Raleigh Shines During NHL Weekend

If you thought that it was a crazy idea to bring the National Hockey League's All Star game down south to tobacco spitting country then you missed the boat on this one.

The NHL hit a home run with Friday night's fantasy draft where two team captains picked sides. No one other than the captains knew which team they were playing for until Friday night. Saturday nights skills competition was a real hit especially when they had the two lap race around the rink in full goalie gear and of course home town favorite Cam Ward won by at leg pad. The only problem for those of you that are only casual watches of the NHL you probably had a hard time finding Friday and Saturday nights action on Versus.

The game carried by NBC even spiced up the game by having Cam Ward miked up during his first period of action and talking live on the air as shots sailed by his ears. The only players during any NHL All Star games that really have to work are the goalies as the defense men get out of the front of the net and leave just about every shot one on one goalie against shooter.

Truly the big winner of all this was the City Of Raleigh. The Fan Fest went on all weekend in the downtown area and the new down town was a big hit. Rocky Mount and other cities that are trying to improve the downtown need to look at what Raleigh has done and you can easily see that a coat of paint is not enough.

Pat and I went to a birthday party in down town Raleigh for our daughter Stephanie just a couple of weekends ago and I was truly impressed with the shops and restaurants that have opened and Raleigh was alive on a Saturday night.

This NHL All Star event from all the excitement you would have thought the ACC Basketball Tournament was back at Reynolds Coliseum.

Basketball Race has New Faces On Top

Friday night Nash Central's overtime victory over Rocky Mount has two new teams at the top of the standing as the second lap in conference play is made. Hunt's only lost is to Nash Central leads the pack with two weeks to go with a 5-1 mark.

Nash Central who lost one game like most teams to the weather has five conference games to play in the next two weeks find themselves on a four game conference win streak and in second place with a 4-1 mark.

The defending state champs the Gryphons of Rocky Mount have lost four times since mid December and three by tip ins or buzzer beaters. They find themselves in third place at 3-2 and both conference losses by one point to the top two teams.

The surprise team of all of them has been Southern Nash who has a break even record at 3-3. This is the first time the Firebirds have been competitive in boys basketball since the Nash County schools all went together to be in the same conference.

You would have thought that Northern Nash was ready to make their bid for the top spot in the Big East after clipping Rocky Mount in the Holiday Basketball Tournament but it hasn't happen as they stand at 1-4 in the league.

Most years you look towards the top of the standings and Fike is either at the top or pushing the top team. This year basketball has joined their football program at the bottom of the heap at 0-5.

By weeks end we will know a lot about who is for real and who are the dreamers in this basketball season. League Leader Hunt starts off Monday Hosting non conference Tarboro and Tuesday host Rocky Mount. They finish up the week Friday at Southern Nash.

Nash Central has three roads games starting Tuesday at Fike, Wednesday at Southern Nash and Friday at Northern Nash.

Rocky Mount begins Monday night at Fike and then at Hunt Tuesday and they come back home Friday to play Fike a second time this week.

Basketball is a game once the playoffs start that home games can pull a team through to victory where any other sports being at home is no great advantage. Rocky Mount saw that last year in home games crowds helped get them to the East Regional. The only team that can count on the first two playoff games at home is the #1 seed if they win the first one. Everybody else will play on the road where it is not easy by second round.

This is a huge week in Big East boys basketball.

While the boys struggle with each other the girls have got to find someone that can compete with Rocky Mount or the Title could be decided even before the last week gets here. They like their boys counterparts will have three chances for victory this week and if Rocky Mount wins all three will be in the drivers seat for the title.

It Is Getting Embarrassing In Raleigh

I have been around sports all my life and I feel like I can recognize when teams are giving effort. There is nothing any of us can say about losing when the game is over and as you walk off you say " boy we gave it all we had". There is just a little satisfaction in knowing you played well even though you may have just lost.

