Reflections From Kenan

Friday night's state championship game was the first time in my adult life that I was not in a press box during the game.  I had a pass but daughter Morgan was home from college and wanted to go to the game.  I knew I would be high up on the opposite side of the stadium so I sat with her which lasted about five minutes before she started socializing.  Her brother Brooks did met us there and he didn't abandon me.  Morgan returned at the end of regulation figuring if she  wasn't there with me when the game ended she would get left in Chapel Hill.

First off let's give South Point their due.  They lost three games this year.  Shelby who won the 2-AA state Title.  Crest who won the 3AA title and to Rocky Mount the 3A champions.  South Point is such a good team it takes champions to beat them.

I don't know what the official starting position on every drive was but the Gryphons my guess was their own 22 yard line and while South Point was their 41.  Both teams move the ball but the extra 20 yards for us more than them was big in this game.

Rocky Mount made 8-14 third downs and made 3-5 fourth downs.

There were no turnovers by either side.  This in itself is a testament to how equal these teams were.  They probably could have kept playing to midnight and the score would have been 35-35.

If made the 44 yard attempted field goal by the South Point kicker to win the game would have been the third longest in NC state championship history.  The Monroe kicker Saturday made a 47 yarder  which is the longest ever.

Just before the half the Gryphons elected to score a touchdown over trying to make a field goal.  If made with a 10-7 lead there would have been no overtime.

Even though they seemed awful.  From the aftermath I think the refs were better than they looked.

They did miss on the Pass interference call on the Gryphons.  The replay screen showed the ball was tipped which negates any pass interference.  The Red Raiders scored on the next play to take the lead in third quarter.

The face mask penalty was the correct call when we did not get automatic first down.

Two plays more than any other should live forever in Gryphon Football Lore

Third and 18 from our own 29 yard line.  Down 21-14 with 6 minutes to go the Gryphons can not give up the ball this late in the game they may not get it back.  Forest Bell falls back to pass, nobody open anywhere.  He takes off running finding himself making ten yards and five yards ahead is a South Point approaching tackler who if he tackles  Bell they will be short by at least three yards and have to punt.  Bell fakes a pass 15 yards beyond the line when he still needs three more yards for a first and getting the tackler to jump in the air to bat the ball down and Bell proceeded to run around the tackler who is in the air and Bell continues to get five more yards and a first down.  Without this play the Gryphons lose.  This play will forever be call "the Juke".

The unsung Hero of the game was kicker Chase Miller.  If he fails to make that 35 yard extra point we lose

The defensive hit of the game came  during overtime when The South Point quarterback Diontre King on a third and seven, King kept the ball and broke across the line of scrimmage and may be heading for a touchdown in the left corner until number 44 Sherrod Green met him head on at the four and that as far as he goes.

Have you ever seen an illegal procedure on a kick off.  We had two on one kickoff.  From what I understand Chase moved the ball after the referee blew the whistle to put the ball in play.  The second one is we kicked it before the ref blew his whistle the second time
This is third time in five years the play by play announcer for UNC sports at Dean Dome and Kenan called us the Griffins.  It took a third quarter tweet to the NCHSAA up in  the press box  by Morgan Doughtie to please tell the announcer we are the Gryphons.

I thought the directions near the stadium were poor.  They should have had direction for the visitors and directions for where the home team should park.  Many people from both sides parked on wrong side and had to make a pretty good hike to get to their gate to enter.

While sitting in the stands it looked to me that both stands had equal amount of support on both sides.
And I thought about five thousand fans each.  Watching the highlites on  every place I could highlites the Rocky Mount side had more at least a thousand more.  I wish I knew what the official attendance was.

The last seven games the Gryphons were behind at some point in five games.  The third round game an the fifth were behind in fourth quarter. Both of those games they won it  on
 their last offensive play of the game


The Gryphons were 14-2 on the year tying for the most win in a season with 2008 when they were 14-1.

Jason Battle has been the coach of the Gryphons for four years now.  His overall record now stands at 36-14 and a State Championship

The celebration in the gym at 1:30 in the morning with all those crazy Happy  Gryphon fans was great.  Just goes to show good things can happen after 11pm if you make it happen

The ride home from Chapel Hill I drove and dictated my blog to Morgan who looked up the stats used on My after game post.  She took photos all during the game including the in the gym celebrations.  I have to thank her for her effort getting the blog on line as soon as possible  Friday with all the photos added.  Love ya Girl Friend.