A missed shot tip in by Donte Battle with two seconds to go in the game gave Rocky Mount High a two point lead and Battle added two free throws as time expires as Rocky Mount escapes from Hertford county with out a loss on this very young basketball season with a 63-59 win..
It took all of the first and most of the second quarter before the Gryphons found the lead and by mid fourth quarter had extended the lead to 11 points only to see Hertford County tie the game late leading up to Battle's Heroics. Battle finished the night with 22 points. Michael Hines scored 12 followed by brother Mason with 11. Jaquel Bryant was the fourth double digit scorer with 10. Rocky Mount has another road game Friday night as they travel to Greenville to play Rose High School before heading to Nash Central next week for the Nash County Tournament
There was never any doubt as the Lady Gryphons jumped to an 11-1 lead and never looked back in beating Hertford County for the second time this season. J'Kyra Brown scored her usual 31 but this night she had plenty of help from Kelsey Daniels 16 points, Carmen Richardson 11, Destini Parker 11 and Sakeya Battle 11. Those five players scored all 80 points in a 80-40 romp over Hertford County.
Tonight ESPN announced that former Tarboro football standout Todd Gurley had won the Herbie Award as ESPN's top freshman football player in college football this year. Interesting that Johnny Football Johnny Mansiel the Heisman Trophy winner didn't win the ESPN award too. Gurley rushed for 1,260 yards this season and is the first Georgia freshman since 1980 to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. The last Georgia freshman to do it was a guy named Hershal Walker.
The NHL season has been cancelled all the way to December 31st. If I was the NHL and it's players I would be worried that there seems to be nobody that cares whether they play or not. Has anybody really missed it?
Today ECU Athletic Director Terry Holland announce that he will step down. Holland who came to Greenville in 2004 has done a very good job in his time with the Pirates. It is hard to believe that Holland is 70 years old. I remember when he played basketball at Davidson College when Lefy Driesell was coach. I know a lot of Pirate fans are disappointed that only football got into the Big East . If the Big East continues to fall apart there might not be a Big East for ECU football by 2014.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Following A legend
Can anyone remember who the coach was who replaced Vince Lombardi as coach of the Green Bay Packers? How about who replaced John Wooden at UCLA? Yesterday SouthWest Edgecombe announce that Jonathan Cobb will replace his father as football coach.
Dad Raymond has been a head coach in Edgecombe County (25 years)almost as long as Jonathan is old 29 years old . What might help is dad Raymond just might be a volunteer assistant next year. Has Jonathan got the genes in his body to win football games like dad? Only time will tell. Good luck Raymond in retirement and good luck Jonathan following a legend.
I was reading the article in the Telegram this morning and it is funny the way peoples lives intertwine and they don't know it. Johnathan talked about the saddest he had ever been on the football field was the night in 1991 when North Edgecombe lost at Gates County. I was there doing the game on the Ahoskie Radio station and Gates co. won 8-6. That was the night that Milton Shaw needed 86 yards to break the all time rushing record in North Carolina High school history. He got only 68 in his last game.
Northern Nash is putting the finishing touches on their interviews and there might be an announcement coming there before the week is over on their new coach.
Face book has been alive today with tributes to Charles Alston. It is very funny how death brings out the good memories about people. Even though in our soul we cry about his death there is this thing about people getting together to talk about the good times is therapeutic and helps us all get by.
I was reminded of a story today involving Charles, Wes Bradshaw, "Base Ball" Britt Johnson and Braxton Hill. Charles and I left Rocky Mount to go to a football game against Havelock. We picked up Wes, "Baseball" and Braxton in Greenville and the car load of us rode to the game. Now for those of you that know all of us this was a car load.
After the game we stopped at Denny's in Greenville and everyone piles out of the car and Charles is the last one out and everyone is standing behind my car and the springs on my car are just about on the ground. We all laughed about that for months. Wes and Baseball could sound just like him when they mocked him. We all picked at him, made fun at him and we all loved him. Yes death is painful for those left behind and yet the memories of the good times will last us for ever.
Dad Raymond has been a head coach in Edgecombe County (25 years)almost as long as Jonathan is old 29 years old . What might help is dad Raymond just might be a volunteer assistant next year. Has Jonathan got the genes in his body to win football games like dad? Only time will tell. Good luck Raymond in retirement and good luck Jonathan following a legend.
