with UNC-Greensboro. There have been years when this would be a blow out for Duke but not any more. Duke should still move Coach K up the wins list.

Carolina and State had big wins in basketball last night. I see both improving but whether either finishes with 20 wins is still up in the air.

Today the Nations Capitol will be purple as the ECU Pirates invade RFK Stadium. RFK Stadium over the years was my favorite place to watch football games. I remember twice in my life taking the Carolina Express (train) to Washington to watch the Redskins play.

The Redskins use to have a Carolina Day at RFK and a train left Wilmington and made stops all through eastern North Carolina. Living in Ahoskie we use top get on in Weldon and the entire train was full of North Carolina people on the way to see the Redskins. When the Redskin band would play"Hail To The Redskins" the lower level of the stadium would bounce up and down. Today's world of having to buy season tickets teams no longer allows for such trips as Carolina Day.

The Pirates sold more than three times more tickets than Maryland the home team. It would not surprise me at all if the Pirates don't win by 20 or more. Bowls games are won by teams that want to be there and Maryland does not in Ralph Fridgen's last game.

NFL Playoff Spots Filling

The defending Super Bowl Champions the New Orleans Saints bought a ticket to the NFL playoffs last night by beat Atlanta in the Georgia Dome. There is only one spot left in the NFC and the Packers and Giants are hoping they get in.

Last night Georgia Tech began the Bowl Season for the ACC losing to Air Force 14-7. Today the Wolfpack will try to give the ACC their first victory playing West Virginia in Orlando. The big question of the night will be whether this is the last game for Russell Wilson. My guess is yes this is it.

Wilson having played professional baseball last summer did not sit well with Tom O'Brien showing up for summer camp right off the baseball field. It was nearly half the season until Coach O'Brien quit saying that Wilson was trying to get into football shape. The last home game Wilson walked with the seniors. O'Brien does not want to half to go through Spring Football and all summer without his #1 player preparing for his last season.

Field conditions being the way they are it will be interesting to see if the Coleman Pitt baseball camp is able to hit the field this week. Proceeds from the camp are to help support the baseball program from Post 58 American Legion. Nash Central is the site if it goes on. The biggest problem with moving the dates is the availability of coaches like Billy Godwin of ECU. Once school starts back his focus will be putting a baseball team on the field in the middle of February.

Greg Crudup told me last week during the Nash County Christmas Tournament that fifteen players showed up for the try outs held at South Rocky Mount Community Center and fifteen more were in Greensboro all trying to make the Renegades. They will be a new team in the ABA from North Carolina next season and he is sure that the team will be competitive.

NFL Super Bowl-Up For Grabs

Before the NFL season kicked off most people might have said yes the Cowboys have a chance to become the first team in NFL history to play the Super Bowl on their home field. A new billion dollar stadium on display Jerry Jones openly talked of the Cowboy chances. It only took one preseason game to give Cowboy fans a look at the over rated Cowboys who never got any better after that.

So the race is wide open for who ever wins the Super Bowl. New England and Atlanta have the best records heading into the final seven days but is there any team in the playoffs scared of either team. New England can be an offensive machine when they are in the groove and then lose at Cleveland. Why I feel this way I do not know but Atlanta is the San Diego of this years playoffs. One and Done.

The Bears and the Steelers are right behind the leaders in their leagues. Jay Cutler is a four interception game waiting to happen. Put a little pressure on him and he loses any concept of fundamentals. Since Big Ben's return from his suspension their offense has been stale.

Philadelphia and Michael Vick's come back is a bigger story than Brett Farve's. Lost in all the Vick clamour is the best player in football is DeShawn Jackson. Kansas City got better under the pressure from San Diego when they had their quarterback Cassell on the field.

The defending Super Bowl champs New Orleans is playing as good as anybody. Remember the Ravens kicked New England's butt at New England last year. They just might wind up there again this season.

There may be a team in the playoffs with a losing record with St Louis or Seattle. Neither scares the Panthers who is close to the worse in the league. Indy still trying to get in a far cry from last year when they laid down in a game and gave away an undefeated season. Jacksonville isn't dead yet. The only question for Jacksonville is how are they still alive.

Green Bay and the Giants, one probably will not make the playoffs depending on the Atlanta -New Orleans game tonight. Green Bay would be one team I wouldn't want to play while as long as Eli quarterbacks the Giants they always have a chance to lose.

If you think you know who is going to win the Super Bowl, your are a good guesser. Just six weeks to go before we know who wins the Super Bowl but we must add this disclaimer this year. Weather permitting.

