College Basketball Hall Welcomes Phil Ford

The College basketball Hall Of Fame on Wednesday announced that Rocky Mount Gryphon  Phil Ford will be inducted in their 2012 Hall Of fame Class. Ford who graduated from RMSH in 1974 is the all time leading scorer in Senior High history collecting almost 2,100 points in his three year varsity career.  He was passed in 2010 by TaShawn Mabry who is the leading scorer in Rocky Mount history as a four  year high school and Mabry started all four of his years for the Gryphons.

Ford went to North Carolina where he left school as the all time leading scorer and for many years he was the only player in ACC history to score 2,000 points and also have 600 assists.  Any time the name Dean Smith comes up the first thing anyone thinks about is the four corner offense in which during his four year career for Carolina Phil  Ford was the Master at the control dribbling from the foul line to mid court waiting for a team mate to break for the basket after a defender had turned his head to check on where Ford was and Ford would feed a pass for a Carolina Layup.

Ford will be joined in the 2012 inductions by Georgetown's Patrick Ewing  and former Kansas great Clyde Lovellette.  Several others including Earl the Pearl Monroe from Philadelphia but played his college ball at Winston Salem State and was the #1 draft pick of the Baltimore Bullitts in 1967 will also be honored.

Tonight in Elon the University of North Carolina baseball team left the campus for the first time this year and met the Phoenix on the baseball field and Mike Fox handed to ball to former Gryphon Benton Moss.   Not only does Benton win his first college game but he comes awful close to getting a complete game three hitter  as Moss goes 8.1 inning allowing three hits as the Heels Beat Elon 3-0.  Only five base runners reach base as Moss struck out eight.  The winningest pitcher in Gryphon history starts to climb up the ladder of baseball wins in Carolina history with #1.

Good news for Gryphon basketball fans heading into Saturday's Championship game with Hickory.  Levon Brutus who left Fayetteville last Saturday with ice on his ankle was back practicing  so he should be at full force for the Gryphon's Saturday.  If you haven't purchased your ticket yet they are on sale in Mike Gainey's office at Rocky Mount High School .  The Gryphons will be the visiting team and will wear their road uni's with Rocky Mount on their chest and all Gryphons fans are urged to wear blue Saturday night.

POWER 95 To Carry Game Saturday Night

I don't know whether it is because everyone still remembers the feeling from two years ago or what but Gryphons sponsors for the game Saturday night are coming out of the wood work to be a part of what we all hope will be history if the Gryphons can win their second title in three years.

All during the Gryphon playoff run we had hoped that if both the boys and girls made it to Saturday that I would do the girls game and Wes Bradshaw would do the boys game.  Now that the girls are out Bradshaw will be the lead announcer and I will do color.  Paul Andre of Power 95 will be the producer and we are hoping to have a mic where Paul can tell us the Gryphon strategy coming out of time outs.

We will have an hour pregame show starting at 6.30 and during that hour we will talk with Shawn Johnson of Hickory and of course Mike Gainey for the Gryphons.  One advantage  having the game on Power 95 is the fact that is the strongest signal of the stations under the umbrella of First Media. Raleigh to Greenville, Emporia to Kenly could be listening to the game if they are not there in person.   Thanks for all the support!

I have a personal two game winning streak of games done from the Dean Dome.  I helped call SouthWest Edgecombe's girls 2005 basketball title with the Hudson Twins and of course 2010 Gryphon Title.

Stats are tight.. The Red Tornadoes average 69 points a game while Rocky Mount get 75.  Hickory holds down the other sides scoring at 55 while the Gryphons are 61.  The point differential is Hickory wins by an average of 14.9 for all game while the Gryphons at 14.  During the playoffs Hickory winning margin is 18.8 while the Gryphons are clipping foes by 17 per game.  Both teams are playing better in the playoffs than they did during the regular season.

The perfect scenario:  30 seconds to play Mike Gainey calls timeout to insert M J Gainey in the game just like he did in 2010 when D J Walker out with a knee injury got  in the game to stand there and hold the ball.  Brought tears to my eyes then and knowing it's Mike son out there I'll probably flood the place.  One thing is for sure if it happens we will be champs again.