I was reading the article in the Telegram this morning and it is funny the way peoples lives intertwine and they don't know it. Johnathan talked about the saddest he had ever been on the football field was the night in 1991 when North Edgecombe lost at Gates County. I was there doing the game on the Ahoskie Radio station and Gates co. won 8-6. That was the night that Milton Shaw needed 86 yards to break the all time rushing record in North Carolina High school history. He got only 68 in his last game.
Northern Nash is putting the finishing touches on their interviews and there might be an announcement coming there before the week is over on their new coach.
Face book has been alive today with tributes to Charles Alston. It is very funny how death brings out the good memories about people. Even though in our soul we cry about his death there is this thing about people getting together to talk about the good times is therapeutic and helps us all get by.
I was reminded of a story today involving Charles, Wes Bradshaw, "Base Ball" Britt Johnson and Braxton Hill. Charles and I left Rocky Mount to go to a football game against Havelock. We picked up Wes, "Baseball" and Braxton in Greenville and the car load of us rode to the game. Now for those of you that know all of us this was a car load.
After the game we stopped at Denny's in Greenville and everyone piles out of the car and Charles is the last one out and everyone is standing behind my car and the springs on my car are just about on the ground. We all laughed about that for months. Wes and Baseball could sound just like him when they mocked him. We all picked at him, made fun at him and we all loved him. Yes death is painful for those left behind and yet the memories of the good times will last us for ever.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Gryphon Legend Dead
He knew every football stat and every baseball hit record and he could tell you who should be on the all time Gryphon team for any sports. He was the unofficial Sports Information Director for Rocky Mount High school. Charles Alton who everyone in North Carolina high school sports knew from somewhere and some time died today at age 54.
He helped get North Carolina Ihigh.com rolling for North Carolina High Schools as well as the care taker of the Rocky Mount High Web site. This website as you see it today was set up by Charles as I have no idea how to get all of this off the ground other than where to go and what to do to type a story. The Gryphon Grapevine was Charles personal account of Rocky Mount High. He had not kept that up to date this fall with his new work schedule.
Details are not known at this time but Alston who worked at Sears until it closed earlier this year and just this fall he was working at the new smaller Sears store. He failed to show up for work this morning and they went to check up on him.
If you wanted to know anything about Rocky Mount High School athletics Charles was the man if you wanted an answer. You would find him on his days off in Braswell library looking at old copies of newspapers to get more stats from the past. I don't know whether he ever played any varsity sports at Rocky Mount Senior High, I know he was in the band but there has never been anyone more dedicated to one place as Charles was to Rocky Mount High.
I had heard of Charles even before I moved to Rocky Mount and never met him until I started covering Rocky Mount basketball on the radio in the winter of 2001. Mike Gainey had told me if I wanted to know any thing about Gryphon basketball see Charles so I had him as a halftime guest and from then on Charles rode with me to every game for the next couple of years and even helped do color commentary when we only did the Gryphon Games.
Charles has two surviving brothers who live out of the area. We will let you know when details of the arrangements are made.
It's A sad day in Gryphonland
He helped get North Carolina Ihigh.com rolling for North Carolina High Schools as well as the care taker of the Rocky Mount High Web site. This website as you see it today was set up by Charles as I have no idea how to get all of this off the ground other than where to go and what to do to type a story. The Gryphon Grapevine was Charles personal account of Rocky Mount High. He had not kept that up to date this fall with his new work schedule.
Details are not known at this time but Alston who worked at Sears until it closed earlier this year and just this fall he was working at the new smaller Sears store. He failed to show up for work this morning and they went to check up on him.
If you wanted to know anything about Rocky Mount High School athletics Charles was the man if you wanted an answer. You would find him on his days off in Braswell library looking at old copies of newspapers to get more stats from the past. I don't know whether he ever played any varsity sports at Rocky Mount Senior High, I know he was in the band but there has never been anyone more dedicated to one place as Charles was to Rocky Mount High.
I had heard of Charles even before I moved to Rocky Mount and never met him until I started covering Rocky Mount basketball on the radio in the winter of 2001. Mike Gainey had told me if I wanted to know any thing about Gryphon basketball see Charles so I had him as a halftime guest and from then on Charles rode with me to every game for the next couple of years and even helped do color commentary when we only did the Gryphon Games.
