Tears and Prayers

Went to the Lady Gryphon softball tonight since it was probably going to be the last game that Morgan Doughtie was a manager for Gryphon sports.  It was as Northern Scored 8 runs in the bottom of the fifth to beat Rocky Mount 11-1.  There are times when winning and losing  don't matter and tonight I was glad to have been there at what took place at the end of the game.

Today a student at Northern Nash Alex Tweedy was kill in a car wreck on the way home from school.  As the teams were shaking hands they made their way to the pitcher's mound where all the players and coaches of both teams formed a circle around the pitcher mound.  Alex was a member of the Northern band and many players on both teams knew her very well.  Team players took their turn talking about Alex and when they had all cried Gryphon catcher Precious White lead both teams in prayer.  I can tell you now that there was not a preacher anywhere that prayed on Sunday any better that what Precious did.  There were tears from parents listening.

The score of the game doesn't matter.  A life has been lost and two teams who are bitter enemies on the playing field took time together to start the healing process.  As bad as we feel the world is today it is refreshing to see that our youth know what's important.  Join me please in praying for a grieving family who has lost their only child.                                                                     Amen

The first game of the Big East softball tournament was won by Fike 7-2 over Hunt.  They will play Southern Nash at 5pm Tuesday.  Northern will play Nash Central at 7pm both games are at Glover Park in Nashville.

Northern Nash beat Southern Nash in soccer 5-0 and will now play the top team Rocky Mount at 5pm Tuesday in the soccer semi's  at Rocky Mount.

Rocky Mount traveled to Southern Nash and beat the Firebirds 6-2 to advance to the semi's in baseball.  They will travel to Hunt Tuesday night at 7pm.  Northern Nash down 9-3 scored seven unanswered runs to knock off Fike 10-9 .  They now play  Nash Central Tuesday.

There is a monumental  tennis match Tuesday at Eastern Wayne as the #6 ranked team in North Carolina Northern Nash collides with the #3 ranked Eastern Wayne.  Man what a way to start the playoffs.

Going Out In Style

His first three years at UNC Pembroke were squatting behind the plate.  Finally in his senior season Alex Pearce was move sixty feet six inches and now peers down from the mound at the man squatting behind the plate.  Early in the season he got knocked around but as his experience grew Alex Pearce has become the best pitcher on a UNC Pembroke team that failed by one game making their conference tournament and there by their season ended last night.

What would be his twelfth start of the season Alex saved his best for last as the Braves finished their season against the #1 home run hitting team in Division II baseball in Wingate.  Pearce went eight innings held Wingate  to a single run on three hits and beat Wingate 2-1.  Alex finishes his season and career at 8-4 on the season and after last night his ERA dipped to 3.86.  Not bad for a catcher  to wind up the best on the team.

Since we were speaking of a former Rocky Mount Legion baseball player in Alex Pearce this is a good time to announce try outs for this years team will be held Saturday May 12th at 3.00pm at what right now is Gryphon Stadium.  The city of Rocky Mount will be taking control of the field this summer and it will be interesting what the name might be.

All players for Senior Legion are eligible if born on or after 1/1/1993.  Those interested in Junior Legion you must be born on 1/1/95 or later to play.  This will be a Pro-day try .  Bring all of your equipment in order to perform and all catcher must bring all catching equipment needed.

Hank Jones will be back to lead for the third year in a row and the season will kickoff near May 20th.  High school baseball's regular season is over and the playoffs are starting so it's time to get the high school all stars together from this area and Coleman Pitt Post 58 will begin another Legion Season in hopes of returning to the State Tournament which they have done two of the past three years.

Jordan No Super Star Owner

The Charlotte Bobcats have just finished the most embarrassing season in the history of the NBA.  They won a measly seven games all season.  Paul Silas blames  most of it as being a young team with no time to practice.  I will admit Charlotte had their share of injuries but to say they don't have practice time is absolutely appalling.

The average team has a shoot-a-round everyday before a game where they go to the arena that they are playing at that day and shoot and get accustomed to the arena.  Why can't they practice then? I don't think the Bobcats have a practice problem but a evaluation problem.

