Soccer Rolls Into The Third Round

If there was any doubt about whether West Brunswick was going to fall back and play defense and hope for a low scoring game against the Gryphons, the Gryphons put a end to any hope of a low scoring game on their opening possession of the game as Matt Williams found the net and the Gryphons were off and running.

Ten minutes later Lee McAvoy found himself one on one against the West Brunswick goalie and knocked a niffy shot in goal. Just over two minutes later Andrew Morales laid a pass in front of the WB defense and Lee McAvoy ran the pass down to find himself one on one again and the Gryphons led 3-0 just eleven minutes into the match.

The next twenty minutes was missed opportunities for the Gryphons until a WB shot hit the sidebar bounced free in front of the net for their first score, the lead was 3-1. Four minutes later Matt Williams screamed a shot past the goalie and Rocky Mount took a 4-1 halftime lead.

Andrew Morales put in his first goal of the playoffs at the 28:26 mark of the second half. Six minutes later West Brunswick score their second and final goal to cut the lead to 5-2 with 22 minutes to play. If this had of been hockey Lee McAvoy could have collected all of the hats that come out on the ice during a hat trick as McAvoy scored his third goal of the game with 17:55 to play. That point on it was let's get this game over and head to the third round.

Rocky Mount will host round three Wednesday night at the Sports Complex. Jacksonville is playing as we speak in their second round game and if they are the team the Gryphons meet it will be a rematch of an early season 0-0 time in Wilson in August. It will also be a rematch of last years third round in which the Cardinals hosted Rocky Mount and won 5-0.

Jacksonville beat Currituck 4-0 and will meet the Gryphons in Round Three

Hunt won their second round match 4-0 and may be matched up against Fike in round three, Their game has not finished as of yet.

Nash Central boys finished fourth in the Cross County State Finals. Will Bass ran third in the individual race. James Bond Rocky Mount's only Runner finished 34th running 16:57.

The Lady Gryphon girls finish 14th in the girls race.

Now here are the Big East football playoffs for next week.

Hunt the Big East #1 will host D H Conley. Nash Central the #3 from the Big East Will travel to West Carteret. Now for the chaos, Southern Nash who finishes fourth in the Big East will travel to Northern Nash. That's right two Big East teams square off in the opening round. Might as well not have a conference championship next year just wait and play each other in the playoffs.

Why is a four seed playing a two seed anyway. If there had to be a match up within the conference why not Southern Nash at Hunt. This kind of schedule just helps my claim there is one round too many in football.

I don't think it is fair for Southern to have to go to another conference member in the first round and it is certainly not fair for Northern who tied for first have to meet them opening night.

This just shows you what greed will do when an organization like the NCHSAA when all the care about is the money not trying to get it right.

Zaney Big East

Just like last year when there was a drawing in case there was a three way tie for second, the same occurred in case there was a three way for first this season.

Northern Nash came out with the #1 seed, Hunt gets second and Southern Nash third seed. Is Northern in the driver's seat or what. All they need is for all three of the teams tied at the top to win again tonight. That is almost impossible in the whacky Big East football conference.

Nash Central and Southern Nash met five weeks ago in a non conference game and Southern won. Tonight Nash Central strikes with two long 80 yard runs in the first half and knock the Firebirds for a loop and neverthey quite recover as Nash Central steals the third seed from the preseason Big east favorite Southern Nash 29-14.

Southern and Nash Central are now tied at 3-2 in league play but the Bulldogs will represent the Big East as the #3 seed but tonight's victory gives the bulldogs the higher seed. Once the playoffs brackets come out tomorrow both schools will probably hit the road next week with trips to the #1 and #2 seeds from the Waccamaw which of course is near Wilmington.

Hunt put a wrap on the top seed in the Big East as they ripped cross county rival Fike 45-0. Now that Southern is no longer any part of a three way tie then the Northern -Hunt winner is the top seed and Hunt beat Northern the very first conference game to take the tie breaker with their head to head matchup.

If there was one good thing that happened tonight at Rocky Mount both teams lined up before the game and all the players walked in a line that cover almost half the field to shake hands with each other before the game.

The long history of the Northern-Rocky Mount series Northern had never shutout Rocky Mount but Northern will never have to hear that stat again as Rocky Mount fails to score for the second time this year.

Northern took the opening drive right down the field to take a 7-0 lead but rocky Mount went right back the other way and put six on the board only to see it come off the board on an ineligible man down . Only once more would Rocky Mount threaten but never crossing the goal line.

Northern Rushes for over three hundred yards holding Rocky Mount to just 17 yards rushing but they did get fifty in the passing game. Northern got the lead and tried to hold on to the ball and run the clock out and hope for a three way tied but Southern didn't hold up there end of the bargain. Northern Nash shuts out Rocky Mount 21-0.

