Gryphons Act Like Santa Finish Like Grinch

During my predictions on Thursday I suggested that Rocky Mount must pound and hold on to the ball.  The Gryphons pounded but they didn't hold on to the ball fumbling 6 times losing 4 and three led directly to 21 points for Southern Lee and those 21 points gave the Caviliers a 21-7 lead seconds into the third quarter after Rocky Mount led 7-0 at the half.

So the Gryphons acted like Santa fumbling the second half kick off returned 24 yards to tie the score 13 seconds into the second half.  Very first play the Gryphons fumble the snap and give it to Southern Lee at the 21. Five plays later a 8 yard pass gives S Lee the lead.  The ensuing kickoff is bobbled retrieved at the eight yard and tackled at the one yard line.  The very first play the ball is bobbled dropped in the enzone where Southern Lee recovered and within a couple of minutes they trail 21-7.

Over maybe the last five weeks the Gryphons on offense have been in neutral but now down and on the verge of being blown out this Gryphons team played the last 22 minutes the way championship  teams play.  The tied the score with 11:01 in the fourth.

A Chase Miller field goal gave the Gryphons the lead with 6:29 to go.  An interception inside the red zone led to a Gryphon drive to seal the victory an a 30-21 lead.  Southern Lee fought to the end scoring their only earned offensive touchdown with 22 seconds to play to make the final 30-28.

The lone Gryphon first half score happened at 5:22 of the second on a 17 yard run by Deangelo Collins and a Chase Miller extra points.  13 and 14 points happened after the Gryphons went into over drive on a B J Sanders score at 3:06 in third.  Sanders scores a 15 yard dive over the goal line at 11:06 of the fourth.  Miller's  field goal gave the Gryphons the lead at 6:29 at 24-21 and Deangelo Collins gave the Gryphons the insurmountable lead at 2:06 to go on a 15 yard clincher.

Rocky Mount rushed for 48-314 passing4-6 for 60 for 374 yards on the night.  Southern Lee rushed 11 times including sacks of the quarterback for 0 yards.  They attempted 35 passes completing 18 for 184 yards for a total offense of 184 on the game.

The Gryphons when they are in the Christmas spirit are only an average team but when the concentrated on being  Grinch and pound they can be unstoppable.  They head to Southern Nash next week for the second time this year.

Other playoff scores
Tarboro 46 James Kenan 12
North Edgecombe 44 Columbia 0
East Alamance 35 Nash Central 21
Northside 61 Rocky Mount Prep 12
Orange County 48 Fike 7
Southern Nash 30 Northern Nash 15

College Weekend Of Disaster

All of the college football upsets last week had an awful week on picks.  5-5 which sinks my record for the year to 76-29.  Just two weeks to go in the regular season and Clemson and Louisville are in position to send the ACC with two teams in college playoffs.  All they have  to do is win  both of their remaining games.

Navy 7-2 @ ECU 4-6:  Would love to think ECU had a chance but I think the triple option of the Naval Academy runs rough shod over Pirates.  Annapolis 44 ECU 26

Miami 6-4 @ N C State 5-5:  This game could be even Steven right down the middle.  The Pack needs this one and they just might get it Pack 26 Miami 24.

Duke 4-6 @ Pitt 6-4:  Was Duke's victory over Carolina just two arch rivals meeting or is a Duke capable of beating anybody?  Pitt scores on anybody their question is always can they stop anybody.  Pitt 36 Duke 27

Citadel 10-0 @ Carolina 7-3:  Carolina can't stop the run and that's all the Cadets do.  They might make this game interesting if they if control the ball.  Their problem will be the rapid fire scoring the Tar Heels will do.  Carolina 42 Citadel 24

Clemson 9-1 @ Wake Forest 6-4.   Clemson's rabbitt's foot  finally fell out of their pocket last week.  The Deacons can make it sticky for a team still in the running for the playoffs.  Clemson 42 Wake 17

Florida State 7-3 @ Syracuse 4-6:  The Noles should win but over the years they have trouble on the road in games if they are disinterested.    Doubt the Cuse has enough horses to keep it close.  Florida State 38 Syracuse 23

Virginia 2-8  @ Georgia Tech 6-4:  The Rambling Wreck's status sky rocketed with the win over Va Tech.  Bowl status will rise with win over Virginia. GT  33 Virginia 20

Virginia Tech 7-3 @ Notre Dame 4-6:  The Gobblers still control their own destiny but they had better play better than they have all year.  VT 26 ND 23

Louisville 9-1 @ Houston  8-2:  Did not realize that this was the Thursday night game.  Louisville is back in playoff picture with the three losses by  Clemson, Michigan and Washington falling.  The Ville had better not let the Cougars slip up on them or it is too late to catch back up in a week.  Louisville 35 Houston 27

Playoff Picks

Finished the last week of the high school season  with a 5-1 record to finish the regular season at 71-25.  Every game rest of the way has season ending implications.

