ACC Tournament

I had a very hard time getting into the ACC Tournament on Thursday with only one "big Four " team playing N C State.

As I have done all year with this Wolfpack team I just sat back and watch the game and waited. Most of the time I scream at the TV but I have learned that you can't expect too much from this team. Sure enough they lose by five.

I could care less about the Virgina Tech -Miami game. Georgia Tech is the Georgia version of N C State and Clemson has never won many games in the ACC tournament. I don't think they have won as many games as Carolina has won Championships. Then Last night Virginia and BC. Who won? cause I didn't watch.

Since Pitt, U Conn and Oklahoma all losing yesterday I think Carolina will get a Number one seed for sure now. So whether Ty Lawson plays or sits with his big toe is not much of a national problem for Carolina.

However, How much value do you put in winning the ACC Title? Remember the ACC history book shows the tournament champion as the conference champ not the regular season #1 seed.

I doubt Lawson plays today but Saturday is a different story. If this big toe thing stays an issue over the next couple of weeks this years Carolina team chances are out the window for winning the national championship.

You know every team is hit with injuries which you can look back later and say that cost us a banner but I don't remember an injury any more fatal for Carolina than in 1984 when Steve Hale was slammed into the base of the goal post by an LSU player back in Michael Jordan last year. Hale broke his wrist.

It has been so long since it happened but I do not recall the LSU player being ejected from the game. It has been so long ago I can't remember. Carolina was like 19-1 at the time and without Hale the season slipped away a slow death.

The pro career that Michael Jordon had everyone forgets his college career was not as good as his pro years were, but everyone remembers his college years now as if he was the greatest college player ever. Jordan wouldn't even make my top ten all time ACC players.

But, everyone remember his shot in 82 when they won the title his freshman year.

The top three seeds in this years ACC tournament are UNC,Wake and Duke. I suspect two will play for the title with Florida State being the possible outsider.

If you catch my drift that means I'm picking Carolina and Wake in the finals Sunday.

So it's time for the real ACC tournament to start the quarter finals. Let me find my recliner and let the games begin.

Gryphons Back On Track

When you are the defending state champion, you can expect to see the other teams' No. 1 starter.

That was the case again Thursday as Roanoke Rapids sent UNC-Wilmington signee Tyler Deloatch to the hill in Roanoke Rapids against the Gryphons.

Deloatch is the fourth straight D-I recruit that the Gryphons have faced in their four games (South Granville's Josh Darroach - unsigned; Wesleyan Christian's Logan Self - Campbell; J.H. Rose's Tanner Merritt - ECU).

After pitching his ace on Tuesday, RM head coach Pat Smith chose to pitch his No. 3 starter in shortstop Dillon Cockrell and he rewarded Smith with four innings of one-hit baseball. Sophomore Benton Moss pitched the last three innings in relief allowing only one hit as Rocky Mount edged the Yellow Jackets 3-2.

All three Gryphon runs scored with the bases loaded, two on walks and one scored on a hit batter.

Deloatch struck out 14 of the 18 Gryphons he got out, but in between, Brian Goodwin had a double, Gabe Brown, Carter Varnell, Ben Fish and Thomas Berry all had singles mixed in with the walks and errors supplied by the Yellow Jackets.

The duo of Cockrell and Moss combined to strike out seven and allowed just two hits as the Gryphons have now started out winning three out of their first four.

Weather permitting, Rocky Mount travels to Durham Riverside Saturday to take on the No. 4-ranked 4-A team in the state.

In all three Gryphon victories this year, the starting pitching has thrown at least four inning and in each game allowed only one hit through four innings.

The Gryphons' top three starters have all won one game apiece with Hobbs Johnson, Benton Moss joining Cockrell with victories. Johnson and Moss each have a save to go along with a save provided by Nick Hahula in the season-opening win.