Hunt as the #1 seed and Northern as the #2 seed should get home games next week against the #3 and 4 seeds from the Waccamaw. The brackets should be out by 6.00pm Saturday night.

Tarboro completed an undefeated season but it was a struggle beating Beddingfield 32-27.

Gryphon Soccer has a playoff match with West Brunswick at 2.00pm Saturday.

3-Way Muddle

We are down to the final Friday night of the high school football season. The Big East heads into tonight with a three way tie and the chance of being a three way tie on Saturday looms. We will start the look at tonight’s games at the best chance of the three way tie being broken.

Southern Nash at Nash Central: After last week’s stinker I have no faith in the Bulldogs. They do however still have a shot for 3rd place. If they beat Southern they would be tied with the Firebirds but beat them head to head in conference play. I have no idea how this new POD system is going to work in the playoffs but I have a feeling the #1 Big East will play #4 in the Big East in the first round. If this happens then my recommendation of eliminating one round will get stronger in football. Southern Nash beats Nash Central 26-14.

The revenge game Northern Nash at Rocky Mount: If no other reason the last play of last season for Northern should be plenty of motivation in this one. Northern has lost seven straight to Rocky Mount. If last year’s finish was not enough to get Northern fire up then the seven straight losses should. Northern has not beaten Rocky Mount at the RMAC since 2000. 2002 was played at Nash Central. A victory by Rocky Mount and they will probably get into the playoffs as a fill in the brackets team. Rocky Mount has score in the twenties only three times this season. I think the Knights defense is the best in the Big East. The other two tied for the lead Rocky Mount score seven against each. Why would we expect them to score more than seven against Northern? Northern 28 Rocky Mount 7

Hunt Plays Fike: Hunt is sitting pretty if it comes down to a tie with Northern Nash, they hold the tie breaker. If after tonight’s action there is still a three way tie then 1 and 2 will get homes games next week and 3 hits the road. A real stinker for the loser of the draw if it comes to that. You know Hunt is pulling for Nash Central to break any three way log jam and Northern Nash is pulling for Fike. Regardless of whom each is pulling for Hunt gets a lead early and sits on this one. Hunt 27 Fike 7.

Tarboro at Beddingfield: Since conference play started the Vikings have gotten better each week and are primed to head into the playoffs undefeated something they have not been heading into the state championship games of the past two seasons. Beddingfield needs this game for positioning in the brackets. Tarboro 39 Beddingfieldd 16

SouthWest Edgecombe and North edgecombe are off this week as they finished their seasons last week. The football brackets for the playoffs will be release sometime Saturday afternoon.

The Gryphons host at 2.00pm Saturday in the second round of the soccer 3-A playoffs against West Brunswick at RMHS. I think this will probably be the last game on campus this season. Eastern Standard Time comes back Sunday and if the Gryphons are alive still to host a third round game next Wednesday it will have to be at night at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. You know the NCHSAA is not going to let RM host a game at 2.00pm on a school day.

If for no other reason if you want to see two of the best soccer players in North Carolina in action Rocky Mount has them in Andrew Morales and Matt Williams. Matt is a scoring machine while Andrew can do things with a soccer ball that you didn’t know could be done. If would be a shame if either or both have success at the next level or beyond and you never saw either play. Rest of the Gryphons aren’t too bad either considering they are 20-2-1 heading into the game Saturday.

Would like to congratulate Aaron Mcfarland of Southern Nash, he is the only player from the Big East to make the Shrine Bowl team.

Big East Flex Soccer Muscle

Tonight's JV game @ Northern Nash has been cancelled


Unlike Big East Volleyball during the playoffs which only had one team to get to the second round , Big East soccer flexed some muscle in the opening round of the state playoffs. Three of the conference's four team have made it to the second round of play.

Rocky Mount of course beat White Oak 2-0 on Tuesday and will host a round two matchup against West Brunswick who is the #3 seed from the Waccamaw conference. WB upset Eastern Carolina #1 C B Aycock 1-0 to get to the second round. The will travel to Nash County with a 10-10-1 record while the Gryphons who won #20 on the season Tuesday have lost only twice all season and have one tie. Game time is 2.00pm Saturday afternoon at the soccer field on campus.

Should the Gryphons survive the second round they just might run up on Jacksonville the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. Earlier this season both schools played in the Brittany tournament in Wilson and tied 0-0. The last two times they have met the Cardinals the Gryphons have failed to score a goal.

If the Gryphons do make it to the third round then the venue for round three looks like the Sports Complex soccer fields with lights. Sunday's fall back on Day Light Savings will make darkness near five pm either Tuesday or Wednesday which would put a soccer game having to start at two or three o'clock on a school day which will not work.

