The top priority for the Lady Knights of Northern Nash was stop Jamie Cherry of West Craven the Carolina bound mighty might and in trying to do so Northern paid the cost having severe foul trouble for Alexus Hill at the half and Susie Sykes soon joined Hill and After being tied at the half 24-24 Cherry and West Craven pull away winning 57-45.
The Lady Knights finish the season 26-2 and their four year record during senior Alexus Hill's basketball career stands at 87-13. To say the least no practice since Saturday did not help the situation as any time you play a division one player the caliber of Cherry you need to be able to prepare more than let's see how it goes once the game starts and we will make adjustments on the fly. Cherry and West Craven were simply too good for that.
Cherry scored 35 for the Eagles while Hill saddled with fouls finished her high school career with only four. Kiana Thomas led Northern with 14 and Alexia Hines collected 10.
This afternoon Rocky Mount baseball hosted Eastern Wayne a team that had given up one Run in the first 16 innings of the season including beating Hunt 1-0. Cody Smith to the mound for the Gryphons and today Smith pitched the game of his life as the Gryphons win their first game of the season 7-3 over the Warriors.
Smith pitched six innings and did not give up a hit. He walked just one batter and one batter reached by error. Working on a cold afternoon Kent Cox even with a no hitter dangling in front of him stuck to his guns and pulled Smith who he had on a pitch count. Eastern Wayne scored three unearned runs in the 7th as Sam Lilly started the 7th gave up two hits and the Gryphon defense had a chance to make two outs but failed to execute plays and Cox had to bring in Will Edwards with two outs and the bases loaded with three runs across the plate.
The Big East will have a team playing for the East Regional final for the fourth time in five tears as Hunt has beaten Havelock 68-60. The Warriors eliminate the team who had beaten Rocky Mount on a desperation three last Wednesday night.
Hunt lead 34-30 at the half,lead by 11 at the third quarter turn and lead by 13 at 52-39 when Havelock began whittling on the lead that at one point was 55-50.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Too Much To Cover
There has been so much high school basketball to cover over the last three weeks or so it leaves little time to comment or other items worth talking about. Since we have an open page let's catch up on some stuff.
I don't know whether there has ever been a better Carolina -State game than the one last week. T J Warren and Marcus Paige's duel was one of the best see if you can match this games of all time. In any game that goes over time and the final score is not decided until the last second there is plenty of chances for ref calls to effect the outcome. Tell me a game now-a-days that everyone isn't upset one way or the other after a game these days.
Saturday former Gryphon Benton Moss pitched the first complete game of his career as Benton won his first game of the year 5-1 over North Florida. He allowed one run on six hits going the distance. It also was win number 700 for Mike Fox. Isn't it ironic that the major milestone in Fox's coaching career would be delivered by a player from the Rocky Mount area when Fox spent time while at North Carolina Wesleyan.
I want to congratulate Justin Hite and Nick Petrowicz of the Rocky Mount Telegram in their recent awards they receved concerning covering sports in this area. I know as a one man operation I can only obtain information that is at my finger tips.
The sports department at the Telegram is a three man operation which has one college NC Wesleyan to cover plus about ten high school in their coverage area and that doesn't include any other sports event that might pop up in the area.
We all like to open up the paper each day and see what every team in the area did last night which is physically impossible for Justin, Nick and sports Editor Jesse Nunnery to do. So little time and so much to cover. Keep up the good work guys you are all joys to work with.
We way this basketball season has unfolded what else could put a capper on the season other than Northern Nash's regional semi final game getting pushed back a day because of bad weather. Northern has had the ability through out the weather distress to be able to keep on winning despite the lack of practice time. West Craven is by far the best team Northern has played this year and we hope later tonight that Northern over came another adversity and has another game to play Saturday.
I don't know whether there has ever been a better Carolina -State game than the one last week. T J Warren and Marcus Paige's duel was one of the best see if you can match this games of all time. In any game that goes over time and the final score is not decided until the last second there is plenty of chances for ref calls to effect the outcome. Tell me a game now-a-days that everyone isn't upset one way or the other after a game these days.
Saturday former Gryphon Benton Moss pitched the first complete game of his career as Benton won his first game of the year 5-1 over North Florida. He allowed one run on six hits going the distance. It also was win number 700 for Mike Fox. Isn't it ironic that the major milestone in Fox's coaching career would be delivered by a player from the Rocky Mount area when Fox spent time while at North Carolina Wesleyan.
I want to congratulate Justin Hite and Nick Petrowicz of the Rocky Mount Telegram in their recent awards they receved concerning covering sports in this area. I know as a one man operation I can only obtain information that is at my finger tips.
