Nash Central Powers Forward

Nash Central won their opening round match in the State Tennis playoffs winning 6-love while Rocky Mount in their match with Cardinal Gibbons lost by the same score.  If my memory serves me correctly the Lady Gryphons have three freshmen in their top six players and even after losing to perennial power Gibbons finished the season 13-3.  The future is bright for both and Nash Central and Rocky Mount next year. This weekend Tennis turns to singles and doubles at Barton College and Nash Central and Rocky Mount will be well represented on both those levels.  Nash Central will play round two in the team competition next week.

Hunt has the lead with two weeks to go in the football race at 3-0.  Rocky Mount and Southern Nash are tied at 2-1.  Fike and Nash Central are 1-2 and Northern  is 0-3.  The only thing we know for sure with two games to go is Northern cannot win the football title. Any thing else is still possible. Hunt and Southerns fight the other night with both losing players with ejections for the remainder of the regular season  puts into play that Hunt is not as dominant going down the stretch as they could be but one more victory by them either against Nash Central or Fike and they will win the regular season title.

Should Hunt lose both  and with a lot of dominoes falling into place there is a chance that a five way tie for first is still possible, maybe a four way tie or even a three way tie.  Desperate teams will have to play with all their might and even with a win last week Nash Central is as desperate as anyone needing wins and they really need to beat both Hunt and Southern because they don't own any tie breakers with Rocky Mount or Fike should they fall into a fourth place tie with either.

The New York Yankees are on the verge of being swept out of the playoffs and I can assure you they will get sympathy here.  I have no dog in any of the baseball playoffs but not having to watch the Yankees in the World Series will not make me cry.

I haven't mention this yet this week but Sunday afternoon I stumbled across the Discovery Channel and they were beaming live the altitude jump from 128,000 feet and I sat and watched history being made much like I did back in 1969 watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.  I have to ask you this question.  Would you step out on that platform and dive off and fall for almost five minutes before the chute opened at 5,000 feet?  

For me NO Way Jose would I even peep out of that capsule from the platform.  Maybe out the window but ain't no way I'm standing on that platform and then JUMP!

Timing Is Everything

Another big week of Big East Football is up and coming on Friday night.  Now with a victory under their belt Nash Central is faced with the daunting task of having to win twice against two teams ahead of them in the standings.  Friday the Bulldogs Host Hunt and in the last week of the season they face Southern Nash. 

I have heard but have not been able to get an answer that there was a fight in the Hunt- Southern game with a couple of players tossed out for both teams.  If so those players will have to sit two weeks.  Don't know whether Nash Central can win either game but if a couple of starters are missing from either Hunt or Southern and Nash Central plays both in the next two weeks then they can't ask for a better gift since they need to win both games this really helps their chances.

If players were tossed then Rocky Mount is the other team that can benefit from Southern being short a player or  two.  Like the Bulldogs Rocky Mount needs one more win to secure for sure a playoff spot but there is still a chance for maybe a four way tie or three way tie for first.  A loss in the next two games would kill any chance they have left of working their way into a tie for first..

Last night I probably have never been down in the dumps about a football game any more than after the Bronco's -Chargers game Monday night.  Philip River and the Charger played about as sorry of a second half as you could ask for.  If there is one thing Philip has never had is foot speed so he needs protection in order to stay in the pocket.  If you recall last year the first 11 games were so so for Philip and then they traded and picked up a left tackle who gave up only one sack the last five games and Philip had the best QB rating in football during those last five games.  

You hear all the time about how professional sports is so mental that you have to have great coaching.  Pro basketball is simple the team with the most good players win and in football the team that protects their qb and sacks the others teams win.

Now that N C State has been chosen as the team to beat in the ACC basketball race it will be interesting to see how they play as the hunted instead of the hunter. The ACC coaches picked the Pack to finish first this season and that is the first time the Pack has been the preseason favorite since 1974.  I am looking for good things but my bottom line is when the year is over I want the Pack to finish the year with only single digit losses. I am tire of these 16-12 and 24-12 seasons.  It's time for a 27-8 type season.  If that happens look out next year.

The Second Season Begins

Both Nash Central and Rocky Mount begin their playoff aspiration Tueday when the team playoff begins for girls tennis.  Nash Central is at home and Rocky Mount is on the road to Cardinal Gibbons.  Yes this is the same Cardinal Gibbons the private school that almost got kicked out of the NCHSAA last year, saved only by about 100 schools that voted present when the vote was taken.  Don't look now but Cardinal Gibbons is in position to again win most of the State Championship in the minor sports.  We will see how those that voted present feel after this fall state championship results.  The Regional for the singles and doubles is this weekend at Barton College.

