Volley Ball Wins Nash County Tournament

Thursday night as the Lady Gryphon Volley ball team walked off the court having just lost 3-0 to South Central there was a feel that Volley ball had stood toe to toe with South Central and even though they lost there was this feeling that Lady Gryphon Volley ball could play with anybody in the east.

Today during the Nash County Volleyball Tournament the Lady Gryphons found out that nobody else cares that you think you might be good. Rocky Mount opened play Saturday morning against Southern Nash and quickly won the first game 25-10. Game two Southern had a much better game and lost to the Lady Gryphons 25-21. Disliking being down two games to none Southern scored the first eight points in game three and never looked back downing Rocky Mount 25-12. A new attitude was in the Lady Gryphon camp as Rocky Mount dispensed Southern in Game four 25-7 to move on to the championship match.

Game two Host Northern Nash and Nash Central decided to give the fans in attendance their monies worth as Nash Central won game one 25-8 but the next four games went to the wire. Northern won game two 25-21 Nash Central won game three 25-21. Just to survive Northern won game four 25-22 and set up the tie breaker in which the home standing Lady Knights won 15-11 to advance to the finals to take on the Lady Gryphons.

The third place match was won by Nash Central in four games 25-15,19-25,25-15 and the fourth game went extra time using a soccer term with Nash Central winning 28-26.

The championship game Rocky Mount roared out of the gate but by the end of game one Northern Nash had trimmed the final score to 25-18. Rocky Mount started strong again but midway through game two Northern hit a spell where they were in complete control winning game two 25-17. Northern hopped right out of the gate and had a big lead in game three before Rocky Mount steadied themselves but Northern took game three 25-19. Game four Rocky Mount lead early and held on from the rally that Northern made in game four but Rocky Mount evened the match winning 25-18.

This set up the fifth game winner take all and Rocky Mount settled in from the get go and beats Northern with a 15-9 fifth game win to take home the title.

Several players had outstanding games but for Rocky Mount in the championship match Brittany Battle had a string of serve points and she was the best player at the net.

There was no all tournament team picked but if there was my picks would be Logan Mcninch of Southern, Brittany Faulkner and Kadeisha Perry from Nash Central. Northern's reps would be Camille Branch, Kristin Ruffin and Haley Claytor. Lauren Campbell, Tia Hudgins and the MVP Brittany Battle would make it for Rocky Mount. This is not official just who I would have picked.

Good Start For Gryphons

The first play of the season was a 40 yard run by Darius Richardson which lead to a seven play 79 yard drive for a touchdown and Rocky Mount starts the season like the state championship is just around the corner. Just under three minutes into the game Rocky Mount lead 7-0 after Darius Richardson ran it in from the one. Fernando Alfaro added the extra point. Then Bertie took to the field and they preceded to run 33 of the next 43 plays in the half.

The Gryphon defense played soft in the first half and Bertie ran 31 times and produced 156 yards, but when they had to come up with the big defensive play the Gryphons did stopping Bertie on a fourth and one at the Gryphon 4 yards line. That would be as close to the goal line the Bertie offense would get.

Waldo Harris who completed 1-3 passes in the first half connected on a pass to Miguel Valdez and he scooted 68 yards and the Gryphons had their second big play of the game. Gryphons lead 13-0 at the half.

A B Whitley had the defense huddled under the goal post on the north end of Roy Bond Stadium and Dickie Shock had the offense over on the other side during the half time and when the defense started the second half had fire in their eyes and force five fumbles including a 75 yard fumble return for a touchdown by Naz Green and Rocky Mount lead 19-0 in the third quarter.

Tevin Taylor saw action in the second half at quarterback and tossed a twelve yard touchdown to Damien Strickland and the Gryphons were rolling. The Gryphons lost their shutout with 47 seconds to go in the game when Bertie picked up the only turnover of the night by Rocky Mount and raced 70 yards for their only score.

Bertie had 32 yard more of offense than Rocky Mount but after having 174 total yards at the half the Gryphon held Bertie to only 60 yards in the second and 29 of those came on one play. Rocky Mount had only 28 rushing attempts for 120 yards while they added 82 passing yards.

Gryphons win 2010 opener 26- 7 over the Bertie Falcons.

Northern Nash after five years of no non-conference wins jumps on Beddingfield 21-0 and holds on to win 21-13.

Nash Central finds out Tarboro is still good despite losing 25 seniors as the Vikings shut out the Bulldogs 20-0

Southern Nash puts up 50 on Franklinton but only wins by 23 50-27.

Southwest Edgecombe without their starting QB still hits Northeastern with 40 points winning 40-14.