The sports department at the Telegram is a three man operation which has one college NC Wesleyan to cover plus about ten high school in their coverage area and that doesn't include any other sports event that might pop up in the area.
We all like to open up the paper each day and see what every team in the area did last night which is physically impossible for Justin, Nick and sports Editor Jesse Nunnery to do. So little time and so much to cover. Keep up the good work guys you are all joys to work with.
We way this basketball season has unfolded what else could put a capper on the season other than Northern Nash's regional semi final game getting pushed back a day because of bad weather. Northern has had the ability through out the weather distress to be able to keep on winning despite the lack of practice time. West Craven is by far the best team Northern has played this year and we hope later tonight that Northern over came another adversity and has another game to play Saturday.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Weather Delay
Due to the fact that Nash County Schools are out today due to the weather the Eastern Regional basketball game featuring the Lady Knights of Northern Nash scheduled for 7pm tonight has been postponed until 5:30 Wednesday afternoon. All other spring sports events have been postponed with school out today.
News You Need To Know
Two years ago while Rocky Mount was making their run for their second State Championship in three years the point guard on the team was Tabias Hilliard. If you needed a basket Tabias was probably the last option on the floor to shoot the ball when we really needed a big basket.
His specialty was defense and handing off assists to his brother Terrill and his other teammates taking the Gryphons all the way to a state title. There are times when players get offered scholarships
solely because he was part of a great team and yes Methodist University came calling and Tabias became a Monarch.
I knew Tabias was a solid player for the Gryphons but who in their right mind would ever think that our Tabias would be the starting point guard for Methodist in his very first game as a freshman. He had a solid freshman year and his freshman year turned into a sophomore season and what do we have on our hands now? Only an assist dishing scoring machine.
Methodist season ended last weekend and Tabias Hilliard was named third team USA South all conference team. Hilliard averaged 12.6 points per game and he hit 20 in a game four times on the season and three of his last five games.
He dished out 3.8 assist a game lead the team from the outside in shooting per cent age hitting .485. He lead the team in free throw shooting hitting .784 of his free tosses. He also lead the team in steals getting 35 on the season.
Yes his parents can be proud of his athletic skills but conference USA South has put Tabias even on a higher plateau. He was named to the Conference USA South All Sportsmanship team. Conference USA South has a code on conduct in which they honor their best.
What are the requirements to make the All Sportsmanship team? You cheer loudly and proudly for your team, respect your opponent, no use of profanity, vulgarity, racist, or sexist comments. That's not all of the code of Sportsmanship but you get the picture.
All of us as we go forward in life there is a trail we leave and it always leads back to home. What did your parents teach you, what did Rocky Mount High do to your life to help you be the person you are. It is obvious that Tabias Hilliard has had a path to lead him to do the right things. There is an old saying that "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."
As the Gryphon point guard that gave the ball to his teammates and came up with big steals you could see that Tabias was a team player. Now at the next level of basketball Tabias has made
everyone proud because he continues to live the way he was taught at home. We can all say "I know Tabias Hilliard he's from my Town Rocky Mount." Tabias has been a good will ambassador for the City of Rocky Mount.
Rocky Mount needs more Tabias Hilliards in this world!!!
His specialty was defense and handing off assists to his brother Terrill and his other teammates taking the Gryphons all the way to a state title. There are times when players get offered scholarships
solely because he was part of a great team and yes Methodist University came calling and Tabias became a Monarch.
I knew Tabias was a solid player for the Gryphons but who in their right mind would ever think that our Tabias would be the starting point guard for Methodist in his very first game as a freshman. He had a solid freshman year and his freshman year turned into a sophomore season and what do we have on our hands now? Only an assist dishing scoring machine.
Methodist season ended last weekend and Tabias Hilliard was named third team USA South all conference team. Hilliard averaged 12.6 points per game and he hit 20 in a game four times on the season and three of his last five games.
He dished out 3.8 assist a game lead the team from the outside in shooting per cent age hitting .485. He lead the team in free throw shooting hitting .784 of his free tosses. He also lead the team in steals getting 35 on the season.
Yes his parents can be proud of his athletic skills but conference USA South has put Tabias even on a higher plateau. He was named to the Conference USA South All Sportsmanship team. Conference USA South has a code on conduct in which they honor their best.
What are the requirements to make the All Sportsmanship team? You cheer loudly and proudly for your team, respect your opponent, no use of profanity, vulgarity, racist, or sexist comments. That's not all of the code of Sportsmanship but you get the picture.
