Northern Sweats It Out

This blog on Monday I made the comment there was no evidence that Northern Nash 6-0 guys should have  trouble with Southern Nash 0-6. Boy was I wrong.

Northern lost two starters one sick then the other a banging head on the floor for several minutes in the first half and the Knights were out of sync and Southern Nash took advantage.

Southern led by two at the end of the first quarter, 11 at the half and 8 at the end of the third.  Northern showed their grit and comes from behind to beat Southern Nash 65-62.


The Lady Bulldogs of Nash Central went 4-1 through the first Round of conference action.  The second time around has not been good.  Rocky Mount took them down Friday at Nash Central.  Tonight at Fike the Golden Demons take down the  Bulldogs and with it claiming second place after a 62-58 victory.  Trailing by 16 at the end of the third quarter the Bulldogs fought hard but couldn't catch up.

The Lady Birds of Southern Nash hit their average when they scored 22 points.  Their Problem the Lady Knights of Northern Nash got close to ten above theirs and beat Southern Nash 39-22.  It was Northern's second conference win both against Southern who now stands at 0-7 in conference play.

Northern's boys comeback win keeps them in first and if Nash Central was to stay one game behind they needed to win at Fike.  Didn't happen as Fike beats Nash Central 67-53.  This shoves Fike 5-2 into second while Nash Central drops to third 4-3.

Last week in Rocky Mount the Gryphons edged the Hunt Warriors in a close battle.  Tonight Hunt returns the favor and scores with less than ten seconds to play to beat Rocky Mount boys 52-51.

The Lady Gryphons remained unbeaten in conference play beating Hunt at Hunt 52-29.  The Gryphons will make up the last possible missed non conference game tonight traveling to 4A South Central in Winterville.

Nash Central's Sarah Hicks won during the Big East swim meet the 50 and 100 meter freestyle and was a member of the Nash Central relay team that won the 200 medley relay.  Her three wins earned the NCHSAA girls high school performer of the week.

Southern's Kendrick Watson Wrestler Of The Year

Heavy weight wrestler Kendrick Watson of Southern Nash won the Big East heavy weight title and with it was  named the Big East Wrestler of the Year.  He joins seven other wrestlers from Nash County that won their weight divisions and will now head to the wrestling regionals February 10/11.

Nash Central had three wrestlers to take home titles as Josh Brice was a winner at 152 pounds.  Emanuel Williams won at 170 and Alex Noble was a winner at 195 pounds.

Southern Nash had a second winner as Vyshaun Richardson  was a winner at 182.

Rocky  Mount had two conference champions with Rashun Lawrence a winner at 113 and Keyonte Williams winning at 132

Northern Nash's conference champion was Dylan Joyner winning at 220.

Fike won the conference team title scoring 179.5, second goes to Southern Nash 146.5, third Nash Central 97.5.  Northern Nash and Rocky Mount tie for 4th/5th with 86 and Hunt rounds out the field with 73.

Tonight begins the Duels or the team competition in the playoffs.  Only two teams from the Big East make the team tournaments as conference champions Fike and Southern will be wrestling tonight.Wrestling is broken down into four team tournaments and conference champion Fike will wrestle in the opening round Western Harnett and their wrestling site is Orange County High who wrestles Corinth Holders.  The two winners meet so by the end of the evening only one team will advance from that pod.

Southern Nash as the number two in the Big East will be traveling to Union Pines and the Firebirds will hit the mat against Asheboro.  Host Union Pines will wrestle West Brunswick. then the two winners meet.  If Southern survives that rounds three and four are Thursday with a state team champion determined Saturday in 3A.

I wish football could take a notice of how easy playoffs can be.  Wrestling will determine a state champion in one week while it takes 5 weeks for football.  I understand football playing only one time a week but lets cut the football playoffs to four weeks.

Wednesday is national signing day for football.  Rocky Mount will have three signing Letters of Intent.  Sherrod Greene will sign with South Carolina. Artavious Richardson with North Carolina A&T and B J Sanders with Charleston Southern.  If you know of others around the Big East Twin Counties please pass it along here.

A Week Later

Last week at this time the Big East was embarking on a three game week of conference games. Thirty per cent of the entire conference schedule in one week.  The entire complexion of the whole season could bring the bottom teams to the top and the top back to the middle.

What actually happened? The top teams kept winning, the losing teams kept losing and those in the middle stayed in the middle.  The standings look exactly today like they did last Monday only closer to the finish line.  Two weeks to go and only four games left.

We are on schedule for Tuesday and Friday action for the final two weeks with no impending doom of bad weather any where in sight. Let's take a look at where potential upsets loom if any.

Boys:

The most important game Tuesday night is the battle for second.  Nash Central 14-5 5-1 need a win to stay within a win of first with a future game with Northern Nash.  Fike 14-5 4-2 still within reach of first if they keep winning.  A Nash Central loss makes the Northern's lead bigger.

Southern Nash 5-15 0-6 at Northern Nash 18-2 6-0:  There would be no evidence at this time the Knights will have any trouble in this one.  Southern has lost ten in a row while Northern's win streak stands at eight.  Two losses are to Washington which was early in the season and a holiday loss to 4A Wake Forest.

Rocky Mount 6-8 2-4 at Hunt 4-15 1-5:  Neither can win the conference regular season so they are now playing for playoff position.  More losses by either jeopardize even making the playoffs.

Girls:

Rocky Mount 13-2 6-0 at Hunt 15-4 3-3:  Remember just last Monday when these two played they were tied after three quarters.  A big question for this game is will Michelle Gainey play for the Gryphons.  That question could determine the winner.

Those tied for second collide and which for the loser will just about knock them out of any first place dreams.  Nash Central 10-7 4-2 at Fike 13-5 4-2:  If Hunt could help with a win over Rocky Mount the loser would not fall any further behind and the winner gets closer.

Southern Nash 3-13 0-6 at Northern Nash 7-13 1-5.  Southern is already border line even making the playoffs.  Northern needs every win they can get to secure a playoff spot.

The Big  East is suppose to be a league of everybody beats each other and when the playoffs arrive beat everybody else.  Not this year as the there is a top-middle-bottom.

Duke's Dilemma Grayson Allen

He was used as a spot player for Duke as a freshman.  He could shoot when the Blue Devils needed points but his defense was suspect.  He was never needed to be the go to player in any game his freshman year until the last one.  Without his points down the stretch Duke will not beat Wisconsin in the championship  game.

Now a sophomore Allen was expected to be the leader after all he was the go to guy in the big game the year before.  Was it the pressure of being the so called leader of Duke but by late 2016 basketball season Allen trips a player?  Is it the pressure of leadership overwhelming a player not prepared to be the leader?

We have reached the midpoint in the 2017 season suspended for  one game for conduct on the court much like last season. Much of Allen's distress is avoidable.  Monday night during a time out Allen walked through a  forming Wolfpack huddle which caused pushing when Allen could have walked around.

Can Duke's basketball program endure another year an a half of every Allen foul causing chest to chest shoving. I just don't see Allen turning pro because I don't see him as a first rounder getting a guaranteed contract.

I find it hard to believe that if Grayson Allen was a perfect angel for the rest of his career that every foul he commits will not have some sort of over tones of stare downs, pushing and shoving.  That would not be good for Duke, The ACC or for basketball.

The Battling Bishops men's basketball team went from Lookout Mountain Georgia Friday night to Maryville Tennessee yesterday.  After Friday night's victory over Covenant the Bishops moved  into 7th place which would put them in the season ending conference tournament.

Maryville is near the top and Saturday the Bishops fall 82-71 and are now tied for eighth. A very uncomfortable position to be in.

Saturday the Lady Bishops won on the home floor to move into fifth place in the eastern division of conference USA South.  Only four teams make the tournament from the east.Today the Lady Bishops play Averitt at home at 2pm.  Averitt is one of the four teams  ahead of the Bishops.  Talk about a big game!

Rocky Mount girls Northern Boys Keep Winning

It was a must game for the Lady Bulldogs of Nash Central as well all of the Big East teams still with dreams of taking the regular season title but the Lady Gryphons would have nothing to do with it.  Keyanna  Spivey has a double double 24 points 13 rebounds as Rocky Mount dominants Nash Central on their home court winning 51-36.

Rocky Mount goes to 6-0 in conference and now have a two game lead over Nash Central.  Fike joins Nash Central at 4-2

It  doesn't matter to Northern Nash as they keep rolling and stay undefeated in conference play going  to 6-0 as they handle Hunt 65-49.  Hunt falls to 1-5.  Northern Nash had now won 18 on the season while suffering only two losses.

Nash Central stays within one game of Northern Nash keeping their hopes alive for the next meeting with Northern Nash as they whip Rocky Mount 72-58.  Nash Central rises to 5-1 while Rocky Mount falls to 2-4 which is good for fourth place.

Fike has their hands full with Southern Nash but they pull out a 67-62 victory over the Firebirds. Fike 4-2 holds down third place while Southern Nash boys lose their 10th in a row and sixth straight conference loss.