Gryphon soccer wins at Bunn 7-1

I'll be at Northern Nash all day tomorrow as the "Stretchlon Sports Show" is taping all four matches in the Nash County Volley Ball tournament.

Head Knocking Begins Tonight

All four public high schools begin play on the football field tonight and in order to see any of them you will have to hit the road in order to watch any of them.

Dickie Schock's second Gryphon football team begins their 2010 season playing on highway 13 in the middle of Bertie County the home of the Bertie Falcons. Mystery revolves around both teams as the gryphons replace nearly the entire back field while at Bertie Greg Watford moves into the captains chair guiding the Falcons.

Gryphons 18 -Falcons 13

Most Northern Nash Knight fans can't remember their last non-conference win way back in 2005 but there is hope tonight that Northern not only wins a game but that this is the start of a season when Knight fans can say"We are back". I think Northern gets err done.

Northern 26 - Beddingfield 14

Nash Central has a problem that maybe that younger players are the future but how much playing time do you give the younger guys over the returning veterans. Tonight's question is Tarboro's State championship last season. Is it the end of their run or the middle of a sweet decade.

Tarboro 26 -Nash Central 20

Southern Nash's run through last season playoffs continued to show Eastern North Carolina football that the New-6 and now the Big East is a football power. Will the Firebirds lead the way for the conference this year? They begin tonight at Franklinton.

Southern Nash 34 -Franklinton 14

Gryphon soccer and Lady Gryphon tennis have their second matches of the season today.

The Nash County Volley ball Tournament is Saturday at 10.00am at Northern. Lady Gryphons start the action at ten. Yesterday even though they lost 3-0 to South Central the Lady Gryphons served notice that this years squad is better than last year. South Central dominated them last season and I don't remember that Rocky Mount got ten points in any game against the Falcons. Yesterday's scores were 25-15, 25-11 and the final game was 25-23 and the final point of the game was as exciting of a point that I have ever seen in my brief volley ball watching career. The Lady Gryphons did well despite the dominance of South Central at the net.

We head into the first Friday night of high school football and former assistant coach Chris Lee who is now in his second year at Louisburg must face what no school should have to go through, the death of a player. Earlier this week a Louisburg football player drowned in a friends pool.

Our prayers are with Chris, his team and the family of the player as they tackle this event in life.

No Radio For Football

There is nothing I hate more in the world knowing that something I am a part of is dying. Those of us that work in radio sports especially on the local level have seen high school sport disappear from the radio in the past few years.

Newspapers are dying; there is too much instant news ability today to wait to tomorrow to buy a paper to see what happen yesterday. The internet can be a savior for newspapers but to this point the in charge heads can’t figure out how to make money with the internet.

Two years ago Wes Bradshaw had a vision of how to keep Gryphon football on the air. It worked for two years. There are many reasons why but I have to announce today that Gryphon football will not be on the air this Friday night and for that matter this season.

Whenever the car industry comes up with a radio system that can also live stream internet there may be a comeback for local sports. The next phase of broadcasting games will be on the internet and if you could also hear it on your car radio would hurry up the process of internet coverage.

I am sure special events like a state championship basketball game you will be able to hear those games but every game is now in the past. Yes they are costly to produce when a computer can play music without anyone even being in the building.

There have not been many Friday nights in the past forty years that I have not been to a football game.

I was behind the mic when Ahoskie beat Franklin VA in 1972 stopping a twenty three game winning streak by Franklin. I was there the night Milton Shaw finished up 24 yards short of the all time state rushing record for North Edgecombe. Whatever the next big event is I might be there but whether I’m behind the mic or sitting in the stands we will see.

So as of now I’ll be on the Stretchlon Sports Show on TV but I can tell you they are hurting too. There is a great need from the community in order to keep that on the air to show financial support.

Times change but not always are the changes better.

Oklahoma had to win both games of a double header and they did as they beat Minnesota two straight games to win the American Legion World Series. Oklahoma is the team that knocked out Kernersville over the weekend.

Gryphon Volley Ball is home this afternoon to South Central. Regional volleyball, this is a real big match.

Girls tennis won their opening match of the season Tuesday beating C B Aycock 7-2. A strong start for Tennis.

Here We Go Again

Brett Farve is back. What's new?, we all knew that the only way that Farve will ever retire is the day he injures himself to the point that there will be no comeback.

I find it hard to believe that having a player like this is good for the team. Yes, three Viking players went to Mississippi to beg Farve to come back and HE's BACK. What does this do to the backup quarterbacks? What is going to happen if once in camp the Vikings find that Farve is too old for this young man's game.

Last night Gryphon volley ball started the season with a victory over Roanoke Rapids 3-0. Scores were 25-12, 25-18 and 25-11. Like all volley ball teams from the past once again there is no height up front.

