Soccer Playoffs Begin Wednesday

Girls playoff soccer swings into action Wednesday and Hunt as the #1 seed from the Big East will be at home to take on the #5 seed from the Coastal Washington. Fike the #2 from the Big East will host #3 from the Coastal D H Conley.  Rocky Mount the #3 from the Big East gets that enviable ride as they head to #1 Currituck from the Northeast Coastal.  Southern Nash the #4 from the Big East heads to Jacksonville to take on the #1 in the Coastal.  Round two for the winners starts Saturday.

Unlike soccer who got four teams into the playoffs the Big East only got two slots in boys tennis and glad we didn't get any more as the two got shutout last week during the Duels.  Southern Nash who was the #1 from the Big East and undefeated on the season got whitewashed by visiting Chapel Hill 6-0.  Fike the #2 had to travel to Raleigh where they meet Cardinal Gibbons who was the #1 in the Carolina Conference and they shutout 9-0.  So the top two teams in tennis didn't even win one game.  This week is the week that the team action stops and individual play begins so there are players throughout the conference in action but not any more Big East teams.

Monday State golfing Championships got rained out Monday and they will try again Tuesday.

Every one who qualified in track and field last weekend at West Carteret will swing back into action starting Friday at the state track and field championships.

Everybody wants to know who will be playing Rocky Mount later this week in the baseball playoffs but the brackets are yet filled out.  We will probably know sometimes Wednesday where and who every one plays Friday.

This week Charles Simmons who is the Athletic Director at Hertford County High School will receive from the NCHSAA the Athletic Director of the year award.  I was  there back when Charles first came to Ahoskie to be the basketball coach at then Ahoskie and  later Hertford County.

I can tell you Hertford County has been caught like Rocky Mount use to be when they were in the 4-A conference.  Ahoskie and Hertford County  has for the last 30 years been a 3-A school when they needed to be 2-A.  Yes they were big enough to be 3-A but when you are stuck in the corner so far from others your size it is hard when you have to play Monroe in a non-conference game. Nobody wants to ride to Ahoskie for a non-conference game.  Mike Gainey and Charles Simmons  have worked together since Rocky Mount dropped  to 3-A.   Next year Hertford County will be small enough that they will be in the 2-A ranks.  I think you will see their athletics blossom just like Rocky Mount has when they drop from 4-A to 3-A.

I know Charles is near the end of his ride very soon as basketball coach and athletic director.  It sure would be nice if before he retires the Bears could win a title when they will be playing on a level field.  It was good for Rocky Mount and hopefully it will be good for Charles Simmons and the Hertford County Bears.