Injuries Mount

This young Gryphon football is not a bad team at all. Yes, they are young and inexperienced. Whenever you are having growing pains the one thing you can't stand to happen is injuries. We are already inexperienced enough and the replacement for the injured has less than the persons who are sidelined.

Sometimes injuries are a blessing in disguise. If they happen early enough and before the season is over some of those injured come back and those that played while they were out improve. The best example of that was the 83' State basketball team when Derrick Whittenberg broke his foot midway through the season and he got back just in time for the tournament and all those who had filled in for him played bigger roles in the playoffs leading to a National championship.

Time will tell with this Gryphon football teams health.

Volley ball moves to 3-0 in conference play as they take Fike 3-0 tonight in the Gryphon Gym. They are now 8-2 and travel to Southern Thursday to meet the Firebirds again for the second time. Thye beat Southern in the County Tournament earlier this year in four sets.

If you lasted until 2.00am this morning then you had the pleasure to watch the two most clutch quarterbacks in the NFL do their thing last night.

Despite not liking New England you have to give Tom Brady his due. It seemed to me he short armed a lot of throws last night not stepping into his throws because of his knee. But, when the game was on the line he way money.

During the Charger game in the third quarter they lost two linemen to help protect Philip Rivers. They looked like they had not practiced all year. In the last seven minutes River took the Chargers down the field twice with an assortment of flips, side arm passes and on the money throws. During his three plus years as a starter in the NFL Rivers has the best quarterback rating in the fourth quarter almost 115. Last night was also his tenth comeback win in forty nine starts.

Too bad the Panthers don't have him as their QB.

Volley Ball Falls

So far this fall season the athletic teams of Rocky Mount high are doing extremely well. Today was not a good day for Volley ball as they fell in non-conference action to South Central. This drops their overall record to 7-2 and 2-0 on conference action. Volley ball has a conference match at home Tuesday against Fike.

We haven't spoken too much about girls tennis so far but they are 7-2 on the season and also are 2-0 in conference play.

The team that is on fire right now is Soccer. Through ten matches they are unbeaten at 8-0-2. They are playing tonight at Eastern Wayne. They don't begin their conference play until next Monday.

I was unable to get to football practice today to get a feel of how the team is responding after getting whacked at Hertford County. Will try to get an injury report.

Sunday's NFL action saw Drew Brees who could be the best passing quarterback in the NFL throw six touchdown passes. It also saw the biggest motor mouth of the off season Jay Cutler throw four picks Both of those stats lead the NFL in week one going into Monday night's double header.

Brees could very well be the Sonny Jergenson of the 60's or the Dan Marino of the 90's. A lot of yards but no championships.

Need to take a nap. Chargers and Philip Rivers don't come on the tube until 10.15 which means it will be after one am before the game is over. 5.15am comes early at my house.

Panthers Declawed

Is it me or does Jake Delhomme look like he's 40 years old or what. His last two games at Bank of America Stadium he has thrown nine interceptions.

The Carolina Panthers have never had back to back winning seasons in their brief history. The way they played today don't count on this being the first time to have back to back winning seasons.

What in the world is Donavan McNabb doing running with the ball ahead by 21 in the second half?

If Brett Farve only throws the ball 20 times a game like today the Vikings will win the Super Bowl.

You had better look out for the Forty Niners. Kind of reminds me of Tom Coughlin in New York. Do you remember the team almost revolted because practice was too tough.? When they finally bought in they won a Super Bowl.

Mike Singletary pulled his britches down in one practice to prove a point. I bet they make the playoffs this year.

If you pull for N C State then you got a chance to see Mike Glennon throw a few in State's win over Murray State. If Russell Wilson goes down State will be in good hands. I saw a couple of throws last night that no State quarterback has made since 17 played there. For you non Wolfpack Fans that's Philip Rivers.

There are just some people that it is hard to pull for them. I like Notre Dame but I find it hard to pull for their coach.

Jay Cutler is my most hated NFL Player. He is cocky, arrogant, and in the clutch a loser. I just don't know why the media loves him so much.

