Now That's A Rivalry

Growing up in Ahoskie we were members of the Albemarle conference. Starting in 1947 until 1972 the Albemarle won the state championship in 1-A or 2-A football 19 times.

Edenton's Holmes had six, Ahoskie and Williamston five titles, Perquimans two and even Gates County had a title.

Our rival game was Edenton. Back then it was always the eighth game on the schedule. Both towns literally rolled up the streets when ever they played each other. The rivalry was so intense that it spilled over even after you graduated.

In 1965 and 1966 there were alumni games played. In 65 it was in Edenton and 66 in Ahoskie. I was there and remember the scores 7-0 Edenton in 65 and 13-7 Ahoskie.

To tell you how close the series was in 1987 which was the last year of Ahoskie High school the teams had each won 24 times and there had been three ties.

They were so even, even the alumni games were tied overall.

Unfortunately like all good things either the government or insurance gets involved and ruins a good thing. It was stopped after two years because of the liability the schools had to cover to have the games.

I can finally say that I think the Rocky Mount -Northern Nash rivalry is getting close to the intensity that use to be displayed in the Ahoskie-Edenton series. Next Tuesday afternoon the faculty of both schools will square off in a basketball game to support the Nash County Relay for Life .

The game starts at 4.30 in the RMHS gym.

Mark "The Bird" Fidrych was a one hit wonder back in the 70's winning 19 games for the Detroit Tigers. A sore arm brought a quick end to his career even after winning the Rookie of the year in 1979.

How many of you remember the name Greg Cooke. He lead the NFL in passing in 1970 for the Cincinnati Bengals. Hurt his shoulder in the next preseason and never played again.

Can you think of any other one hit wonders in any sport? Let me know.

There's No Routine

Pat Smith and the Gryphon baseball team are getting a taste of what Winter sports teams go through every year when the Christmas break rolls around.

These last two weeks have been routine killers for a coach who wants to see a good practice and a game. Then turn it around and do it all over again. I know last week Pat let the baseball team go to the beach or where ever they wanted after the game on Saturday against Conley and did not practice again until Wednesday.

Then Friday and Saturday played three games. Now no game until Thursday. The Gryphons travel to Fike for the first place battle Thursday night and then get back to a normal life with two games on Tuesday and Thursday of next week.

Will Johnson the middle son of Wanda and Don Johnson is putting a senior season together that will make the whole family proud, even "Baseball"Britt and little brother Grant.

Will a former Gryphon shortstop is batting 342 with three home runs in his finest season for Barton. There was a streak at one point where Will had eight straight hits.

Former Nash Central baseball player Xavier Macklin continues to star as a freshman for NC A&T. This past weekend the X-Man" had two games in a row with five rbi's. Right now he is hitting 351 five home runs and 25 rbi's. I think he is a lock for Rookie of the year in the MEAC conference.

Pro Hockey starts the long road to the Stanley Cup Wednesday. The Hurricanes start at New Jersey the same team they beat in the first round of the 2006 Stanley Cup year.

What in the world is up with Lebron James?His side show at basketball games got started when he would throw the white dust up into the air at the start of games. Now he's flexing his muscles and beating his chest. OH no this isn't the start of another Terrell Owens is it.? LeBron is doing a whole lot of show boating for a man who has not won a championship yet.

I would rather see a quiet assassin over a loud mouth TO.

The Masters- It Really Is Special

It must be because it is the official sign of spring or maybe the Dogwoods. It is just like the CBS advertisement. It's unlike any other.

The US Open and The Open in England are Majors. They play different courses every year. I have seen the Masters so many times that they can show a shot from the tee and I can tell you which hole it is.

The people of Augusta National add to the lure of the Masters by stating they don't care about advertising dollars from TV and let you watch 56 minutes of every hour of golf. There is no Thursday and Friday all day coverage like others. Even TV starts only at 3.00pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

There is nothing like sitting back on a Sunday afternoon and watching the Masters. The moment the TV came on the air Tiger Woods and Phil Michelson dominated the TV while the leaders plodded along in TV obscurity never giving up the lead while Woods and Michelson played.

Those of you who are too young to remember but TV has always followed the great ones regardless of where they were on the leader board.

Arnold Palmer is the reason golf is on TV today because of his charisma back in the late 50's when golf first appeared on TV. His always try to make every shot was perfect for TV. By the late 60's Jack Nicklaus was the best and TV followed every shot whether he was one back or ten which always made me mad because I wanted to watch Arnold.