Michael Jordan who is the greatest basketball player ever in the NBA just has no ability at all to evaluate others.  When he was the General Manager of  the Wizards he made them into a horrible team and they are bad now as a result of how far down he sank them.  Now that he owns the Bobcats he has his buddies in charge and of course that says to me that they are yes men to him.

What Jordan needs to do is be the owner , hire a General Manager who knows the NBA basketball talent.  Tell him how much money he can spend and get out of the way. Go sit in the luxury box and act like the owner.  He is too much like Jerry Jones of the Cowboys and meddles  because he's got money.  Most good owners of any sport most of the time you only see them when they are there picking up the championship trophies.  The ones that go stand on the side lines don't win diddly squat.

The NBA playoffs start today  and my final four picks are out west San Antonia and Oklahoma City.  In the east Miami and Chicago.  Tim Duncan is going to win his last NBA title with the Spurs this year and call it a career.

Northern Ends Confusion

There will be no four way tie for third place in the Big East baseball as Northern won the game delayed from last night against Fike until tonight and they had to come from behind to do it.  They pushed four runs home the last three innings to win 4-2 and by doing so captures third in the Big East.

By virtue of their sweep of Rocky Mount Southern Nash takes fourth  and along with Northern will host Big East tournament baseball Monday night.  Tied with Southern Nash Rocky Mount gets the #5 seed and Fike will finish at 3-7 gets the #6 spot.  There will never be another Gryphon baseball game at Gryphon Stadium as they will now have a new home on campus next year.

That will leave all four teams to play each other again Monday.  This time Rocky Mount will travel to Southern Nash and Northern will again host Fike.  I need to get a clarification of this but in the past any time two teams were time and it was for the last playoff spot then the team that went further in the tournament  got the fourth spot and if that is the case Rocky Mount at Southern will be winner take all and the winner in and the loser is out.  One complication to that theory is Southern Swept Rocky Mount during the regular season.  Those three Philadelphia lawyers and the Russian scientist are still trying to figure out all the possibilities for the playoffs.  They have even called in a Buddist Monk for help.

The only thing I know for sure if either Rocky Mount or Fike won the tournament and the way this season has gone I would not put it past anybody that could happen.  As soon as we know for sure we let you know what all the playoff scenarios are.  Hunt who beat Nash Central 5-4 in eight innings Thursday will play the Southern Nash -Rocky Mount winner Tuesday and Northern-Fike winner get Nash Central Tuesday.

The Big East softball Tournament begins Monday at Glover Park in Nashville.  Big East Girls soccer starts Monday and Rocky Mount as the #1 seed will be hosting on Tuesday.  Baseball, Soccer and softball are all having their conference tournaments this week Monday, Tuesday and all three championships are Thursday.

Gryphons Hope For Muddled Mess

All they needed to do was win one game this week and they were headed to the playoffs.  Tuesday they lost at Fike 7-6 and were faced with a must win tonight to insure a 3rd place playoff spot.  Southern Nash was at Gryphon Stadium to play in the last regular season game in the history of stadium as far as high school games go.

Southern scored their first run on what would have been the third out of the second inning on a Gryphon throwing error.  Run #2 scored when a Southern base hit advance to third on a wild throw on a pick off attempt and a followup base hit. The third run scored on the third hit of the fifth which gave Souther a 3-0.  Rocky Mount scattered three hits until the seventh.

Collin Watson drew a one out walk followed by a single  from Micah Varnell.  Ben Winstead slapped a double over the head of the left fielder scoring two runs and the tying run on second.  Damien Smith walk with still one out.  A grounder to short got a force at third base making two outs and the tying run still on second who is now Damien Smith.  Andy Morris hit a floating single to right field where the right fielder Kenny Rogister threw home and the Southern catcher Marques Taylor made a beautiful snap tag on a bang bang play at the plate Smith was call out when it looked as if he had clearly scored but it was close and just like that the game was over 3-2 Southern Nash.

Ryan Shearin pitched a complete game five hitter for the Firebirds and Will Edwards took the lost.  Northern Nash's game with Fike was rained out and they will play Friday night.  If Northern Wins and they get the 3rd seed in the conference tournament next week.  If Fike wins then there is a four was tie for third and how are they going to see who is #3 through 6 who knows.  What it comes down to is that Northern must lose in order for the Gryphons to have any chance to win any kind of draw it it winds up in a four way tie.

