The best player on the field tonight for both Bunn and Rocky Mount hardly touch the ball with his hands but he sure did have a foot. Freeman Jones the Bunn Kick off man booted seven times on the evening and seven times the Gryphons started with the ball on their own 20 yard. He even proved to be able to kick the ball in soccer fashion after a punt snap sailed over his head and in order to keep Rocky Mount from getting the ball on the Bunn 10 yard line kicked the ball through the end zone to give Rocky Mount only 2 points instead of maybe six should they have scored from the 10 yard line. He later got back the 2 lost on the safety when he nailed a 48 yard field goal that had 3 yards to spare.
However Rocky Mount had Mason Hines who on the third offensive play of the game went 76 years to give the Gryphons an early 6-0 lead. Hines would later go 89 yards on the kick return after Jones had to kickoff on the safety at the 20 yards line and could only get it to the 10 yard line and the Gryphons showed what they could do if they had a chance to return one. Then the reason the Gryphons lost this game reared it ugly head. Kick coverage by the Rocky Mount was lacking at best. Bunn would get over 200 yards on kickoff and punt returns including a 90 yard kickoff return touchdown before Rocky Mount fans had stopped celebrating the 76 yard run. In fact none of the points Bunn got came on any drive of any distance beyond the fifty yard line.
The stats have the Gryphons rushing for 198 yards and passes from J T Smith covered another 82 yards while Bunn rushed for 133 and passed for just 51. The bad snap over the punters head cost Bunn 40 yards of rushing on the night.
If you have a defensive star on on night when you give up 37 Junior Donte Battle looked like a division 1 football prospect playing defensive end and line backer. Seemed in the first half he had a hand on every pass attempted by Bunn knocking 2 down and intercepted another. This is the same Donte Battle the MVP of the State Championship basketball game.
Yes the Gryphons played decent football including a third quarter in which they managed to cut a 19-6 half time deficient into a 21-19 lead until a big return gave Bunn more field position and the lead back.
This game was closer than the final score as a Gyphon fumble added to the score. Bunn however is for real. They have a big line and backs that know how to run and they should be as good as predicted as the season goes on.
Really good opening night crowd for the first game ever at the new Rocky Mount High school which I think everyone there went away feeling that Jason Battle's first game wasn't a win but the Gryhons were never out of this one until the very end.
Tarboro whacked Nash Central. 42-26. The Vikings are hard to beat in Tarboro and surprising to me Nash Central's defense gave up too many points. Beddingfield beat Northern Nash 27-20. and Southern Nash beat SouthWest Edgecombe 28-24 as SWE pass in the end zone on the last play of the game fell incomplete.
Big East conference team Hunt wins big over Eastern Wayne 44-12 and Fike is killed by D H Conley 54-27
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