Sunday, May 31, 2015

Telephone Hot

Around six thirty Saturday evening my cell phone was popping with text and phone calls telling me that BW Holt had stepped down as the football coach at Rocky Mount Academy.  Three seasons at RMA the old ball coach produced two state championships for a school that had a hard time winning any games before his arrival in any season.

Holt is the perfect example of a coach who can change the attitude of the players, the administration and fans and when the attitude is I am as good as anybody and not here we go again to another loss.  He has that ability to get everyone involved in the program to give everything they have.

He leaves coaching with 321 victories in public schools and 26 in three years at  at RMA.  This move is not really a shock at 70 years old Holt who lives in Bristol Tennessee most of the time.  You know when you say to yourself I doubt he comes back and when it is official it is a shock just the timing.

There is an old saying "It ain't over to the fat lady sings."  This morning at 12:01 am I had a text ready to send to my son Brooks who this weekend is in Richmond where he  has some Tri  Athlon people trying to qualify to turn pro Tri Athletes.  The text said Pack plays 3:30 Sunday lose 4-3 to TCU.  I laid the phone in my lap waiting for the last out.

Two outs in the top of the ninth the Pack trailing 4-3 in a game that had been intense as if it was a World Series game. A walk from TCU top reliever sets up Chance Shepard the Pack dh who had done nothing all night.  Shepard hit a shot to dead center field and the camera behind home plate showing the center fielder on the dead run I thought it's off the wall and we tied it.  No it cleared the fence and I jumped out of my chair an with it my cell phone goes flying and when it hits face down sends the score 4-3 TCU.  I reach down to find my phone and realize I need to call him but he is asleep as Tri Races start early.  The Pack stuns top seeded TCU 5-4.  Won't he be surprised.

Virginia has beaten Long Beach State 3-1and the ACC the first two days  of the NCAA playoffs is 11-2. Miami, Florida State, Louisville, N C State  and Virginia are all 2-0. Notre Dame was Rained out Saturday is 1-0 . Clemson is home 0-2.

ECU who came in the the playoffs hot went more than a game and a half without scoring losing Saturday 2-0 to go with their 6-3 loss Friday.  They are back in Greenville.  I couldn't make it to the UNC W  finish with LSU.  They were in the top of the seventh with LSU winning 1-0.