If Northern wins Friday night there will never be another game for the Gryphons at Gryphon Stadium unless Fike wins and then they will have to bring in three Philadelphia Lawyers and a Russian Scientist to figure out this mess if it comes to that.

Northern can solve the whole thing by winning and they claim 3rd, Southern get 4th Rocky Mount 5th  and Fike 6th.  Sure are a lot of chips stacked up against the Gryphons making the playoffs but all they had to do was win one game this week.

Decision Change?

Montrezl Harrell the six seven power forward from North Edgecombe who his senior year he has played basketball at Hargrave Military Academy where Hargrave went 35-1.  This past weekend Montrezl was the MVP of the Capital Classic where All Star seniors from around the nation play the All Stars of the DC Capital area  and Montrezl score 28 points.

Monday he hears that his next year's coach has been fired at Virginia Tech and now all of a sudden maybe VATECH  might not be Harrell's next stop.  I am sure the folks in Raleigh would love to have him replace Painter who transferred to ODU.

Yesterday members of the NCHSAA voted to see whether they wanted  private schools to remain members of the association.  The reason for the vote is the possibility that schools such as Bishop Mcguiness who has won seven straight 1-A girls basketball titles and Charlotte Catholic is dominant in 3-A swimming and diving. might be breaking eligibility rules when athletes are given scholarships just to get into that school and then play sports.

Not only is this vote about private schools but what is the future of Prep schools such as Rocky Mount Prep who can take students from all over when public high schools are held to only certain areas to pull their students from.  The announcement of the results will be made May Third at the next NCHSAA meeting.  I have a feeling the private schools may get kicked out.

How about that Northern Nash Tennis team who has gone through the Big East undefeated and stand at 15-2 on the season.  We have talked about this in the past where Michael Bracket the Knights #1 player  did not play basketball to give his all to tennis and I would say it has paid off.  Northern starts the playoffs Friday traveling to Eastern Wayne who has beaten the Knight both times they played each other this year.  They won 5-4 both times.

Save The Last For The Best

They have won but one game in the last three years of Softball at Rocky Mount High School.  Tonight was the last game to ever be played on the "Mutt" Wilson field where Lady Gryphon softball has played since the inception of slow pitch softball in the early 80's.  Tonight the last conference game of the year the Lady Gryphons win their first game of the year and can for ever say they won the last game there.

The Lady Gryphons beat Fike for the second year in a row 9-8.  They took a 1-0 lead in the first only to see Fike score five in the top of the fourth.  Rocky Mount responded with five  in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-5 lead.  They added a run the fifth to lead 7-5.  Fike responded with three in the top of the sixth  to lead 8-7 but Rocky Mount got two in the bottom of the sixth to lead 9-8. The Lady Gryphons got the first two outs in the seventh but a hit and error found Fike with runners and second and third but a ground out ended the drought for the Lady Gryphons win 9-8.

With all the good news for softball the opposite occurred for baseball.  Up at one point 4-0 the Gryphons lose at Fike 7-6.  Northern Nash beat Nash Central  2-1 and Hunt beat Southern Nash in six innings 12-2.  By winning Hunt can either win the regular season championship outright  with a win over Nash Central Thursday or both will be tied.  Hunt is now 7-2 while Nash Central is 6-3.  Rocky Mount and Northern Nash are tied at 4-5 and Southern Nash and Fike are 3-6.  The Rocky Mount loss guarantees Nash Central no worse than the #2 seed in next week's tournament.

Tonight Hunt High School named their baseball Field after the late Sid Boyette who was a county commissioner as well as a supporter for all types of sports at Hunt as well as all over Wilson County.  You can see that naming ceremony Sunday night during the All New Sports Show on WHIG-TV

Decision Week

You would think that if you can beat the two teams tied for first in one week you should be able to handle the bottom team an another tied for fourth in the final week of the regular season.  Rocky Mount winners of four straight conference games find themselves alone in third but both Southern Nash and Northern Nash trail by one game. Should at weeks end they find themselves tied with Northern they will get a higher seed in the tournament  since they swept the Knights this season.  If they tied Southern it most likely would be that Southern beats them Thursday then Southern would get the higher seed since they would have swept the series this year.

