Thanks For The Memories

It all began back in December of 2001 and a group of Little League ball players had a chance to go to play in a week long baseball tournament over the Christmas Holidays.  They went on the air  to have a fund raiser and it didn't take long before that night was over several players  who couldn't afford the expense of a week long trip has and experience of a lifetime.  Once back they came  on the air to thank everyone and to tell of their experiences during the trip.  Those two shows were so successful that everyone asked for a weekly show and from it was born the "Stretchlon Sports Show".

It was spearhead by Richard Sarmiento who used his company Stretchlon to be the main sponsor of the show.  He also was the announcer and when you have a child to watch play ball and a company to run  it is not easy to get to all the games that now are being shown on the show.  Little by little more helpers arrived to take the load off Rich.  The first game that I did was the Babe Ruth World Series game from Wilson which I think was 2002 .

There have been more than 500 shows and I think one of them was probably the most watch show ever on WHIG.  If I remember it was a Wednesday night and the 13 Year Old Babe Ruth All Stars were playing in Arkansas and the game started at 7.00pm.  Rich was joined by his wife Patricia and they sat on camera while "Baseball" Britt Johnson would call in  to give them live updates of the game  and while waiting for a call Trish and Rich took calls from fans calling in to support the team.  People at home started calling their neighbors that you need to turn on channel 17 as they have the Babe Ruth game on.

The show ran over the 9.00pm show time and when a preachers time slot came on the game was in extra innings and all of Rocky Mount was glued to sit at home at Watch them waiting for the next update.  A donation was made to the preacher to let the game stay  on.  I think by the end of the game they were holding Rich's cell phone up to the telephone mic in the studio  so everyone could hear every pitch from "Baseball" Britt and a soon to be a thrilling Nash County win.  I have seen many games in my life both in person or on TV but that night was about as good as it gets watching what turned out to be a cell phone broadcast and watching Rich and Trish listen to the action.

There is no doubt in my mind that over the past 20 years Richard Sarmiento has been the driving force why the quality of our high school baseball has sky rocketed in this area.  He has help sponsor kids to go play baseball in places from Cooperstown, Orlando and Hawaii and many more.  Time passes and we all have other priorities.  His son Marc has long since graduated from Northern and the desire to be behind the mic Rich turned over to others.

Sunday night airs the last "Stretchlon Sports Show".  What WHIG does with the time slot is up in the air at this moment. I want to thank Richard for  everything he has done over these years to make all of our lives better  just a little by letting kids get on TV.  This show has lasted because there is a spot in Rich's  heart that beams every time a grand mother or proud papa says  " Thanks for having the game on without you I would not have been able to see my child play".

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES RICHARD!!!!!!

Not Even Close

They were packed in like sardines tonight at Rocky Mount High school as people didn't want to happen like three weeks ago at Nash Central when people were turned away before halftime of the girls game.Halftime of the JV boys game you had to search for a seat.  Mike Gainey acted the part of an usher and directed people to any little spot that resembled a seat . Tonight they were there to see the battle of first place in Big East boys basketball as Nash Central needed a victory to tie the Gryphons.  I think the best way to describe this game is if you saw last nights  Carolina -State game that's what you got tonight.  Rocky Mount played three quarters of state championship style basketball and all Nash Central could do was to was wait for the train wreck to end.

Rocky Mount led 16-7 at end of one, 46-26 at the half and their biggest lead of the night hit 61-35 with less than a minute to go in the third quarter.K J Peoples lead the early surge as he gets 14 points and 11 boards,  Donte Battle playing for the first time in two weeks added 12 in limited play as he gets in shape from his ankle injury.

Terrill Hilliard poured in 21 but it was the surge lead by Peoples early that put this one away. Jalen Hendricks lead the Bulldogs with 18 and Daniel Pittman assist with 12.  Rocky Mount now has a two game conference lead with just two weeks to go in the regular season and have just about put a vise on first place.

Lady Gryphons won by 15 at Nash Central and  the big question tonight how much fire will they play with having won the biggest game of the year so far Tuesday over Northern Nash.  It didn't take long to discover that Rocky was not going to have a let down as they jumped to and 8-0 lead and never looked back.  Playing maybe her best game of her career Amani Kipp scored 9 points and had 9 rebounds and as Rocky Mount's tallest player if she can give Pam Gainey those kind of number rest of this year this team could be dangerous in the playoffs.

J'Kyra Brown was her usual self knocking down 22 and the other half of the dynamic duo Tia Hudgins added 21.  Little Niya Styles lead the Lady Bulldogs with 17 and Timyra Staton added 11.  There was never any doubt tonight as the Lady Gryphons score a 67-39 win over Nash Central and remain unbeaten in conference play and Host Hunt on Tuesday.

The Gryphons will have three players that will take part in the North Carolina/South Carolina All Star game in Myrtle Beach on March 17th.  The Ladies will have Tia Hudgins and Alexus Cooper playing in the girls game while Terrill Hilliard will play in the boys.  Mike Gainey will serve as and assistant coach for North Carolina team and the entire doubleheader will be colored with Gryphons.

You Had Better Come Early

If the first game at Nash Central is any indication Rocky Mount will have their second sellout of the week by tap off time of the girls game. If you want to see the boys battle for the top spot in the conference you had better find a seat by 6.15.  You may be pushing it then.  The Girls game will be a question as to whether Rocky Mount has their feet flat on the ground or they are still floating on cloud nine after their Tuesday knockoff of previously unbeaten Northern.

The boys games is for first place as Nash Central has to win if they have any hope of taking the #1 seed into the playoffs.  A loss to Rocky Mount and they are two back with four to play. In  order to get the #1 seed from Rocky Mount it would require Rocky Mount to lose three of their last four since Rocky Mount owns the tied breaker with the Bulldogs. Nash Central would then  have to win all games from there.

The first draft of the NCHSAA realignment is on the table  and low and behold the Big East will stay intact as a six team league with all of their present members.  Corinth Holders the team that was believed to be going to join the conference is basically going to stay with the other Johnston County schools.  There will be another set of realignments meets in the coming weeks to heard more arguments from those that don't have a favorable alignment.  This process will be over by end of the school year.

We should have seen it coming.  Carolina has had a week to sit on hearing from their fans that the season  was falling  a part after the Dexter Strickland injury.  They played last night the way every Carolina fans thought they should play every game since they all thought they were going to win the National Championship with everyone coming back from last years team.  If they play the rest of the season like they did last night they just might.

The only solice State fans can take from last night's game was that  this is the first time during Roy Williams Tenure at Carolina that Carolina respected State before the game started.  I like the way Mark Gottfried coaches, he is not a screamer but a teacher and he had Roy Williams and Carolina's  attention from the get go last night.  To me that tells me the program is headed in the right direction.