Hunt girls broke a three game conference losing streak beating Northern Nash 57-38.  Northern led 27-26 at the half but could only score 11 points in the second half.

The Lady Demons of Fike get their share of second 4-2 in the Big East after a 62-30 win over Southern Nash.

The Battling Bishops traveled to Lookout Mountain Georgia and met Covenant in a game much needed by The Bishops.  Adrian Moore pumped in 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds leading NC Wesleyan to a 59-56 win.  Saturday they will make their way to Maryville Tennessee

The Lady Bishops have a home game Saturday and Sunday both games start at 2pm.

Second Time Around

The backside of the Big East basketball schedule starts tonight and there is no bigger game than the girls game with Rocky Mount traveling to Nash Central.  Rocky Mount is the only team that made it through the first round unscathed.  Nash Central's only loss was at Rocky Mount 61-52.  They also met in the Christmas Tournament with Rocky Mount winning that one too 40-36.

The Lady Bulldogs have a fine season going and all of this is without the Big East player of the year last year Robbi Allen out with injury.  This is a chance for Rocky Mount to pull away from the field if they can find a win on the Bulldogs home court as that would give everyone in the conference two losses except Rocky Mount so this is a big one for every member of the conference to stay in the title race.

Rocky Mount 12-2 5-0 @ Nash Central 9-6 4-1:  Rocky Mount is led by Senior Keyanna Spivey averaging 22 points and 9.6 rebounds.  The Gryphons are averaging 57 per contest while yielding just 35.  Central counters with Michaela Nelms 19.4 and 8.8 rebounds.  The team that stops the star and everyone else pulls their weight will help decide this one.

Fike 3-2 13-5 @ Southern Nash 3-13 0-5:  Fike needs to stay near the top while Southern is still trying to break a conference losing streak.  Fike is led by Jada Lee 13.4 and Aniya Thigpen 12.8.  Mason Blake has been the top rebounder at 7.3.  Southern Nash counters with Jessy Lucas 9.6 while Ja lisa Williams has cleaned the boards at 8.8.  The big difference in this game is Fike scores 57 on average while the Lady Birds only 22.

Northern Nash 6-12 1-4 @ Hunt 14-3  2-3:  There is a truth in high school sports that you will run into lean years because certain years the talent is just not there.  Northern after having dominated the conference in the early part of this century is on the lean side right now.  Hunt started off with a bang and have been beaten by the top two teams rather decisively in the last two.  I wonder if an injury has occurred that I have not heard about.  Northern is  scoring at 33 points per game while Hunt get 51 per outing. Both give up about the same 39 for Northern 41 for the Warriors.  The winner will be in the middle of the pack.

The boys ledger doesn't feature two top teams.  All games are top division against the bottom.  Since Northern is the lone unbeaten the facts are as long as they keep winning no one will catch them

Northern Nash 17-2  5-0 @ Hunt 4-14 1-4:  Northern scores at 72 points a game the top team in the league.  They give up 58.  Hunt scores at 55 but gives up 60.  I  have been covering Hunt since the early 80's when they played Ahoskie.  I can never recall a football season and basketball season to be this lean at Hunt.  This is uncharted territory for them.  Northern is led by Darius Spragley 16.9 per contest while Raymond Bullock rebounds at 7.5.  Hunt is led by Jermiah Ganaway 10.5 and River Jones 10.

Rocky Mount   6-7 2-3 @ Nash Central 12-4 4-1:  This late  in the season Rocky Mount will never be able to complete their schedule of the games missed during football.  Nobody wants to play a non conference game this late in the middle of conference.  The Bulldogs need to keep winning to stay close to Northern.  The Gryphons are led by Joe Blue 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds.  Nash Central counters with Montre'  Cash 20.7 points and Dominick Dixon 9.3 rebounds.  The Gryphons score 64  while the Bulldogs get 63.  On the other end of the court the Gryphons allow 63 while the Dogs counter with 56.

Fike 13-5 3-2@ Southern Nash 5-14 0-5:  Fike wants to stay upper division while the Firebirds need a win as their losing streak has now reached 9.  Samson Strickland is a one man show for the Golden Demons 19 points 11.6 rebounds.  Southern's leader is Darius Edmonson 10.9 while Matt Hampton grabs 5.9 boards per game.  Fike puts 64 points through the hoop per game while the Firebirds get 54.  On the defensive side Fike holds their foes to 59 while Southern 62.

Best Effort Of Year

The Battling Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan desperate for a conference win as of now outside looking in on the upcoming tournament got a triple double from junior Adrian Moore 14points, 11 rebounds and 11 assistants was not the whole story tonight.

Freshman center AJ Frye scored almost at will even though guarded by a man three inches taller led the Bishops with 26. Chris Braswell helped open up the middle for Frye rattling home 6 threes ending up with 20 points.

Even with the Bishops humming on offense the Monarchs of Methodist hung tough trailing by  no more than 12 finally falling to the Bishops 79-74.

The Bishops go to 9-8  and 2-4 in conference USS South.  The Monarchs fall to 11-8 and 5-3.

NC State's comeback win at Duke Monday was a major shock to both the Blue Devil and Wolfpack Nations.  Duke's big win Saturday with the return of Jefferson seemed to solidify Duke and N C State has floundered losing to the bottom level teams.

Hillsbough Street had to be closed in Raleigh as students went to the Bell Tower to celebrate the Pack's win.  Is it the turn around point for the Pack?  They have a game in Louisville Saturday.  Beating Duke will not mean a thing if they turn around and lose at Louisville.  I kind of feel like it is an indictment on Duke more than improvement by the Pack.

All of the so called All American high school players in the freshman class for Duke don't seem to know about defense.  The Pack showed when they have the want to on they can beat anybody.  If Duke doesn't improve their defense they will finish in the second division which has not happened since 1995.

Funny isn't it that 1995 was the last time Duke lost to N C State in Durham and coach K was out with a hip replacement back then.  He's out this year too.  One other oddity was Jeff Capel was the guard at Duke in 1995 and now he is acting head coach.

We are halfway through with the high school basketball conference play and Friday night marks two weeks to go in the season.  Northern Nash leads the way in the boys side of the ledger with a 5-0 mark.  Nash Central is second at 4-1 while Fike finishes the top division at 3-2.  Rocky Mount stands 4th at 2-3, Hunt fourth at 1-4 and Southern Nash  sits last 0-5

The halfway point finds Rocky Mount girls 5-0  followed by Nash Central 4-1 and round out the top of the standings is Fike 3-2.  Hunt suffering a three game losing streak is 4th at 2-3 followed by Northern Nash 1-4 and Southern girls conference losing streak has extended to more than two and a half years is 0-5.

Old Friend Named To Another Hall Of Fame

Those of you who have followed this blog know that from 1981 through 1993 I did Chowan College basketball on the radio.  That happened to be part of the years that Bob Burke was the coach at Chowan and at the time became a national power in Junior College Basketball.  Burke is already in the Chowan Hall Of Fame and I told you just a year ago at this time I returned one Saturday afternoon to Chowan when the basketball court at Chowan was named Bob Burke Court.

I am please to hear that Bob will be joining his alma mater Campbell into their Hall of Fame.  Burke spent 22 years at Chowan winning 419 games a few after the school changed to Division three from Junior College.  He coach high school at Wallace Rose Hill,  in College and spent his last coaching days as assistant coach for Nate McMillan a Bob Burke player at Chowan as an assistant on the Portland Trail Blazers.  Few coaches have ever coached high school, junior college, college and pros.

Northern Nash is half way home and 5-0 in conference play but tonight they got all they could handle from Rocky Mount.  The Gryphons trailed by seven after the first.  They were down six at the half,three after three.  When the buzzer sounded Northern survived 72-71.

Rocky Mount Lady Gryphons hit the halfway point in the conference season 5-0 after a trip to Northern Nash and the Gryphons stifle an already struggling offense eight points below their average and win 46-21.

Tonight at Southern Nash Nash Central handled the Firebirds 65-34.  The Bulldogs finish the first cycle 4-1.  Southern Nash lose their ninth straight basketball game and all five conference games. Girls action the Lady Bulldogs beat the Lady Birds 50-20

Wilson County clash of Hunt and Fike is all Fike as the Fike Girls give Hunt their third straight lost after opening the season 14-1.  Lady Demons win 53-49.  The Boys of Fike take down Hunt 63-58 to finish out the first half of conference play.

Have you heard of the start of the Hunt-Rocky Mount girls basketball game Monday night?  Hunt received a technical before the game started because the score keeper was not present before the scheduled time of 6pm.  Apparently the score keeper was doing the score book in the auxiliary gym of a jv game

So Rocky Mount  gets two free throws making one.  When Rocky Mount came out a player wearing a white tee shirt which matched the home jersey but on the collar was the name brand of the tee shirt which is not high school rules. Hunt got two free throws making one so even before the tip off the game started out 1-1.

Lady Gryphons/Northern Boys Own Outright Leads

Friday night the Nash Central girls pulled the rug out from under the high flying Lady Warriors of Hunt.  Having won 14 of 15 Hunt looked to be class of the Big East.  Tonight Hunt comes to Rocky Mount now the only undefeated team in the league but Hunt can jump right back in first with a win.