All of us as we go forward in life there is a trail we leave and it always leads back to home. What did your parents teach you, what did Rocky Mount High do to your life to help you be the person you are. It is obvious that Tabias Hilliard has had a path to lead him to do the right things. There is an old saying that "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."
As the Gryphon point guard that gave the ball to his teammates and came up with big steals you could see that Tabias was a team player. Now at the next level of basketball Tabias has made
everyone proud because he continues to live the way he was taught at home. We can all say "I know Tabias Hilliard he's from my Town Rocky Mount." Tabias has been a good will ambassador for the City of Rocky Mount.
Rocky Mount needs more Tabias Hilliards in this world!!!
Monday, March 3, 2014
Eastern Regional Match Up
The Lady Knights of Northern Nash 26-1 will play West Craven 26-1 at 7pm Tuesday night in the first of the two semi final games in the girls 3-A Regional. The winner of this game will meet the winner of the second game of the night when Union Pines 24-4 takes on unbeaten Chapel High 29-0.Between these four teams they head to the regional with and over all record of 105-6.
Chapel Hill's last regular season lost was at Northern Nash during the 2012-13 season. Chapel Hill met West Craven during the High school OT Christmas Tournament this year with Chapel Hill winning 76-52. The only game Tuesday that matters right now is the West Craven Eagles and let go one on one in the stats.
WC averages 67.1 points per game while Northern is set at 57.3. WC gives up 36.7 points per game while the Knights average 37.7 per outing. The Eagles are lead by all State player Jamie Cherry who is headed to Chapel Hill to play for Carolina who scores at a 33.6 points per game. The Lady Knights are spearheaded by Alexus Hill at 18 points per game and is headed to Gardner Webb to extend her basket ball career.
The leading rebounder for West Craven is Kaykee Koerperich who grabs 8.1 while Northern's leading bounded is Kiana Thomas who grabs 11.3 every game. Team wise WC gets 34.6 boards a game while Northern 36.3.
WC dishes out 9.1 assist per contest while Northern gets 11.2. The leading assist maker for the Eagles is Jasmine Raynor passing to team mates who score 3.4 times per game while Alexia Hines dishes out a a rate of 4.2 per game.
West Craven steals the ball 12.2 times per game while the Knights 10 times per contest. The leading thrives on each team are Jamie Cherry at 4.3 while Alexus Hill gets hers hands on 2.7 per game.
If you have a player that scores half your points then the Lady Knights goal has to be slow down Jamie Cherry. The Lady Gryphons did that in the Regional in 2012 but could not do it last year in the sectional final. My guess is Alexia Hines will get the assignment to Guard Cherry. This will be a factor in winning and losing in controlling Cherry.
The Lady Knights need to play a complete team game as Cherry can shoot the three or drive to the basket. Slow her down and the Knights play Saturday. GO LADY KNIGHTS
Chapel Hill's last regular season lost was at Northern Nash during the 2012-13 season. Chapel Hill met West Craven during the High school OT Christmas Tournament this year with Chapel Hill winning 76-52. The only game Tuesday that matters right now is the West Craven Eagles and let go one on one in the stats.
WC averages 67.1 points per game while Northern is set at 57.3. WC gives up 36.7 points per game while the Knights average 37.7 per outing. The Eagles are lead by all State player Jamie Cherry who is headed to Chapel Hill to play for Carolina who scores at a 33.6 points per game. The Lady Knights are spearheaded by Alexus Hill at 18 points per game and is headed to Gardner Webb to extend her basket ball career.
The leading rebounder for West Craven is Kaykee Koerperich who grabs 8.1 while Northern's leading bounded is Kiana Thomas who grabs 11.3 every game. Team wise WC gets 34.6 boards a game while Northern 36.3.
WC dishes out 9.1 assist per contest while Northern gets 11.2. The leading assist maker for the Eagles is Jasmine Raynor passing to team mates who score 3.4 times per game while Alexia Hines dishes out a a rate of 4.2 per game.
West Craven steals the ball 12.2 times per game while the Knights 10 times per contest. The leading thrives on each team are Jamie Cherry at 4.3 while Alexus Hill gets hers hands on 2.7 per game.
If you have a player that scores half your points then the Lady Knights goal has to be slow down Jamie Cherry. The Lady Gryphons did that in the Regional in 2012 but could not do it last year in the sectional final. My guess is Alexia Hines will get the assignment to Guard Cherry. This will be a factor in winning and losing in controlling Cherry.