The injury report will have some new names for Rocky Mount next week. I'll fill you in tomorrow.

I picked Southwest to beat Hunt but not by 34. The only undefeated team left in the Big East is Southern Nash. They have not been 4-0 since 1990.

I understand Southwest fans are already in line to get into the game Friday night with Rocky Mount. I know it is only Sunday night but I think you had better start thinking of being at the game by 6.30.

Don't give up on the Gryphons yet.

If you pull for Northern they need your support more than ever. The players for Northern are giving it all they have. They need for a lucky play to go their way and you had better look out when it happens.

Big Four Wins.

We will have to go back into the history books to see the last time all four of the ACC's North Carolina teams won on the same Saturday.

Wake won it's first game of year by beating Stanford in an ACC-Pac-10 show down. Wake down 17-3 shuts out Stanford in the second half to win 24-17.

Duke went up the Hudson River in one of those special places to play football at Army and comes back down the river winning 35-19. It's their first win of the season.

North Carolina uses a holding penalty in the end zone by Connecticut with a minute to play to fly past U Conn 12-10. Can't wait to hear from you Carolina fans at what a great job Butch Davis is doing. Carolina is now 2-0

North Carolina State failed to get a touchdown last week against South Carolina but score twice in the first four minutes against Murray State. 65-7 was the final. The Wolfpack defense has only given up 14 points so far this year.

Terrell Hudgins makes 11 grabs Saturday and scored a touchdown to go along with 134 yards receiving as Elon goes to 2-0 as they beat a church team Presbyterian 49-0.

Stephan Virgil sat out today a Virginia Tech. He got hurt with 29 seconds to play in the Bama game and I guess he missed today from that injury.

ECU who got a scare from App State last week as the Mountaineers came back in the second half, today ECU is shut out in the second half and lost at West Virginia 35-20.

There are those who will tell you that they love watching games on TV and they don't have to worry about traffic and the ride home. There is so much at a football game that TV never shows.

I went to the NC State game tonight and today was armed forces day. From the parachute team who landed on the field to a half time show saluting the our service men with an American flag covering the entire field there is something about being at college football games. Whether you have season tickets or go when you can college football games are a lot more than what the TV shows you.

Gryphons Get Gryphoned By The Bears

How many times in the last five years has a defensive player for the other team think they have made a play and Rocky Mount would get twenty yards or seventy five yards.

Tonight Gryphon football got a taste of their own medicine as Hertford County made the big plays when it looked as if Rocky Mount had made a stop.

What did this game mean to Hertford County? With less than a minute to play HC Coach Scott Privott got a gatorade bath from his players. This is only the fourth game of the season and no trophies were given out Friday night, but Hertford County ended a five game losing streak to the Gryphons when in all five of those loses HC thought they could win even though in some cases the scores were routs.

Talk about making big plays Hertford County picks a Gryphon fumble out of the air on the one yard line and rumbles seventy yard.

A bad snap from center on a extra point results in a two point pass play for the Bears.

As time is running out in the half Rocky Mount deflects a pass in the end zone caught by the intended receiver as he laid on the ground.

I can't count the times the Gryphon defense had HC in 3rd and twelve and they got a first down.

Tonight Hertford County made the plays and Rocky Mount paid the price.

If you look back over the years Rocky Mount has had a tough time defensing a scat back quarter back and tonight Rocky Mount had no answer for Antonio Vaughn who by the way got a hundred yards against us last year.

HC rushed for 268 yards and I would suspect most of that came on third down. Rocky Mount was held to 161 rushing but I bet they had several running plays that lost ten yards or more.

Collins Cuthrell passed for 102 yards on 9-17 passing but he was pressured all night in fact he had to make a throw left handed on one pass which he completed.

Too much Hertford County as the Bears whip Rocky Mount 41-21.

In other local action Northern Nash loses another close game 13-7 to South Central. Tarboro took it easy on North Edgecombe winning 46-6. Hunt also drops from the unbeaten ranks getting ripped by Southwest Edgecombe 42-8. Beddingfield beat Fike 27-7.