Charles has two surviving brothers who live out of the area. We will let you know when details of the arrangements are made.
It's A sad day in Gryphonland
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Brown Needs Help
The Lady Gryphon basketball team made it all the the way to the Eastern Regional finals in 2012. If the Lady Gryphons were to get back there again this year there is one obstacle standing in their way and that is of course the Lady Knights of Northern Nash.
The Gryphons have one of the best girl basketball players in this area and even in the past decade. J'Kyra Brown has the ability to dribble and be a point guard, shoot a three pointer, block shots under the basket. One of her best traits as a teammate is she tries to let others be part of the game and like this past Friday night there becomes a point when I need to take over or we are going to lose.
You may remember that in just about every meeting last year with Northern there were periods that every point the Gryphons got came from J'Kyra. South Central deployed a defense Friday night in which I think you will see more and more. They had a small guard play man to man on her and before you would know it she was doubled and tripled team. Despite the defense she scored 29 but by late in the fourth she was wore out from all the pressure from the defense.
The Lady Gryphons will be taller up front and will be a hard team to drive to the basket and score on this year which will force teams to have to shoot from the outside. That will help the defense. This past Friday the the Lady Gryphons didn't lose because of their defense it was no one other than J'Kyra scored enough to win the game.
Carmen Richardson scored nine points and Destini Parker had 8. That is not bad scoring from you second and third scorers. Kelsey Daniels had six inside points and Sakeya Battle had two points. They were the only players to score in the game.
As this season unfolds more and more teams will double and triple cover J'Kyra and when the others receive a pass and if they are in position to score they will have to take open shots. It is hard to make it if you don't shoot . The Lady Gryphons are so use to get the ball to J and I will watch her score. We all hear the word team work all the time and passing the ball to someone else that might be able to score better than me is a good thing. J'Kyra is really good at being able to do that. This team right now doesn't have enough people willing to shoot when they are open.
J'Kyra shoots from within the flow of the game. There are players who will shoot from anywhere and anytime and take plenty of bad shots. J'Kyra doesn't take many shots that are not part of the flow of the game. She is an excellent passer who finds open players but they have to be willing to shoot and not return the ball right back to her who is still being double teamed.
That is one thing that sports is all about. Learning to play the game. If this team every game has one who scores 20 and the rest are five and six points this will wind up to be a long season. That is one of the things that made last years team really good Tia Hudgins could score inside. It doesn't matter where the points come from this Lady Gryphon team needs to help J'Kyra be great. If others can score then J will score more too when teams can't afford to double and triple team her.
The Gryphons have one of the best girl basketball players in this area and even in the past decade. J'Kyra Brown has the ability to dribble and be a point guard, shoot a three pointer, block shots under the basket. One of her best traits as a teammate is she tries to let others be part of the game and like this past Friday night there becomes a point when I need to take over or we are going to lose.
You may remember that in just about every meeting last year with Northern there were periods that every point the Gryphons got came from J'Kyra. South Central deployed a defense Friday night in which I think you will see more and more. They had a small guard play man to man on her and before you would know it she was doubled and tripled team. Despite the defense she scored 29 but by late in the fourth she was wore out from all the pressure from the defense.
The Lady Gryphons will be taller up front and will be a hard team to drive to the basket and score on this year which will force teams to have to shoot from the outside. That will help the defense. This past Friday the the Lady Gryphons didn't lose because of their defense it was no one other than J'Kyra scored enough to win the game.
Carmen Richardson scored nine points and Destini Parker had 8. That is not bad scoring from you second and third scorers. Kelsey Daniels had six inside points and Sakeya Battle had two points. They were the only players to score in the game.
As this season unfolds more and more teams will double and triple cover J'Kyra and when the others receive a pass and if they are in position to score they will have to take open shots. It is hard to make it if you don't shoot . The Lady Gryphons are so use to get the ball to J and I will watch her score. We all hear the word team work all the time and passing the ball to someone else that might be able to score better than me is a good thing. J'Kyra is really good at being able to do that. This team right now doesn't have enough people willing to shoot when they are open.