The first three quarters this game is what first place battles are suppose to be.  Tied 41 all the fourth quarter belongs to the Lady Gryphons.  They out score Hunt 25 -8 to run away and hide winning 66-49.

The Lady Gryphons hold first at 4-0 with a trip to Northern Nash Tuesday.  Hunt losses their second in a row by double digits 2-2 in conference.

The Knights of Northern Nash who right now state wide hold the second best record in the state did not tarnish their record tonight beating Southern Nash 80-69. 

They are 4-0 and are the only unbeaten Boys team left and they finish up the first round of conference games Tuesday hosting Rocky Mount.  Southern falls to 0-4 and 5-13 on the season.

Rocky Mount hosted Hunt boys in a games where the winner gets to the middle of the pack.  Last year at this time Rocky Mount was still looking for their first win of the season.

Tonight Rocky Mount moves to 2-2 with a 67-64 win over Hunt.  They up their record to 6-7 and even though they played football almost to Christmas just like last year their record is much better than last still seeking one win.

Hunt falls to 1-3 4-13 has a meeting with Fike Tuesday.  Rocky Mount travels to Northern.

Nash Central boys played a close one to the wire with Fike as the last few minutes made the difference as the Bulldogs survive to beat Fike 58-53.  The Dogs are second in the Big east at 3-1  11-4 while Fike is 2-2 12-5.

Fike plays Southern Nash Tonight while Fike has rival Hunt.

Where Is The Next Coach Coming From?

Is there an upcoming crisis in the heart of Tobacco Road? February 13th coach K turns 70 years old.  Roy Williams will be 67 on August 1st.  How much longer will either be at the head of their basketball juggernauts?  Back in Raleigh  NC State is now in the sixth year of Mark Gottfried.  Since the departure of Jim Valvano only one coach has survived more than six years.

Over at Duke Coach K has gone under the knife and all Duke fans need to realize the Jeff Capel who has stepped in to be head coach is right now Having and on the job interview to be the next coach.  If they lose more than they win while K is out will not be good for Capel especially if Duke starts winning again when K returns.

Capel has brought Duke into the era of one and done with his recruiting which Kentucky had a monopoly of at it's inception.  The team of Capel's recruits them K coaching them has kept Duke in the top five of major colleges in basketball.

If Roy Williams retired today Carolina fans who is in line in Chapel Hill?  Should it be someone from the Carolina tree?  Jeff Lebo ECU.  I thought back in his playing days at Carolina he would be the next coach at Carolina after Dean Smith. He has been a college coach almost 20 years now and has never made NCAA tournament.

Scott Cherry, Wes Miller, King Rice.  None have had overwhelming success but Wes Miller is the youngest still under 40.  Really it looks who ever replaces Roy when the time comed might be from some other big time school.  Remember after Bill Guthridge left there were not many high profile coaches who wanted to follow the legend or were tied into their contract.

Raleigh has a different problem altogether.  The Pack is 2-5 in conference play and for the most part have only played the teams predicted to finish second division in the ACC. How can any one expect more wins when there are not many easy ones left?  Just look at the high priced seats at mid court as they have already deserted Gottfried.  When that happens you better start Winning now.

There has never been a history of bringing in a Wolfpacker to coach except Sidney Lowe but is there any Wolfpack limbs deserving a look should the end be near for Gottfried?

What about Archie Miller the head coach at Dayton?  The Pack for the most part has been more willing to find the bright New coach
Up and coming coach.  Since they have been in the coach searching business more that Duke and Carolina they already know about these unbreakable or too high to buy out contracts in the world of College coaches.

What I don't want to see is a Joe Paterno or Bobby Bowen situations in Durham or Chapel Hill where both K and Roy hang on too long.  I would like State to find somebody where they could have that problem in 30 years.

Week Of Decision

It has taken three weeks to play three conference games in Big East Basketball.  This week three games will be played barring any weather issues.  That's 30% of the season will be played this week.  A lot can change by the end of Friday.  It all gets started Monday Night with the ice games missed. The biggest game of the entire week goes down at 6:30 Monday night in Rocky Mount.

Hunt girls 14-2 2-1 arrive to meet the Lady Gryphons 10-2 3-0.  This was suppose to be the conference unbeatens but that was destroyed Friday night by Nash Central

Win or lose both teams are right back on the court Tuesday night.  Tuesday night is the last game of the first cycle of round robin conference basketball so it is rival night.  Hunt travels on back to back nights  to Fike while Rocky Mount is in the gym at Northern Nash.

Monday Fike 12-4 2-1 pounds the hardwood at Nash Central 8-6 2-1 Records might not show it but these two are evenly matched.  Tuesday Fike Host Hunt while the Lady Bulldogs visit Southern Nash.

Monday finds Northern Nash 6-11 0-3 in Southern Nash county in Firebird country 3-11 0-3.  Both these teams are struggling to put the ball in the hole as Northern averages in the upper 20's while the Lady Birds the lower 20's.Tuesday Northern Host Rocky Mount while Southern is at Nash Central.

The boys ledger has everyone chasing Northern Nash 15-2 3-0 as they are the only unbeaten conference team left.  Their week begins at Southern Nash 5-12 0-3 then Tuesday host Rocky Mount.

Fike 12-4 2-1 begins the week at Nash Central 10-4 2-1.  Fike host their most hated foe Hunt on Tuesday.

Nash Central  chasing Northern has a Monday game hosting Fike which is the game for out right second place while Tuesday at Southern Nash.

The battle to get into the middle of the pack has Hunt 4-11 1-2 at Rocky Mount 5-7 1-2.  Both have fierce games on Tuesday.  Both need a win Monday as Hunt travels to Fike and Rocky Mount to Northern Nash.

The entire season could change this week for everybody or we will begin to see where everyone in falling into the seedings for the playoffs.

Northern's The Boss

The top two boys team in the Big East squared off tonight at Northern Nash as they hosted Fike.. Both teams came in 2-0 and The Knights jumped to a 12 point first quarter lead.  Fike closed the half cutting the lead to 7 but the Knights took control in the second and leave no doubt who's the top team winning  84-65.  Northern is now 3-0 with three games in conference next week while Fike drops to 2-1.

The Lady Gryphons never gave the Lady Birds of Southern Nash a chance to breathe tonight as there was never any indication of having a chance.  Once the final horn sounded the Lady Gryphons are set for their showdown Monday with Hunt after a 54-9 victory. Rocky Mount wins their tenth game in twelve tries 3-0 in thd Big East. Southern Nash has lost 11 of 14 and 0-3 in Big East Play.

The Fike Lady Golden Demons stay in the upper  echelon of the Big East after a victory over Northern Nash 44-26.  Fike 12-4  2-1 while Northern Falls to 6-11 0-3.

There was a very important game played in Rocky Mount tonight as  the two teams that could least afford a loss squared off when the Gryphons hosted the Firebirds both 0-2 in conference in the big East.  These teams played a close one and Rocky Mount wins 63-59. Rocky Mount trailer by one entering the fourth quarter.  Joseph Blue led the Gryphons scoring 26. Rocky Mount gets one foot out of the grave going to 1-2 while Southern has to figure out where to go from here.

Nash Central paid a visit to Hunt and the Bulldogs survive a long desperate three at the buzzer to beat the Warriors 58-55.  The Bulldogs go to 2-1 in conference and win their 10th game overall while Hunt falls to 1-2 and lose their 12th overall.

The shocker of the night is the Lady Bulldogs of Nash Central go into unbeaten Hunt's house and destroy the Warriors. 61-45.

There will be a doubleheader basketball action Saturday at NC Wesleyan. Men play at 2pm Saturday and women at 4.

Post Exam

Another week gone and at this point the Big East  basketball has sat silent  as Nash County schools held exams.  Friday night the bounce of the ball returns and unless weather decides to influence us later before the end of the season everyone will get at least two conference games for the rest of the season.  Next week three making up that Tuesday game lost during the ice.

Should be a full house at Northern Nash as the Knights of Northern Nash 14-2 2-0 will host Fike 12-3 2-0 collide with first place on the line when they take to the court about 8:30 tonight.  Fike averaging 64 points a game is led in scoring by Samson Strickland 18.1 points per game. Northern winners of 4 in a row are led by Darius Spragley at 16.1.  Should be rocking in Red Oak.

Nash Central 9-4 1-1 pays a visit to Hunt 4-11 1-1.  These two are in the middle of the standings with the winner tying for second. Montre' Cash leads the conference in scoring leads the Bulldogs at 21 points per game out of 64 scored by the Bulldogs.  Hunts leader is KJ Jones coming every game at 10.5 points per contest.

Southern Nash and Rocky Mount meet at Rocky Mount at stake last place for  the loser.  The Firebirds 5-11 0-2 are led by Darius Endmonson 11.5 per game while Rocky Mount counters with J Cherry-Blue 16.1.