I have just endured watching another N C State game where it looks as if I am the only person who cares whether they win or not. I keep hearing all this look at all these recruits you have to give then a chance to develop. Sidney Lowe's first four years in Raleigh have produced conference records of 4-12, 5-11, 5-11 and one 6-10. I watch this team this year supposedly one of the best recruiting classes in State's history head to another 5-11 campaign. I have to ask myself who do they have left on the schedule that they can beat?

Their only two conference wins are against the last two teams in the league. I don't see this team beating Wake at Wake. They probably will beat Carolina in Raleigh and turn right around and lose to Virginia.

Now for you Carolina fans I know today's win makes you 5-1 in league play but there is something missing with this team. I am not impressed with today's victory over N C State when it looks to me as if the State players have quit on Lowe. Carolina should have won by 50 but they didn't.

I just have a feeling that Carolina has been able to feast on the weak here in the first few games and the meat of the schedule is yet to come. Carolina has improved. Barnes is playing much better but let me tell you. He is not a one and done player. In that same light who in the world thought C J Leslie was a one and done player?

All any fan can expect from their team is once the season starts is to get better. Carolina has gotten better this year. State looks the same now as five years ago. All any coach can do and his fan base must be satisfied with this is we are better today than in November. I don't see that from the Pack and I haven't for five years.

Bulldog Bite Gryphons

Going into tonight's games Nash Central, Rocky Mount and Hunt were all tied for the lead in the Big East. Nash Central and Rocky Mount squared off with each other tonight in the dog pound trying to hold on to their share of the lead. When the lights had dimmed Nash Central had out scored Rocky Mount 66-65 in a game if this was a beauty pageant only ugly people showed up. Despite not being a classic game with two teams giving their best efforts it turned into a real night of entertainment for those who were there.

Nash Central outscored Rocky Mount 27-13 in the second quarter to run out to a 36-25 lead at the half. By the third quarters end the Gryphon had trimmed the lead to 49-45 and they opened the fourth quarter with Levon Brutus playing the best three minutes of basketball in his life. His surge gave Rocky Mount a 53-49 lead but the rest of this game would be a comedy of errors when it didn't look like either side wanted to win.

Tied 60-60 with 25 second left Rocky Mount missed two free throws and The Bulldogs missed two with 14 seconds to play. Until the end of the regulation both teams committed a turnover and the Bulldogs got off a scramble shot as time expired.

Sometime before the overtime started grease was applied to the ball and neither side did a very good good of advancing the ball to the goal. Nash Central had four free throws the last 15 seconds and managed to make the fourth one to give them a one point lead. The Gryphons had two turnovers one in which every player on the court touched before it rolled out of bounds. After all that they still got a desperation three point try off at the buzzer which hit the front rim.

Rocky Mount had 29 turnovers in the game and many were lazy cross court passes that Nash Central easily intercepted. Nash Central themselves committed 20. Jalen Hendricks lead the Bulldog scoring with 18 followed by Demetrey Clark with 16 and Nate Pittman 15. Exzavier Cooper score 18 for Rocky Mount and he added 12 rebounds.

Nash Central has a share of the lead depending on Hunt's outcome with Northern at Hunt tonight. Rocky Mount must come back with three conference games next week starting Monday at Fike.

The girls game can best be summed up by telling you that Nash Central failed to score in the third quarter. Had more turn overs 27 than points 24. Held their own on the boards with RM getting 31 to 24 for the Lady Bulldogs but what they could not do was find somebody to stop J'Kyra Brown who scored 21 points including four three pointers. Tia Hudgins tossed in ten for good measure as The Lady Gryphons stay unbeaten in conference play beating Nash Central 46-24. Charece Speight was the Bulldogs leading scorer with 8.

I would like to say that I wish the good folks at Nash Central would go by the fire department and get one of those Mega phones that the fire department uses when they are at fires, instead of that nose they call a PA system. Before the start of the boys game they introduced five young men who sang the National Anthem acapella and did a fantastic job. Unfortunately when they introduced each one you could not hear coach Gary Smith on the PA. Those five kids without a microphone were louder than the PA system.

I probably won the 50/50 raffle but who heard the numbers when they called them out. Please get a PA system that works.