Gryphons Bring Thunder

There was an uneasiness in the gym at Rocky Mount with four minutes to play in the half.  Hunt was making crisp passes, their shots were tickling the twine and their defense was forcing Rocky Mount into several turnovers..  Even though they trailed by 14 the Gryphon  defense had kept them in the game to this point or the score could have been worse.

Then it happened.  All of a sudden Rocky Mount's pressure defense started tipping those passes to other Gryphons and Rocky Mount finished the second quarter on an 18-0 run to lead at the half 32-28.  During the second half they extended the run all the way to 79-47 before the end of the bench played the final three minutes.  Rocky Mount remains unbeaten in conference play and 17-3 overall as they rain all over Hunt 85-58.

Levon Brutus score 15 of the Gryphons first 21 points and after that had all the help needed to secure the win.  Brutus finished with 19.  Terrill Hilliard finished with 22 points 19 in the second half.  K J Peoples solid 13 point performance.  The real Gryphon winners tonight were the guards off the bench who continue to apply pressure to Hunt maybe even better defense than the starters.  The Hines brothers Mason and Michael hardly ever allowed Hunt to cross mid court with the ball. Hunt finished the night with 30 turnovers to only 17 for RM.  The Gryphons won the rebounding battle 32-29. One more Gryphon win or one more loss by Nash Central will clinch first and the #1 seed in sectional play for the Gryphons.  Daniel Westbrook lead Hunt scoring 19 but he was the only double digit scorer.

The girls game was all Rocky Mount as the big Two J'Kyra Brown and Tia Hudgins scored 20 and 18 to lead the way.  This team faced a box and one defense with man to man on  J  and a zone on the other four and at other times a triangle and 2 with Brown and Alexus Cooper getting the man to man coverage.  Cooper scored but six points but tonight Sophomore Carmen Richardson just may have had her best varsity game scoring 12 points.  If this team is to advance deep into the playoffs they must have more than Brown and Hudgins to depend on the scoring and tonight that dependable person was Richardson.

The Lady Gryphons forced 33 turnovers while having 19 themselves but they also win the rebounds 35 to 28.  Danisha White scored ten to lead Hunt.

Rocky Mount remains unbeaten in conference play and 18-2 overall  but in conference they must keep winning to stay a step ahead of Northern Nash.  There is three games left in the regular season and it seems we are heading for a head on collision with Northern the final regular game of the season.  Lady Gryphons pulverize Hunt 75-28

Wrestling Champs

The Rocky Mount Gryphon Wrestling Team won the team title in Big East Wrestling Saturday on their home floor.  Wrestling is like Tennis and there is a team portion and individual.  Saturday's conference championship is the team title.  They wrestled five matches and won five times beating Northern Nash in the final match to win the title.

Thursday night at Chic-Fil-A at Cobbs Corner the Gryphon Baseball team will have a fund raiser.  You need to get a coupon from any Gryphon coach or baseball players in order for the proceeds of your purchase  to come the the baseball team.  The time is from 5-8pm.  This season the Gryphons will be extremely young but surprisingly pitching depth will be much better than last year when it was Moss and Johnson and pray for rain.  No, they don't have any one to replace Benton Moss but the #4 and 5 pitchers will be much better than last season.  The question on offense is who will replace the Berry Twins hits in the lineup.

Tonight Hunt come to Rocky Mount for conference basketball.  Hunt boys needs a win to keep their hopes a live of finishing second and getting a home game in the opening round of the sectionals in the boys game.  They are tied with Nash Central at 4-2 in the conference but they still have RM Tonight and Nash Central to play.  Rocky Mount won by four points at Hunt so this will be a game that the Gryphons will have to play well to win.  Should they do so they have three games left an and they would be against the #4-5-6 teams in the conference race.

The girls must keep winning in order to stay a shoulder  length in front of Northern Nash.  Regardless of even if they are 9-0 heading into the last game with Northern if the Lady Knights keep winning the last game of the season at Northern would determine the #1 seed.  Everyone else in conference is beating up themselves.  Hunt, Southern Nash  and Fike are all 2-4 and Nash Central 1-5 in conference play so it's down to a two horse race with four games to go.

This years Conference tournament is at Northern Nash and that will be in progress in two weeks.  The Lady Gryphons to win the title and Tournament would have to beat Northern twice in seven days at Northern to win the regular season and tournament title.