The girls agenda has no unbeaten against unbeaten lined up for tonight.  The prime game is Nash Central 7-6 1-1 at Hunt 14-1 2-0.  Michaela Nelms has taken over the scoring leadership for the Lady Dogs after the injury to Robbi Allen.  Hunt has 7 players averaging over 4 points per game and Tatiana Smith 10.5.

Fike 11-4 1-1 visits Northern 6-10 0-2: Northern has no double digit scorers with Markela Avent averaging 9 points per game.  The Golden Demons are led by Jada Lee at 13.7.

Southern Nash 3-10 0-2 will be in Rocky Mount facing the Gryphons 9-2 2-0.  Southern's conference losing streak go's all the way back to the end of the 2014 season.  Jessy Lucas scores 10.4 points which is right at half of the points scored by the Lady Birds.  Senior Keyanna Spivey leads the Gryphons at 21.3.  Her average is about the same as the entire Lady Bird team scores.

The upcoming 2017/2018 school year is realignment year in the North Carolina High school Athletic Association.  The last 12 years all of the Nash county schools have been in the same conference.  The first four years their conference was called the NEW because of the combination of SouthWest Edgecombe from Edgecombe County, Fike from Wilson County and the four Nash county schools.

Eight years ago Hunt joined the conference and it's name was changed to the Big East.  Four years ago SouthWest dropped to 2A but the conference kept the conference name the Big East.  Nash Central will be dropping to 2A next year and Franklinton joins and the conference will keep the name Big East.

The NCHSAA is waiting for all the conferences for next year to send in their new conference names if they are going to change.  Right now Nash Central will be joining what was called the Eastern Plains 2A.  They have yet submitted to the NCHSAA whether the conference name will change or not.  Neither has the Two Rivers with North Edgecombe and Tarboro.  I don't see where there has been any changes with the teams already in the conference and the new ones joining not to leave their conference names the same as the Big  East  has done.

FINALLY Exciting NFL Playoffs

Ok, Saturday was the third straight day of  ho hum playoff Football.  Just like last weekend Saturday was another double digit losses in games over by the middle of the third.

New England clips Houston 34-16 while Atlanta whipped  Seattle 34-20.  Those scores were in line with last weeks unexciting scores.  Then Sunday rolls around and weather pushes the 1pm game to 8:30 because of a ice storm.  The opening game of the day is Green Bay @ Dallas.

Somehow during the Jerry Jones era after Jimmy Johnson left and the year after Super Bowl the Cowboys have become America's average team having only one playoff win in 20 some years.

I hate the spike.  I don't see too many reasons to ever spike the ball. Once you snap the ball after a spike runs the clock any way.  Dallas spiking the ball gave Aaron Rogers one extra play go win the game when They got it back but it also took one play away from Dallas. That could have led to winning touchdown over a tying   field goal.

Kansas city cannot win a home playoff game.  They did not give up a touchdown and yet lost. I have no problem with the last holding call on the two point conversion.  Probably really did not need to hold any way.  Harrison's rush he had gone too deep and wasn't even close to a sack.

Pittsburgh At New England:  I see no reason that the Steeler  defense can't give the Patriots offense trouble.  The weakest point of the Pats defense is against the run.  I'll take the Steelers 27-23

Green Bay at Atlanta.  First to forty wins this game.  Don't think either defense has any thing to write home about.  I think the trend over the past several years in the Super Bowl is that the hot team wins not necessarily the team with best record.

Both Atlanta and Green Bay are hot.  Throw Pittsburgh in that pile too.  I think the Falcons and Packers are about even on offense and the the Falcons a better defense.  I'll take the Birds 41-36

Got both games right Saturday and missed both games Sunday to go 2-2 and 5-3 during the playoffs.

Tonight I was on  PA at NC Wesleyan men's basketball.   I don't know any better place that you could have been last night other than maybe church.  It doesn't matter what age group there are those nights when games are played that both teams give a supreme effort.

Last night Greensboro College who was 3-0 in conference play went up against the Battling Bishops who have lost their first two conference matches. The first half was a fast paced run up and down game with the Pride leading 51-38 at the half.
 It was one  of those games that it felt like they should have been ahead by 30.

The Pride increased the lead to 18 when the Bishops caught fire.  Just under ten minutes the Bishops took the lead 67-66 and lead 69-66 before Greensboro scored 17 straight points to jump up by 14 with under five minutes to play.

  The Bishops fought back again and tied the score at 88-88 holding for the last shot.  The shot was  a good chance and there was a clear foul but no call.  Overtime!

Back and forth  the Bishops made a couple of stops and scored and come home with a 102-96 win.  The Bishops entire starting line up hit double figures.  Adrian Moore 23, AJ Frye 20, Justin Tamkelwitz 19, Robert Wilson 15 and Chris Braswell 13.

You can see the Bishops back in action Saturday afternoon hosting Ferrum at 2pm while the Lady Bishops take the court at 4.

A Thing Of Beauty

There was a time during the NFL football season that comments were being made about Aaron Rogers whether he had finally hit the age barrier and his career was on the down slide.  The Packers looked awful while Minnesota and Detroit were leaving the Packers in their dust.  The playoffs continue with a revved up Packer team and Minnesota and Detroit watching on TV.

There was a point in the season that Pittsburgh looked as a 3rd place team in the AFC North behind Cincinnati and Baltimore.  This weekend is the AFC title game and Pittsburgh is playing and the rest watching on TV.

The Wolfpack  of N C State have a top ten recruiting class in basketball.  Their record at this moment is 13-6 but a dismal 2-4 in the ACC.  They were picked 6th in a 15 team league but today tied for 12th.   When you watch them play you can see all kinds of offensive explosion in almost every player they have.

They have one of the top guards in freshman Dennis Smith.  He has become the second player in N C State history to have a triple double. Points 27 rebounds 11 and assists 11.  They have players that can put the ball in the hole and score and yet each players has played good defense against his man.  Their problem they play poor team defense.  Don't help out when others let their man get by them.

They have just played in the preseason polls two of the worse teams and lost.  They look like Green Bay and Pittsburgh and are floundering.  All this talent that they have you can see that they could win ten in a row if they figure things out like.  When teams figure it out there is nothing in sports any better than a team that is playing the way they are suppose to play.

The Steelers and Packers figured it out and it is exciting as a fan to see a team improve.  Can the Pack improve enough?

The question for the Wolfpack are they selfish individual players who don't care about others only their best interest in their future?  Seems to me team success breeds more notice for your future than
playing on a team that looks like there is no hustle by any body.  Can the Pack put it together to Make the NCAA and then a good run once they get in?

Coach K is on the sidelines with a surgery like that occurred in 1995.  Just so happened that year is the last losing year in Duke basketball.  This years squad  jumped out to a 14-2 start and for the life of me I don't know how they did it. 

They have in their first five ACC games a record of 2-3.  That is good for a tie for ninth place.  Is this team heading in 1995 direction with out K.  I don't see a very good defensive team.  Injuries may take their leader off the court for the rest of the year.  Is there anyone on the floor that can be a true leader?  At this point they don't have a take charge type guy leader on the floor.  They have 14 victories which is more than 1995 finished with after they were 9-3 when K went down in 1995. 

Who do you think is the front runner to replace coach K when he finally retires ?  Jeff Capel..  He has lots of pressure on him to win more than they lose while K is out.  They don't need to lose six out of seven while K is out.  So far they have lost two of three

Can State or Duke find the pieces to put on runs that everyone expects.  Right at this point I don't see it happening for either one.  If somehow it happens there is no more beautiful thing than to watch a team struggling to get it right that finally gets it.

Carolina is right where everyone thought they should be.  They at this point look like a team that could go right back to the final four.  Injuries could alter that formula.  They need to stay healthy and not hit the skids and lose two or more in a row.  Roy won number 800 this week.  Can by the end of the season run it up to about 820?

A New Star In Town

The Carolina Hurricanes gave the state  of North Carolina a world championship way back in 2006.  Since then the Hurricanes have made the playoffs once.

When your team does not win it is hard to get fannies in the seats to help pay for the talent needed to compete in any professional sport.  It really doesn't have to be a professional sport you go to any high school team in any sport and how many are there to watch if they are not winning.

During the last decade without making the playoffs the Hurricane faithful has stay with the team averaging about 13,000 per season.  That kind attendance does not allow the Canes to bring in high impact veterans but they mostly sign highly regarded rookies who's wages are high but compared to an aging veteran bargain basement prices.

So the Hurricane method of getting young talent and find  aging veterans to supplement the young stars work when the Canes had a young superstar in Eric Staal and the midseason trades of 2006 just happened to create magic and a title.

Eric was a star but most of the high price veterans found more money somewhere else and the Canes have struggled since. Fast forward five years and Staal injured a fractured knee during the World games and Staal was no longer a productive Super star but  the Canes are paying super star prices for a player a shell of himself.  It was time to move on.

Lacking a super star to fill the seats still about 13,000 are showing up each home game.  I don't know whether you like hockey or not.  Back in the early 80's when ESPN used the NHL as a program filler I saw a player come along that had it.  His name was Wayne Gretsky.