As reported a couple of days ago, Xavier Macklin and his N.C. A&T teammates played in Raleigh Wednesday against N.C. State in baseball. Macklin, the Nash Central grad, knocked in a run in the first inning, but it wasn't enough as the Wolfpack pounded A&T 16-3.

One day last week I predicted State and Davidson would be a first-round NIT matchup in basketball. After tonight, the Wolfpack awaits an NIT bid as any thoughts of winning the ACC Tournament are dashed by Maryland in first-round play The Wolfpack has played well in a lot of games - just well enough to lose.

Let The Basketball Begin!

There is nothing quite like the ACC Tournament. Over the years, other conferences have bad mouth the tournament, but in the end, every major conference except one has a tournament.

Back in 1991, I was sitting home one Saturday afternoon and the phone rings. It was at halftime of the second semifinal of the day at the Charlotte Coliseum. Duke was already in and Carolina was about to join them in the finals that following Sunday.

My boss at the time was C.T. Spruill of Windsor. He was a major contributor at Carolina. He has his name on the wall at the Dean Dome for his part in helping pay off the Dean Dome before they ever played a game there. He also had eight seats about eight rows up across the floor from Dean Smith at the time.

C. T. and I had many a good argument about Carolina and State over the years and I had used those eight seats many times.

He ask me what I was doing. Please note that I am paraphrasing here. I said I hope I'm watching Carolina lose. After some more paraphrasing, he ask me if I wanted to come to the game on Sunday. Without hesitation, of course, I said yes.

He said that he been there since Tuesday night and he didn't want to watch Duke beat UNC the next day.

He said he'd leave his four tickets with the concierge at the Marriott, and for me and Pat come on up tonight and stay in his suite.

Now, this is like 5:30 on a Saturday afternoon. I was getting ready to go Hertford County's gym to call a sectional basketball finals on the radio. I tell Pat to pack our bags when I get back from the ball game, we are going to drive to Charlotte to go to the ACC finals.

Around 9.15 that night, I am back home and I throw a few bags in the car and off we go - Pat and my daughter Stephanie, who was in the back seat. By the way, Morgan was not born yet, so she was still 18 years from making the A-B Honor roll (yes, it is official. Morgan has made her first A-B honor roll at RMHS).

We slipped into Charlotte around 1.30 in the morning. After parking, I go prancing up to the checkin desk at the Marriott and ask for a package for me. Sure enough, I get a yellow envelope which looks like an envelope interoffice mail would be put in.

I open the package and there are four tickets, the room key and a pass for four people to eat breakfast with the Rams Club at 9 a.m. Sunday.

Can you believe that this Wolfpacker is going to get a free breakfast off the Rams Club?

We head up to our room, or should I say suite, and sack out until about 8 a.m. We get ready and I did wear the only blue shirt I had at the time. It was closer to Duke blue than Carolina blue, but at least I tried.

We entered this room full of UNC heavyweights. The Bill Fridays, the Skipper Bowles and the likes. I would have to say that this was the most high-class breakfast I have ever had. We got a lot of half- smiles and curious looks as nobody there knew who we were, but we didn't get kicked out.

We had four tickets to the game and only three people. The very first college-looking kid we saw with a sign "need a ticket" we stopped and I gave him one of our tickets.

Our seats are on the second row underneath one of the baskets right beside the Carolina Pep Band. Just about five minutes before the game starts, the kid who we had given the ticket to comes walking to his seat and he is in Heaven. You could just tell he had never had a seat that good in his life.

I really had a good time at the game and about halfway-pulled for Carolina, even though Duke won by 20 on its way to the national championship.

I think I'll call C.T. to see what he is doing this weekend!

A Non-Conference Classic

What would you expect when the defending 4-A and 3-A champions get together to have an afternoon of fun in the sun?

Seven innings is not enough!

Rose scores in the top of the ninth with a runner on second on a ball that never left the infield. The Rampants beat the Gryphons 5-4.

This was a game that had timely pitching . Starter Tanner Merritt from Rose pitch six good innings and left the game expecting to win with a 4-2.