Expectations Growing

It was very interesting to listen to Coach K  pretty much say that Saturdays  Duke win was unacceptable.  He expected more from his players each time they step on the court than just winning.  They needed to give it their all.  When you have won the big prize four times  as he has then he knows what it takes to achieve it.

You know I think he is right that those of us who just live life are missing out on a lot of life by not doing it to the best of our ability.  Many fans chuckled Friday night when one of the Rocky Mount Gryphon subs had just gotten in the game and Mike Gainey shouted  "If you are not going to do it right you going to come back and sit beside me".   Even those at the end of the bench are expected to  play the right way.  Mike Gainey has also seen what it takes one time to achieve the prize.

I think it is because some from the Gryphon bench players are playing the right way Rocky Mount's expectation level is growing at how far this team can go.  Levon Brutus and Tobias Hilliard are the starting guards.  Brutus scored 31 Tuesday but had only four Friday night.  Rocky Mount never missed a beat because those others coming from the bench not only are scoring but there is no drop off in the defensive pressure  that Rocky Mount can apply.

Between Brutus and Hilliard they scored six points Friday night but the backups Tevin Taylor 11, Mason Hines 8, Michael Hines 3 continued the defensive pressure when the starters are on the bench.
 There is also a common thread for this team to the  2010 State Champions.  Donte Battle's injury has allowed back up interior players to grab hold of some momentum.  JaQuell Bryant has given steady defense  and starter K J Peoples has been more assertive on offense with scoring but his rebounding is improved.

Tuesday night at home the Gryphons can seal the deal in the Big East should they take down Hunt.  Home field advantage for a couple of Sectional games for sure.  If they do clinch Tuesday then they must stay focused and stay healthy for the rest of the regular season.  If they lose their focus before the sectionals they will also lose their momentum and  you are never guaranteed to get it back.

Thanks For The Memories

It all began back in December of 2001 and a group of Little League ball players had a chance to go to play in a week long baseball tournament over the Christmas Holidays.  They went on the air  to have a fund raiser and it didn't take long before that night was over several players  who couldn't afford the expense of a week long trip has and experience of a lifetime.  Once back they came  on the air to thank everyone and to tell of their experiences during the trip.  Those two shows were so successful that everyone asked for a weekly show and from it was born the "Stretchlon Sports Show".

It was spearhead by Richard Sarmiento who used his company Stretchlon to be the main sponsor of the show.  He also was the announcer and when you have a child to watch play ball and a company to run  it is not easy to get to all the games that now are being shown on the show.  Little by little more helpers arrived to take the load off Rich.  The first game that I did was the Babe Ruth World Series game from Wilson which I think was 2002 .

There have been more than 500 shows and I think one of them was probably the most watch show ever on WHIG.  If I remember it was a Wednesday night and the 13 Year Old Babe Ruth All Stars were playing in Arkansas and the game started at 7.00pm.  Rich was joined by his wife Patricia and they sat on camera while "Baseball" Britt Johnson would call in  to give them live updates of the game  and while waiting for a call Trish and Rich took calls from fans calling in to support the team.  People at home started calling their neighbors that you need to turn on channel 17 as they have the Babe Ruth game on.

The show ran over the 9.00pm show time and when a preachers time slot came on the game was in extra innings and all of Rocky Mount was glued to sit at home at Watch them waiting for the next update.  A donation was made to the preacher to let the game stay  on.  I think by the end of the game they were holding Rich's cell phone up to the telephone mic in the studio  so everyone could hear every pitch from "Baseball" Britt and a soon to be a thrilling Nash County win.  I have seen many games in my life both in person or on TV but that night was about as good as it gets watching what turned out to be a cell phone broadcast and watching Rich and Trish listen to the action.

There is no doubt in my mind that over the past 20 years Richard Sarmiento has been the driving force why the quality of our high school baseball has sky rocketed in this area.  He has help sponsor kids to go play baseball in places from Cooperstown, Orlando and Hawaii and many more.  Time passes and we all have other priorities.  His son Marc has long since graduated from Northern and the desire to be behind the mic Rich turned over to others.

Sunday night airs the last "Stretchlon Sports Show".  What WHIG does with the time slot is up in the air at this moment. I want to thank Richard for  everything he has done over these years to make all of our lives better  just a little by letting kids get on TV.  This show has lasted because there is a spot in Rich's  heart that beams every time a grand mother or proud papa says  " Thanks for having the game on without you I would not have been able to see my child play".

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES RICHARD!!!!!!