This season the Hurricanes have a group of young talent who to this point have blended together and this years team is still in the hunt for the playoffs.  They have the eighth spot in the east right now.  Many of the last few years they have been marred so deep in last the season had no purpose by this time of year.

I see on the roster of the Hurricanes a player that reminds me of the Great One Wayne Gretsky.  He is 19 year old Sebastian Aho from Rauma Finland.  He wears number 20. He plays right wing .  He is smooth, seems to be at the right place at the right time. He makes bullet passes, has skating speed.  He blends nicely with his teammates.

This year that blend that the Canes had in 2006 is developing as the Canes are winning almost everything at home.  If you haven't seen them this year you need to catch them on tv or at the PNC.  You might see something to get excited about.  They are no longer the team hoping to score one goal and hoping Cam Ward pitches a shutout.

Cam Ward in net is playing 2006 level.  Jeff Skinner is coming of age. Jordan Staal no longer in big brothers shadow.  Names like Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, Ton Hainsey, Elias Lindholm, Brett Pescue are just some of the names that might lead you to get excited about the Hurricanes again.

They are playing and exciting aggressive brand of hockey.  When they score they are becoming sharks smelling the blood and they go into a scoring frenzy.  This team is not the Carolina Hurricanes of the last ten years.  2006's team was exciting because they were winning. This team is getting it together much as 2006 did but they are a more exciting team scoring and winning.  They are well worth your attention!

Mickey Linberger Retires

If you are a fan of the Rocky Mount Gryphon football team the name of Mickey Linberger has become a very familiar name.  The last two years the Gryphons have played Linberger and the South Point Raiders the last game of the year in the 3A state title game.

Linberger has announced at the age of 62 that he was retiring as head football coach at South Point.  Linberger 1972 graduate of South Point returned back to South Point high school in 1983 serving as a teacher from 1983 to 2006.  He coached the  baseball team from 1984-2005 winning 370 games losing 214.

He joined the coaching staff in football in 1984 serving as an assistant coach.  He became offensive coordinator from 2003-2110.  2011 was named head coach in 2011 and had a coaching record of 70-15 in his six years as head coach.

During his South Point career he has been a part of four state football titles starting in 1972 as a player,then as an offensive coordinator with titles in 2003 and 2009. Now he walks away after a title over Rocky Mount in 2016.

Trying to catch up on all those postpone games while football was playing almost to Christmas the Gryphons  played a home game Saturday afternoon against Smithfield Selma and the Gryphons head into exam week with a win 75-55 over the Spartans. 

I hope you got a chance to view the sports section of the Rocky Mount Telegram Sunday and saw the  article on the Southern Nash Foster family who endured  this fall during football season what no family wants to ever have to go through.

To review during the week out of school while eastern North Carolina recovered from Hurricane Matthew the Fosters decided to spent a weekend at the beach.  The car that oldest son Zack was driving with his mother Kim in the car ran into mechanical trouble swerved into the median on I-40 jump the guard rail and hit head on into a tractor trailer.  Both were air lifted to a Wilmington hospital where both had major injuries.

Father Brian head coach of the Firebird's stepped away from coaching for two weeks to be with the two as they struggled to survive.  Little brother Matt in order to keep up in school lived with other coaches while dad looked after Kim and Zack.

What impresses me about their ordeal is their faith in God shines through loud and clear.  Have you ever wondered for those of you that don't believe why it seems that people of faith endure  during troubled times much better than those that don't believe.  The reason those that don't believe try to make themselves happy while those that look to God try to make God Happy.  Those that believe in themselves can never be satisfied.  There is always something else needed to keep them happier.

Ethan Joyce did a great job on the article.  He is rather new at the Telegram but he showed us all what he is capable of doing.  You need to read it if you haven't.

Archie Was Right

This May will be 13 years since the 2004 NFL draft.  Let us review what went down.  If there has ever been a quarterback that is over rated throughout his life it is Eli Manning's quarterbacking career.  He is the son of Archie Manning who quarterback for 11 years for the New Orleans Saints when the Saints were the Aint's.  He was a very good quarterback who was known as a survivor scrambling every Sunday just to stay alive playing for the hapless Saints.

Peyton graduated from Tennessee and went number two in the draft to the Colts in 1997.  No time during his college career did Eli have any kind of stats to make you think he was any where close to being the quarterback his brother was in college and there was nothing to make you think he could be as good as Peyton had  done so far as a pro.

So many professional teams in all of sports look at potential and many NFL executives looked at Eli as a horse with a famous football father and brother so may be he will be like one or both of them.

Eli's senior season in college he may have been the 20th best quarterback but that pedigree Eli is being looked at as the number one quarterback in the draft.  The team with The number one pick the San Diego Chargers.

Leading up to draft day and all indications that San Diego was planning on drafting a quarterback to replace  to that point a disappointing Drew Brees who had replace a disgrace in Ryan Leif.
Knowing that since 1983 that the Chargers had only four winning seasons Archie and Eli didn't want Eli saddled with another New Orleans.

One of the most wierd photos in the history of the NFL is the picture of Eli Manning holding a Charger number one jersey standing beside  NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue with Archie and his wife Eli's mother.  Twenty minutes later a trade Eli for Philip Rivers.

Eli goes to the Giants and a stable organization who are still owned by the same people as then.  Rivers goes to a team  that fires their coach after a 14-2 season.  Now they desert the City that had been their home for 55 years to go play second fiddle to a team called the Rams.  So for the next two years they will play in a stadium that seats 30,000.  Why couldn't they just announce that they would stay in San Diego two more years.

There are plenty of people in this world who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth.  Having money doesn't mean you are smart enough to keep it.

Archie Manning through his experience with a  poor organization as the Saints back in the 70's could see that the Chargers just like the Saints back then and now he didn't want any of his sons to have to experience in their professional lives what he had to endure.

So Eli who at best is an average NFL has won two titles. Philip Rivers who if he had two titles would be considered one of the best NFL quarterbacks ever.

Fast forward 13 years and Philip Rivers had become the Archie Manning of the 21st century.  Just think if Philip Rivers had the defense that Eli had all those years in New York how many titles could the Giants have won.  Instead Philip Rivers will finish his career with 30,000  people watching.  Archie knew what he saw  Back then and he was right.

Too Much Gryphon Defense

The Lady Gryphons of Rocky Mount met The Golden Demons of Fike tonight in what was suppose to be the high light game of the night in Big East Girls play.  Rocky Mount 8-2 and Fike 11-3 was suppose to be the clash of two of the three 1-0 records and two of the best overall records in the league.  It was not to be.

Between the Gryphons defense smothering the Fike offense and Fike having no defensive answer for senior Keyanna Spivey the Lady Gryphons led by 27 at the half 45-18 cruise with ease to a 75-48 victory over the Golden Demons.  Rocky Mount 2-0 in the Big East are tied with Hunt for first. The Hunt game was the game missed this past week when the Tuesday night league game was iced out.

High school sports teams are to a certain degree are at the mercy of the players that live in their district and injuries.  There  is no red shirts for lost games lost from injury.  Those games lost forever. The Lady Knights of Northern Nash just a year ago had a 33 game conference winning streak snapped and this year they are struggling to be able to score.

Tonight Nash Central a team with a tremendous injury allows Northern Nash 7 points only in the first quarter and it will be the biggest quarter of the night for the Lady Knights at The Lady Bulldogs roll Northern Nash 48-18.

Opposite of the Lady Knights a team that has suffered the last few years have been the Knight boys.  They are  on the upswing and tonight over at Nash Central where they took on the Bulldogs one of the teams that had the 1-0 record after the first night of the conference play last week.

The Knights won the first quarter by a 19-17 score but slowly added to the lead every quarter.  They up the lead nine 28-19 up to 15 by the end of the third and by 18 at the final horn..  The Knights of Northern Nash up their conference record to  2-0 after a 72-54 victory over the Bulldogs.  The Dogs drop to 1-1.

Any coach looks for consistency.  Tonight Fike scores 20
points in the first, 22 in the second, 18 in the third and they added another 20 in the fourth. Rocky Mount scored 24 in the second, 18 in the third  quarter and 20 in the final stanza.

The last three quarters the Gryphons out scored the Golden Demons 62-60 but where victory came Fike's way was the the Gryphons had a slow start scoring only 10 in the opening quarter which led to a 80-72 defeat for the Gryphons who drop to 0-2 while Fike ties for first with Northern.

Hunt hosted Southern Nash and win their first conference game 69-54 over Southern Nash and in the girls action Hunt won their 14th game in 15 tries beating Southern Nash Lady Birds 59-23

Another One Game Week

We are approaching the end of the second week of conference play in Big East basketball and to date only one game is in the books.  This is not football where there should only be one game but all kinds of consequences have occurred keeping basketball off a two game a weeks schedule.  The first week is always just one game because due to the fact that there is always a one game week with one game because of exams. That balances the schedule to finish the season on a Friday night.  Exam weeks is always a Friday game only after Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday are exams.

