Home For The Turkey Holiday

The Gryphons had their hands full of South Johnston Trojans for the better part of the round two playoff game.  The Gryphons needed a better start in Round two and for the most part they did.  South Johnston with the control passing game kept the ball away from Rocky Mount and the Trojans had the ball for eight  minutes in the first quarter..  Rocky Mount being a pound-pound-pound team I was worried that South Johnston would not crack late because of the control passes.  Even having the ball for four minutes the Gryphons scored.

Somewhere South Johnson hit the long pass in the second quarter and from that point for a while they tried to hit the home run and the Gryphons picked off three passes.  So many times you hit a long pass or in basketball you hit a three and you forget about what was working.   I think South Johnston fell into that trap.

The Gryphons scared me to death on the on side kicks that South Johnston deployed.  We were willing to wait for the ball to cross the ten yard marker and it almost got  us on the one they fielded a yard early.  If any one else tries that we have to be more aggressive going after the ball.  If I was looking at film and saw how willing we were to wait for the ball to come to us I would try it too.  The risk is of course that you give a really good offensive team the ball near the fifty when you don't get the on side.

Talking about a huge risk was the fourth down fake punt from the Gryphon 32 yard line.  When a play like that doesn't work everyone on the Rocky Mount stands is hollering what are you doing?  South Johnston all night kept talking punt block and on the first punt came close.  Down 24-14  the Trojans needed a big play in the third quarter so Jason Battle caught SJ in an all out punt block.  If the pass was completed it was a 68 yard romp because the only person who could have stopped the touchdown was the punt receiver and Rocky Mount had the whole team set to block.  That's one of those plays if it works you are a genius when it doesn't  everyone is scratching their head saying what are you doing??

One of the officials pulled a calf muscle about three minutes into the game and the others rotated into a four man crew.  I thought they did a poor job as there were two face mask penalties called on the offenses during the game.  One they marked it off from the spot and the other from the line of scrimmage.  Both should have been from the line of scrimmage.  The pass interferences on the Gryphons  sidelines was poor but they missed one  on the SJ side.

 I thought this crew  waited to long to blow the whistle  after forward progress was made.  I noticed one of our blockers kept blocking to the whistle well after forward progress was stopped and a Trojan player hit him and drew a penalty. Then another both players were called but the flag was thrown before the whistle sounded.   Now that over half the teams were knocked  out last week there should have been a better crew at a second round game.

Despite the pressure from the Trojans the Gryphons still controlled the game in the second half which has become a very good habit to have. Over the last five games Rocky Mount has scored 93 points in the second half while giving up 32.  18 of the 32 points have come  when the second team defense was in mop up mode.

We have reached the round that you can play great and still lose because the other sideline is good too.  Don't care who you are if your team is playing Turkey Friday night you have every reason to be proud.  The crowd was not all that great, it was ok but there should have been more there.  I realize it had a chill in the air but I think people stayed away because of the safety factor.  The Gryphons have been seven years since they have gone this deep into the playoffs.  This team deserves your support. 

This Gryphon team standing in line for the National Anthem does not look all that impressive.  I am reminded from a quote from Pete Rose in the 1972 World series having to face Jim "Catfish" Hunter.  In the on deck circle watching him pitch I should get four hits today but after going 0-4 that man can pitch.  These Gryphons  can play some football.