Gryphon Boys Track- County-Conference-East Regional Champs

Saturday afternoon at the NCHSAA East Regional Championships held at Nash Central High school the Gryphons  Boys track team has won the East Regional scoring 87 points beating host Nash Central who finished second with 68.

Nash Central's hopes of winning the title may have been over even before the day started when Senior Will Bass who by far may be the best long distance runner in this area this decade has an injury and didn't even suit up today.  I understand that he is even out for the State Championships next weekend.

Junior Paul Lilley won the one mile, senior Exzavier Cooper took the 110 Hurdles and the 4x200 relay team took first.

At this writing I think the  dominant team in Pitt County these days is  South Central as they were  winning the girls Regional but the Lady Gryphons are near the top.

The baseball team traveled to Hunt this afternoon and Coach Kent Cox gave the ball to third baseman Matthew Berry and heading into the fifth inning Hunt lead 2-1.  Dion Doubleday pitched for Hunt and the Gryphons  looked as if they were going to take a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning when Collin Watson hit a tower fly ball to left that cleared the fence by 25 feet.  Hunt appeal three times to first base saying that Watson missed first and on the third appeal the field umpire called him out.

Kind of reminiscent of the 1972 gold metal game in basketball if you do it over enough it will go your way after a while and Hunt got the call they wanted.  That all went by the wayside in the fifth inning after Berry had given the Gryphons all he had he left trailing 4-1 with the bases loaded.  Freshman Sam Lilley the little brother of Regional mile winner Paul came in and had a two  ball one strike count on the batter when a line drive hit right back at Lilley crash into Lilley's check bone and the ball sailed out to left.  By the time the ball got back into the infield Hunt had two runs but Lilley who had taken a few steps went down in front of a horrified Mother and stunned crowd.

Lilley laid  on the mound  until the rescue squad came and was carried to the Wilson Hospital .  Kent Cox was as shaken as anyone and from that point on Rocky Mount's player lost any desire to be on the field and Hunt score five more runs to win the games 11-1.

Rocky Mount out hit Hunt 6-4 and Hunt completes a perfect conference season.  Rocky Mount must now beat Fike Monday night to ensure second place but I can tell you as Gryphons fans left Hunt today nobody care about that game  as all thoughts were on Sam Lilley.