Weather of course now that school has reopened  has caused a second straight one game week and next week is exam week so this season starts out three straight weeks with only one per week.  Look out for the week of January 23rd which the Big East will be in makeup mode having three games.  This is of course is in play only if we don't have more interference with weather. Since we have pushed the games that should have been played this past Tuesday to January 23rd that puts us on game three of the master schedule tonight.

Boys:

The big game of the night will send Northern Nash 13-2 1-0 all the way across highway 64 to Nash Central 9-3 1-0.  Since only one game in conference has been played to date this is the only matchup tonight of unbeaten teams in conference play.  The Knights are the highest scoring team in the league burning the nets for 70 every night.  The Bulldogs come in at 65.  Should be a high scoring affair.

The other end of the spectrum two teams that lost  their only conference games collide when Southern Nash 5-9 0-1 visits Hunt 3-11 0-1.  Nobody wants to start out 0-2.  The Firebirds score 58 every time out while Hunt pops in 55.  If averages hold out should be a close one.

The middle game featuring a one time loser against the one time winner sends Rocky Mount  3-6 0-1 to Fike 11-3 1-0.   A Fike win and they will be in a two way tie in first with either Northern or Nash Central while a Rocky Mount lost creates a two way tie in last.  Rocky Mount has their work cut out for them.

Girls:

The big matchup sends Rocky Mount 8-2 1-0 over to Wilson to tangle with Fike 11-3 1-0.  This is the only undefeated clash of the night on the girls side.  Rocky Mount scores 56 while Fike 54 so look for this one to be close.  The winner could have the outright lead after two games or tied with one other unbeaten.

The two teams that lost their openers meet as Northern Nash 5-8 0-1 takes on the Bulldogs of Nash Central 6-6 0-1.  Northern has struggled to score this year getting 29 per night while Nash Central may have lost their top player but still get 42 per night.  The winner is still  in the race the loser a lot longer road to the top.

This game looks like  the mismatch of the night.  Southern Nash 3-9 0-1 at Hunt 13-1 1-0.  Talk about a team that finds it hard to put points on the board but the Lady Birds get a scant 21 on any given night while Hunt is producing 51.   This looks like one you need to wait to the fourth quarter if you are planning to watch the boys before you get to the game.

Saturday morning after the fog has lifted we will have a better picture in the Big East of who are the real teams.

Weekend Number Two Of The NFL Playoffs

Last week went 3-1 on picks missing the Oakland/Houston game.  All four Of the home teams were winners and for those of you looking for white knuckle finishes there were none to be found last week so any NFL fan expecting better this week, what makes you think so?

The Texans won by 13 over Oakland and Pittsburgh won by 18 over Miami so there was no Clemson finish in either of those two. Over on the NFC games the differences were even worse as Green Bay won by 25 and Seattle by 20  and did not  give up a touchdown.

Those who had byes last week scouted by tv join the scuffle this week.  Houston visits England.  The glamour game of the weekend is the Packers at the Cowboys. Roll Over to Sunday and Pittsburgh heads to the plains and Kansas City.  The final game of the weekend just might have the chance to be the best.

Houston @ New England:  This game has the best chance of the four this weekend to be another double digit blowout.  Houston defense has a chance to just maybe give a challenge to Tom Brady and the Pats offense.  I just can't see that the quarterback situation in Houston is stable enough to make this a game.  New England 30 Houston 14

The Green Bay Packers @ the Dallas Cowboys:  The  intriguing game of the weekend.  The red hot offense of the Packers taking on Cowboy pass rush.  Can the Packers defense slow down the Boys enough to give Rogers a chance? My guess the loser may score 30.
Cowboys advance 34 Packers 30.

Pittsburgh @ Kansas City:  Big question in this game is will be is Big Ben playing?  If he does how effective will he be?  This game will be a defensive struggle.  The weather will play a  huge part in this game. I have liked the Chiefs all year.  I see no reason why the home team will not win this one too.  Chiefs 23 Pittsburgh 17

Seattle @ Atlanta:  Is there a more doctor Jeckel and Mr Hyde than the Seattle Seahawks.  Almost unbeatable on the northwest Pacific coast but inside a big barn in the deep south?  That  Seahawks teams flies east?.  Remember the last time Atlanta hosted a playoff game they Laid an Easter Egg.  Hawks can't handle the east coast.  Falcons 27 Seattle 20.

Last night was a double header night at North Carolina Wesleyan.  The men took to the court first and the Battling Bishops led by as many as 13 points early in the second half  led by Plymouth's Adrian Moore who poured in 41 points grabbed 13 rebounds, 5 steals and 7 assists but it was not enough as the Bishops gave up 65 second half points and lose their conference opener 104-98 to William Peace.

The nightcap former Northern Central player Timyra Station had the greatest night of her life pulling down 13 rebounds and ripping the cords for 29 points in leading the Lady Bishops to a 69-54 conference victory over Methodist.

ACC Wins The One That Mattered

The Atlantic Coast Conference backed up their great first 11 games in the Bowl games of  2016/17 by winning the one  game that justified the Bowl year for the ACC winning the National Championship game.  Clemson 35 Alabama 31

The ACC goes 9-3 in Bowl games while the Southeastern Conference went 7-7.  No other conference came close to the ACC's performance. Looking back to the NCAA College World Series the state of South Carolina has won the last two so called major titles with Coastal Carolina winning the baseball and now Clemson's football victory.

The football game didn't start very well for the Tigers as the Bama run game produced a 7-0 lead in the first quarter but the momentum shifter occurred on two non calls by officials.  Twice in the first quarter the Bama defense  should have been called for targeting on two tackles to the head of Clemson players but mysteriously no flags.  This seemed to slow the Tiger offense while they  recovered. The Tiger defense held Bama down just enough to 16-7 at the half.

Alabama led going into the fourth quarter but Clemson scored three times including the last score on the last play of the game..  This marks the second straight year that these two have played in the final game and both were memorable.  It also marks the first time in Saban's career at Bama that they gave up a lead in the fourth quarter.  He had been 96-0 before Monday night.

Even though I never officially put on this blog that I thought Clemson would win it has come down to another story of the mighty no way anybody can beat them has done it.  All of the talk since the first of December was is there anybody that can keep it close against Bama?  The Clemson defense showed in the Ohio State game that they were ready shutting out the Buckeyes.

Despite the slow first half start Clemson finished the game with over 500 yards of offense for the game.  Just in the last two championship games Deshaun Watson the Clemson quarterback has accounted for more than 800 yard passing and running and 8 touchdowns.

It is now about time that all the hoopla over the Southeastern Conference and how great they are needs to take a reality check  since 2013 the ACC has two National titles playing in three of the four title games while the SEC has won one  title and losing twice to the ACC in title games.  It is time that the ACC is be declared king of college football.

The ACC Trend

It will be vital this year for any ACC team that thinks they can make the NCAA Tournament they will have to be able to win on the road if they are looking for a high seed but most importantly this year there will be no playoff games in North Carolina.  I think we can count on our fingers the number of times when any of the Triangle teams have lost in North Carolina Arenas during the NCAA's.

Carolina's destruction of State was a game where the Tar Heels played great at home in their homeopener  but struggled on the road in their road games but they did win one. Carolina didn't play great defense in Law Vegas against Kentucky.

The Tar Heels played four true road games going 2-2. They opened with a 20 point win at Tulane who on the season is 3-11.  I do see of the three teams in the Triangle that the Heels have the best chance of making final eight.

Duke has played two true road games at UNLV 8-9 winning by 50 and Virginia Tech. Coach K is the coach that every network wants so Duke had played six games on neutral courts in some made for TV tournaments.

Most years you can count on Duke getting better as the year goes on but maybe not this year since coach is on IR for a month.  I truly have not seen to this point the Duke team that everyone is raving about having the best recruiting class in the country.

Duke has had a Mash unit on the sideline and at this point and if they lose Amile Jefferson this is the wrong time of year to have people sidelined.  Despite not looking like a top ten team Duke is 14-2.

We will really know how good Duke is tonight after their game at Florida State a team at this point who looks like the best in the league.  They have won on the road as well as they are playing great at home.

NC State now has now played what I call top 40 teams so far this year four times on the road or neutral court and they have looked like JVs in all four.  If you are a team that is suppose to be loaded with maybe a top ten recruiting class you can not lose by 50 to anyone other than the Cleveland Caviliers.


Any fan has  the right to expect when the team they support plays any game that the players give it all they have.  I can live losing any game when I feel like we gave all they had but the other team was better.

It surely looked from the first second the Pack wanted to play Saturday night and didn't want to be there Sunday. If the Pack  plays a more important game this year than one they have Wednesday at Boston College the team  that looks like the last place team in the league.  If you can't win that one you will never win all your games at home.

Full Week On Tap

Conference play has started with one game in the books and The Big East has a full week before exams and only one game played next week. Just think all the  issues a basketball season faces that fall and spring sports don't.

