Thanksgiving Friday Basketball

You have seen me say this many times during football season. There is nothing like playing a high school playoff game on Thanksgiving Friday night. Basketball equivalent is the Regional. If you make to to the Friday after Thanksgiving you have had a wonderful season regardless of the outcome from there. Which ever way the ball bounces next week Both Northern Nash Girls and Rocky Mount boys can say I am proud of what we did.

Grover Battle has said all along next year was Northern's time so this team is ahead of schedule. The Lady Knights have not been to the regional since 1999 where they lost in overtime. The year before that they won it all in 1998.

This year's Lady Knights have improved greatly since the thrashing they took from Rocky Mount during the Christmas Tournament. They lack speed but make that up in basketball savvy. The football teams success playing up to Thanksgiving hurt the basketball season start for Northern as they had several games altered because of football. That hurt the Lady Knights early in the season.

Their record may not be as pretty as last year but Mike Gainey will carry the Gryphons back to the Regional for the second year in a row and fourth time in eight years. If the Gryphons only had five uniforms and every time a new player came in the game they had to switch uniforms it wouldn't matter much as 14 of the 15 Rocky Mount players fit a mold. About six feet three, long arms and can run like the wind.

Those long arms are getting in the way of other teams passes and shots and just because this team is not as tall as last year doesn't mean they are not as big. Like last year the guard play has improved as the season has unfolded and this team has more fun with each other than last year.

A major factor in Rocky Mount's rise over the last month has been the play of Terrell Hilliard. Hurt all year Hilliard has finally gotten healthy from an injury in the State Championship game last year. Six feet six or so Terrell has arms longer than his legs and with his offensive ability he helps take the double teams of Exzavier Cooper.

Grover and Mike both can smile with a deep satisfaction regardless of what happens next week in Cumberland County. Both have won a State Title before and they both know what it takes to get another.

Those who will be going to Fayetteville it is as easy as pie to get to. Take exit 46 off I-95 and go right on Highway 87. That is a four lane road heading toward Fayetteville. Off that take exit 100 which is Mountain Road and go left. This is about 2 miles or so to the Coliseum. You actually never have to drive into Fayetteville. The trip is right at 100 miles and is four lane all the way.

If either or both win two games next week the 3-A finals are in Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh in two weeks.