Hudgins Joins Elite Company

Tonight while waiting in Greenville for the Tar River Children's Chorus to perform their Christmas Concert got a text at 6.21pm from Wes Bradshaw who's text  read "Tia Has Done It" . Hudgins early in the second quarter score another point and push her career total to more than 1,000 points.

She becomes only the fifth Gryphon girls basketball player to accomplish this feat.  Before the night was over Hudgins poured in 25 to now stand at 1,016. The late Kim Taylor heads the list with 1,600 which she  scored from 1981-1984..  The #2 all time Gryphon scorer is Danielle Powell who roamed the gym at Rocky Mount from 1989-1992 and popped in 1,472 points.  The number three scorer  I had  the pleasure to see recently in Dyonna Battle (06-09) when finished her career point total stood 1,290.  The #4 scorer I was able to cover most of it on the radio as Latoya Armstrong  tickled the nets for 1,127  in her career.

Once again the Lady Gryphons put a hurting on the opposition as they beat 4-A Greenville Rose 80-27.  They are now 6-1 on the young season and will next play in the Nash County Christmas Tournament.  They will play in the opening round  against their arch rival unbeaten Northern Nash.

Every time Rocky Mount boys play Greenville Rose in any sport and can get  a win then that is a good thing.  Tonight Rocky Mount struggles with their game but have a big fourth quarter and takes home a 67-56 victory over Rose.  Terrell Hilliard lead the way scoring 28 points.  The Gryphons stand at 6-1 and will face their #1 Nemesis in Northern Nash next at Southern Nash next week.

If you have never taken the time to attend any function put on by the Tar River Orchestral Society then you have missed out on becoming a cultured person.  Despite all the bad raps Rocky Mount gets we have right here in Rocky Mount what people who go to the Lincoln Center in Washington D C or to the Metropolitan Opera in New York to hear and see.  Tonight the TRCC was on display at the Memorial Baptist Church in Greenville  I can tell you right now that Rocky Mount can be proud.

Morgan who had  a solo in last week's concert here in Rocky Mount was on the injured list tonight and had to step aside because of a Bronchial Infection that she has been dealing with all week. When we got home tonight there was a message from Chowan College that she had been accepted there and at Barton.  The kicker to the Chowan message was that she has won The Chowan University Scholarship.  At this point we have no idea what that means but we are hoping that it is equal to the Morehead  or the Caldwell scholarships at Carolina and State.   Hoping! Hoping! Hoping!

Big East Boys Looks Like RM/NC

I was in the house at Northern Nash Wednesday night and that gives me a view of every team in the Big East here in the early going except for Hunt.  The early returns are in and if  the start to the season winds up being a reflection of the end then it's Rocky Mount and Nash Central vying for the top.

Rocky Mount looks like the past few seasons.  They all are slender, sleek and jumpers. A couple of six- six players mixed in with guards that are quick and ready to run.  If there is one thing this team needs is the killer instinct to just rip the heart out of you.  This teams seems comfortable  jumping to a ten point lead and  cruising from there.  Need to be better free throw shooters.

If you include all sports then Nash Central has the best athletic ability in the league.  They have a gracious plenty of returning players and will have  a real shot at winning the Big East.   We just may get a chance to see that if both Rocky Mount and Nash Central win their opening round games in the tournament next week.  They could tangle Wednesday night at Southern Nash.

Where have all the players gone? This years Northern team and last years as Butch Cassidy said " Who are these guys?"  Darius Freeman graduated.  DeShawn Freeman transferred and Michael Bracket has decided his future at the next level will be in tennis.  For him that might be a good choice but for Northern basketball, there is no one around from last year that made much of a contribution.  They have no height and are a team full of guards.  They won their first game of the year against Tarboro Wednesday.  Just making it to the middle of the pack will be tough for the Knights this year.

Hunt so far is middle of the road and the rest will fight it out to stay out of last.  Over all this season Big East Basketball is not as deep as it has been in the past but the top two are really good.

If Nash Central and Rocky Mount don't slip up when on the road and both take care of their own business they could be in the mix for the Regional but that is millions of miles away.  Whole lot of basketball lies between here and there.