J'Kyra shoots from within the flow of the game. There are players who will shoot from anywhere and anytime and take plenty of bad shots. J'Kyra doesn't take many shots that are not part of the flow of the game. She is an excellent passer who finds open players but they have to be willing to shoot and not return the ball right back to her who is still being double teamed.
That is one thing that sports is all about. Learning to play the game. If this team every game has one who scores 20 and the rest are five and six points this will wind up to be a long season. That is one of the things that made last years team really good Tia Hudgins could score inside. It doesn't matter where the points come from this Lady Gryphon team needs to help J'Kyra be great. If others can score then J will score more too when teams can't afford to double and triple team her.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Duke Remains Unbeaten
The Duke Blue Devils went to their home away from home on Saturday and beat Temple in New Jersey. Duke who routinely plays games across the Hudson River from New York has lost only once since the building was opened.Can you remember the game? Christian Laettner's freshman year in a game against Connecticut and the freshman had a one on one with no time on the clock or just a few tenths to go in the game an Laettner missed the front end and Duke lost I think it was 70-69.
I remember Coach K ran out to console his freshman and that might be the best coaching move in the history of college basketball. Laettner never missed many more in his college career. There is no doubt that Coach K is was on the best coaches ever and this Duke team is off to a 9-0 start. I frankly think they are playing somewhat over their ability but that's K's influence. Duke is going to be a hard team to beat in the ACC.
N C State won in their annual game in Reynolds Coliseum against Cleveland ST. You know who Cleveland St is? That is the team that Jerry Tarkanian who use to be in trouble with the NCAA all the time when he coached UNLV. He was upset at the way the NCAA doled out punishment and made the statement when Kentucky got in trouble. " Lookout Cleveland St the NCAA is mad with Kentucky". The reference was that all the major schools the NCAA looked the other way but nailed the Cleveland States of the world when ever they violated the rules.
The Pack is 6-2 and I know most fans of the Wolfpack are disappointed that they are not #1 in the nation after all the hype this team got in the preseason. Let me remind all of you that this team has played a rather tough schedule compared to other Pack teams under Sidney Lowe. In past years even playing lighter schedules the Pack would have been 4-3 so you had not sleep on this team.
N C State can truly feel honored at the coverage that they have received through ESPN with the V Foundation being the flagship or ESPN's public service. Mark Godfrey's stint as a color commentator for ESPN those ESPN camera's love N C State and Godfrey's has a whole lot of Valvano in him and he is not shy around a camera. Godfrey may not be a Coach K on the sidelines and that has yet to prove out one way or the other but he doesn't take a back seat to the players committing to come to the Pack.
I remember Coach K ran out to console his freshman and that might be the best coaching move in the history of college basketball. Laettner never missed many more in his college career. There is no doubt that Coach K is was on the best coaches ever and this Duke team is off to a 9-0 start. I frankly think they are playing somewhat over their ability but that's K's influence. Duke is going to be a hard team to beat in the ACC.
N C State won in their annual game in Reynolds Coliseum against Cleveland ST. You know who Cleveland St is? That is the team that Jerry Tarkanian who use to be in trouble with the NCAA all the time when he coached UNLV. He was upset at the way the NCAA doled out punishment and made the statement when Kentucky got in trouble. " Lookout Cleveland St the NCAA is mad with Kentucky". The reference was that all the major schools the NCAA looked the other way but nailed the Cleveland States of the world when ever they violated the rules.
The Pack is 6-2 and I know most fans of the Wolfpack are disappointed that they are not #1 in the nation after all the hype this team got in the preseason. Let me remind all of you that this team has played a rather tough schedule compared to other Pack teams under Sidney Lowe. In past years even playing lighter schedules the Pack would have been 4-3 so you had not sleep on this team.
N C State can truly feel honored at the coverage that they have received through ESPN with the V Foundation being the flagship or ESPN's public service. Mark Godfrey's stint as a color commentator for ESPN those ESPN camera's love N C State and Godfrey's has a whole lot of Valvano in him and he is not shy around a camera. Godfrey may not be a Coach K on the sidelines and that has yet to prove out one way or the other but he doesn't take a back seat to the players committing to come to the Pack.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Boys Win Girls Fall
The Rocky Mount Gryphon boys remained undefeated tonight at home as they beat South Central by a 54-39 score. This game was a tale of two different halves. The Gryphons had a great half of defense pushing the Falcons away from the basket and force many long range shots. South Central only turned the ball over twice in the first half. The Gryphons held the Falcons to only 21 first half points.