Girls volleyball playoffs begin Saturday but if you go on line to see who the Big East is playing the seedings will not be posted until Wednesday night.  Fike and Hunt will get home matches with Northern Nash and Rocky Mount on the road.  Hope the entire conference does better this year as they were 0-4 in the first round a year ago.

Rocky Mount soccer has three Big East matches this week as they play Southern Nash tonight, Hunt Wednesday and they finish the regular season with Northern Nash Thursday night.  Maybe this week there will be a winner when the Gryphons and Knights plays after tying last time after overtime.

Those you that watched the Notre Dame-Stanford game saw a finish of did he score or not.  The refs said no he didn't and Notre Dame remains undefeated and they have moved up to fifth in the latest polls.  A similar  situation occurred at Rocky Mount Academy as the Eagles lead 25-18 when Hobgood scored with 40 seconds to play in the game and went for a two point conversion for the win.  Depending on which sideline you were on the refs rules the two point conversion good but RMA folks will tell you he didn't get in.

Sounds a lot like the finish to the Rocky Mount -Northern Game in 2009 when 5,000 Northern Fans who were all on the sidelines at the goal line that still say that Collin Cuthrell didn't score.  I am sure as this RMA game is talked about more and more over the years everyone in Rocky Mount was there and everyone was on the sidelines right on the goal line when it happened.

If major league baseball doesn't vote in instant replay now they never will.  The New York Yankees over the years certainly have had their share of shall we say fortunate calls.  This weekend a Tiger Runner was out by a mile and the ump called him safe.  Replay would have solved that on in about thirty seconds.  All we need now is red flags for the managers.

Playoffs Loom

Friday night was home coming at Rocky Mount High and as I sat there in the first half  I was rather disappointed in the crowd.  Yes there was a nice crowd there but this is home coming and this Gryphon team is heading to the playoffs for the first time in three years.  Halftime I found out there were a lot more fans there they just were not sitting down.  Once you get to the end of the bleacher the patio area between the concession stand and the bathrooms were wall to wall people. 

Evie Hunter was named homecoming with dad Sam as her escort.  Every game that the Hunter children have ever played in volleyball or soccer Sam has been there with a camera in hand filming his kids.  I sure hope mama Victoria was in the stands filming Friday.   J'Kyra Brown was the runner up.  Austin Warner was crowned home coming king at a pep rally Friday since he was in the locker room at the half with his football team mates.

Talk throughout the stands is about how amazed  everyone is in the attitude of the players this season.  There is no doubt that one of the strong points of Jason Battle is how well he relates with the kids just in the hallways.  If there was any question about whether he could transfer that to the football field has been answered. 

You can look at the players body language and this team simply hasn't drooped even when losing at Hunt.  Coaches job is to get everything a player has to give in order to win any game.  Jason Battle has gotten more from this team than any one expected.  You can see this team is having fun something that never happened last year.

Winning seems to do this to any team.  It is always more fun winning than not.  Winning doesn't just happen by luck.  Somebody had to put all the pieces in place and Jason Battle has done that.  It is customary that the coach that wins first place will win the Coach of the Year in the Big East.  There is no doubt that Jason Battle has brought pride back to the Gryphon nation and he should be COACH OF THE YEAR!

Thundered But Never Rained

Today those folks who pull for the Duke Blue Devils should hold their heads high tonight as to the question is this Duke Football team any good was a very solid yes-yes-yes.  There was a period of time today in Blacksburg Virginia where many people who pull for   the best football program was on the verge of losing to Duke.  It thundered but but the Hokies stayed dry.

Yes, so far this year these Hokies are not the Hokies that make VA Tech the best program in the ACC.  I am sure there were more people in Lane Stadium ready to fire Bud Foster the Tech D coordinator when Duke was ahead 20-0 than those that even thought the Hokies could win the game.

Duke lost 41-20 but anybody that thinks this is the same old Duke in football had better not hope they still have these Devils on the schedule the rest of the season.  Their schedule that they have left they may not win another game but I bet every film session that every future Duke opponent has left will not fall asleep this year when watching Duke film.

Miami has given up more points than Carter has pills and yet today Carolina and their hurry up offense can score but 18.  N C State scores 37 on Miami and loses.  What does all this add up to?  The State-Carolina game should be a dandy when they play in a few weeks.

ECU used Homing Coming to rout Memphis and all Pirate fans went away from Greenville happy.

Preseason basketball polls have all three triangle schools in the Top 15.  Last night  a huge crowd showed up at the PNC Center as N C State gave their fans that braved the traffic of the State Fair their first look at Mark Gottfried's second team.  I am sure those in Chapel Hill had fun watching the Tar Heels dance last night. Right now everyone is having fun since everyone is still undefeated.

The Carolina Panthers play Dallas next Sunday.  Cam Newton has not had the season they he had last year.  If he doesn't improve his play the Panthers will be destined for another losing year not the playoff year many fans thought could happen.