The Lady Knights need to play a complete team game as Cherry can shoot the three or drive to the basket. Slow her down and the Knights play Saturday. GO LADY KNIGHTS
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Moaning and Groaning
There is no doubt that refereeing sports is harder today than ever before. Basketball was invented to be a shooting game not a game of see who is stronger and can push the best. It is a game made for beauty not brawn. Football when I was growing up the defense couldn't touch a receiver at any time he crossed the line until after the pass got to him. How can any ref make a call when the defender and receiver wrestle the entire way down the field or in basketball all the pushing that goes on the whole game. Basketball is refereed better by the players on the play ground than in gyms and courts around the world.
In a world where there is no way to enforce the rules the teams that always seemed to get hosed are the want-a-bees. The team that is middle of the pack. Last week during the Big East tournament and sitting on press row right by the score keeper you can hear all the moaning and groaning that goes on.
Southern Nash and Fike fans lead the way with only seeing fouls when their team has the ball and never when their team is on defense. In this area NC State falls in that middle section of always seeming to get the bad calls.
We all know that every play could go either way the way games are officiated theses days but good teams can over come a call when it goes against them where those middle of the road teams have a harder time surviving without falling behind.
All four games this year against Rocky Mount Southern just couldn't get a rebound over the taller Gryphons. Many times Southern had rebound position but the taller team went straight up over the smaller Firebirds and either got a rebound or put the ball in the basket. Of course the Firebird nation exploded that it had to be over the back and every now and then there was a foul but most of the time
no call from the ref crew.
Down at the other end the taller team shoots and a foul is called when the shorter team tries to block the shot of players four to six inches taller. Out rage from the fans that they call it one way at one end and not the same way at the other. You know you hear all kinds of comments as people yell at the refs. Everyone on press row got a chuckle when one amazed fan yelled "come on ref we were not tall enough to foul them". That in a nut shell tells you why teams don't get calls. They simply weren't good enough.
N C State fans they will tell you they got hosed against Carolina again Wednesday night and they probably did, but look every team has to overcome calls and when you lead by six in overtime and lose you simply were not good enough.
Whether it is a umpire or referee they are in a better position to make the call because they are down there in the action while we only sit in a chair at home or in the stands and moan and groan. Back in the day when I use to coach little league a parent was upset with me because I took his son out of a game as we were walking to the concession stand and I preceded to hand him the equipment and told him to coach his son the way he wanted. Then wait for all the parents moan and groan when their sons were not getting the attention they needed. I told him I am the one sweating pitching batting practice with everyone's son now you do it. I have to look out for all of them not just one. He quickly apologized and told me he was being selfish.
The ref has to worry about everything going on, on that floor. If you think you can do better then get down there where they are. Then we will see if the game is the same than what you saw as a fan wanting your team to win. Refs don't have a team they are pulling for and that gives them a different perspective than a fan only pulling for his team.
In a world where there is no way to enforce the rules the teams that always seemed to get hosed are the want-a-bees. The team that is middle of the pack. Last week during the Big East tournament and sitting on press row right by the score keeper you can hear all the moaning and groaning that goes on.
Southern Nash and Fike fans lead the way with only seeing fouls when their team has the ball and never when their team is on defense. In this area NC State falls in that middle section of always seeming to get the bad calls.
We all know that every play could go either way the way games are officiated theses days but good teams can over come a call when it goes against them where those middle of the road teams have a harder time surviving without falling behind.
All four games this year against Rocky Mount Southern just couldn't get a rebound over the taller Gryphons. Many times Southern had rebound position but the taller team went straight up over the smaller Firebirds and either got a rebound or put the ball in the basket. Of course the Firebird nation exploded that it had to be over the back and every now and then there was a foul but most of the time
no call from the ref crew.
Down at the other end the taller team shoots and a foul is called when the shorter team tries to block the shot of players four to six inches taller. Out rage from the fans that they call it one way at one end and not the same way at the other. You know you hear all kinds of comments as people yell at the refs. Everyone on press row got a chuckle when one amazed fan yelled "come on ref we were not tall enough to foul them". That in a nut shell tells you why teams don't get calls. They simply weren't good enough.
N C State fans they will tell you they got hosed against Carolina again Wednesday night and they probably did, but look every team has to overcome calls and when you lead by six in overtime and lose you simply were not good enough.
Whether it is a umpire or referee they are in a better position to make the call because they are down there in the action while we only sit in a chair at home or in the stands and moan and groan. Back in the day when I use to coach little league a parent was upset with me because I took his son out of a game as we were walking to the concession stand and I preceded to hand him the equipment and told him to coach his son the way he wanted. Then wait for all the parents moan and groan when their sons were not getting the attention they needed. I told him I am the one sweating pitching batting practice with everyone's son now you do it. I have to look out for all of them not just one. He quickly apologized and told me he was being selfish.