First place is on the line and the two square off this week as Hunt will play Nash Central for the top seed and the Bulldogs will play without head coach Jeff Mizzelle who is out for the remainder of the year after being suspended.  Assistant coach Buck Edmonson guided the Bulldogs last Thursday in the 10-0 whitewash of the Golden Demons.

The Gryphons have started to come together in the last three weeks as those five sophomores in the starting lineup look more comfortable at the plate.  They still are  not knocking the cover off the ball but have found a way to get the big hit when it is needed.  Those early season defensive lapses have been replaced by solid defense.  They have even been able to display game saving plays in the field as they seemed to come up with in both the Bulldog upset and Hunt shutout.

All of a sudden the Gryphon starting pitching has been solid all year but when you play the likes of people like Greenville Rose who has lost only one game all year it is hard to tell when you are getting pounded.  The pitching for the most part has been reliable all year it you just can't tell how good it is when you don't score runs which lately the offense is doing.

I would think for the Gryphons the most important game all season is Tuesday at Fike.  It will show with a victory that yes this team has turned the corner but a loss like coach Kent Cox said " will have wasted beating the top two teams last week".


Senior night is Thursday and what could possible be the last home game for Rocky Mount High School at Gryphon Stadium.  Should they get third or fourth spot for the tournament they will get a home game next Monday.which in all likely hood would be the last  high school game ever at Gryphon Stadium.

Gryphon History

I have no knowledge to challenge my own statement here but I suspect that yesterday was probably the first time in history that a college doubleheader was played in Division 1 baseball and two former Gryphons were the starting pitchers for one team in that doubleheader.

Benton Moss pitch the first game of the North Carolina-Georgia Tech Double header in which Benton pitched into the sixth inning giving up four runs but only two were earned to win his fourth college baseball game with only two losses.  Once again sloppy Carolina defense helped more runs cross the plate than what should have other wise Benton pitch as well as expected.

 Carolina played a double header yesterday just about like all teams in North Carolina did that had a game scheduled for Sunday when the forecast called for weather like we are having outside today which was a good call to play two Saturday.

Carolina sent Hobbs Johnson to the mound in game two and certainly the way Hobbs has pitched this entire season he is getting more and more opportunity to be given the ball when something important is on the line not just mopped up duty.   Hobbs carried a shutout into the seventh inning before he surrendered a home run and found himself in a 2-2 game.

My question at the pitching rotation Mike Fox used this weekend has Benton jumped up to be the Saturday Starter and has Hobbs  pitched so well this spring he has jumped all the way from a lightly used pitcher to the #3 starter.  Next weekend we will find out.

In My Opinion

A few weeks back I told you here that I had never asked any of the top brass at Rocky Mount High School how the search was coming for a new football coach.  Like you I heard every rumor you did.  Wednesday when the Rocky Mount Telegram ran a story about  about the leading candidates I read with interest the comment s in the paper.  It was about 50/50 for B W Holt to come back and elevate Jason Battle to the head job.

If you recall there was a fire storm three years ago when Dickie Schock got the job about 50% for Schock back then and 50% didn't want him. If the believe the paper the final two candidates were the coach that has the best winning percentage in Rocky Mount history B W Holt and Assistant Jason Battle.

I need to wake everyone up in the world of reality.  There are a lot of you folks who thought that every coach worth his salt would apply for this job.  I am willing to bet you that didn't happen.  Why  would any coach who is already a headman some where else and is already successful want to come to Rocky Mount when every time you turn around Rocky Mount is in the news cause somebody shot somebody or that the unemployment in this area is near the worse in the state.  Guess what folks a pretty new football stadium ain't enough to get quality proven winners.

Yes everyone thinks B W Holt could have come back and brought back the glory days.  He just might have but for how long.  The biggest mistake made in the past three years was letting Holt get away the first time.  There is no doubt the man loves to teach football and I bet before he dies he will be coaching somewhere because he can't get it out of his blood.  But his time has past at RMHS.

