We head to Regional Finals in football and two teams remain a live that has local implecations. Tarboro heads to their fourth straight Regional in 2-A and Hunt makes it twice in a row to the 3-AA.
If you go by record alone then this the fourth round is the easiest so far in the playoffs for the Vikings but forget records. The Stallions who tied for the Waccamaw regular season title in the 3-A/2A mixed league score 26 on Hoggard a 4-A Wilmington school early in the year. Their lone conference loss they avenged last week in beating perennial power East Bladen.
A factor could also be playing at home. This is Tarboro's first of the playoffs and I suspect many fans who have endured texting others on all the road playoff games will fill the stadium to overflow Friday. I think the Vikings head to Raleigh next week by winning by a touchdown.
Hunt who is the only undefeated team left in the 3-AA playoffs but then again they meet up with Northern Guilford who is on a twelve game winning streak. Their lone loss was the opening game of the season to Greensboro Page who by the way is undefeated still playing in the 4-A playoffs. The Nighthawks lost to Page by 21 which until last week's 14 point win over Butler 21 was as close as any one has been to Page. Three playoff games the Nighthawks have scored 123 points and given up 19.
To say the least this is a major test for the Hunt Warriors. Hunt will need to score every golden opportunity they get and the defense will have to play the best they have played this year. The twelveth man the crowd needs to be awesome Friday night for Hunt as they will need every break to go their way to win this one. If Hunt makes a trip to Chapel Hill next week it will only come after their best game of the year and still then in this one it may not be enough.
Finally Rocky Mount who has not played any basketball since football season finished a month ago will tip it off Friday night. Both the girls and boys are playing in the Knightdale Triangle tip-off Tournament. The games at Knightdale High school start for the girls at 4.30 and they play 4-A Millbrook and the boys follow at 6pm against the home standing Knightdale High
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Potential College Basketball Season for Triangle
There are those of us that remember 1974 in basketball as the year of the National Championship for the Wolfpack Sometimes it is hard to remember that 1974 just may have been the greatest year in the history of ACC basketball.
Yes, 1974 there was still only oneteam from the ACC that made the NCAA tournament but how many remember that in the polls State was #1, Maryland #2 and Carolina was #4 at one point in the season. There was another team called UCLA which kept the league from taking the top three spots. Sounds a lot right now how the SEC football season is unfolding doesn't it?
1974 Maryland joined State and Carolina and just maybe this year State is ready to jump into the frying pan and make their first attempt in many a blue moon in making the top ten. Unlike 36 years ago Duke and Carolina are the two triangle schools expecting to make top five or higher.
Carolina the preseason #1 to this point is showing no signs where they can't be somewhere near the top in the national picture when both the regular season ends as well as when the NCAA Tournament starts rolling in March. Today's world of twenty five teams being capable of winning the National Title it is hard to expect anyteam to not lose one or two. I would not expect Carolina to go undefeated in conference much less for the entire season. A #1 seed in the NCAA brackets is probably heading Carolina's way.
Duke now that coach K has 903 out of the way has been taking on all comers and are playing at a high level for this early in the season. I don't think Rivers is as good as Irving was last year but if Rivers stays healthy he may be a more valuable player for Duke as the season unwinds. Duke and Carolina both making the final four is not dreaming but a possibility.
N C Stateplaying across the river from the Big Apple came from 18 points down with eleven minutes to play and beat Texas this week. Now when was the last time they came back on anybody? Mark Gottfried just could be sitting on a gold mine in Raleigh. Just in the last 15 years anytime State was 18 down with eleven to play they would have lost by 30. As Coach calls him even Calvin is playing his butt off and that is C J Leslie who many times last season stood around and pouted while on the court. There is no reason right now to think that State could be a top 15 team and slip in the back door of the top ten.
All three Triangle schools have those resume' wins on their schedule in their back pocket that when they start placing teams in the brackets you move up because you have a Michigan State win or a Texas win on that Resume'. Wouldn't it something if all three are top 15 or better. Most folks around here would have a heart attack if that happens.
