Big East Sweeps First Round Games

Four Big East teams made it to the state 3-A playoffs and all four will play second round games next week..

It seems Rocky Mount needs a good slap in the face early in every game in order to wake them up.  Last week Northern lead at the half 6-0. The Gryphons were down 14-7 in the second quarter to Southern Nash.  Even before that down 14-0 in  the second quarter to Fike.

Tonight Walter Williams took the opening kick off and drove the field and scored when Isaiah Coleman normally the Bulldog Tailback was moved to quarterback scored on a 14 yard run to give Williams a 7-0 lead at the 6:29 mark in the first.  The Williams coaches felt that they needed more offense in order to beat the Gryphons so Coleman became a running quarterback and on the first drive it worked.

The Gryphons responded And scored on a 15 yard pass from Forest Bell to Jaclayton Freeman  with 2:52 to go in the first and Chase Miller tied it  7-7.  The Gryphon defense took control  and at the7:37 mark of the half BJ Sanders scored on a 15 yard run to give the Gryphons the lead for good at 14-7.

The second half Williams did not make a first down until one minute remained in the game but by that time Gryphons scores of a two yard quarterback sneak and a Terrell Forbes eight yard run with 10:52 left and the second team finished the game.  Under a minute to play Williams scored but the extra point fail and a final of 28-13.

Next week the Gryphons face South Johnston who was a 21-6 winner over Eastern Wayne.

Southern Nash scored with under a minute to play went for the two point conversion and make it as the Firebirds steal one in Vanceboro beating Western Alamance 22-21

Hunt scored but one touch down but that was all they needed beating Lee County 7-3

Fike traveled toTopsoil and controlled the game winning 28-8

Tarboro had no problem with Heide Trask winning 55-7

Southwest Edgecombe  no problem besting FarmVille for the second time this year 42-3

The real unset of the night hobbled North Edgecombe went to Pamlico and come home a winner 44-20.

Beddingfield took down South Granville 35-14.

What a great night for every team in the playoffs from Nash -Wilson -Edgecombe County as all eight teams advanced to next week.

The CIAA has released their all CIAA all conference team and Nick Hahula a 2009 graduate of Rocky Mount high school has been named the CIAA special teams player of the year. Hahula made 6 of 11 field goals for the Hawks of Chowan.  He made 25 of his 27 extra points. He punted for the Hawks 51 times averaging 36.13 yards per punt.  Of those 51 punts 20 were inside the the 20 yard line.

You may recall Hahula was a full back /kicker on the  2008 Gryphon football team that won their first 14 games before they were beaten by West Craven in the Eastern Regional.. During that season Gryphon opponents only return a punt for a total of one yard all season and many of his kickoffs were in the end zone so their foes mostly started on the 20 yard line.