The only conference member to win was Southern Nash a 21-16 winner over Roanoke Rapids. I don't want to burst any Southern Nash fans bubble but that is not a good score for Southern. Southern is now 4-0.

Good news for Nash Central fans they did not play tonight. Almost all that did play wish they didn't as the Big East goes one win and four losses. Tough night to be from Nash County

Time To See What We Have Got.

Friday Night Rocky Mount travels to Ahoskie to play Hertford County. Rocky Mount comes in 2-0. Hertford County will be sitting in wait with a 3-0 record.

The overall series against HC, RM leads 5-0. You have to believe the Bears think this is their time to knock off Rocky Mount. The Bears have ruffed up 1-A Gates County, 2-A Bertie and smothered Nash Central last week. The Gryphons don't have much edge on the competition having beaten 4-A Northern Durham who is 0-3 and 1-A Northampton East. Both of these teams will have a better feel for where they are after Friday night.

Drew Pasteur has made the Gryphons and eleven point favorite. I think that may be way high for this one and if we walk off the field a winner, I'll take it.

Tonight the JV football Gryphons showed the good crowd on hand that they know how to move the football. The also played poor defense but won a basketball game 48-36 over the Bears JV's.

Gryphon soccer beat South Central today 9-1 after beating Webb last night 4-1. So far this year the soccer boys are 8-0-2.

Girls volley ball wins their second conference game beating Hunt tonight. They are now 7-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big East 3-A. JV Volley ball lost for the first time this year at Hunt to drop to 4-1 on the season.

Gryphon football has a test at Hertford County. Kickoff is set for 7.30. I know everyone thinks HC is in another state but the stadium is really easy to get to. Take 64 east until you get to Highway 11 turn left and follow highway 11 until 561 which is about 40 miles. Turn Right, the stadium is 1 mile on left.

I could tell you all the short cuts but I realize it will be dark and you might get lost and not make the kickoff.

This is a special game for me. From the day I graduated from Ahoskie High in 1971 until I moved in 1993, I was in the booth for 183 wins and saw only 68 losses in the twenty two years I covered Ahoskie and Hertford County. It is going to be difficult to pull against them in that stadium.

If you don't travel catch all the action on AM 1390. Pregame starts at 7.00 with the kickoff at 7.30. Join Wes and me for all the action.

Peppers Named Team Captain

Southern Nash's Julius Peppers has been named one of the team captains for this years Carolina Panthers football team. Peppers who during the off season stated that he wanted to be traded while contract negotiations were under way never did sign a contract so the Panthers put the franchise label on him which means he must be paid the average of the top five players at his position in the NFL. That works out to about 16 million plus that he will make this year.With every thing that goes on during the off season players don't care until it's time to bucket up the chin strap.

The last time the Lady Gryphons volley ball team played Roanoke Rapids the match went to the fifth set tie breaker before the Gryphons won. Last night the Lady Gryphons took down RR in in three straight sets to push their record to 6-1 on the season. They travel to Hunt today for a conference match. The JV volley ball team sent their record to 5-0 beating the Yellow Jackets two straight sets.

The injury bug continues to take it's toll on the Gryphon football team. Trevor Tucker will not play Friday night when the Gryphons travel to Hertford County. Trevor is expected back next week after sitting this week with a leg injury. Tucker joins Spencer Bell and Carter Varnell already on the sidelines with injuries.

Last night I had the pleasure to be on Gattis Hodges radio show on WDLZ in Murfreesboro. Gattis the play by play voice of the Hertford County Bears has a local radio program which airs on Thursday nights and heard by all Bear fans in the surrounding area.

Hodges is like so many of us old radio guys, found a real job before he ever got into radio. There are so many networks on tv now days that kids fresh out of college get play by play jobs that don't even know how to plug up the equipment. Gattis has done it all and if he had of been closer to a big market could have easily made it on any network.

Gattis is one of the really good guys in our business.

Tonight JV football is home to the HC Cubs. I'll be on PA tonight for the first time this year. Had to miss the first game due to those things that pop up on a daily basis being a parent.