The strong point of this team is serving. The first game Timisha Walker who has developed a college style serve where she takes a run to the serve line and slams a deep serve along with Evie Hunter kept Roanoke Rapids on the defensive just trying to get the ball back across the net.

Games two and three Samantha Westphal and Emily Jacob had stretches of excellent serving. In the third game Jacob had 12 straight points off her serve before the Lady Gryphons lost a point.

Kashunn Seabreeze and Tia Hudgins played well at the net and Lauren Campbell aided them with her set-ups. This team could be better than last year if the serving is good all year. Wins and losses are not always a good judge of which team is better. The 2010 version of Gryphon volleyball is quicker but last year won-lost record will be hard to top.

Thursday South Central is here and last season SC handed it to the Lady Gryphons twice. This will be one of those let's see where we are this year kind of games. It is so early in the season that two months from now these games will seem like they happened last year. This will give these girls an opportunity to tell are they getting better?

Sports Underway

Monday the Rocky Mount High School soccer team got the 2010-2011 athletic season underway and came up on the short end of a 3-2 match with Roanoke Rapids. Their next match is Friday at Bunn.

Girls tennis starts their season today with a home match against C B Aycock and then another home match Wednesday.

Volley ball has Roanoke Rapids at home today and a hugh match at home Thursday with South Central. Volley ball losses last season you can count on one finger and South Central was responsible for two of them. Saturday they take part in the Nash County Tournament at Northern Nash. They play Southern Nash in the first match at 10.00am.

Football cranks out the 2010 version Friday night in an Endowment game at Bertie. Bertie for so many years was in the same conference with Rocky Mount so people who follow the Gryphons who have ever been to Bertie know that it is not an easy place to play. Greg Watford is in his first year with the Falcons as head coach.

We live in a society today that when ever someone gets a tough break because of the rules everyone always blames the rules and they should be changed. I disagree!

There is a flap over the two shot penalty given to Dustin Johnson on the final hole of the PGA Championship Sunday for grounding his club in a bunker. The rule should be changed, how could he tell if he was in a bunker? All he had to do was read the memo sent out by the PGA. Johnson admitted Sunday night he looked at the memo but did not read it. Not reading it may have cost him a half million dollars.

The injury suffered last week by Chipper Jones probably has brought an end to a very good career to one of those players because of cable TV we were able to watch almost every game he played. Dale Murphy and now Chipper Jones two Atlanta players who are so close to Hall Of Fame numbers but to me just not quite enough. Regardless of whether they have the numbers or not they provided us with a quality career which we were able to watch that forty years ago we would have only been able to read about in the paper the day after it happened.

I can't imagine what they will be saying forty years from now about how this period of our lives was so simple.

Bizarre Finish

Anyone who has ever played golf has at some point tried to hit the ball further than they know he has control of the shot. As I watched yesterday's PGA Championship the thought kept going through my mind that it is great these guys can hit it 350 yards. What is the point if you can't keep it consistently in the fairway.

Yesterday player after player with the winds howling keep hitting shots 25 yards deep into I won't call it rough but more trouble than it was worth. The end saw Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson tie for the top when Dustin Johnson was penalized two shots on the last hole for grounding his club. This is the biggest golfing flub since since the leader Roberto De Vicenzo signed has score card wrong and lost a chance to be in a playoff in the Masters in 1968.

Kaymer wins a three hole playoff with a bogie on the last hole. Despite all the balls flying around Kaymer and Watson shot under par which was amazing to me.

Cousin Lauren Doughtie shot a one over 73 yesterday which gave her a one over par score in the Futures Tournament in Richmond yesterday. This is her best tournament score since she has been on the tour but one over was only good for 36th place which is not her best finish.

I see Lauren and Tiger Woods right now in the same boat. We are so use to seeing Tiger shoot in the 60's that he was 2 under par on a tough layout in the PGA Championship. He shot in the low 70's all four rounds. That just does not cut it when you compare those scores to others. If I was shooting 73 I would be jumping up and down celebrating, for Lauren 73 and she is losing ground.

She will head to the final Futures tour event of the year Labor Day weekend 104th on the money list needing to finished 90th to guarantee being able to play all the events next year. Last year she finished beyond 90th but during the LPGA qualifying tournament in December even though she didn't qualify for the LPGA had a high enough score to make her exempt on the Futures Tour.

Kernersville State Champion American Legion team from North Carolina is heading home after losing their third game 6-1 to a team from Oklahoma. They finish fifth in the nation. Rocky Mount's ten run lost to them in the State tournament doesn't look so bad now after this run by Kernersville who won the Southeast Regional a long the way, especially since Kernersville had one inning in which they score nine runs on Rocky Mount.