Yes, 1974 there was still only one
1974 Maryland joined State and Carolina and just maybe this year State is ready to jump into the frying pan and make their first attempt in many a blue moon in making the top ten. Unlike 36 years ago Duke and Carolina are the two triangle schools expecting to make top five or higher.
Carolina the preseason #1 to this point is showing no signs where they can't be somewhere near the top in the national picture when both the regular season ends as well as when the NCAA Tournament starts rolling in March. Today's world of twenty five teams being capable of winning the National Title it is hard to expect any
Duke now that coach K has 903 out of the way has been taking on all comers and are playing at a high level for this early in the season. I don't think Rivers is as good as Irving was last year but if Rivers stays healthy he may be a more valuable player for Duke as the season unwinds. Duke and Carolina both making the final four is not dreaming but a possibility.
N C Stateplaying across the river from the Big Apple came from 18 points down with eleven minutes to play and beat Texas this week. Now when was the last time they came back on anybody? Mark Gottfried just could be sitting on a gold mine in Raleigh. Just in the last 15 years anytime State was 18 down with eleven to play they would have lost by 30. As Coach calls him even Calvin is playing his butt off and that is C J Leslie who many times last season stood around and pouted while on the court. There is no reason right now to think that State could be a top 15 team and slip in the back door of the top ten.
All three Triangle schools have those resume' wins on their schedule in their back pocket that when they start placing teams in the brackets you move up because you have a Michigan State win or a Texas win on that Resume'. Wouldn't it something if all three are top 15 or better. Most folks around here would have a heart attack if that happens.
Monday, November 21, 2011
NFL Had Better Be Thankful
This being the week that we all should be thankful for what we have and not worry about what we wish we had. I see the NFL thinking that we are the Kingpin of Sports we have nothing to worry about. Of all the people the NFL from the owners to players to ball boys and even the media who covers it they should all get down on their knees and thank the good Lord that they have a business that the USA citizens love.
Our lives we all have rules that we must follow and even the NFL has their share that just have to be for the safety of all concerned. Then there are others that if the NFL doesn't change the way they operate only the gamblers will care. Let's be honest here between betting in Vegas and Fantasy football the game would not be so loved.
They must do something about the pass receivers and the defenders playing bump and push all the way down the field. They have to go back to receivers have a right to their space and you can't touch them down field. I'll give you the five yard rule but that's it. When the flag goes flying and you don't know what they are going to call then there is something wrong.
The receiver having to catch the ball all the way to the ground. What happened to the ground can't cause a fumble? Yesterday in the Cincy-Baltimore game a Bengal receiver catch the ball for a touchdown ran two steps had control of the ball until he was knocked out of bounds and the ball came free when he hit the ground. If that rule applies why then doesn't it apply to a runner who fumbles when he is tackled and loses the ball when he hits the ground?
Last week in the Charger game, the Chargers had a touchdown taken away when the defender was out of bounds tried to pull the ball away from the receiver who caught the ball in bounds and never went out of bounds. By rule it was incomplete. Are you kidding me?
I am all for the helmet to helmet hits they have to go. But what happens when the runner lowers his head and he is the one starting the contact?
If the NFL wants to stay as the #1 sport on TV in the world except during World Cup they had better make the game so when a play happens it is easy for everybody to see what went on. The way it is now until until the review who knows what they are going to call?
Our lives we all have rules that we must follow and even the NFL has their share that just have to be for the safety of all concerned. Then there are others that if the NFL doesn't change the way they operate only the gamblers will care. Let's be honest here between betting in Vegas and Fantasy football the game would not be so loved.
They must do something about the pass receivers and the defenders playing bump and push all the way down the field. They have to go back to receivers have a right to their space and you can't touch them down field. I'll give you the five yard rule but that's it. When the flag goes flying and you don't know what they are going to call then there is something wrong.