Rocky Mount Prep 3-8 at Northside Pinetown 8-3: Prep didn't beat any team during he season with a winning record so I found it hard to believe  they start now.  The Jags visit to eastern Beaufort county will make a hard long ride home Northside 36 RMP 6

Columbia 3-7 at North Edgecombe 9-1: The Warriors don't have to worry with Tarboro in their bracket and I suspect they can go deep into the playoffs but it must start with a first game win.  North Edgecombe 43 Columbia 12

James Kenan 4-7 @ Tarboro 9-2:  Kenan has grown enough they moved to 2-A next year and you have to rub your eyes to check their record. Seems in most years it is at least reversed but not this year.  This is a team that has knocked the Vikings  out the last two playoffs.  That will not be forgotten in Viking land.  Vikings win but they get a test.  Tarboro 33 JK 12

South Granville 7-4 at SouthWest Edge 5-6:  Seems like the home game team  is wrong but  the Cougars got their game together now.  This is not a bad squad at all in South Granville.  Hard game to pick as this one may go to wire.  I like the way the Cougars have turned their season around as they play another week.  SWE 32 South Granville 27

Nash Central 7-4 @ Eastern Alamance 9-2:  This has been a proud turn a round  for the Bulldogs.  If they play a perfect game they could win this one.  I think not having played in these type games in several years this will be a learning experience for the Bulldogs.  Eastern Alamance 27 Nash Central 17

Northern Nash 5-6 @ Southern Nash 11-0.  This will be another rock'em sock'em game.  I think it will be closer than 28-11.  I don't think the Firebirds can count on 14 points on defense.  They could hold the Knights to less than 11.  Southern Nash 14 Northern Nash 7

Southern  Lee 8-3 @ Rocky Mount 9-2.  Southern  Lee loves to throw the football and this season the Gryphons weakness on defense is the pass.  They will need a pass rush.  The key for the Gryphons who have been staigant on offense for three weeks is pound, pound, pound the football.  They need to control the clock and turnovers would keep that from happening. Rocky Mount 26 Southern Lee 20

Just win Nine

If you look at the NFL they have become a league of average teams and any team getting to nine wins in sixteen has a shot at the Super Bowl.  Teams tend to be hot for two weeks and win one lose one rest of the way.  The one's that manage to keep from every other week are odds on favorites with  seven weeks to go.

Saints 4-5 @ Panthers 3-6:  What a game on national TV to showcase your league.  I do think that the scoreboard will light up again like the first matchup in New Orleans.  Cam is back to the two years ago Cam.  I may be because of the hits he has taken.  Both these teams will figure a way to lose but one will lose worse.  Panthers 33 Saints 30

Steelers 4-5 @ Browns 0-10:  I said last week the Browns were going to knock somebody off and this is the one.  Browns 27 Steelers 24

Ravens 5-4 @ Cowboys 8-1.  I am not as impressed with Dak as rest of the Cowboy World is but I have to give him credit for one thing.  He not losing games for the Cowboys like Romo.  Boys defense is one of best in NFL.  Ride Defense and go as far as Dak will take you.  Boys 27 Ravens 21

Jags 2-7 @ Lions 5-4:  The world seems on fire for the 5-4 Lions.  If they are the same old Lions Jags win.  I'll give them a chance to be the new Lions.  Lions 30 Jax 23

Titans 5-5@ Colts 4-5:Here is another game the Titans playing well and Colts playing better.  I do like the Titans in this game.  Nashville 26 Indy 23

Bills 4-5@ Bengals 3-5:  What happened to the up and coming Bengals.  They look like the Bills.  Bungles 30 Bills 27

Bucs 4-5 @ Chiefs 7-2:  Here is my pick as one of the teams in AFC championship game.  The Chiefs started the season coming from 17 behind to beat Chargers and now a blocked extra point.  You have to like their chances.  Chiefs 24 Bucs 21

Bears 2-7 @ Giants 6-3:  It time for the Giants to lose one they shouldn't.  But this is the Bears Giants 23 Bears 14

