Undefeated NO More

The top 2 seeds in the Eastern Sectional undefeated West Craven 29-0 met the Gryphons of Rocky Mount High School 26-2 in the opening game of the Eastern Regional of 3-A High School Basketball. Both teams earned their way to the Regionals after successfully winning 3 games in the Sectional on their home courts last week. The game started at 7:00 pm at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville.

Carmen Richardson made a lay up at the end of the 3rd quarter to give the Gryphons a 50 to 46 lead and that was the momentum changer that a game for 3 quarters had gone back and forth turned the  Gryphons way. The Gryphons lead 50 to 46 at the third.

The Gryphons came out and blitzed the Eagles in the first couple of minutes to jump to a 61 to 48 lead. For the last 5 minutes of the game Rocky Mount ran  a motion offense keeping the ball away from the Eagles. The Gryphons advance to the Regional Final  after holding WC to only 4 points while the Gryphons score 21.

FINAL SCORE Gryphons 71  WC 50.

The game started out as a run and gun a fair. You could tell these were 2 quality teams going head to head. At the end of the first quarter the game was tied 16-16. The second quarter started out just like the first quarter and both teams were going up and down the court. The two super star players, one on each team showed their super star status. J'Kyra Brown led the way for the Gryphons scoring 16 points. Jamie Cherry their top scorer led the way the way with 15. Tia Hudgins added 10 for the Gryphons. West Craven dominated the boards mostly on the offensive end as they had 25 rebounds to the Gryphons 15. West Craven had 7 turnovers where the Gryphons only had 6. This was truly 2 top teams going head to head in the first half.

J Brown led the Gryphons scoring 31 points but she had plenty of help. Tia Hudgins 19, Carmen Richardson had 9 as the leading scorers for the Gryphons. Jamie Cherry led the Eagles scoring 21.
WC led the rebounding with 31 but only got 6 in the second half. Rocky Mount finished the game with 27.

The Lady Gryphons advance to the Regional finals Saturday at high Noon at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville. They will play Burlington Williams who was a 47-46 winner over Chapel Hill.  The Gryphon boys who were in attendance to watch their girl teammates will play their Regional game Wednesday night at 7:00 pm at Crown.

GRYPHONS 71  West Craven 50

Rocky Mount Prep Still Dancing

Lost in all the commotion of  Rocky Mount High sending two teams to the Regional and never playing another game in the old gym all the way over on the other side of town is Rocky Mount Prep making their own history.  They too will be playing in Fayetteville on Friday night  at 8.30 in the 1-A Regional.

We have had an opportunity every year to do game from there for TV but with the change over with our local sports program we never did get to RMP and get them on the air.  Eddie Knudsen is building the framework for a solid basketball program at Prep.  They will be taking on West Columbus in the nightcap Friday.  The first game will feature Plymouth and East Carteret.  The two winners will meet at 6.00pm Saturday night.  The 1-A games this year are taking place in the Arena.

Rocky Mount girls play at 7pm Tuesday in the Crown Coliseum against West Craven who has a big girl in the middle but they have an outstanding guard.  The second game Tuesday will be Chapel Hill and Burlington Williams.  The two winners meet Saturday at High noon.

The Rocky Mount boys hit the hardwood Wednesday night at 7pm in the Coliseum  against 29-1 West Craven.  They have lost but once this year but their last lost last season was to the Gryphons in the sectional final.  Should be a run and gun affair.  As fast as this game is going to be a 15 point lead will be nothing until a minute to go.

We are starting to lay the ground work for any of our teams if they make it to Saturday to try to carry the finals on Jammin 99.3 as we did in 2010 at the State Championship.  There is a lot of ground work needed to be done in order for that to happens and the biggest is sponsors.  If you have an interest get in touch with me as soon as possible.  I have a full load at work right now and going to Fayetteville Tuesday and Wednesday  I need any help to find sponsors by Finals on Saturday.  It sure would be nice to carry three games on Saturday Rocky Mount girls at noon, Rocky Mount boys at 2pm and finish off the day with Rocky Mount Prep at 6pm.  Let's all try to make that happen.  Support all three teams this week.

Four local wrestlers made all state this past weekend and two almost became state Champions.  Gryphon Alex Knight lost the Championship match 6-1 in the 145 pound weight division.   Southern Nash Wrestler Reggie Huff lost only one match all season and the was the Championship match in 182 weight class Saturday night.  Nash Central's Tamarris Lane and Gryphon J K Williamson finished third in their weight classes.  By finishing in the top four in each classification all four wrestlers have earned All State Honors.

The Old Barn Went Out In Style

It has been the home for Rocky Mount High School basketball for nearly 12 lustrums.  John Wayne asked Judge Parker in the movie Rooster Cogburn how long was a Lustrum?  The answer five years.  During that time the old lady called the Gryphon Gym has seen four boys teams bring home banners that proudly hang on her walls.  Her walls are decorated with individual State Champions throughout the schools sports history.  Conference championship banners, banners honoring legends who went on to greater basketball as high as the pros.  There is even one of the best athlete in North Carolina in 2005.  Her walls are full.  If more banners are to be hung, there needs to be a bigger wall.

Friday night was suppose to be the last games but Mother Nature decided that the old barn needed to have one more so Hertford County closed school early Friday due to possible tornado's just so the Rocky Mount High School gym could have two days of glory instead of that Final Friday night.

So neighbors from all across Rocky Mount jammed into the old barn Friday night to witness Northern Nash and Rocky Mount play for the fifth time in a season.  This night there had never been a more important game in the history of Northern  Nash -Rocky Mount girls sports.  A trip to Fayetteville and the 3-A girls Regional hung in the balance.

Basking in victory after a solid win over their most bitter rival people stay on the floor more than an hour to celebrate and just stand on the floor.

Saturday a not so bitter rival Hertford County came to play a game which meant as much to them as a victory for us could possible be.  Since Rocky Mount has been at the 3-A level Hertford County has been a consistent foe in just about every sport and for the most part the Gryphons have held the upper hand.  Like the Northern Nash girls were thinking  on Friday  The Bears knowing what victory could provide wanted badly to win the last game ever at the old Rocky Mount gym.

The Gryphons boys did what they were suppose to do and took care of business  as they posted a 14 point victory and they too will join the Ladies in Fayetteville but on Wednesday instead of Tuesday. Game times are now set.  The girls are in action on Tuesday night at 7.00pm against undefeated West Craven in the Crown Coliseum.  Wednesday the boys will play at 7pm in the Coliseum and once again against West Craven.  Note yesterday I reported the girls were playing in the Arena, not so as they too will play in the big house

The Gryphon Gym did all it could  the last weekend of it's Gryphon life.  Made sure the girls beat hated Northern Nash with every seat taken.  Then the game on Saturday  the game that wasn't suppose to be,  nearly played to a packed house.  The old Lady was good to the Gryphons one more time and ushered the two Gryphon teams  to another level of competition.  There is nothing more that we could ask of her except host a State Championship celebration in 13 days like we did in 2010.  It would be nice to celebrate one more time.