The receiver having to catch the ball all the way to the ground. What happened to the ground can't cause a fumble? Yesterday in the Cincy-Baltimore game a Bengal receiver catch the ball for a touchdown ran two steps had control of the ball until he was knocked out of bounds and the ball came free when he hit the ground. If that rule applies why then doesn't it apply to a runner who fumbles when he is tackled and loses the ball when he hits the ground?
Last week in the Charger game, the Chargers had a touchdown taken away when the defender was out of bounds tried to pull the ball away from the receiver who caught the ball in bounds and never went out of bounds. By rule it was incomplete. Are you kidding me?
I am all for the helmet to helmet hits they have to go. But what happens when the runner lowers his head and he is the one starting the contact?
If the NFL wants to stay as the #1 sport on TV in the world except during World Cup they had better make the game so when a play happens it is easy for everybody to see what went on. The way it is now until until the review who knows what they are going to call?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Turnover Battle
We walk out of games and you hear this all the time. We didn't play well. We forget that there is always another team on the other side of the ball and their job is to win just like ours. We hardly ever recognize how well the other team played because all we remember is the bad that we did to lose the game. Most cases the bad was caused by the other side.
Friday night Tarboro had a bad snap on a punt in which they gave up the ball deep in their own territory at Edenton. Yes that may have been a mistake by Tarboro. They made up for it by blocking the extra point. Was the block a good play by Tarboro or a bad one by Edenton? Sometimes coaches see things that they think they can take advantage of. Since later on Tarboro blocked another extra point I suspect that was a good play by Tarboro over bad ones by Edenton.
Tarboro fumble again at their 15 yard line in which Edenton scored. They also fumble and one of their own players picked up the ball and raced for a score. A bad play by the Vikes turned good. Another bad snap on an extra point Tarboro was able to score two points when all they were doing was running for their life after a bad play.
When they added up the score Tarboro had won 28-26 because of two blocked extra points or maybe even dumb luck scoring a two point conversion after they had messed up. The bottom line Edenton and Tarboro were even Steven on the football field an one is as good as the other. Any way you look at it the team that made the most mistakes lost or the team that made the most plays won. It is hard to say either side didn't play well. Just one had more points than the other.
Tarboro's scenic tour of Eastern North Carolina which has carried them from the coast of Southeastern North Carolina and back again to the inland shore of Northeastern North Carolina. Tarboro will get to stay home this Friday hosting South Columbus this week's team who has to learn the telephone area code. Just one more game until a 70 mile ride which could be the shortest of the playoffs to Carter Finley on December 3rd. Before that happens the Vikings must win the turnover battle or make good things happen if they don't.
Friday night Tarboro had a bad snap on a punt in which they gave up the ball deep in their own territory at Edenton. Yes that may have been a mistake by Tarboro. They made up for it by blocking the extra point. Was the block a good play by Tarboro or a bad one by Edenton? Sometimes coaches see things that they think they can take advantage of. Since later on Tarboro blocked another extra point I suspect that was a good play by Tarboro over bad ones by Edenton.
Tarboro fumble again at their 15 yard line in which Edenton scored. They also fumble and one of their own players picked up the ball and raced for a score. A bad play by the Vikes turned good. Another bad snap on an extra point Tarboro was able to score two points when all they were doing was running for their life after a bad play.
When they added up the score Tarboro had won 28-26 because of two blocked extra points or maybe even dumb luck scoring a two point conversion after they had messed up. The bottom line Edenton and Tarboro were even Steven on the football field an one is as good as the other. Any way you look at it the team that made the most mistakes lost or the team that made the most plays won. It is hard to say either side didn't play well. Just one had more points than the other.
Tarboro's scenic tour of Eastern North Carolina which has carried them from the coast of Southeastern North Carolina and back again to the inland shore of Northeastern North Carolina. Tarboro will get to stay home this Friday hosting South Columbus this week's team who has to learn the telephone area code. Just one more game until a 70 mile ride which could be the shortest of the playoffs to Carter Finley on December 3rd. Before that happens the Vikings must win the turnover battle or make good things happen if they don't.
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