Gryphon Starter Hobbs Johnson Struck out eleven of the fifteen outs that he recorded but all three of his walks scored and he left in the fifth losing 4-2.

But with two outs and no one on in the bottom of the seventh three straight hits high lighted by Chris Pittman's two RBI single and the Gryphons lived to play extra innings.

Nick Hahula pitched the final four inning for the Gryphons and gets the hard luck loss. Hahula gave up only four hits and struck out three in relief.

On the day Johnson and Hahula combined to strike out 14 Rampants and allowed 9 hits and walked just three.

The Gryphons scattered nines hits on the day but all four of their runs occurred with two outs and no one on base.

Thomas berry had one RBI along with Dillon Cockrell who drove in a run. Chris Pittman also plated two runners.

Brian Goodwin had two hits, walked twice and stole two bases,but was left on base in the first on second base and ninth inning while standing on third.

Ben Fish and Chris Pittman also had two hits while Dillon Cockrell, Collins Cuthrell and Thomas Berry all had singles.

Regardless of the final score if you went to the game today and didn't leave feeling you had watched a terrific ball game then I don't know what it would take to please you other than a Gryphon victory.

The Gryphon's are back in action Thursday at Roanoke Rapids.

Like I predicted last night Ty Lawson is ACC player of the year. There is a load of bad news for Tarheel fans as Lawson's big toe is ailing worse now that before Sunday's game Against Duke. He may sit out the ACC Tournament which starts for Carolina on Friday.

I can see him missing Friday's game but I can't imagine him not playing Saturday and Sunday even if his toe is twice as big as his shoe.

In other local action Northern Nash whipped D H Conley 11-4 to record their first win of the season.

MVP Of ACC?

The All-ACC men's basketball team was announced today and Tyler Hansbrough was the leading vote getter. Most of the time, that means he will be named Player of the Year.

However, Hansbrough led the All- ACC team by only two votes. Teammate Ty Lawson and Florida State's Toney Douglas are right behind him on the All-ACC squad Gerald Henderson of Duke and Jack McClinton of Miami fill out the first five.

I only have one problem with Hansbrough being the Payer of the Year. He is not the MVP of the Carolina Basketball team. Ty Lawson is.

Early in the year when Hansbrough was injured, the Heels won big. When Lawson had a bad night, Carolina lost. Midseason when Hansbrough was not the Hansbrough we know, Carolina won as long as Lawson was grooving, when he wasn't, they lost games.

If I asked you Carolina fans if they had to play the NCAA tournament with out one or the other, I think the vote would overwhelming being Hansbrough sits.

This is not a hate Hanbrough's night even though he is the best ever at leaning in and falling back and flopping. He is good enough to know how to do that and get away with it and somehow or other make the ball go in the hole at the same time.

It's time to give some love to the Charlotte Bobcats. Tonight, they stand one game out of a playoff spot in the eastern division and have a 28-35 record. Since the Bobcats have been in existence, Charlotte's best year was winning 30 games.

The Bobcats still have 18 games to go in the regular season to break their franchise best and make the playoffs. They have won four in a row.

The Hurricanes beat the Rangers tonight and are again in the playoffs. They are beginning to look like the Canes of '06 when they won the Lord Stanley's Cup.

There may not be a better baseball game played at Gryphon Stadium this year than the one tomorrow. The defending state 4-A champs come calling on the defending 3-A champs.

I think Rose will be angry at this game. The Gryphons swept the Rampants last year. They haven't done that since Whisler's mother was alive!

Nash Central fans take note. N.C. State plays host to N.C. A&T on Wednesday at Doak Field. A&T will be led by freshman Xavier Macklin of Nash Centra,l who early in the season is hitting .371 for the Aggies. He leads the team in doubles with five. Game time is 3 p.m.

Duke-Maryland Best game Of The Day

The women played their ACC tournament today and Maryland in overtime beat Duke to win the ACC crown.