The Gryphon offense look like an Abrams Army tank with one wheel missing. They were running wide open and all over everybody and with 12 turnovers could only put eight points on the board in the second quarter and 21 for the half.
Then it seemed as the second half started that South Central could not get down court at all without the Gryphons knocking the ball loose and it jumped started the offense and the Gryphons had command the entire second half. The Falcons had 14 turnovers and many lead to Gryphon points.
Donte Battle lead the way with 22 points and 8 rebounds. On the night the Gryphons gathered 39 carom's while SC had 32. Rocky Mount had four different players with at least five rebounds in game. Mason Hines 5 boards 4 points. Jaquel Bryant 10 points five grabs. M J Gainey 7 point five rebounds. Ric Cherry lead SC with15 points almost half of the Falcons total.
The South Central girls broke open a close game in the last minute to knock Rocky Mount from the ranks of the unbeaten 55-52. Lady Gryphon J'Kyra doubled teamed all night let her team mates carry the load for the first two and a half quarters but down 38- 32 Brown scored twelve straight points without a Falcon point to give the Gryphons the lead but in the fourth quarter not enough help was provided by her Gryphon team mates and Rocky Mount falls .
Brown had 29 points while Carmen Richardson had 9. SC was lead by Daniela Murphy with 22. Next week Rocky Mount travels Tuesday to Hertford County and Friday to Rose before they play in the Nash County Tournament at Nash Central the following week.
Northern Nash boys one game win streeak ended witha 48-40 loss to SouthWest Edgecombe while Northern Girls humbled SWE again just like they have to everyone else so far this season.
The end of the golf season Cousin Lauren Doughtie failed to make the top list on the Futures Tour to qualify fo the LPGA Tour for 2013. Last weekend was the Q school for the LPGA and Lauren found herself tied for the last spot with seven other people and only three get in. I am very happy to say Lauren survived the playoff and has won her LPGA card for 2013. She shot a -3 for the weekend to get into the playoff.
The Gryphon offense look like an Abrams Army tank with one wheel missing. They were running wide open and all over everybody and with 12 turnovers could only put eight points on the board in the second quarter and 21 for the half.
Then it seemed as the second half started that South Central could not get down court at all without the Gryphons knocking the ball loose and it jumped started the offense and the Gryphons had command the entire second half. The Falcons had 14 turnovers and many lead to Gryphon points.
Donte Battle lead the way with 22 points and 8 rebounds. On the night the Gryphons gathered 39 carom's while SC had 32. Rocky Mount had four different players with at least five rebounds in game. Mason Hines 5 boards 4 points. Jaquel Bryant 10 points five grabs. M J Gainey 7 point five rebounds. Ric Cherry lead SC with15 points almost half of the Falcons total.
The South Central girls broke open a close game in the last minute to knock Rocky Mount from the ranks of the unbeaten 55-52. Lady Gryphon J'Kyra doubled teamed all night let her team mates carry the load for the first two and a half quarters but down 38- 32 Brown scored twelve straight points without a Falcon point to give the Gryphons the lead but in the fourth quarter not enough help was provided by her Gryphon team mates and Rocky Mount falls .
Brown had 29 points while Carmen Richardson had 9. SC was lead by Daniela Murphy with 22. Next week Rocky Mount travels Tuesday to Hertford County and Friday to Rose before they play in the Nash County Tournament at Nash Central the following week.
Northern Nash boys one game win streeak ended witha 48-40 loss to SouthWest Edgecombe while Northern Girls humbled SWE again just like they have to everyone else so far this season.
The end of the golf season Cousin Lauren Doughtie failed to make the top list on the Futures Tour to qualify fo the LPGA Tour for 2013. Last weekend was the Q school for the LPGA and Lauren found herself tied for the last spot with seven other people and only three get in. I am very happy to say Lauren survived the playoff and has won her LPGA card for 2013. She shot a -3 for the weekend to get into the playoff.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Bye Bye POD
Today at the winter meeting of the Board of Directors of the NCHSAA they voted to eliminate the POD system for the football playoffs in 4-A-3-A and 2-A. It will stay as it is in 1-A since most off all the teams that play 1-A are either east of I-95 and west of Statesville.