Clock Mixed Up

I know as a youth it was great to get a snow day out of school. The older I get the less I enjoy the snow due to the realism that without punching that clock pay days are slimmer than expected.

Here we are in the mist of a major snow storm on a Sunday the day after Christmas. Church has not been cancelled yet but I find it hard to believe that it will go on. Good news for school children that school has already been closed for tomorrow. No two hour delay school is closed all week. For a kid I wonder whether snow days has the same effect on them when they are already of vacation? I like the kids am on vacation this week but unlike those who want to slide down a hill all I am planning this week is nothing. The more the snow mounts the less I am planning to do.

As for today give me Direct TV and the NFL and snow cream and I will be in hog heaven. Those of you that venture down a hill on a sled have at it.

This week the "Rocky Mount Telegram" has been high lighting their all area fall teams. Andrew Morales in soccer and Tia Hudgins in Volleyball have represented Rocky Mount High School on the front covers on the days their sports were the main attractions. Good for them they deserved the honor as area player of the year.

Have fun today playing in the snow but Monday will get here and the slip slide begins as people get to back to work. Be safe!

A Special Christmas

I want to wish each and everyone a Merry Christmas. This is a time of families coming together to celebrate the birth of out Lord and Savior.

It has become our tradition to head on Christmas Eve to our oldest daughter's Steph's home in Raleigh to share Christmas with our grand children Madison and Landyn. We exchanged family gifts Friday evening and left this morning to the jolly old Saint Nick.

There are years when Christmas has more meaning than others and this has been one for my family. Thanksgiving weekend we spent the holiday weekend in Ocean Isle where the temperature was mild enough that we could walk and enjoy the beach. Morgan was taking snapshots and for her Christmas present to her brother in law Jared she gave him snap shots of him playing on the beach with his kids.

Tough guy Jared had tears in his eyes looking at these pictures. It didn't take long until we all had tears. You see Jared leaves in February for Afghanistan. 2010 Jared rejoined the Marines and his division moves out in less than two months.

This Christmas has been like no other for my family. We need to celebrate every Christmas like we have this one. We all have a new meaning of what Christmas is for. Celebrate the birth of Jesus and celebrate life with our families.

I hope that your Christmas has been as good as ours!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Spirit

Here we all are on Christmas Eve at no other time of the year do we enjoy life more. Everyone other than when they are trying to steal a parking place away give just a little where at other times we live in the I need, I need world.

We watch our athletes and enjoy their performances. We forget sometime the sprained ankles the bruises they endure to perform at the high level that we expect. This fall we have seen two of our local performers go down with life threatening injuries.

Terry Pittman at Red Oak Middle while practicing to do his sport better. Colt Brake while in the middle of a game went down with an injury very much the same as Pittman. I hope you have either seen the story of Colt's return home Wednesday or read it.

There is good news for Terry that he is also home for the holidays. He has been in the back ground mainly because he is in middle school where Colt is a high schooler. Both of these young men have endured what we all hope never happens to anyone at any time ever again.

Colt will be returning back to the the Shepard Center in Atlanta in early January and Terry is headed there also for the first time.

Many have stepped forward in Christian ways to help both to have a little better life. Then there is the non injuries that happen to us. This week during the Holiday Basketball Tournament many may have seen Tanika Hudgins in attendance. Just a decade again she was one of the great athletes in Gryphon history. Today she has been stricken with MS. She was there with family in tow following little sister Tia on the basketball court from a wheel chair.

We know not what our future brings. We need to live life as if there is no tomorrow and treat our fellow man better than being just some one annoying me. We should thank God for what we have and during this season of joy try to spread the joy every day not just the days around Christmas.

Tobacco Road

Mike Krzyzewski’s victory this week tying Dean Smith for second on the all times wins list has brought about many debates as who was better as a coach. Of course Carolina fans will give their point of view and Duke fans theirs.

Over looked in all the debate is how lucky we really are to be in an area where the Triangle has to be considered the hotbed of college basketball. How good is college basketball in this area? You have to look no further than Raleigh to find an answer.

N C State is 27th in victories with over 1,500. The Wolfpack history the school has won 62 percent of all their basketball games. How good is basketball in this area? There is total dissatisfaction in Raleigh just winning 62%.

We all live in the past way too much and the Wolfpack nation has been very irrelevant in basketball since the ACC outgrew Reynolds Coliseum. Back in the forties when Reynolds was built the people in Raleigh wanted a palace bigger than the Indoor Stadium at Duke. So they built the exact structure but made it bigger in the end zones.