You know when Arnold turned fifty there was no senior tour. But Arnold was such fan favorite that they created a senior event in which they played best ball on teams. It was such a hit that the senior tour was born.

Yesterday was a CBS dream until Tiger finally acted mortal and Phil finally realized he can't putt a lick.

It didn't matter to me that the last two and a half hours were without Tiger.

I have never been to Augusta but I know I would be shaking in my shoes on the 12th tee. My second or third shot into 13 or 15. Augusta is set up almost on every hole with reward versus disaster. If you go for it and miss you pay a dear price.

I had no favorite player yesterday but I pulled for the old guy Kenny Perry. I like Chad Campbell and it sure was fun watching Angel Cabarrea knock it behind trees and make par.

When I no longer have life on this earth. Heaven will be sitting in a recliner watching the Masters.

It's unlike any other.

Easter Schedule Messed UP

Nash County schools being out the week before Easter and practically everyone else out the week after Easter, has messed the schedules up.

This year there was no Easter Baseball tournament in Rocky Mount for the first time in years. It didn't bother the four Nash County Schools but those that could play could only play next week not last week.

So the Gryphons play three in almost a day. one on Friday and two on Saturday.

Next week baseball has a conference game on Thursday at Fike an that is it next week.

Finally the following week we have Nash Central on Tuesday April 21st and Northern on the 24th to get back on a regular schedule.

Ben Fish had a big weekend running his Career RBI totals to 66. His next RBI he will be the all time run knocker inner in Gryphon history.

Wes Bradshaw has missed the last two home days behind the microphone doing PA. Wes has found out that life performs better with a income from a job which he has just started in the last couple of weeks. I know it is killing his soul not to be there but somebody has to pay the light bill.

The Carolina Hurricanes finish in the 6th position in the eastern standings and will play New Jersey in the opening round of the hockey playoffs. I think New Jersey is a good match up for the Canes.

The Charlotte Bobcats gave it a good shot but they have been eliminated from the NBA basketball playoffs. It is the first time in their short existence that they put a scare in the playoffs.

The schedule didn't do them any favors. They have just played two in a row on the road and their last two games of the year are on the road. They will be the first NBA team in history to have to play their last four games of a season on the road.

You know I am not a fan of rankings. I don't care whether it's the AP football pole or CNN/ESPN or more locally Impact baseball's North Carolina pole. Riverside came to Rocky Mount yesterday as the #1 team in 4-A team in the Impact Baseball pole. I think what most folks saw was a team that would have a hard time making the playoffs in the NEW-6 3-A.

If next week Rocky Mount returns to the #1 spot in 3-A don't hold you breathe. Poles haven't won a game this year or any other.

I do think that today's technology that the computers rankings are very accurate I think 90%.

#1 4-A Riverside Loses Twice to Gryphons

My last blog on Thursday I was very concerned about the baseball team having nearly a week off and then playing what was basically for first place against Southwest Edgecombe in the NEW-6 and turning around within 24 hours and playing the #1 baseball team in 4-A in Riverside in a double header.

Once again pitching has proven to be some of the best in th state as the Gryphons win 9-1 against SWE to move to 3-0 in conference play.

Benton Moss went six innings keeping the Gryphon starters undefeated this season. Parker Helms and Collins Cuthrell had a couple of hits a piece but it took a Brian Goodwin Home run in the fifth inning to get the Gryphons on the score board.

Forced to play two games against Riverside High School after our scheduled Saturday game at their place was rained out several Saturdays ago.

I have just gotten back into town after being at Nags Heads for a couple of days so at this point I don't have all the details but the Gryphons have beaten the Pirates today in a double header 7-4 and 9-4.

These are the first two losses of the year for Riverside.

Winning these three games in the last 24 hours the Gryphons are now 12-1 on the season and now have a ten game winning streak.

They only defeat of the year was the nine inning affair with Rose in which Rose won 5-4.

I have been told by a reliable source that Nick Adenhart the California Angels pitcher who was killed by a drunk driver Thursday morning has ties to the twin county area. Adenhart's Williamsport Maryland high school team play in the Tarboro Easter tournament when Adenhart played at Willamsport.

Adenhart was headed to Carolina until he was drafted by the Angels in 2005.

The answer to my trivia question from Thursday...

Who is the only player in the Pro football Hall of Fame who never played in the NFL???

