Friday After Thanksgiving Football

It is not often that the Twin Counties still have four teams alive the Friday after Thanksgiving but thanks to Hurricane Matthew we will this year.  That extra week of the regular season has seen to that.

Northside Pinetown 8-4 @ North Edgecombe 10-1:  Coming in to this season Keith Parisher had averaged only four wins a year as the Warriors head football coach.  He has ten this year.  Sounds like coach of the year talk.  Don't let the 8-4 Panther record deceive you.  They have played three common foes.

South Creek Northside won 24-7 while the Warriors 22-16.  Riverside the Panthers lost 61-14 while North Edgecombe won 74-56. Rocky Mount Prep Pinetown beat last week in the playoffs 61-12 while in conference play the warriors were winners 54-8.  Two of the three  games show this as a close game while the Riverside game tilts this matchup the Warriors way.  NE 33 Northside 27

Can someone please explain to me why a 6-6 team that didn't even go undefeated in their conference is seeded higher than Tarboro and the Vikings go on the road to Stem.  Tarboro 10-2 @ Granville Central 6-6:  This games has all the makings of a second round clobbering for the Vikings.

Tarboro averages 287 yards a game rushing an another 25 passing.  GC averages 130 yards rushing and 67 passing.  Maybe that explains why they don't score much.  The Vikings had better not be thinking about Wallace Rose Hill next week as a possible third round game or that could lead to fumbles and a poor offensive performance.  See no way Granville Central can keep this close.  Tarboro 38 Granville Central 6.

Rocky Mount 10-2 @ Southern Nash 12-0:  This is for the Big East championship.  This is the way the ACC basketball tournament use to be winner only moves on. Oh, I forgot this is a second round playoff game.  Rocky Mount hoofs out 267 yards rushing a game while the Firebirds 300.  Rocky Mount gets another 84 through the air while the Firebirds 50.  That works out to 351-350.  Even Steven.

The Firebirds had a great opening drive for a touchdown the first time around but  the Gryphons put the clamps on the Birds until a 3rd and 15 incomplete pass roughing the passer call gave new life and the Big Mo to win the game. 

I saw in the last 20 minutes against Southern Lee the Gryphon football team that played the first six games like a great football team.  Rocky Mount played at Southern like that first 28 minute team the other night and yet carried a 10-7 lead into the fourth quarter.

Which Gryphon team shows up?  I'm betting that last 20 minute team and with it a victory for the Gryphons at Southern a place that has not been friendly the last ten years.  Rocky Mount 21 Southern Nash 14.  I have checked with Southern Nash officials and it is a 7:30 kickoff.  Repeating 7:30

Today is a religious holiday whether you think so or not.  The Pilgrims were so thankful for surviving their first year in the new world that they celebrated life in the new world.  We should be thankful for the life we have  and I hope you can enjoy it with family today and let's get back to football tomorrow.