It doesn't matter to me whether it is a midget league game, when two teams are equal , sports can be fun to watch and this game was.

Carolina beat Duke to earn the No. 1 seed in next week's ACC men's tournament. Wake finishes in the No. 2 slot, Duke will take third and Florida State gets fourth.

Boston College and Clemson are the other teams in the league that managed at least eight conference wins but by being fifth and sixth they play Thursday with all the other have nots.

Due to poor finishes by Virginia Tech, Miami and Maryland, I think they will all join N.C. State in the NIT.

Davidson lost today in the Southern Conference tournament and I can see a Davidson-N.C. State first round match up in the NIT.

Duke played just good enough to lose against Carolina. They have improved with their new lineup, but are still weak in the middle defensively.

You would think the way WRAL-TV covered the postgame speeches by the Carolina's seniors Sunday night that they had won two or three national Championships in their four years. My last count was zero.

I haven't said much about them lately, but the Carolina Hurricanes are on a roll right now. They have scored 21 points in the last three games. If the season ended today, they would be in the playoffs but just barely.

The Canes bringing Eric Cole back for the stretch run is really good. Rod Brind'mour is my favorite player and Cole is my second favorite.

Gryphon baseball is off to a good start. Starting pitching has been excellent. But we all saw in last year's playoffs that they needed to develop a third starter to go along with Hobbs Johnson and Benton Moss.

You know during economic times like we are facing today that there are things in life that die due to the lack of funding to keep them going.

Richard Sarmeinto started the Stretchlon Sports Show more than six years ago. It has been on every Sunday night bringing you sports that our youth have been playing in.

In order for the show to continue, more sponsorship is needed. If you in any way can help keep the Stretchlon Sports show alive, please contact WHIG-TV and talk with them. If you express to me a comment on this blog, we will try to get in touch with you.

Pitching Is sharp in IMPACT Tournament

Northern Nash and Rocky Mount both played today in the IMPACT Invitational Baseball Classic at the USA Baseball Facility in Cary.

The IMPACT tournament is an opportunity see see how you compare with other teams that are highly thought of from around the state.

Northern took on highly regarded Ragsdale from Jamestown and its pitcher David Coffey was the pitcher of the day as he sat down Northern 7-0. And in doing so, pitched a no hitter.

Coffey outdueled Tyler Joyner, who was the the losing pitcher. Northern is now 0-2 after losing to highly-ranked D.H. Conley earlier in the week.

At 4.30 p.m. this afternoon:

The Rocky Mount Gryphons took to the field to play Wesyelan Christian from High Point, the NCISAA 3-A state champions last year.

Fort the second game in a row, the Gryphons get rock solid starting pitching as Benton Moss went to the hill for the Gryphons and went into the fifth inning before he was relieved by Hobbs Johnson.

Moss allowed one earned run in four plus inning and Johnson saw one unearned run cross the plate while he was on the mound.

The big bat today belonged to Thomas Berry as he had a two-run double in the third inning to work the Gryphons out to a 3-zip lead.

Johnson now has a win and a save for the Gryphons as they won in Cary, 5-2.

Brian Goodwin, Ben Fish, Dillon Cockrell and Johnson each collected hits again today for the Gryphons as they now go to 2-0 on the season.

Rocky Mount is back at home Tuesday against their No. 1 non-conference rival Rose. The first pitch is at 4.30.

Of all people, Terrell Owens has signed with the Buffalo Bills. Owens has scored the most touchdowns in the past three years than any other receiver, but he has also dropped the most passes. In the cold weather of Buffalo, I bet he leads the league in dropped passes again this year by a wide margin.

What a beautiful day today was. I understand the pontoon boat that is hung on the dam at the RM Reservoir is a real tourist attraction. Sorry, I missed it today. I understand they will raise the water Monday to let the boat go over the side. Look for your water bill to be high again next month.

Don't forget to change your clocks tonight. Spring forward!