J's final High school Game

J'Kyra Brown playing in her last high school game representing Rocky Mount High school Brown scored with 40 seconds to play on a rebound at the defensive end and took it all the way for a lay up and in doing so helped to secure a 67-60 East victory over the west in the annual East/West High school girls basketball game play in the Greensboro Coliseum Monday night.  J'Kyra along with two east teammates each had 12 points in the game to lead the way.  Kelsey Daniels scored two points in the game giving the Gryphons a total of 14 for the night.

There have been some players dropping out of the East/West All Star football  game Wednesday night and  Justin Ferrell from Southwest Edgecombe has been added to the roster. Players from this area that are playing besides Ferrell are Travonne Marshall Tarboro High and Jerod Richardson from Nash Central.

Tuesday night belongs to the soccer as two players and a coach from the Twin County area are in Greensboro taking part in the all star festivities this week during the NC High School Coaches Association meetings being held this week in Greensboro.  Southern Nash will have Carlos Levin on the east squad along with Tarboro's Travis Martin.  The East will be coached by Tarboro's Leshaun Jenkins.

Friday begins the State American Legion State Tournament in Wilson.  It all begins at 9:30 Friday Morning when Kernersville open play against the area four winner which is being played tonight.  The 12:30 will have Randolph County taking on the runner up in area four.  The opening ceremonies will be held at 3:30 Friday afternoon and then at 4:30 Garner will go up against Jacksonville.  The finale of the night will Have Post 13 from Wilson who has a losing record on the year play Wilmington Post 10 at 7:30.

Like to congratulate Nash County Babe Ruth 13U team winning the eastern State Championship and by doing so has earned a spot in the Southeast Regional in Tennessee August 1st.  I know in the last 10 years Nash County has made it all the way to the World Series at least  three times.  Twice it was held in Wilson with the last year being 2006 and 2005 making it to the World series finishing second in Quincy Ma. I have no connections with anyone on this team at all and sure would love to get someone to advise me how I can keep up with their progress as they continue their adventure.

Lefty Has All The Right Shots

I don't know if you are like me or not but if I happen to have had any contact with a professional athlete at all I tend to like them and pull for them.  If they went to a school in North Carolina is the second way that I pull for athletes regardless of the sport.  I have never met Phil Mickelson and when he came up and joined the tour he was maybe third on on list of people I like and didn't know.  I liked David Duval and Justin Leonard and then Lefty.  So this probably makes them 10th on my list of players I pull for.  Davis Love, Curtis Strange those guys all went to school here so they are ahead of Duval, Leonard and Mickelson.

Time passes and you have to admire the way life has unfolded for Lefty.  He  left practice at the US Open this year to fly home to see one of his daughters graduate middle school and fly back all night and led the Open after the first day.  His wife had breast cancer and he took time off from the tour to be with her.He just seems to have life figured out that golf pays the bills but the most important thing in life his his family.

It was one of the U S Opens played at Pinehurst where Mickelson's wife was about to give birth and he had a beeper set the second it went off to drop out of the U S Open and fly home.  Mickelson just seems to understand there is more to life than hitting that itty bitty ball.

Sunday watching as Lefty's caddy "Bones" Mackay break down and cry  for his boss winning the British Open.  This is Michelson 5th major not his first  but MacKay cried as if it was the first.  There just has to be something special about Phil Michelson that the people who are around him every day feel that the way they do for him.

How many times after a big one like Sunday has Phil's family been there to enjoy it with him.  I think we all have moments in our life when it is even better to have someone you love  there to share the moment with you.  The way he has conducted himself Phil Mickelson has moved up my list to just behind Webb Simpson(Wake) golfer as my favorite.  I wish more athletes understood there is more to life than winning at all cost.

Garner wrapped up the Area One Legion Championship last night beating Pitt County 12-2.  Garner will represent eastern North Carolina along with Wilson when the State American Legion Baseball Tournament begins this weekend at fleming Stadium.