The ref has to worry about everything going on, on that floor. If you think you can do better then get down there where they are. Then we will see if the game is the same than what you saw as a fan wanting your team to win. Refs don't have a team they are pulling for and that gives them a different perspective than a fan only pulling for his team.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Basketball Ending Baseball's Cranking Up
The Lady Knights of Northern Nash are heading to Fayetteville now in the fourth year of the best string of years in history. The Lady Knights are 87-12 during this run. I think if you read this blog often or have ever listened to me on radio or tv the regional in basketball is equivalent to playing the Friday after Thanksgiving in football. Regardless of the outcome from here on out they have had a great season and only great teams are left.
The Lady Gryphons lost four times to the Lady Knights during the season and now that the season is over from where we all thought they were in the beginning of the season to where they finished this season was a most successful one.
If you go on line to the Washington National's website there is a story on Brian Goodwin. The National top prospect is expected to start out in AA but hope to move him to AAA by Midseason. Looking at the Milwaukee Brewers website after the season Hobbs Johnson had I am surprised That he is not listed as one of their top 20 prospects. According to Xavier Macklin's Twitter he may be trying to continue his baseball career over seas this summer.
I haven't spoken about Cousin Lauren Doughtie in a while as she continues her pro golf career. She has a limited playing status on the LPGA tour this year so for most of the year she will be back on the Futures Tour. Last week in the first event of the season she finished 14th shooting 3 under par for the weekend. This weekend she is sitting in a hotel in LA waiting to play in this weekends event in California. They are going through heavy rains in that area and the forecast they may not play at all.
The Lady Cougars of SouthWest Edgecombe ended their season by not making the playoffs. Coach Sandra Langley finished the season with 698 career wins. Last Saturday we went to Campbell as both the boys and girls basketball teams had senior day. We were sitting with the Hill family Quinton and Nicki Hill and their daughter Alexus of Northern Nash fame.
Alexus has signed with Gardner Webb and they were the team Campbell was playing. After the game when all the GW players and coaches come over to meet and greet their new signee one of the assistant coaches for GW is Monique Hudson. For those who have forgotten Monique and twin sister Domique were on the SouthWest. Girls state championship team in 2005. SWE girls have never come close to the years they had with the Hudson twins.
I don't know how many of you watched the Campbell-High Point basketball game that was on ESPNU last night but under one of the baskets for High Point in their student section was Jeremy Johnson a freshman pitcher on the baseball team who played for the Gryphons last season. During one of the TV timeouts the camera zoomed in on Jeremy and Jeremy did as typical students do when
the. Camera is on them. Daughter Morgan has posted Jeremy's 15 seconds of fame on her FaceBook.
The Lady Gryphons lost four times to the Lady Knights during the season and now that the season is over from where we all thought they were in the beginning of the season to where they finished this season was a most successful one.
If you go on line to the Washington National's website there is a story on Brian Goodwin. The National top prospect is expected to start out in AA but hope to move him to AAA by Midseason. Looking at the Milwaukee Brewers website after the season Hobbs Johnson had I am surprised That he is not listed as one of their top 20 prospects. According to Xavier Macklin's Twitter he may be trying to continue his baseball career over seas this summer.
I haven't spoken about Cousin Lauren Doughtie in a while as she continues her pro golf career. She has a limited playing status on the LPGA tour this year so for most of the year she will be back on the Futures Tour. Last week in the first event of the season she finished 14th shooting 3 under par for the weekend. This weekend she is sitting in a hotel in LA waiting to play in this weekends event in California. They are going through heavy rains in that area and the forecast they may not play at all.
The Lady Cougars of SouthWest Edgecombe ended their season by not making the playoffs. Coach Sandra Langley finished the season with 698 career wins. Last Saturday we went to Campbell as both the boys and girls basketball teams had senior day. We were sitting with the Hill family Quinton and Nicki Hill and their daughter Alexus of Northern Nash fame.
Alexus has signed with Gardner Webb and they were the team Campbell was playing. After the game when all the GW players and coaches come over to meet and greet their new signee one of the assistant coaches for GW is Monique Hudson. For those who have forgotten Monique and twin sister Domique were on the SouthWest. Girls state championship team in 2005. SWE girls have never come close to the years they had with the Hudson twins.
I don't know how many of you watched the Campbell-High Point basketball game that was on ESPNU last night but under one of the baskets for High Point in their student section was Jeremy Johnson a freshman pitcher on the baseball team who played for the Gryphons last season. During one of the TV timeouts the camera zoomed in on Jeremy and Jeremy did as typical students do when
the. Camera is on them. Daughter Morgan has posted Jeremy's 15 seconds of fame on her FaceBook.
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