Weather is always and issue during any school year.  Hurricanes  in fall, snow in winter and spring rains can disrupt any schedule so we will call weather  equal in any season.  But look, basketball catches the Thanksgiving vacation, Christmas time down and end of first semester exams.  All these down times destroy any team rhythem

Rocky Mount due to their extended football playoff runs the last two years has not  started out either year with a full rosters first day of basketball practice.  Last year they had played 8 games before football ended.  This year they put off every game possible but had to play in the Nash County Tournament.  Any team that has continued deep runs  in the football playoffs has this extra drama added to them every year so that is not only a Rocky Mount problem but any team thatthinks keeps winning in football.

Game two of Big East play has been put off until January 23rd.  Those games scheduled for Tuesday were shifted to Wednesday but with the threat that school may not go Wednesday All those scheduled for Tuesday night have been moved to two weeks from tonight.  Next week is exam week and no games can be played the first part of the week.

Boys:

The top game of the night features two of the undefeated teams Fike 11-3 1-0  at Nash Central 9-3 1-0. Nash Central is the only team that went on the road and won so in the long distance race to the finish line they lead the opening sprint

Hunt 3-11 0-1 pays a visit to Rocky Mount 3-5 0-1 who was the only team that played at home Friday that lost.  They surely can't afford a second home loss.

Northern Nash 13-2 1-0 hits the road with a visit to Southern Nash 5-9 0-1.  This is a game where the Knights can not afford to lose.  Great teams win the ones they are suppose to and then win most of the toss up games.

Girls:

The girls game of the night has Hunt 13-1 1-0 at Rocky Mount 8-2 1-0.  As early as it is in the conference year holding serve at home is vital for the Lady Gryphons.

Fike 11-3 1-0 at Nash Central 6-6 0-1.  The Lady Bulldogs can't afford to be 0-2 and Fike will be a challenge.

Northern Nash 5-8 0-1 at Southern Nash 3-9 0-1.  The Lady Birds have broken their two year old osing streak but their conference streak is still going. Northern can't afford a loss.

North Carolina Wesleyan has a double header in store Wednesday night. Most of the time girls play first but the guys hit the floor at 5:30 and then the girls follow.

Things Will Sort Themselves Out

Last week at this time the four ACC basketball schools from North Carolina all sat stunned that they had all lost their opening  conference basketball games and sat tied for last.  It maybe was not so much a surprise that they lost but State, Duke and Carolina all lost by double digits.

Some sanity has been restored as Duke has two conference victories at home this week and both State and Carolina one each.  One of
the two will add their second win by dark this afternoon when they will  collide in Chapel Hill.

I see no way the Deacons of Wake Forest will by the end of the ACC Tournament play will have enough wins to make the NCAA's.  The rest do so lets look over how good the other three really are

North Carolina State roared back after their loss in Miami last weekend and by the way there are ten or more teams in the ACC they could be good enough to qualify for the Tournament but the numbers just do not add up ten or more can make it.  It is imperative that every team has to win their 9 home games and win what you can on the road.

All three State,Duke and Carolina all lost on the road last week and Duke and State all three games at home they have won big. Is that a sign that none are really powerhouse teams?

State has 7 players who are playing their first year. They looked it at Miami. They showed against Virginia Tech what they could be.  I think they will be a load for  anybody by March.  They need to win enough to stay in the NCAA hunt.  They must intensify their defense.

During the Kentucky game all the shots made by the Tar Heels, the Wildcats shots could be marked as a great game but Clemson's ability to drive all night to the basket has to be a Roy Williams concern.  The good news is the Tar Heels did get a road win.

Duke bounces back with two wins  this week both  at home.  Grayson Allen timely returns at the start of conference play.  Big question I have is who is the leader of this team.  Allen showed last year with his antics and he is doing it again this year that he is not a leader any team needs to. have.

It is amazing how great every team looks when shots go in.  There's 9 more weeks to go and there will be nights when nothing falls but somebody will prevail anyway in the ACC.  The big question this year will it be a team from the Triangle.

IS NFL Still King

The most exciting two weekends of every NFL season are here and yet TV ratings show that the NFL has tumbled from it once proud perch as king of TV viewing on all of TV. Let's make our picks and then discuss the NFL's decline.

Saturday:

Oakland at Houston:  Both teams have quarterback misery to worry about .  I think if  you both were playing anybody else they would both lose but one has to win.  Oakland defense is better.  Raiders 17 Houston 10

Detroit at Seattle:  Detroit has trouble beating good teams.  Seahawks never know which team is showing up.  I would hate to have to travel to  play in Seattle..  Hawks 26 Detroit 22

Sunday:

Miami at Pittsburgh:    I find it hard to see the Dolphins winning in Pittsburgh.  33 -24 Steelers

Giants at Green Bay:  Giants have their Super Bowl formula in tact.  Defense with very little offense.  Seems that Packers are rolling.  Will be hard to beat Packers in tundra.  Pack 36 Giants 27

Why are ratings down?

Injuries keeping best players out of games?

Unappreciative players.  Not standing for national anthem when they make millions?

Fantasy football has become more important than who won?

When the ball is in the air who can tell who committed the penalty there by putting too many outcomes of games in official's hands?

Since latest contract hitting during practice has eliminated practicing  fundamentals lacking and players are soft and fragile when games are played?

40 seconds too long between plays.  need to cut it to no more than 25 seconds.  Hate watching especially in college  quarterbacks start calling signals then stop look at bench for a different call according to defense set up.

This is some of my guesses what are yours?

Knights Back Up non-conference Record

The Knights of Northern Nash who started their season with a 12-2 non conference slate continued their hot start to their season defending their home court and knocking off Hunt 64-50.  The Knights now 13-2. 1-0 while Hunt falls to 3-11 0-1

Girls Big East basketball the Hunt Lady Warriors backed  up Their only loss to date by falling behind early at Northern Nash but powered their way to their 13th victory in 14 starts and now 1-0 in conference play after a 48-37 victory over Northern Nash 0-1 5-8.

The Lady Gryphons opened conference play at home with a 61-52  victory over Nash Central.  The Lady Gryphons win their 8th in 10 tries while the Lady Bulldogs start conference play 0-1 and 5-7 overall.

The Bulldogs of Nash Central win on the road at Rocky Mount pulling off victory number 8 winning 60-55 now 8-3 1-0 while the Gryphons lose at home dropping to 3-5 0-1.


Weather is  also effecting at this point the women's basketball game Saturday at home for the Lady Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan?  They are suppose to play Ferrum in their home opener in conference play at 2pm Saturday.  It has been bumped up to 3pm Friday in order that Ferrum can head home to the mountains of Virginia by dark Friday. Their 2pm game at  home Sunday against Mary Baldwin  is still on pending weather conditions Saturday of whether Mary Baldwin can get here or not.

Under the Heading Am I that blind?  Thanks to many of you who gave me notice that I failed to include Detrelle Revis from Rocky Mount on the NCPREPS.COM all state team.  Sorry to Detrelle for me making such a miss since my little rant about who and why people got on a website list I had Detrelle in mind why he wasn't on the list.  He is, so congratulations to Detrelle Revis for also being named to the NCPREPS.COM all state defensive back.

Weather At It Again

The first night of conference basketball games is scheduled for this Friday night.  The weatherman and their computers are sending out conflicting information about this possible snow coming in Friday night and maybe all day Saturday.  20% of the computers say less than 2 inches of snow while 35%  say from 2-6 inches.  Hardly any are saying nothing at all.

With that being said the Big East is going into their hurry up offense this week and are moving all games up to Thursday night so basketball is on tap tonight.  Southern Nash will visit Fike.  Hunt at Northern Nash and Nash Central at Rocky Mount.

Rocky Mount basketball boys made up a game with Hertford County.  Both girls teams played each other in November so there was only a single game tonight and for the third straight year Hertford County has come to Rocky Mount and win 64-63.


The cold weather we have today just might keep the ground cold enough that what ever falls whenever it starts every drop probably will stick  and most of the time when that formula happens we get big snows.  One other factor that creates big snows for our area when the system pushes up the Atlantic coast missing the mountains.  It is best to make sure you are prepared regardless.

The NCPREPS.COM has released their All State Teams in football and two players from our area have made it. Defensive lineman Isaiah Guy from Northern Nash and linebacker Sherrod Green from Rocky Mount are on the team.   Don't be upset of players you think should make such a team just remember this,  that this  website just like me has no more idea who should be on a All State team no more than I do.  They probably haven't seen 15 of the players in the state play in a game this year so they have no more idea who should be on the team than I do. 

They go by stats and who has been offered free rides as much as any thing.  Any thing beyond the all conference team when the coaches are voting on players they had to compete against during the season and have seen all the players play would know.  That goes for college all American  teams too.  Who people saw on TV.  Despite all the games on TV each week a person who watches football 24 hours a day might see 5% of all the players playing college football.

Havelock is looking for a new football coach as the one the Gryphons played in the Regional finals has moved on to Freedom High School.  Jim Bob Bryant is heading to Morganton to take over the 3-A team.  Not sure whether he is heading home or not but Freedom has in the past had a good football program going 6-6 this past season and 11-2 on 2015.

