It Helps When I Get Long Answers

Most of you know that sometimes on the Stretchlon Sports Show we do live shows.  This past Sunday night coach Jeff Craddock, A B Whitley and Andy Harding appeared on the show and we watch the Tarboro game film and talked about the Vikings winning their third State title in a row.

Regardless of whether I am walking out of the press box  or out of the studio I can tell when we had a good game or as the other night a good show.  I can't believe the number of people who have responded to me to tell me that they really did enjoy watching the show Sunday.  I realize that most of them are Tarboro fans  and we could have had had a monkey on the show wearing a Tarboro shirt and  talking about Tarboro's championship and they would have loved it.  But, this is the third year we have had them on and by far this is the most response ever from any one live show.

First of all thanks for watching.  There is a secret to having a good show.  You need people who answer the questions who  need to talk for ever once I have asked a question.  Jeff Craddock is very proud on his Vikings and does not have any problem once I have asked him a question expounding on it. A B Whitley is the same.  Andy pretty much couldn't get in a word edge wise so his time was limited  getting to say anything.

The worse thing any interviewer like myself needs to hear  is yes or no.  I don't have time to get the next question ready and I can assure you that when guests talk and talk and talk there will be something they say that will lead me to another question.  Yes when we walked out of the studio Sunday night I though we had a really good show.

B W Holt use to be that way when I interviewed him on the radio pregame show.  All I had to do is say coach we play so and so tonight and I would have to stop him when it was time for a commercial.  I guess the biggest reason why so many people thought the show was really good Sunday night was that people in Tarboro and even the area in general are so proud of the Viking winning the Championship three straight times.  We could have posted a sign on the screen for and hour and said Congratulation Vikings and and Tarboro fans would have loved it.

Our cameras will be in Pinetops Wednesday as we will be filming the Nash Central at SouthWest Edgecombe games.  Already this basketball season we have covered Rocky Mount Academy, Faith Christian, Beddingfield and Rocky Mount.  Next week we hope to be at Northern covering Tarboro and the Knights.  Basketball is about as easy a sport to cover as any.  It is inside and all the local teams play each other while non conference games go on before Christmas.

Tonight Rocky Mount traveled to Beddingfield  and after last week's game in Rocky Mount where Beddingfield hung tough with the Gryphons for most of the game I expected a really close game on the Bruins home floor.  The Gryphons fall for the first time this year by 13.  I am not surprised that they lost but by that many. Lady Gryphons had no trouble again regardless of where they played the Lady Bruins as they won by 30.

Right Place At The Right Time

Chad Smith the former head football coach at Northern Nash (08-09) and even before that an assistant coach under B W Holt at Rocky Mount has been named the Upper State 4-A Coach of the year in South Carolina.

  During Smith's tenure at Northern found it very hard to win has had a very good first two years at Easley High School in Easley South Carolina.  2010 Easley was 9-4 and this season finished with an 11-2 record giving him a 20-6 coaching record in his two years back in his home state.  Nice going Chad!

Will get my first look of the year at Nash Central Wednesday night as the cameras of Whig-TV will be at SouthWest Edgecombe for the Stretchlon Sports Show.  The following Wednesday we plan to be at Northern when they host Tarboro.

Now that the college basketball season has at least played enough games so that everyone has an idea how their  teams will do this year it is time for a mid term report card.  Maybe not quite mid but here is what I think.

Carolina-  Not quite as good at this point what the Carolina Crowd would like but still good.  Need to get better guard play  both offensively and defensively.  I think sometimes that Carolina has so many very good players they get in each others way.

Duke-Like Carolina they need a point guard that cares about his teammates over how many points he is going to score.  Duke despite their big inside players are soft up front.  Up to this point they are not shooting outside like the Duke teams we know of.

State-Since they are trying to convert a shooting guard  to point their play has been good until late game when everyone protects every trip down the court.  Need a point guard that can attack basket in half court  and dish to the shooters.  Need to make free throws in the clutch.  They are much better this year on defense instead of the ole' defense of the past.

It is still early and all three have played tough early season schedules which will give them strength of schedule for NCAA times and seedings.

Rocky Mount Gryphons hit the road again Tuesday as they travel to Beddingfield.  Beddingfield girls have one good big player but Rocky Mount gurads never let the ball get inside enough to be effective.  The Bruin boys played with the Gryphons for a while and this could be an interesting game at their place.

Just about three weeks ago Carolina played Michigan State on the deck of the U S S Carl Vincent.  Last Wednesday the Vincent set sail heading back to war in the Indian Ocean.  I wanted to say something about that then but with all that was going on  late last week didn't have space.