The early growth of the ACC Reynolds was the biggest place to hold the ACC tournament and State acting like the kid in the neighborhood who had the only goal in his driveway around hardly ever lost there. Finally when someone else got a bigger driveway N C States relevance has faded. Since the ACC Tournament left Raleigh State has only had three dominant seasons 73/74/83. Many would question whether 83 they were dominant.

As a sports fan this is truly a great place to cheer for basketball as unlike most Wolfpack fans I pull for Carolina and Duke all the time except when they play the Wolfpack. You know that Carolina and Duke both would be higher up the total wins column if they didn’t lose so much to each other. Kentucky doesn’t have a team that regularly beats them. Well maybe there are two teams that Kentucky has trouble with and they are Carolina and Duke.

Who cares who the better coach was? Dean Smith is probably more famous for the four corners offense that most folks view as a slow down but in reality the four corners when run by an engineer like Rocky Mount’s Phil Ford was an offensive weapon. Carolina lead the nation in scoring year after year deploying the four Corners. Coach K’s forte is his ability to change on a dime and adjust to what ever line up he has available.

We all live in the me world today but where does the future bring us a new Dean Smith or Coach K. Roy is high up on the all times wins list but most came while he was at Kansas. This society we live in today is not suitable for a thirty five year coach to stay at one spot. Old Roy is on the hot seat now for his record over the last year and a half because it looks more like N C State than Duke’s. Old Roy has won two National Championships in the last five years. That’s the world we live in today. Give me wins now.

Who has the best teams? Who has the best players? Who’s the best coach? The answer is simple as who has the best? We all do! There is no other area in the country where the third best team has won two national titles. Instead of the venom spewed by most over the hate they have for the other we should all realize without each other this would not be known as Tobacco Road.

Brackett's Shot Sinks Gryphons

Northern Nash's starting point guard Mike Brackett had a hard time finding the range in the cross county rivalry between Northern and Rocky Mount. He clanked shots off to the right, air balled a couple but with less than a minute to played Brackett missed the rim twice and in both cases as they say he tickled the twine as Northern got the only four points from Brackett all night the last coming with 1.8 seconds to play as Northern Nash Dumps Rocky Mount in the Nash County Holiday Tournament 56-54.

DeShawn Freeman who once again was the main horse for the Knights lead the way with 23 to go along with the 26 he scored Monday to take home the MVP award of the tournament. His helpers included Darius Freeman with 9 points , Mitchell Wells with 9 and Devonte Payton score 8.

Rocky Mount was lead by Tecoby Hines off the bench with 14. Tevin Taylor followed with 11 while Bruce Applewhite had nine and hit a three pointer with just seconds left that looked as if the game might go overtime.

Northern Out rebounded the Gryphons 33-29 and both teams had 16 turnovers. The only barn burner of the entire Holiday tournament Northern Burns Rocky Mount 56-54.

If you had of ask me before the game which of the two championship games would be closer I would have predicted the girls game but it never happened as four Lady Gryphon players scored at least 12 points and Rocky Mount for the entire second half played at near a 15 point lead.

J'Kyra Brown lead the way with 16 and help came from Timisha Walker with 13, Tia Hudgins 12 and Marquita Hines 12. Hudgins hampered with foul trouble most of the night got the MVP of the girls game after having score 31 on Monday night.

Kadesha Richardson,Quanesha Lynch and Camille Branch hit double figures for Northern getting ten each. Northern lead 11-10 at the end of the first quarter but Rocky Mount push the lead to 31-18 at the half and they never looked back.

Rocky Mount girls are now 11-2 heading into the Christmas break while Northern Lost for the first time dropping to 6-1.

Northern's boys are also 6-1 and Rocky Mount takes the holiday break 10-3.

Rocky Mount starts the new year off hosting Hertford County the first Tuesday in January.

All Northern-Rocky Mount Finals

What the Nash County Holiday Basketball Tournament needed was a close game. It took game five to produce one. Tonight's consolation girls game was won by Nash Central beating Southern Nash 64-48. The sixteen point difference has been the closes game so far in the tournament.

Today's bracket only had two games scheduled and the night cap was the boys semi-finals game featuring Nash Central who had a 5-2 record entering tonight an Northern Nash 4-1 at this point only having played five games due to football teams making it all the way to Thanksgiving Friday.

Jalen Hendricks hit two early three point buckets for the Bulldogs and gave them an 8-1 lead which would prove to be the biggest by either side all night. By the end of the first quarter DeShawn Freeman and Northern Nash had taken the lead 15-14.

Both teams found that putting the ball in the bucket was not easy in the second quarter as Northern outscored The Bulldogs 6-4 to lead at the half 21-18. The score was 34-32 after three and the biggest lead in the fourth quarter was 41-37 Northern.