Girls Big East Play Starts This Week Too

Yesterday we looked at the Big East boys and today the girls of the Big East take center stage.  By week's end Big East basketball will be full steam ahead.

Hunt: 10-1 Exacted revenge last night on their only loss of  the season beating  Kinston.  By Friday they will host Northern Nash to open conference play.

Rocky Mount 7-2 Lost championship game in Cleveland tournament last week and will not play again until they host Nash Central Friday

Fike 9-3. Have a midweek game with Beddingfield 5-5 before they host Southern Nash on Friday.

Nash Central 6-5.  Not the team that they could be with the loss if player of the year last season in Robbie Allen to injury.  Open conference play Friday at Rocky Mount

Northern Nash 5-7 Open up conference play traveling to Hunt Friday.  They get maybe the hardest assignment of opening night playing at Hunt.

Southern Nash 2-8. No longer haunted with no wins in two years but still struggling to score points.  Have a Wednesday date with Smithfield Selma 1-10.  Have real shot at victory number three. Catch Fike in Wilson on Friday.

So far this hockey season have not said much about the Carolina Hurricanes.  This may be the best team they have had since 2007 the last time they made the playoffs. Saturday night with Clemson handling Ohio State I flipped back and forth watching the hockey as well as the Football game.

Any time a hockey team trails late in a game they will pull their goalie in order to put an extra shooter near the goal.  The Hurricanes were trailing 3-1 and pulled Cam Ward for an extra shooter.   Finally with 7.5 seconds no longer with a chance to win the Hurricanes put a goalie back in the game.

It was not Cam Ward.  The Hurricanes sent to finish the game their equipment manager.  That's right back up goalie Eddie Lack had become sick in Tampa and the Hurricanes did not have enough time to send for a goalie in Charlotte.

Desperate to have a back up goalie the Hurricanes turned to former minor league hockey goalie and now equipment manager for the Hurricanes Jorge Ilves.  There was no need to put him in that last 7.5 seconds but the Hurricanes made a dream come true for one of  their workers who truly filled a roster spot just in case Can Ward got hurt.  Nice going Canes!

High School Basketball Front And Center

Just about everybody played in Basketball tournaments last week and when school starts back this week the Big East starts conference play Friday and for some they have midweek nonconference games to finish up.

The team with the best record through December is the Knights of Northern Nash. 12-2. They have finished their 14 non conference games and only have five weeks of conference games only.  Coach Drake has the Knights primed to win the conference out right this year without sharing with anyone.  Northern is on the road Friday when they travel to Hunt right now  struggling to find any rythem.

Fike has won double digits games so far having a record of 10-2.  Fike still has a game Wednesday when they host Beddingfield 6-3 and Friday host Southern Nash.

Nash Central 8-2 is the third Big East team with a good looking record as they head into January.  They would like to  keep up the winning pace and not collapse the last week like they did last year needing just one win the last week to clinch first but lost both and lost the bye in the conference tournament.  Visit Rocky Mount Friday.

Southern Nash 5-7.  Have a non conference game Wednesday hosting Smithfield Selma 4-7 then visit Fike Friday.

Rocky Mount 3-3.  Already won three more games than they did through most of January last year.  Football playoffs have  a lot to do with that last year as they played most games despite not having a full roster.  This year Mike Gainey chose to postpone as many games as possible and that is why they have only played six games.  Get a visit from Hertford County 3-4 Wednesday.  Host Nash Central Friday.

Hunt 3-9 has a Tuesday night non conference game with Kinston 4-4 and wait for a visit from Northern Nash Friday.

Friday conference play Northern Nash @ Hunt
Nash Central @ Rocky Mount
Southern Nash @ Fike

ACC shines in Bowl Games

The Bowl season has five games to be  played and looking at at those five games the Southeastern Conference will be in four of the five games left.  They are the only conference that can out shine the ACC's bowl record this year.

So far the ACC is 8-3 with one game remaining and all they have left is win the national championship game and they are the kings.  One win over Alabama and Clemson is the national Champion of college football and the ACC will will be  9-3 and not only win  the most important  game have the best winning percentage of all the conferences. 750, if they lose the championship game they will fall to 667 which will still tie for the best percentage.

When the national election got toward midnight those folks who's job  it was to try to keep you  interested in the election kept telling you Hilliary's hope stood that she could not lose another state. The Southeastern Conference still has four games left they cannot lose one or the ACC will be declared the the winner.  The SEC stands at 5-5 right now and if the win all four of their remaining games they would go past the ACC in  total wins of 9 because Alabama would have beaten Clemson keeping the ACC from 9.  Regardless of how the remaining games play out the ACC has won the best percentage.

The Sunbelt stands  at 4-2 but the ACC would win the tie breaker having played in the most games.  The Big 12 is 3-2 and could tie the Sunbelt with one game left but the tie breakers gets them too.  Conference USA is the only other conference with a winning   record but the have no games left at 4-3.

As great as the ACC record is it will lose some steam if Alabama takes home the championship much like last year in basketball when the ACC got six teams in sweet 16 but no title.

Now the misery.  For the second time in the history of Big Four basketball all four ACC schools that call North Carolina home all lost in the same day in basketball Saturday.  I know we have all forgotten this but it happened in 2014 which was the first time it had ever happened.

Wake Forest looks as if they just don't have the horses to  be a real contender all season.  The Wolfpack looked as if they were starting all freshman.  Duke and Carolina both seemed disinterested.  Regardless the Big Four is 0-4 in the ACC.

2016 July Through December

We continue our look back which I covered on this blog during the year 2016.  Today the start of the year 2017 we look back at the backside of 2016.

July:

Hobbs Johnson was released by the Milwaukee Brewers from his minor league contract.

Brian Goodwin scored the winning run as the International League All Stars beat the Pacific Coast League All Starts 3-2

Rocky Mount's Nick Bynum is the leading rusher for the East squad in the East West All Star high school All Star game rushing 12 times for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Southern Nash's Jaquay Mitchell is named the East West all Star game MVP after making three catches for 88 yards and a 65 yard touchdown catch from Southern Nash Teammate Zack Foster

Rowan County wins the State American legion tournament and finishes second  in the World series losing 8-6 in the final 12 inning game.

Renny Taylor Nash Central history teacher won the Sons of the Revolution History Teacher of the Year award.

Jason Battle of Rocky Mount was named to be an assistant coach in the 2017 East West All Star game.

Joe McCarthy of Northern Nash will be the head coach of the East soccer  team in next year's East West Soccer All Star game.

August:

Brian Goodman gets his second call up to the Washington Nationals which made him eligible to appear in the playoffs if Washington makes it.  He hit 286 for his seven weeks in majors.

September:

Tarboro/Northern Nash forced to postpone their football game but I bet you have forgot why.    Tropical Storm Hermine hit labor Day Friday night and they were the only game in area did not play on Thursday setting up the three games in eight days later in season.  I bet you remember Hurricane Matthew being the culprit.

North Carolina Wesleyan football team hosted the #1 Division Three team Mount Union.  It was Mt Union first ever game in NC and it was NCWC first ever game in any sport against a number one team.

Rocky Mount football player Sherrod Green is named to the North Carolina Shrine Bowl team but will not play due to the Gryphons making it to the State Championship game.  NC team won 21-14

Probably the biggest news of the year former Wake Forest Golfer Arnold Palmer dies at the age of 86.  The golfer who brought the PGA to TV amassed an golfing empire long after his golfing days were over.

October:

Northeast Prep cancels the remaining football season after team didn't have enough healthy bodies to play safely.

Hurricane Matthew shuts down eastern North Carolina closing schools in some areas more than a week.

Hall of Fame weekend at North Carolina Wesleyan induct the 1999 National Championship baseball team, Charlie Long baseball coach and long time assistant Ernie Jones

NCHSAA relents due to flooding in eastern North Carolina and adds an extra week to football season.

Wife  Kim and son Zack of the Southern  Nash's football coach Brian Foster hurt in head on collision near Wilmington during week out for Hurricane Matthew disrupting their lives in the middle of an undefeated football season.

Northern Nash Cross Country team wins East regional qualifying for the State championships.

November:

Due to the lost days from Hurricane Matthew the NCHSAA extends the regular season one week there by extending the football playoffs until December 17th.

Rocky Mount's Michelle Gainey wins the Big East Volleyball player of the year.

November was national Signing date for college baseball players and  three Rocky Mount area players are signed.  Faith Christian's Landon Roupp, RMA's Reid Johnston and Rocky Mount's David Harrison all signed D 1 baseball offers signing with UNC Wilmington, NC State and NC State.

The Lady Birds of Southern Nash broke a 48 game losing streak in basketball opening their 2016/17 season beating Bunn 31-29.

December:

Tarboro's Tyquan Lewis now a defensive end at Ohio State won the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the year.

Rocky Mount Football wins the East 3A Regional with a miraculous 99 yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds to play to tie Havelock and won in triple overtime 35-34.

The Gryphons lose the State Championship game 16-7 to  South Point denying Rocky Mount back to back state titles

There it is, a look back at 2016 as viewed by this blog.  Let's see what 2017 has in store for us.