The Limelight Again

It has been almost four years since Gryphon fans walked out of the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex stunned that they had just been beaten by West Craven for the East Regional title in a game that they seemed to have in their back pocket just two minutes before.

No one leaving that stadium that night thought to themselves " boy we may never get back in this position again."  There was no thought that B W Holt might not return.  There was no reason to think that the returning team even though many seniors were lost from that team couldn't possibly be back in the third round or more of the playoffs for the sixth year in a row.  Never crossed anybodies mind.

Here we are four years later and Rocky Mount is facing what has become now the most important game that they have played since that night.  Yes in 2009 they had to beat Northern on a miracle play on the last play of the season to make the playoffs but Friday night the Gryphons will be playing for  first place or a share of it two weeks into the conference season.  Those days of who is going to contest Rocky Mount for first are in the past until this Friday night.

The Gryphons travel to Hunt who has become the Rocky Mount of the past four years and the question these days is who is going to challenge Hunt for the title?  Let me give you a stat and chew on this  awhile.    During the six years of B W Holt the Gryphons play in more plays off games than losses during that span.  12 losses, 20 playoff games.

Jason Battle will now get his turn to see whether this team is ready for such a big game.  Six wins they are already almost assured of a playoffs.  More wins are needed to improve that seeding and just maybe a home playoff game.  Like that night leaving the stadium stunned, Gryphon fans in their right mind could not have envisioned a 6-0 start and playing Hunt for a share of lead the seventh game of the season.

I suspect if you want to get a seat at this one you had better be early as with every win that wave of "How bout them Gryphons grows".  They may stumble Friday night or they may shock the state and pull an upset.  Regardless of the outcome mores games are coming to make this the most important Gryphon football season in four years.  The Gryphons will be playing in one of the biggest games in high school football in the state Friday night.  At least for this Friday the limelight is back on the Gryphons.