A Glorious Past

Growing up in Ahoskie in the 60's and about the only place you could hear or see  about high school sports was the Raleigh News and Observer.  We were just too far from Raleigh to follow our sports closely but you could count about seeing Rocky Mount covered.

The football state championship last football season for Rocky Mount High was their 13th team title. Five basketball, four baseball and  four football titles.  Several of those titles were when Rocky Mount was a 4A school but the last four as a 3A school.

My good friend the Late Charles Alston and I use to argue that to me it didn't matter what level you won you were the best in that level and you would never think, well this is only the 3A title it is not as big as the 4A title would be.  Let me ask all of you.  The baseball title in 08, basketball titles in 10 and 12 and now the football in 15 has anyone said, gee this is only the 3A state championship.

Since 1990 the Rocky Mount Parks and Rec have won several Tar Heel Little League titles.  They won everything put in front of them.  Yes there have been times folks had said wish this was Williamsport little league so  we could go beyond the state title.  Whether you were a player on any of those teams  7/8, 9/10 or 11/12 year old teams and you were parents, grandparents or just people who follow and live in Rocky Mount And support all our teams you are all beaming today in rememberance of winning a state title.  I bet you have never said this title would be better if this was the high school team.  Winning is winning whatever the age group or sport.

We can't leave out all those Babe Ruth teams when in the first few years of this century we won U 13, U14 state title and three out of four years made it to the semi finals and final in the World Series.  This area has really been a good sports  area.  There is no telling how many high school state titles this area could have won if all those all stars which won little league or Babe Ruth titles all played at the same high school.

Under the category of how lucky can you get.  Saw on Facebook Rocky Mount resident Chris Tyndall  was in Washington DC Saturday an attended the Nationals game And got to see Brian Goodwin play in his first major league game.

Last Night Rowan County won the American Legion Southeast Regional baseball championships.  They now head to the legion World Series in Shelby.  Rowan County finished the regular season 21-8 and during the the playoffs are 17-3 including winning the State tournament going 5-0 and 5-0 in the Southeast Regional.  The Legion World Series starts Thursday.