DeShawn Freeman score 26 for the Knights playing at times as if he was the only player on the court. Northern got just enough scoring from others to beat Nash Central 45-41. Nash Central missed three of five three throws with the score 41-38. They had a chance to tie with less than five seconds left but were called for traveling while driving to the basket. Northern advances to the finals to take on Rocky Mount Wednesday night edging the Bulldogs.

Beside Freeman's 26 point Mike Bracket and Kendrick Silver were next in the scoring with six. Jalen Hendricks was the only Bulldog to hit double figures with 12.

Wednesday night's lineup will start with the boys consolation game of Nash Central and Southern Nash. The girls championship will bring Northern Nash and Rocky Mount together and the boys final will also be NN-RM. I suspect the gym will over flow Wednesday night.

You may have had to make a double take if you walked by the scoring table during the Nash Central girls game against Southern Nash. Montre the 11 year old son of Nash Central coach Terry Cash is the official score keeper for the Lady Bulldogs. Even though he's 11 he looks 7 so seeing him at the scoring table keeping the score book right is indeed a most unusual sight.

Northern-Rocky Mount To Square Off In Finals

The first night of the Nash County Holiday basketball tournament had all four girls teams in action and Northern Nash and Rocky Mount will square off Wednesday night in the finals.

The opening game saw undefeated Northern Nash remain that way as they came out of the dressing room playing full court defense and running at every opportunity. Their aggressive defense put Nash Central on the line 14 times in the first quarter but they could convert only two. Northern lead 17-4 at the end of the first quarter. Northern's defense kept up the pressure the whole game and the Lady Knights got balanced scoring lead by Khadesha Richardson who had 15 on the night. She was followed by Amanda Griffin with 12, Quannesha Lynch with 10 and Jessica Lyons 8. Jasmine Williams lead the Lady Bulldogs with 10 as Northern runs past Nash Central 58-35.

Neither teams shot well from the line as Nash Central after a terrible first quarter managed to hit 16 of 34. Northern made just 11 of 23.

The middle game of the opening night saw the host Lady Gryphons score the same number of points as Northern Nash but the defense held the lady Firebirds of Southern Nash to single digits in every quarter as the Lady Gryphons swarm all over the Lady Firebirds 58-23.

Once again tonight J'Kyra Brown was missing from the starting lineup but no problem as Tia Hudgins plays more like her brother Terrell did every day. Plant yourself near the basket and the ball will come to you and when it did she lit the score board for 31 after having just gotten 27 Friday night.

J'Kyra Brown did start playing in the second quarter and it took a while for her to trust her knee before she got into the flow of the game. She scored seven. Timisha Walker got nine on the night and Marquita Hines had 5. Rocky Mount once again was poor from the foul line hitting just 14-31.

Tyreka Nicholson was the leading scorer for Southern Nash as she scored five. Southern returns right back to the court Tuesday night meeting Nash Central in the girls consolation at 6.00pm. The night cap on Tuesday will be the semi finals of the boys as Northern Nash will take on Nash Central. For the match up between Northern and Rocky Mount Wednesday I hope it does not become a free throw shooting contest as neither team might win. They both have a lot of work to do on the free shots.

Tonight's night cap Rocky Mount came out for the starting lineups in the practice shorts and shirts and they must have thought the game wasn't going yet as they managed to score only three points in the first quarter. I heard a rumor that the game clothes were in the dryer and not ready at game time. Southern Nash did not take advantage as they could only make the ball go in the hole for seven points.

Rocky Mount picked up the pace in the second quarter and lead 26-17 at the half. The Gryphons changed into the game uniforms at the half and played the third quarter much like the first scoring only eight points but Southern could only muster six.

Rocky Mount finally found the range in the fourth quarter as Kenyatta Bullock made four three pointers in about two minutes and in doing so was the leading scorer for the night. Exzavier Cooper had 11 as they were the only double figure scorers for the Gryphons. Rocky Mount beat the Firebirds 58-41

KJ Peoples had a great night off the bench scoring seven points and hauled down 8 rebounds. Donte Battle had seven rebounds as the Gryphons out rebounded Southern 36-22. Josh Sessoms lead the Firebirds with 18.

Rocky Mount sits and waits until Wednesday when they will play in the finals at 8.00pm Wednesday. They meet the Northern- Nash Central winner as they play Tuesday at 7.30.

A real oddity tonight all three games played the winner had 58 points. If this was bowling you would win a patch for scoring the same score three straight games.

