A Motivating Moment

I hope that I am not the only nut in this world that does this but have you ever while laying in bed trying to fall a sleep think of some great idea that will change your life and the world and when your feet hit the floor the next day that idea is not as great as it was when you were half  asleep.

I have thought many times  that the summer of 1963 for me was one of those summers that Hollywood would pay big bucks just as soon as I write it all down and contact the right person. I have several times in the past took pen in hand( this was before computers and started writing).  Two hours later and twenty fives words written down and my novel was history and my note in the trash can.

I have just gone through one of those nights where inspiration hit me and when my feet hit the floor the idea was still as big as it was the night before.  I have come to realize that this is 2012.  Next summer will be 2013 and the 50th anniversary of my great novel will still be undone.

Those of you who don't read this column everyday, I was bat boy for the 1963 Ahoskie American Legion Post 102.  I believe that it is the only time they have ever won the league title before or since. If I don't hurry up and write this great novel which by the way I have titled "View From The On Deck Circle" I will probably be dead  so time is running out.

I found some telephone numbers of a couple of the players and left messages but I did get an answer from one call.  I called the home of Bobby Hall.  1963 Bobby was a  sophomore who played at Plymouth High school  and the only place to play baseball in 1963 in the summers  was come to Ahoskie  for the Ahoskie Legion team.  Bobby played first base and right field.

His wife Kate answered the phone.  I have to admit since the last game of 1965 when Bobby was a senior and left the Legion team I have not seen him since.  Can you imagine someone on the line asking if this is the home of Bobby Hall formerly from Plymouth and worked for the State Credit Union, well that was my introduction to his wife who before we were through had a very pleasant conversation with me telling stories  about Bobby that she  had never heard.

If the name Bobby Hall does not ring a bell for you Carolina fans once Bobby graduated from Plymouth he headed to Raleigh on a football scholarship in 1965 and before he left Raleigh was the starting wing back in Earle Edwards wing-t offense at N C State..  Once I had finished my conversation with a women that I had never met before and she had given me Bobby's work number I was disappointed to have to leave a message with his secretary.  I'm pretty sure he  is one of the Big Wigs these days with the State Credit Union in Raleigh because he has his own secretary instead of voice mail.  You got to be high up the ladder to be able to do that.

Shortly before five my cell phone is ringing  and lo and behold Bobby Hall is calling me. You must remember I was ten years old in 1963 and Bobby 16 and a matter of fact Happy Birthday Bobby as his birthday was Wednesday.  Bobby Hall don't know me from Adam but from my message he knows I want to talk to him about the summer of 1963.

It was as if we have been friends for life.  The only contact that we have had in the last 47 years is me watching him run for the Wolfpack or him being part of my conversation with any one willing to listen to me talk about 1963  and Jimmy Hunter, Freddie Combs, Francis Combs or Bobby Hall.

I am now inspired to write the great novel.  I have Bobby's e-mail address and he is going to help me remember.  I hope as I make contact with others  still living from that team that they too fondly remember that year and want to talk about it.   If my fifteen minutes conversation with them is as enlightening as mine  was with Bobby Hall then my great novel could be in bookstores soon.

Northern Girls Ranked #1

Maxpreps.com has the Lady Knights of Northern Nash as the top ranked 3-A girls basketball team in the state this week.  The Lady Knights 9-0 and 2-0 in the Big East after one week of conference play.

West Craven 13-0 is ranked second.  An eye opener is that the West Craven boys are 14-0 and they hold down the #1 position in 3-A boys. Both Rocky Mount and Northern ran into trouble with South Central of the Coastal conference in the girls playoffs last year.  The Falcons knocked Rocky Mount out in the Sectional Finals and took care of Northern in the Regional.  Looks like the Big East will have to contend with another Coastal team when the playoffs roll around.

Rocky Mount at 12-2 gets the 10th ranking in the state.  Nash Central comes in 23rd at 8-3 and all three of their losses have been to Northern and Rocky Mount. Hunt at 7-4 grabs the 38th spot. Fike at 5-7 is 56th and Southern Nash rounds out the Big East at 73rd.

J'Kyra Brown is fifth in the State in scoring  averaging 22.6 points per game.

The worse girls team in the Big East is 73rd but on the boys ledger three Big East teams are down the list from there. Southern Nash with a 2-8 stands 86th, Fike is 88th at 2-10 and Northern Nash  at 1-10 is 93rd.  All the way at the other end of the rankings  Rocky Mount at 11-3 is 18th.  Hunt with a 9-4 record is 27th and Nash Central 7-4 is in top 40 at 38th.

Sometimes I wonder how services come up with their rankings as Hertford County is 17th and they have lost twice to Rocky Mount by 15 and 45 points and they are ahead of the Gryphons.

Terrill Hilliard places in the top ten both in scoring at 19.5 and rebounding 9.4.  Josh Sessoms of Southern Nash is 15th in scoring at a clip of 18.4.  Philip Jones of Nash Central is fourth in the State in rebounding snatching 10.2 per game.

If you compare the boys and girls in the Big East the quality is better with the girls with two in the top ten and no one worse than 73rd.  The boys only have one in the top 20 and three near the bottom so moving up in the rankings will be hard  for the boys.

Rocky Mount travels to Hunt Friday and then don't play again until next Friday when they travel to Southern Nash.  The boys game will be for first place  while the girls will try to keep pace with Northern.