Reflections of Week One Football

The biggest surprise as far as score Friday night pertaining to Nash County schools was Northern Nash's 17-0 win over Corinith Holders.  I am not shocked at them winning as every time they have played Holders it has always been a competitive game.  The score is however.  It is great to see Northern competitive again.  They showed signs last year that the defense was sound and it is better than sound this year.

Sometimes the score doesn't tell all.  Nash Central lost 42-0 to the Tarboro Vikings and yet showed improvement over years past.  We all know in the last ten years Tarboro can play against anybody in this state so depth may be a major problem for the Bulldogs.  We discussed one day last week about the program had sunk to a level where quality players were bypassing football at Nash Central.  It takes time to win those type players back into the program.

I liked what I saw in the scrimmage when Southern Nash scrimmaged West Johnston and Goldsboro in Rocky Mount.   When you have a coach coaching a program for nearly twenty years then year after year looks the same.  Southern is big, fast and strong ready to run the football and pass to keep teams honest.

Rocky Mount was simply too fast for South Granville.  Sherrod Greene has been getting all the press and attention but number nine Artavious  Richardson was all over the field Friday night. Mckenzy Wright did his job at quarterback. Jalen Watson had some  hard nose runs up the middle and would not go down on first contact.  That type running last year paid off late in games last season when the Gryphons controlled the fourth quarter.

They are once again loaded with backs who can take it to the house on any play. Line needs to improve pass blocking.  Only one pass was completed in a seven step drop back by the quarterback.  The rest of the completions were three steps and throw.  Wright did take a blindside hit and fumbled early in third quarter.  The snap to the holder on extra points was not good.  Three or four bounced back and Chase Miller had two kicks blocked but one went through the uprights anyway.

There is no reason Chase Miller will not get gobbled up by a D1 football program.  He can kick the day lights out of football under pressure.  You hardly hear that about kickers getting recruited until
The end of the season.  If for no other reason his 38 yard extra point to tie the state championship game should have all D1 schools in North Carolina on alert.

Last night NorthEast Carolina Prep open the season at Apex Freedom who was playing their first varsity football game.  Freedom 46 NEC Prep 13.  Went 6-3 on Picks this weekend.

Thought it would happen and it did.  Ryan Zimmerman was activated Saturday back to the roster of the Washington Nationals.  Brian Goodwin was sent back to Syracuse.  During his 15 days as a major Leaguer he was 4/16 with two RBI.  The Syracuse Chiefs season ends Labor Day weekend and they will not be in the playoffs so I suspect by Tuesday after Labor Day he will be back on the roster to finish out the season in Washington.