Christmas Tourney Starts Monday

Rocky Mount High School will host the the Nash County Christmas tournament for the last time in the old gym starting Monday night. The next time the Gryphons would be scheduled to host the event they will be in a new location and and the new gym will be less than two years old.

The event kicks off Monday night at 5.00pm with Northern Nash and Nash Central girls tangling with the winner not playing again until Wednesday at 6.30. The loser will play Tuesday at six. Game two of the night will have the host school the Lady Gryphons taking on Southern Nash. The same scenerio applies for the winner and loser as the NN-NC game.

The anchor game of the Monday night event will be the defending State 3-A champs Rocky Mount taking on county rival Southern Nash. This will be the Gryphons first action against any one else in Nash County since they won the 3-A title back in March. This game is scheduled for eight with the loser not playing again until five on Wednesday and the winner playing in the final game of the tournament at eight or so Wednesday night.

Day two will only have two games as the girls consolation game will begin at six and the Northern Nash Boys will take on the Bulldogs of Nash Central at 7.30. The boys loser will play again at five on Wednesday while the winner does not take the hardwood again until eight Wednesday night.

The Stretchlon Sports show will be taping all four of the opening round games and the two championship games. Wes Bradshaw will cover all three of the boys games this week and yours truly will handle the girls.

Tonight on the show will be the replay of Pam Gainey's 300th career victory a couple of weeks ago at SouthWest Edgecombe. Wes Bradshaw who if I recall has not been behind the mic since the State Championship basketball game will handle the historic event.

Whether getting behind the mic to doing radio or TV or just to do PA you develop friendships with people over the years and one of those people who I like a lot while covering his son playing for Northern Nash and Nash County Legion was Terry Woodley. We meet Saturday morning while getting tires and an inspection and spent several minutes rehashing old times and Terry giving me an update on Zach's life.

Zach is now a Junior at ECU and will not play baseball for the Pirates. Zach had arm trouble at Pitt CC and spurned an offer from Mount Olive to continue his baseball career. It is a pleasure to be around friends when you listen to them talk about their children and how proud they are of the people that they have become and the places they have been because of sports.

Gryphons sweep Rampants

Those of you that were in attendance at the boys game between Rose and Rocky Mount two weeks ago probably left as I did that night thinking that the Rampants would beat the Gryphons at Rose.

Not so fast my friend. Rose started quickly bombing away three point baskets and getting every loose ball and shot to a 21-9 lead early in the second quarter. Looking at the score board you would think the Gryphons were lucky to be so close, but then it happened. Those bombs stopped falling and the Gryphons took control of the boards.

A nice spurt by the Gryphons just before the half cut the lead to 27-23 Rose. Rocky Mount scored the first seven points of the third quarter and from that point on the Gryphons ran and ran and ran beating Rose 70-59. Towards the end those early three point bombs started falling again for Rose other wise this one would have been near a twenty point win.

Exzavier Cooper lead the scoring with 18, but this was not a one man night tonight as every man that played did what the team needed to win. Kenyatta Bullock netted 13, Tecoby Hines added 13 in the second half. Donte Battle as a six feet four inch freshman finds himself lined up every game against the other teams biggest player and tonight Donte added 7 points. MJ Gainey score 7 off the bench Tevin Taylor is beginning to find his shooting eye tossed in 6.

The Gryphons won the war on the boards 34-29 with Battle corralling 9, Exzavier snagged 7 and Tecoby Hines and Tevin Taylor each had six.

The girls game found the Lady Gryphons hitting the floor minus J'Kyra Brown who tweeked her knee that she had surgery on last year and sat tonight just for precaution. Tia Hudgins decided that she would pick up the slack and when the first team left the court with two minutes and 36 seconds to go in the game Hudgins had 27 points and Rose had 24. The bad news for Rose was that Tia's other teammates added 22 more as the Lady Gryphons pound Rose 49-29.

Marquita Hines and Tyais Cooper scored six points a piece, Timisha Walker had five, Kushunn Seabreeze collect 3 and Carmen Richardson rounded out the scoring with 2.

Rocky Mount dominated the boards winning that 40-22 with Hudgins getting 8 and Walker 7. The Lady Gryphon defense caused 27 turnovers but one major area of concern is at the free stripe. The Lady Gryphons were a dismal 10-28 so can you imagine what the score could have been in this one.

Both gryphon teams are now 9-2 and have games Monday in the Nash County Christmas Tournament. The Ladies play the second game Monday night at 6.30 and the boys follow at 8.00pm. They both play Southern Nash.

Not often do you ride to Greenville and win at any thing against Rose and tonight including both JV teams the Gryphons come home with four wins.