Billy Shaw. Shaw play for the Buffalo Bills of the old AFL from 1961-1969. He retired before the Bills became part of the AFC of the NFL. All other AFL players from that era played at least one year after the AFL team joined the NFL.

Battle Best in Area

Dyonna Battle has been named the "Rocky Mount Telegram" girls basketball player of the year. Battle who is in the top ten all time girls scorers at Rocky Mount will be able to cap off her high school basketball career in fine fashion being named the areas best player.

Geoffrey Williams has been announced as a winner for A National Achievement Scholarship worth $2,500

Erika Wesonga another Gryphon senior also has won a National Merit Scholarship. Her's is for $2,000 per year totaling $8,000. Ericka has already won the Morehead Cain Scholarship to Carolina, and she is in the finals of the Benjamin Duke Scholarship to Duke. Erika will have to choose which one she wants between Duke and Carolina.

Congratulation to both Geoffrey and Ericka.

The only scholarship offer I got my senior year was $50 to not come back to school next year.

Now that college basketball is over it is time for the underclassmen to announce that they want to be considered for the NBA Draft.

Jeff Teague of Wake Forest is the latest who thinks he is worthy on being a pro player.

The NBA has to do something about this. I personally don't think Blake Griffin the best college basketball player this year is ready. He's only a sophomore. What has Teague done since Christmas that justifies that he's ready.

The NFL will not take a player until three years after high school. Baseball you either go right out of high school or wait until at least after your junior year. Basketball is watered down with high priced players who can't play, are not mature enough to wipe their nose much less have a million dollars in their pocket. If the NBA would adopt either policy the NFL's plan or Baseball's, it would improve their quality and certainly improve college basketball.

Gryphon baseball is at Southwest Edgecombe Friday night at 7.00. They will do a Ernie Banks on Saturday and play two. Riverside will provide the opposing team at 1.00pm.

I'm heading to the beach this afternoon and will be without a computer until Saturday night.

I want to leave you with a trivia question today. I'll have the answer when I return.

Can you name the only player in the NFL Hall Of Fame who never played in the NFL????

School's Out Creates Slow Week

The Rocky Mount Gryphon baseball team swings back into action Friday Night with a conference game at Southwest Edgecombe at 7.00pm.

The Gryphons are off to a 9-1 start and are 2-0 in conference play. So they are off for a week and then play three games in two days. They play a doubleheader at 1.00pm Saturday against Riverside High School.

If there was ever a chance to fall off the mountain this is the weekend. SWE is playing much better than any other conference year for them since they have been in the NEW-6. 4-A Riverside is a real good ball club.

Pitching has carried this team so far. A week off most of the time hurts pitching more than hitting. If our pitching staff is not as sharp as they have been all season I could see them losing a couple this weekend.

If they were to win all three this weekend maybe this team has a chance to be special.

I have found out recently of coach Gary Smith at Nash Central has Cancer. Gary like so many coaches is always a big help to me when ever I'm doing a ball game at Central. We will keep Gary and his family in our players during his fight.

I know this is old news but it is the first time I've spoken of it. Ritchie Pridgen at Fike High has retired as football coach. He retired in December but he was hoping to come back after six months and double dip. A complication has developed and Ritchie will not come back in July. Too bad for Fike.

Too bad for all of us

You know the State of North Carolina has a shortage of teachers. Once you get thirty years in with the state and most of the time for teachers that puts them at 52 to 55 years old. That's too young for the pasture.

The state in these economics stressed times needs to improve the retirement system to where by staying longer than 30 years improves their retirement, As it is now you gain nothing by staying longer the first time through.

Could the Stanley cup return to Raleigh in 2009? If the last six weeks is any indication the Hurricanes right now are the best team in hockey. They have won nine games in a row including a 9-0 whitewash of the New York Islanders last night. The only problem about being the best team now is, when the playoffs start next week the season will not be over to June.

If he were alive today Jim"Catfish" Hunter would have been 63 years old today. Not only did I have his baseball cards growing up but why do I remember that date?

Back in 1962 and 1963 when I was the bat boy for the Ahoskie American Legion team in which Jimmy played for, I remember going to the first game of the season which I think was in Benson and coach Al Vaughn was checking birth certificates to make sure there was no slip ups.

I was riding the hump in the front seat calling off the players name and birth date and he was checking his roster.

Isn't it funny some of the most insignificant things that you remember all your life.