Cards 4-4 @ Vikes 5-4:  The Cards are suppose to be a Super Bowl contender and the Vikes are a suicidal maniac right now.  They can't get out of their own way after having a spot in the Super Bowl in early October.   Cards 26 Vikes 24

Dolphins 5-4 @ Rams 4-5:Dolphins make their second straight trip west to meet Todd Gurley and the bumbling Rams.  It is hard for Gurley to run with the ball when he is hit before it gets it.  Dolphins 24 Rams 17

Pat's 7-2@ 49'ers 1-8:  I pity the Niners catching the Pat's after a loss.  Pat's 38 SF 17

Eagles 5-4 @ Seahawks 6-2:  Eagles can't afford drop any further behind Cowboys while the Hawks have worked themselves into a rather good football team again.  Seattle 27 Eagles 23

Packers 4-5 @ Redskins 5-3:  Packer defense can't get saved this year by Aaron Rogers.  Preseason I would have never thought I would pick Skins in this one.  Redskins 29 Packers 26

Texans 6-3 @ Raiders 7-2:  Here is my other pick in AFC championship game THE OAKLAND RAIDERS.  Raiders 32 Texans 26

Last week went 10-3 to run my record for the season to 77-36.

Prospects For Friday Victories

Nash County will send five teams to the playoffs Friday night and a loss for any of the five ends football season.  We need to take a look at the prospects of any of the five playing week two.

Southern Lee 8-3 4-2 @ Rocky Mount 9-2 4-1:  Southern Lee finished tied for third but lost the tie breaker after Terry Sanford beat them last week.  Truly a passing team averaging 190 yards per game through the air.  They run it for only 85 yards per game.  Despite big number passing they have failed to complete half but those completed have averaged 15.8 per catch.

They have scored 323 points for an 29.4 points per game giving up 166 or 15 per in a pass happy league.  They have 33 sacks on the year with 12 picks while recovering 8 fumbles.

Rocky Mount second in the Big East and their two losses have come to teams with a combined 22-0 record.  The Gryphons average 267 yards rushing or 6.1 yards per carry.  They add another 84 yards passing.  The Gryphons average 34 points per contest while yielding 15.5.  So far this year Rocky Mount has fumbled 12 times and thrown 8 picks.

If you remember last year's playoffs first three games for Rocky Mount against pass happy teams.  Pass happy teams practice passing and their defense doesn't get pounded by the run.  Rocky Mount must pound the football and breakdown the pass effective Southern Lee.  Rocky Mount  must hold on to the ball in order to win and limit the big pass plays.

Nash Central 7-4 3-2 @ Eastern Alamance 9-2 6-2:  EA averages 239 yards per game rushing or 6.3 yards per attempt.  They add another 136 passing or 12.8 per reception.  They score 36.5 per game and begrudge 14 points on defense.

Nash Central runs the ball for 211 yards per game while adding through the air another 141.  Their pace of putting points on the board is 28.5 while allowing 21.5.  The  Bulldogs have had 23 turnovers on the year 11 fumbles and 12 interceptions.  They can't have any in this one.

Nash Central must put points on the board and the defense must get some stops to give the themselves any chance.  I guarantee you Eastern Alamance remembers the licking they got from Rocky Mount because they didn't respect the Gryphons.  You had better bet the coaches are pounding and into the EA players that Nash Central is capable of winning if they are not ready.

There is no need to feed you the stats of the Northern Nash  5-6 1-4 @ Southern Nash 11-0 6-0.  Let's talk facts.  28-11.  Take away two defensive touchdowns and the score 14-11.    Northern is more than capable of holding the Firebird offense and if the Firebirds think just because they got a home game this go around against the Knights this will be easy pickings.

I relate this game just like Eastern Alamance and Rocky Mount last year.  The team thinking about next week got plucked big time and if the Firebirds sleep walk in this one the season and undefeated team ends quick.

Rocky Mount Prep 3-8 @ Northside Pinetown 8-3:  RMP had not fared well against any team this season that you could classify as a good team.  It started with Kipp Pride. Who at the time thought they would finish 6-4.  It will be hard for the Jags to keep this one close.

Playoff time is for winners.  The teams that dig down when the end is in sight and finds away to play another day.  Let's go play some football.

The Computer Generation

The is no doubt that the last twenty years of my life I have received move information than I did my first forty.  I think I can expand that and say I have been inundated just the last year with more information than the last twenty.  A computer can aid greatly your life.  We have become a society that we have to put on Facebook where we went to eat or what time we are planning to go to bed.  Who Cares about all that.  We can not live unless we are using that computer.