The search committee made the right choice whether it turns out in the future to be a good choice or not.  You have to remember Schock came to Rocky Mount highly recommended by Holt. That 50% that is against the Jason Battle hiring needs to remember that Duke back in 1980 hired Coach K who had a losing record at Army.  Three years into his tenure they were ready to let him ride out of town and yet he is today the all time winningest coach in college basketball history.

All Gryphon fans need to stand up together and move forward with life.  Jason Battle may just surprise you and be the next B W Holt.  If he doesn't get everyone's support it will be just like tying one of his hands behind his back before he ever gets started.  I am sure that Jason will call his own plays with what ever offense he decides to run.  If I were him I would find A B Whitley's number and ask him to be in charge of my defense.  If that was to happen then Jason will have started off making good decisions and good decisions lead to wins.  Something we haven't had enough of lately.

Head Coach: JASON BATTLE

Rocky Mount High School made it official today as they have named last year's offensive coordinator and a graduate of Rocky Mount High School  Jason Battle as their next head football coach replacing Dickie Schock who resigned after three season in February.

If there was a complaint about Dickie Schock during his three year tenure at Rocky Mount was that he never committed to the community by never moving here.  The search committee solve that by going with Battle who not only graduated from RMSHS but has lived here the  past dozen years or so and is entrenched in the community as well as Rocky Mount High.

Schock who never really sought support from the fan base  or  any support from the community solved that by Hiring Battle who was probably the most popular  coach with the returning football players.He is also highly popular with the fan base.

It is obvious that Battle has never had head coaching experience but there is one thing that Jason will bring to the job is enthusiasm and if your have ever been around him you know if he translates that attitude to his players they could have a fun year.

I have some sad news to report that one of the famous Capps Brothers  Gray has been diagnosed with Lukemia.  The Capps brothers have been a fixture in every Gryphon football games for seems like a 100 years as they both film every Gryphon football game for the Gryphons.  I ask all of you to pray with me for a recovery for Gray.  Football season is only four months away.

Gryphons Slide Into Third

Just two short weeks ago those skinny legged sophomore baseball players for Rocky Mount couldn't hit a lick, made errors at the wrong time and most of the time had good pitching but that was hard to tell when you don't score runs.

Now the Gryphons still don't hit that well but they have finally figured out how to get a timely hit when it counts and tonight the Gryphons take out the team that use to be a top of the conference by themselves but not any more as sophomore Will Edwards pitches the game of his life as the Gryphons shutout Hunt 2-0.

This is four victories in a row for the Gryphons in conference play and by virtue of Southern Nash's 6-2 win over Northern Nash Rocky Mount takes sole possession of third place in the Big East and now stand at 4-4.  This lost drops Hunt to 6-2 tied with Nash Central who tonight beat Fike 10-0.

The Gryphons scratched a run home in the second when Micah Varnell walked with one out.  He reached second when a ball rolled away from the catcher and Varnell just did make it to second.  Two outs the number eight hitter in the lineup Damien Smith hit a line drive over the third baseman's head and Varnell scored.

The Gryphons added an insurance run in the fourth  when Varnell walked again.  This time Jerrell Hunter the Gryphon first baseman sacrificed him to second.  Hunter started tonight at first for the first time as he was a member of the Gryphon basketball team and is now getting his baseball legs under him. Two outs and the ninth hitter in the Gryphon lineup Ben Yates  hit a liner over the second baseman's head and Varnell scored again.

Will Edwards allowed two hits walked two and hit one batter while striking out two. He allowed only one batter to reach second base.  There were some almost hits but the Gryphon defense did their job including a spectacular catch by Damien Smith  in left in the top of the six with the lead off runner on from a walk.You know when it is 2-0 in the sixth and you are playing the top team in the league you are weary that a big hit brings them back in the game and the Warriors almost got it.  Zach Williams laced a fly ball that was heading over the head of Damien Smith in left and on a dead  run Smith stuck his glove over his head.  Smith's momentum carrier him toward the wall and nobody behind home plate knew he had caught the ball until he turned to run to the dugout as that was out number three.

Gryphons winners of four straight conference games head to Fike Tuesday and they only need one victory next week to clinch a home first round Big East Tournament game.  One win and the only team that could catch them for third is Northern Nash and the Gryphons swept the season series with the Knights.