Wednesday, May 3, 2017

BIG Night In Big East

Game time Rocky Mount at Hunt moved to 6pm

The Rocky Mount boys track and field team won the Big East Championship Wednesday while the Rocky Mount girls finished second breaking their conference championship streak which goes all the way back when the Gryphons were in the Big East 4A conference.

 Rocky Mount after hanging on Tuesday in a 4-3 victory  over Southern Nash will be at Hunt Thursday at 7pm for the Big East baseball tournament title.  This game will not affect either teams standings regardless of who wins.  Hunt is the top seed from the Big East.  They won 3-0 Tuesday using their ace just like the Gryphons did.  Who has the second best pitcher will go a long way in deciding who wins the tournament

The biggest  possible effect from the championship game  is each teams over all record during the state seedings process.  There should be six conferences comprising the so called east bracket and each conference winner will be labeled 1-6.  Starting with seeding 7 they will pick and seed according to over all best record.  There are 16 teams in the state with overall better records than Rocky mount going into Thursday's game  and how many will be in the west bracket and how many in the east.  Rocky Mount just might be seeded 17th and not get a home game but that is not likely especially if they win. Both teams have plenty to play for pride and how many home games either get.

Baseball playoffs begin Wednesday the 10th and the way the state has done the bracket announcements is they probably be released Monday.

Tuesday the third seed in Big East soccer Hunt upset second seed Fike 1-0 to earn their way to a 5pm match Thursday against Rocky Mount.  Rocky Mount stands at 13-4-1 and have scored 99 goals on the year while Hunt 9-7-2 has scored 50 in 18 games.  That's 5.5 goals against 2.77.  If the Gryphons are on their games they could bring home a tournament title.  But, that is why they play the games.

 Like baseball the soccer playoffs  start the 10th and I am sure the Lady Gryphons will get at least one home game and if they survive probably two home games.  Brackets should be out Monday

Friday and Saturday Rocky Mount boys tennis will be sending five members to the regionals for the singles and doubles competition.  Tuesday the team or as it is called the dual playoffs began with Rocky mount advancing to another home game next Tuesday against Topsoil.  Tyler Brice the conference champion in singles along with Langley Salter and Ben Osterhaut will start in a bracket and each win advances them up the ladder.  As long as you win you advance.  Three wins would be needed to qualify for the state and a fourth win would be regional champion. 

 George Shannon and Landon Norwood conference tournament champions in doubles  will go through the same process in the doubles.  How strong is Rocky mount tennis this year?  During the regular season Tyler Bryce and George Shannon were the Gryphons top doubles team.  Brice who has a great shot at winning the regional singles  can not do both so Norwood has joined Shannon and they were good enough to win the conference doubles title.

Good luck to everyone!!!!