Head Knocking Time

Jason Battle put his second edition of the Rocky Mount Gryphons on display for the first time tonight at Rocky Mount High school as former Gryphon JV coach Chris Lee brought his Louisburg team to Rocky Mount for a scrimmage.  Those familiar with the old B W Holt Double wing offense thought that the old Gryphons were playing the new Gryphons as Lee who use to be the head JV coach when at Rocky Mount took the Holt offense with him to Louisburg.

The results for Gryphon fans was mixed  as the Gryphons introduced a pistol  offense some of the time to go along with the offense from a year ago.  There is plenty to be pleased about and plenty left to work on.  Today during the Media day held at Rocky Mount it was learned that most of the teams that have been invited to the Jamboree Thursday at Nash Central to scrimmage the four Nash County schools have backed out leaving only the four Nash County schools to scrimmage each other.  Don't think there is a coach in the county that likes that idea and unless some replacements can be found in a hurry the Jamboree Thursday is in trouble.  More later this week.

Today the Big East Conference coaches voted Hunt to repeat as conference champions. After an undefeated season and coach Raper departing for Northern Nash the other coaches still feel there are enough weapons left in Wilson to pick Hunt. Southern Nash was picked second and Rocky Mount Third, Nash Central fourth, Fike fifth and Northern Nash last.

You have to think that Randy Raper has plenty of bulletin board material for his Knights being picked last. I don't think in the last ten years at Hunt they have loss four games in a season much and Raper being the coach he is will not allow Northern to Finish last.  Northern had a very good jamboree last week and finishing last is not in their vocabulary this season. All thought that last year right down to the last week the conference was even and that might be even more so this year.

Tonight Wilmington Post 10 has won the American Legion South East Regional and have earned the right to head to the American Legion World Series next  week in Shelby. Post 10 lost one game during the regular season and so far during the playoff they are 16-1.  Randolph County who was the host team for the Regional proved to be a bad host. They were the losing team tonight losing 7-0 but during the Regional they went 4-2 only losing to Wilmington twice.

End Of the Golf Season

Jason Duffner has won the last major of the golf tournament of the season in winning the PGA.  Duffner the stiffed face player you can't tell whether he is on the verge of laughing or crying after every shot.  Over the past three years or so Duffner's name has been at or near the top of almost every tournament that he is in.  He's one of those walk up to the ball and wail away.  Just for that he is easy to like but until he lets loose with a little emotion every now and then he will be a hard player for the masses to follow and like.

I could care less about the rest of the golf season even though the tour championship playoffs will be starting in September.  Next week is really the last tournament of the year and they play in Greensboro.  I could not even tell you right now without looking it up whether this is the Ryder Cup Year or the President's Cup.  I will watch if it the Ryder but who wins the Tour championship or the President's Cup is of little consequence to me.  It's football time.

19 of the last 21 majors have been won by different people and it has been 22 majors since Tiger won.  He proved last week he still has plenty of kick left in his arsenal but the majors take accuracy off the tee, get it on the green and putt.  Last week Tiger was knocking down the the pins and had five foot birdie putts.   This week those ten foot parr putts were not close. Phil has never been an accurate driver and this week he was awful from the tee.  It is hard getting any score when you are trying to one putt for parr.  I would be a perfect example of that being a two putt bogey man that I am.

There are so many good players on the tour that from week to week it is hard to run up front all the time.  If you have ever noticed it seems that the really good players go about six weeks at a time when they are hot and can't miss.  Then they flatten out and somebody else steps up for a period of time.  Tiger over the last 15 years is the only exception to that rule.  He has reached the age where a bad tournament has him teeing off on Sunday's at 11 instead of 2:30.

So now it is time to concentrate on football.  I don't care high school, college or pros I like all football.  I have no idea how I got such a passion for football.  Back during my playing days I spent more time at guard and end than any other position.  End of the bench guarding the water bucket.  I at my mighty 135 pounds of solid  fear hated one on one drills because I was always going up against somebody 30 pounds bigger than me and my face always found the dirt.  I wish I had  the passion then that I have now.