Gryphon Slump Is Over

Next Friday night  three years ago Rocky Mount beat Southern Nash 24-19 and since then tonight  is the next time that the Gryphons have scored more than 20 in a Big East Conference game.  Armad Harrell opened the first play of the game scampering 51 yards then two plays later Mason Hines went ten yards for a touchdown and the Gryphons were on their way to 20 points before the half and a 28-14 victory over Fike.

Despite their offensive first half explosion it took a fourth quarter drive, two keys Mason Hines runs, a made fourth down and then a catch on the sidelines by Hines who acted like Raymond Berry who had just caught a pas from Johnny Unitas or in this case J T Smith with a defender drape on him  to secure the Gryphon victory.

J T Smith's qb sneak at the start of the second quarter and a Brodrick  Caudle six yard run gave  the Gryphons a 20 -0 lead with 3:39 until half.  Fike drove the field to score with 28 second in the half and then opened the second half by taking a long drive down the field and Gryphons fans were sweating as the Gryphons looked once again as if the second half would produce no scoring.  A fumble recovery and two ints help keep Fike out of the end zone rest of the way

Mason Hines went over the century mark rushing the football with 104 yards and Armad Harrell added 82 of the 270 yards the Gryphons rushed on the evening.  J T Smith added 46 more through the air.  Fike who failed to make a first down in the first quarter rushed for 176 yards on the night while adding 50 through the air.

This victory sets up a showdown next Friday night with Southern Nash for second place in the Big East and a possible home game in the opening round of the playoffs for the #2 in the Big East.  This showdown comes after Southern lost  at home to Hunt after the game had been tied 21 all but Hunt wins it 30-21.

The battle at the Junction even though it was in Tarboro the Vikings looked like the Vikings of the past four years as they beat SWE 43-14.  Nash Central won their first conference game of the year rolling over Northern Nash 33-7.

Finally tonight:  One of the greatest people in education ever in the state of North Carolina died today in Bill Friday.  Somehow or other an N C State graduate made his way to Chapel Hill and during his 30 years at the helm of the UNC system help lead the UNC System into one of the United States best college systems.  Seen for the past 30 years on his public TV interview show  North Carolina People.  If you ever got on his show you had to be someone special to the State Of North Carolina.  Friday who has been ill since the spring has not done his show since and it is something I miss.  Bill Friday was 92 years old.

Teenage Prank?

Yesterday during the weekly Big East Cross country run at Southern Nash Mason Holt of Rocky Mount was the winner of the boys race.  Sometime during the race students identified as Southern Nash football players tried to block or slow down Mason as he ran.  Who they are is of no concern to me because I am of the opinion that this was a teenage prank.  Yes I am sure that Mason being a Gryphon just might have  lead to this mischief considering a Southern Nash runner was running second.

Here is what concerns me about this situation and that is the lack of respect given to other athletes in others sports.  I realize that Cross Country is not a money making sport but for those who participate  it is very important to them.  Holt has already been accepted to Campbell for his academics not his running ability.  He has visited Buies Creek talking with the Track/Cross Country Coaches  about a possible athletic scholarship.  If he had of gotten an injury resulting in a teenage prank it might have cost him his running future.  I bet if a member of the chain gang ran out on the field an tackled one of those football players during a game they would not be very happy about that.

Tonight Northern Nash Lady Knights have beaten Rocky Mount in the special playoff game for third place in the Big East.  Northern won three games to one.  Both Northern and Rocky Mount will be on the road but because of the loss and if I read the brackets right Rocky Mount heads south to Cumberland County and takes on the #1 Seed from the Cape Fear Valley where Northern will travel the first round back to Hunt where they have already played once this year.

Two Twin County area  football players have been selected to play in the Shrine Bowl game coming up the week after the State Championship football games in December.  Northern Nash's Dequavais Mann  who has committed to play football at Duke will represent Nash County in the 2012 Shrine Bowl game which pits the All Stars of North Carolina and South Carolina.  Mann will be joined by Tarboro's Tyquan Lewis who is headed to OhioState.

Whole lot to talk about and out of space.   The big game of the week Hunt at Southern Nash..  Hunt 28 Southern Nash 14...  Weldon at North Edgecombe.  Weldon 22-6.  Despite four losses this one in Tarboro will be a dandy  Tarboro 34- SWE 26.  Northern Nash will help Nash Central fall even more.  Northern 20 Nash Central 14. Home Coming at Rocky Mount the Gryphons will need a score in the second half to win.  Rocky Mount 26 Fike 20.

Heard on the David Glenn Show this afternoon  while Glenn was interviewing David Cutcliffe of Duke.  "Coach do you realize the six conference games you have left since 2004 when all of these teams have been in the ACC that Duke has won only one game and lost thirty Nine."  Cutcliffe's answer "Please don't tell our players that stat"