Even in Chapel Hill the NCHSAA has come solely dependent on the computer that they are paralyzed if they have to make a change in what the computer rankings tell them.  There is no one in Chapel  Hill that can look at the pairings and say: "you know Southern Nash is the top seed in the east is a member of The Big East and they are matched up with Northern Nash an eight seed also from the Big East.  We can not let any conference members play each other in the first round."

I have no problem that those match ups start happening in the second round like what might happen if Rocky Mount can best Southern Lee they would play either Northern or Southern Nash.  But,  somebody in Chapel Hill needs to make an executive decision that we need to over ride the computer and move Northern Nash to a seven seed.  How easy could that be?  I have not cared to check all eight levels of the playoffs and I know this is not the only time two conference members are match up this Friday.

Our nation is becoming a robot society that we no longer have an ability to think for ourselves.  We have to check the computer before we decide  if is time to eat.  My belly lets me know that and my belly is telling me we need to get back to common sense in matters of creating a playoff format.

The Big East is sending five teams to the playoffs and two of them could be out by week of week two losing to another conference member.  This is the state playoffs not the Big East football tournament.

The Big East all season has had Friday night kickoffs at 7pm but all of the state playoffs start at 7:30. Please take note.

Five Teams Big East Are In

Hunt will be the only Big East football team staying home and if they have any basketball players they can join the basketball team come Monday.  Every other team still has that gleam in their eye of doing what Rocky Mount did last season and win the state championship.  You would think as much as the NCHSAA changes the system every year they would finally come up with some way or other to keep conference foes from meeting each other in the first round and of course they have done it again to the Big East.

Southern Nash 10-0 is seeded as the number one seed in the Mideast after West Craven gets the top seed in the east.  Southern Nash will play the eight seed in the east Northern Nash 5-5 after the two just clashed last Thursday night with Southern winning at Northern 28-11.  As the top seed Southern will host.

Nash Central 7-3 returns to the playoffs as the 5th seed in the east and they hit the road traveling to 4th seed in the Mideast Eastern Alamance 8-2  This is a tough opening round game for the Bulldogs but winnable.  This is also the same  Eastern Alamance Rocky Mount played the Eastern Finals last season.

Orange County 10-0 the second seed in the Mideast will host Fike 6-4 the seven seed in the east.  You must remember when you look at each teams overall record the NCHSAA only goes by a ten game schedule and if you played an approved endowment game can drop a loss from your record for playoff purposes.

Rocky Mount 9-1 is seeded 4th in the east and will host the 5th seed Southern Lee 8-2.  This bracket has floated back and forth all morning.  This is certainly a tougher game that it could have been the other way.  The winner draws Southern/Northern Nash winner and this is no guarantee it will be the Gryphons.

The 2A playoffs will feature maybe the hottest team in the area SouthWest Edgecombe the champs of the Eastern Plains 5-5 and seeded 4th in the east hosting South Granville 5th seed from Mideast. Rocky Mount open their season with South Granville so the Cougars should have some film on SG.

1AA finds Tarboro 9-1 as three seed in the east hosting six seed James Kenan 4-6.  I know everybody has questions what determines east and Mideast and that is a good question.

1A  playoffs will feature North Edgecombe 9-1 number two in the Mideast hosting Columbia 3-7 seven seed  in east.

Rocky Mount Prep 3-7 is in as they travel as a 7th seed in the Mideast to the 2nd seed in east Northside -Pinetown 7-3

Around 3pm Friday afternoon I received a call from a gentleman in charge of the Internet broadcasting of the Conference Carolina's volleyball tournament being played at Barton College Saturday and Sunday.  They asked if needed would I fill in and help get the semifinal doubleheader coverage on the air Saturday afternoon at 5 and 7:30.  This morning at 11:00 they finally decided they needed my help and I made it to Barton expecting yo do color commentary but instead did play by play of Erskine College defeat of Belmont Abbey and the nightcap was Barton defeating in five sets Kings College.

The Battling Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan go out on a winning note on the arm of quarterback Nathan Gardner and the catch and running ability of Malik Adams three touchdown catches as the Bishops finish the season 5-4 after a 27-13 victory over Ferrum in Virginia.

One more note, John Carroll defeated Mt Union today 31-28 snapping a 112 game regular season winning streak..  Mt Union opened the season in Rocky Mount beating Wesleyan.