This And That

Todd Gurley Tarboro's senior Running back was voted the player of the game in Tarboro's win over Lincolnton in the 2-A Championship game. Gurley nursing a sprain ankle could only rush for 246 yards.  Imagine if he were healthy.

Tarboro as a team rushed for 353 yards.  They never touched the ball until 2.28 to play in the first quarter.

Tarboro's three straight titles have all come on different stadiums.  2009 in Chapel Hill.  Last year 2010 in Winston Salem and now in Raleigh.

Jeff Craddock has now got three championship on his resume' while assistant A B Whitley now has five. You know Whitley tried to coach at Northern Nash  and at Rocky Mount in the past three years but the coaches there didn't like his style.  I guess they don't like winning.

The Eastern Plains 2-A Conference was denied two State Championship yesterday as Kinston blew a second quarter 14-0 lead and lost to West Stokes 21-14.

Whether this makes them feel better or not the team that knocked Hunt out last week  Northern Guilford won the State title in 3-AA  beating Shelby Crest High 31-7.

Whether this makes them feel better or not but Jones County the team that knocked North Edgecombe out of the playoffs finished second losing to Murphy 21-6

The Garner Trojans tried to use the American Idle winner and a Garner High Senior Scotty McCreery as their good luck charm but it didn't work.  Scotty lead the team on the field when they charge into Grove Stadium aka B B And T Field  in Winston Salem.  I am impressed with Scotty and his family still trying to live a normal live despite is County music stardom that has come since Idle.

Thanks to Charles Alston for the e-mail with the Gryphon Basketball Stats from Friday's game at  Hertford County.  My Friday blog I went to bed before I ever got the score.  All I knew was the boys won.  They won 75-63 and are now 4-0.  They have won every game between 10 and 15 points and three have been on the road. Terrell Hilliard keeps playing like a player looking for a D-1  gig scoring 21 points.  Levon Brutus added 13.  Rocky Mount had eight  players that scored at least four points.

J'Kyra Brown scored more than HC in getting 32 while the Lady Bears could score but 28.  Tia Hudgins gave them a run for outscoring them as she added 20.  If you didn't hear the Lady Gryphons beat Hertford County 87-28.

Tonight on the Stretchlon Sports Show for the fourth straight year  we will have Coach Jeff Craddock and some of the coaches and players from the 2011 State 2-A State Championship football  team .  Show time is 8pm on WHIG.  Channel 17 on Suddenlink and World wide at WHIG-TV.Com.  Tell Your friends.

3 Peat Tarboro Does It Again

Tarboro High School made their fourth straight trip to the 2-A State Championships and for the third straight time there is none better than them.  I can't wait to ask coach Jeff Craddock live Sunday night on the Stretchlon Sports show whether this game was the most exciting game of them all.Tarboro wins the title again 39-36 over the Wolves of Lincolnton

Like it seems has happened this entire playoffs Tarboro waited to the last minute to Stop Lincolnton the only time they would stop them all day on downs.  Twice the Wolves had turnover other wise they scored every time they had the ball. That stopping them on downs occurred with under two minutes to play and Lincolnton on the Tarboro 41.

The Wolves started the game as if they didn't want the Vikings to ever touch the ball as they scored and used up almost ten minutes of the first quarter before they scored.  It took the Viking three minutes before Todd Gurley scored the first of his four touchdowns an one play into the second quarter the game was tied.

The Wolves fumbled on their first play and it only took Tarboro two plays to take the lead 14-7.  Lincolnton moved the ball very well the next time they had it but the Viking got an interception to kill the drive.  The  Vikings were moving with the ball and looking like Tarboro is taking control until they laid the ball on the ground and so with it went the first half momentum.  Lincolnton took it right down the field to tie it 14-14 at the half.

The Vikings reasserted themselves with the second half kickoff  and took the ball down the field to score but missed the extra point. The big question then is will that one point be a big player in this game and it surely looked like it would be.  Lincolnton wasted little time in reclaiming the lead 21-20.  The Vikings got the ball back and they scored again to lead 27-21 after three quarters.

The Wolves scored and with 11 minutes to play lead again 28-27. You betcha Tarboro drove it down the field and missed another extra point to lead 33-28.  Here they come Lincolnton wasted very little time to take the lead and went for an made a two point conversion in order to get a three point lead at 36-33.  If Tarboro has the ball that must be time to score and they did with just about too much time left to go.  They once again missed the single point try so a field gold could tie and touchdown win it for the Wolves but A B Whitley and the Tarboro defense had one stop in them  and with it a State Title #4 for Tarboro and three in a row.

VIKES 39 Wolves 36