Hunt met Hertford County in the opening round of the soccer playoffs and whipped the Bear 15-0. Yes the score is right. Hertford County did not win a soccer game all year and yet they made the playoffs. Hunt has caught some more good fortune as their second round foe will be West Craven a #3 seed. Hunt as the #2 seed will get another home game.

Fike is where the conference won a game that they were not favored as Fike the #3 from the Big East beat West Carteret #2 from the Coastal at WC. Fike won 2-1. The top three teams in the Big East won by a combined 18-1 score.

The only Big East loser was Southern Nash and they gave a #1 seed Southern Lee all they wanted before losing 5-3. Southern Lee is now 19-2-1 on the season while Southern Nash finishes their season 13-8.

Gryphon girls cross country continues to prepare for the Cross County state championships Saturday in Kernersville. James Bond is the only Gryphon boy to earn his way to the championships as his time in the regional was good enough to quality as a single runner.

Nash Central boys have a good shot at the boys title.

Averages

Division one college football teams in North Carolina are what I call Want-A-Bees. They want to be considered highly when you talk about their football programs and they want to be considered just as good as Alabama or Southern Cal.

Sorry brethren of the state of North Carolina football. Basketball is king in this state and every one looks at them in basketball, Duke and Carolina are in basketball what Alabama and Southern Cal are in football. Everyone across the country wants to be just like them.

We have really good football in North Carolina but just not every year. It doesn’t matter whether it is ECU, State, Carolina or Wake. This column excludes Duke. Duke never has good football, only every 40 years. The others have good teams almost great every five years and the next four never quite get back up to where they were for one year.

Do you know what the problem is? It is one of those deceases called average. Think about this. Average means average right in the middle. Back in my golfing days I shot 87 on average. On hot dry days when I could get a long roll off of a ball I might shoot 82 and if I was having a great day shoot 80. The winter without any roll on my shots I had a great day to be no worse than 92.

N C State is on the verge of having their best season in football since the year of 2002 football season and 2003 Gator Bowl. Like all average teams they are facing the pats on the back of what a great job they are doing. When that happens to an average team somewhere they slip up and fall right back to average.

If the averages hold true in a five year course every average team will have a losing season and three years of 500 football or just a little above 500. Then the breakout season.

They face Clemson this Saturday which the Pack will probably be favored but the game is in Clemson. All the witch’s brews are just right for the Wolfpack to fall after having just won a national TV game against Florida State and making the top 25 this week.

ECU, North Carolina, Wake they are all in the same boat. Having a really good team every five years is four years short of being considered to be able to wear Alabama’s shoes.

Why just this past Saturday on the threshold of greatness ECU fell hard in football. It must not be their fifth year so ECU plugs forward waiting for their next fifth year. Poor old Wake Forest the way they are playing right now looks like it might be ten years before their next good team. You watch Wake's fifth year is just around the corner or maybe four more years away.

North Carolina thought that this was going to be their fifth year and dreamed of the Orange Bowl or even more until their bottom fell out this year. Since they have missed their fifth year have they got to wait five more years before another great team rolls around?

The averages say yes they will have to wait. If this is N C State fifth year then they will win at least three of their next four games. Anything less and this was not their every fifth year.

It’s just not in the averages for average football teams.

Gryphon Soccer Opens with Shutout

Matt Williams scored Rocky Mount's first goal just three minutes into this afternoons opening round of the State Playoffs and it looked as if they were on their way to an easy time against White Oak.

Almost immediately White Oak packed an extra man on the defensive end to clog up the Gryphons when they were on offense and it worked. Rocky Mount would not score again until 2.19 to play in the game when Matt Williams caught the Vikings napping and Williams gave Rocky Mount their cushion goal.

The defensive ploy by White Oak worked and it held Rocky Mount in check for most of the game but in doing so White Oak only had two shots all game in which Gryphon Goalie Drew Gorham had to make a play.

Rocky Mount 2 White Oak 0

The second round of the NCHSAA playoffs will be Saturday afternoon at home. The time is up in the air at this moment and whoever we play will be determined later tonight. It will either be West Brunswick who has a 10-11 record or C B Aycock who as the #2 seed from the Eastern Carolina conference owns a 16-6 record. Today's win is #20 for the Gryphons they have two losses and a tie on the season. Once I know I will let you know but my guess the time will either 1 or 2pm Saturday.

If you don't believe in the power of prayer I feel sorry for you. I reported on this blog in August that Lady Gryphon soccer goalie Holly Fryer underwent Cancer surgery just about a week before school started.

Yesterday Holly tried out for the basketball team. I understand she was able to go through all of the drills that coach Pam Gainey asked all the players to do. Still under going treatments Holly has decided that she will stick to soccer and what was a very big hole for a very good upcoming soccer team looks as if they will have their goalie back in net when soccer starts in spring.

Praise the Lord at the miracles that he can do.