Thank goodness as we will no longer be faced with Southern Nash the #2 in the Big East playing Hunt the #1 in the first round any more. Maybe it will be the third round or later before the top two in each conference square off against each other if they survived to get that far in the playoffs. Up until the POD system was put in place the Big East football routinely put two teams in the third round.
Congratulations to the Knights of Northern Nash basketball team as they beat Tarboro Tuesday night which ended a one year drought in wins in basketball. The losing streak has gone into the twenty something category but last week on this site we commented about how close Northern had been so far this year that last year teams ripped the Knights in the non-conference games last year. The Knights will be competitive when conference starts in January.
By the way so far this year nobody has played the Lady Knights close and we all know they had a big chunk of last year's team back. They are playing as if they want to get back to the Regional like they did two years ago and were on the door step last year playing Rocky Mount in the sectional final.
So far this year both of the Gryphon basketball teams are undefeated but as they say we will get a chance to see where they are Friday night as they host South Central. The Falcons both boys and girls have been a playoff pain for Rocky Mount in the last few years.
You know once N C State started looking for a basketball coach to replace Sidney Lowe there was embarrassment for how long it was taking to find a coach and it seemed everyone on the wish list said no. Seems as if Tennessee is finding that looking for a new football coach in today's world where everyone can tell when a private plane leaves any airport is not easy to do any more. Guaranteed contracts, buyouts etc that coaches aren't just drooling to go as fast as they use to.
Yow learned her lessons this go round about hiring their new football coach and nobody knew anything until the bombshell hit. I sure would like to see that any coach who leaves to go anywhere else at least wait until all games are played before switching teams. Every team that has a new coach will be going to bowl games without the coach that got them to the dance. That's not fair to the players.
The presidents of all of the Universities of the ACC have sent out a statement telling everyone how committed they are to staying in the ACC. New members Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse were in the statement. Earlier this week we on this site had mentioned about the rumors of Georgia Tech quitting the ACC for the Big Ten but they signed off on this statement too. Maryland of course was not included.
Thank goodness as we will no longer be faced with Southern Nash the #2 in the Big East playing Hunt the #1 in the first round any more. Maybe it will be the third round or later before the top two in each conference square off against each other if they survived to get that far in the playoffs. Up until the POD system was put in place the Big East football routinely put two teams in the third round.
Congratulations to the Knights of Northern Nash basketball team as they beat Tarboro Tuesday night which ended a one year drought in wins in basketball. The losing streak has gone into the twenty something category but last week on this site we commented about how close Northern had been so far this year that last year teams ripped the Knights in the non-conference games last year. The Knights will be competitive when conference starts in January.
By the way so far this year nobody has played the Lady Knights close and we all know they had a big chunk of last year's team back. They are playing as if they want to get back to the Regional like they did two years ago and were on the door step last year playing Rocky Mount in the sectional final.
So far this year both of the Gryphon basketball teams are undefeated but as they say we will get a chance to see where they are Friday night as they host South Central. The Falcons both boys and girls have been a playoff pain for Rocky Mount in the last few years.
You know once N C State started looking for a basketball coach to replace Sidney Lowe there was embarrassment for how long it was taking to find a coach and it seemed everyone on the wish list said no. Seems as if Tennessee is finding that looking for a new football coach in today's world where everyone can tell when a private plane leaves any airport is not easy to do any more. Guaranteed contracts, buyouts etc that coaches aren't just drooling to go as fast as they use to.
Yow learned her lessons this go round about hiring their new football coach and nobody knew anything until the bombshell hit. I sure would like to see that any coach who leaves to go anywhere else at least wait until all games are played before switching teams. Every team that has a new coach will be going to bowl games without the coach that got them to the dance. That's not fair to the players.
The presidents of all of the Universities of the ACC have sent out a statement telling everyone how committed they are to staying in the ACC. New members Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse were in the statement. Earlier this week we on this site had mentioned about the rumors of Georgia Tech quitting the ACC for the Big Ten but they signed off on this statement too. Maryland of course was not included.
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