Volley Ball Cruises

Lady Gryphon Volley ball started it conference play tonight beating cross town rival Nash Central 3-0. The Ladies won the first game 25-20, the second 25-11 and the third 25-19.

The Lady Bulldogs were taller at the net but on this night the Lady Gryphons serves made it difficult for the Bulldogs to have the ball ready for spikes at the net. Many times on the third hit the Bulldogs were still ten feet from getting it over which puts you in a defensive mode instead of attacking at the net. The Lady Gryphons took advantage and attacked on their returns.

If last year is any indication Thursday's Volley Ball is home to Hunt who was the second place team in the conference last year. There is a good chance Thursday's winner will be the front runner in the conference race.

The Lady Gryphons are now 7-2 overall and 1-0 in Big East play. Tennis travels to Eastern Wayne Wednesday and a home match with Hunt Thursday. Cross country runs Wednesday in a conference meet in Wilson Fike.

Talked with Terrell Hudgin's dad tonight at Volley ball and told me Terrell is at Elon working out waiting for that call from someone who needs a wide receiver in the NFL. The way of the life in the NFL is he won't get that call until someone gets hurts and is out for the season. Stay in shape Terrell.

I need to update you on Cousin Lauren Doughtie season on the Futures golf tour which had their final event over the weekend. In order to make the top 90 she needed to make the cut and finish in the top ten in order to qualify for the Futures Tour next season. She missed the cut by one shot which is like the fifth time this year she has not made the cut by one single shot.

She now must go to the Q-school in early December and finish in the top 15 or so make get back on tour. If she fails to qualify she is off the tour and will only be able to play when she has a sponsors exemption. More than likely the only sponsors exemption would be the event in Richmond next year.

Here are my views on the opening week of college football:

I hope ECU doesn't have to score 50 every game to win. The Wolfpack may have the best receiving corp in the ACC and just maybe the best quarterback. It is a matter of the defense showing up this year. I don't think Carolina could ask for much more than what they got against LSU. They made us all proud. Duke and Wake put up W's. Don't they play each other this weekend?

I don't know why everyone is jumping on Boise State's bandwagon. Are they not #3 in the polls and Va Tech maybe 10th. You know all of those Michael Vick look-a-like quarterbacks can have exciting plays. But, when you are not an accurate thrower and the last four plays you throw deep when the middle of the field is open for the quarterback to run all day, Why throw?

Life The Old Timey Way

You may not have noticed but Saturday and Sunday were great days to be out in the yards enjoying Life. Yesterday with folding chair in hand I sat for three hours under the shade tree watching the world pass by my house. Brought back memories of the way we use to live before air conditioning came along.

You use to sit outside on the porch after supper and watch the world pass by just because it was too hot in the house. It is amazing what you can see and notice as life passes by you which you can't see inside with the air conditioning or in the back yard on the deck.

Northern Nash's J J Arrington was a victim of the 53 man roster of the Philadelphia Eagles. Arrington trying to come back following Micro fracture knee surgery has joined Terrell Hudgins trying to latch on to team after being cut last week.

In case you don't remember but on my blog back at Thanksgiving of last year the New Bern- Rocky Mount game in 2004 was listed as the game of the decade. The starting tailback that night for New Bern was Montario Hardesty who's injury riddled college career at Tennessee earn him as a draft pick of the Cleveland Browns.

Hardesty was destined to make the Browns maybe as their starting tailback until he tore ligaments in his knee Thursday night in the Browns final preseason game. He's done for the year.

When school returns Tuesday all the so called minor sports kick into conference action this week.

Girls tennis who is sporting a 3-1 record host Nash Central Tuesday. Volley Ball sporting a 7-2 record also host Nash Central Tuesday. Cross country runs Wednesday as the Big East who has gone to all conference members running together at the same location again this year runs at Fike. Soccer who put 12 goals in the net last week against Oxford Webb has another week of non conference action before conference play. Soccer is 5-1-1 so far this year.

Digging Deep

There is something down deep inside our soul that when our backs are to the wall we can give a better effort than what caused us to get up against the wall to begin with. Last night the Tar Heel football team despite having 13 players watching back in Chapel Hill or in the stands in Atlanta gave an effort beyond what any Tar Heel Fan could dream or expect in the coming weeks if those 13 never play this year.

Way back in the day when I was spinning the hits on the radio I went to work one day ridden with the flu. I could hardly hold my head up. I could not wait for the end of my show so I could go lay down. Just before the show ended the station manager walk in and said I think this is the best show I have ever heard you do. Your jokes, timing you have been on fire today. I could not feel from my vantage point what he heard only that I felt I was dying let me get out of here.

The Tar heels had about a week to prepare with out what they thought were going to be 15 missing players. The NCAA gave two players a reprieve on Friday to play. The Heels came together to give a supreme effort and take away eight minutes in the second quarter they were the better team.

On the other side of the coin LSU had heard all week that Carolina was not playing half the team so this game is going to be easy. LSU forgot at halftime that without those eight minutes Carolina is in the lead. They came out figuring the game is over and almost got their tail Handed to them in the second half.

If at any time on any field of play, if you say this game is over before it is over you lose the focus that it took to get the lead. LSU lost that focus while Carolina was giving an effort from deep down inside themselves. When they had to focus again LSU couldn't while Carolina was playing with something they didn't know they had and might not have it again this year.

What I saw last night was LSU isn't as good as advertised while Carolina if they get the 13 back quickly can still be very good.

I went to church tonight just as Tulsa scored to make it 49-45. Was shocked to hear the Pirates scored to win it.

Terrell Hudgins was not picked up for the taxi squad by Dallas. He's still looking. Carolina's Jessie Holley did make the Cowboy Taxi squad.

Hold On To The Football

Rocky Mount High School has played three football games. Their opening game they turned the ball over once which was returned for a touchdown. Last week two fumbles and four interceptions added to the misery of a 39-14 shellacking from Northern Durham. Friday night the inability of keeping the football in their possession led to six more miscues.

Football is a simple game, miscues stop your momentum and give the other side life. Considering the field position that the offense left the defense in against East Duplin the defense played great.

Turning to Northern Nash, if the game goes to over time we don't know that they would have won. A non- call on a punt formation distracted the Northern punter who failed to catch the snap and a safety comes about on what is basically the last play of the game. I wonder how many times Northern has practiced punting this summer, probably 300. A loss comes from not holding on to the football.

Over at Nash Central how many times this summer have they practiced an extra point. They scored with 2.50 to play and an extra point might get them into overtime. The result a 21-20 loss. We don't know whether they could have stopped Hertford County in over time but we will never know.

Simple things like holding on to the football and kicking the football and all three of the public high schools in Rocky Mount bite the dust Friday night. Execution and the winners may have been different

Southern Nash is acting like they could be what everyone thought they could be after a 38-7 whipping they applied to Beddingfield.

Russell Wilson looked great for the Wolfpack. Carolina playing better than expected against LSU. Boy wouldn't that be a feather in the ACC cap if Carolina pulls off an unset.