The only thing we know for sure is that Northern Nash doesn't have in a worry in the world come this Monday. Neither does Southern Nash who if they beat Rocky Mount they are stuck in 6th for next week's tournament regardless.
Do now know why we couldn't fine the Nash Central- Southern Nash game results. They didn't play.
Southern had their Prom Friday night. They tried to play Thursday but got rained out. They played that game last night. Five teams in the Big East think they have a shot to make the playoffs.
Saturday night the Firebirds of Southern Nash beat Nash Central 6-5 to win their first conference game of the year. During this second cycle the Firebirds have been very competitive in every game unlike the first go round where they were being mercy ruled. Nash Central has had a rocky road ever since coach Guzzo got the five game suspension. This lost drops Nash Central into a 4th place tie with Rocky Mount at 4-5. There is still a chance of a three way tie for fourth.
Northern has the best overall pitching. Their defense is average and their offense is so so. Hunt of the conference members has the best hitting but defense and pitching doesn't scare anybody. Fike has average pitching, defense and offense. Nash Central has one great pitcher and the rest are average. Their defense and offense like everyone else in this league is wishful thinking. Rocky Mount right now since they have gotten production from Blake Helms on the mound has as good of pitching as Northern. Their defense at times has been poor and just about every game they have had the opportunity to get a big hit and failed.
The tournament next week is Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Northern and whoever finally gets the two get byes Wednesday. Every team with the game on Monday plays three times and if you hope if you are seeded three through six and think you can win the tournament you will have to play four times to win tournament. There is one thing for sure anybody can win it.
Benton Moss the junior right handed pitcher for the university of North Carolina has for the second year in a row made been named to the All District All Academic team. Benton carries a 3.85 grade point average. Moss made as a freshman the freshman All American All Academic team.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Friday, May 2, 2014
Northern Clinches Top Seed
Northern Nash clinches first place in the upcoming Big East Baseball tournament and in doing that get the Big East number one seed in the upcoming state playoffs. It wasn't easy as the Gryphons scored a run in the top of the seven to tie the game but then in the eighth inning committed an error allowing the winning run to score and Northern wins 3-2.
Over in Wilson County Hunt beat Fike 4-3. I have not heard anything on the Nash Central Southern Nash game but here is what we know. Northern Nash is 7-2. Hunt is 6-3 but Northern owns the tie breaker with Hunt having beaten them in both games played during the regular season. Fike drops to 5-4 and Rocky Mount drops to 4-5. Nash Central is 4-4 depending on the outcome tonight.
Here is what is still possible. Hunt, Fike and Nash Central could still get into a three way tie for second which will mean one of those teams will not make the playoffs with 6-4 records. There is still a possibility of a three way tie for third between Fike, Nash Central and Rocky Mount. These three teams can still get to 5-5 and if that happens two of these teams wil not make the playoffs. There is of course the chance that Nash Central and Rocky Mount could finish 4/6 making Northern, Hunt and Fike the playoff teams.
Even if the coaches thought about not playing a conference tournament starting next Wednesday there are so many possible scenarios that they need to play a tournament just to figure who can win their way in. The way this season has gone Southern Nash just might win the tournament and knock somebody else out.
Over in Wilson County Hunt beat Fike 4-3. I have not heard anything on the Nash Central Southern Nash game but here is what we know. Northern Nash is 7-2. Hunt is 6-3 but Northern owns the tie breaker with Hunt having beaten them in both games played during the regular season. Fike drops to 5-4 and Rocky Mount drops to 4-5. Nash Central is 4-4 depending on the outcome tonight.
Here is what is still possible. Hunt, Fike and Nash Central could still get into a three way tie for second which will mean one of those teams will not make the playoffs with 6-4 records. There is still a possibility of a three way tie for third between Fike, Nash Central and Rocky Mount. These three teams can still get to 5-5 and if that happens two of these teams wil not make the playoffs. There is of course the chance that Nash Central and Rocky Mount could finish 4/6 making Northern, Hunt and Fike the playoff teams.
Even if the coaches thought about not playing a conference tournament starting next Wednesday there are so many possible scenarios that they need to play a tournament just to figure who can win their way in. The way this season has gone Southern Nash just might win the tournament and knock somebody else out.
Thomas Berry Record Setter
Thomas Berry a Gryphon grad who is a redshirt sophomore for Lander University in South Carolina has help his team finish their regular season with a 43-6 record and for the first time in school history Lander won the Peach Belt regular season title.
Berry set a school record walking 50 times in 49 regular season games and in doing so set the school record when he walked for the 48th time. His 50 walks leads the nation in division II. Lander will try to win their conference tournament next weekend. "Baseball" Britt Johnson a 2001 Gryphon graduate and the assistant coach for Lander is responsible for Berry being at Lander.
Hobbs Johnson lost three straight games since my last report on him as he plays for Brevard A league team in Florida. His first lost he gave up six runs in five innings but one outing five innings of relief and another start he gave up no earn runs but lost twice. This week he picked up his second pro win giving up one earned run for the win and in five appearances his ERA is 2.33 with a 2-3 record.
Brian Goodwin has been on a roller coaster playing for AAA Syracuse Chiefs. He started out just getting two hits in his first 20 at bats them got 13 hits in his next 30. He has managed only five in his next 38 to drop his batting average back down to 224. Interesting Brian in those five hits has two triples which gives everyone hope than if he makes contact he 's going to get on base.
Back in January when I attended the funeral of Darryl Allen in Ahoskie many people were there and even though I knew his health was not good then from cancer Richard Murray and I had several minutes to hash old times.
Other than my father Coach Murray was the person I most respected in my life. 1967 as a skinny freshman I had coach Murray in Civics and and I was a running back on the JV's for two years as he was the line coach. I played varsity baseball for him for three years and as a senior I had him in a government class.
During my senior season I pulled a groin muscle two days before our first game. I was a third baseman and I never made an error in my career with the ball going through my legs. I threw many away making errors but I was a vacuum cleaner and my nickname was Brooks after the Baltimore third baseman Brooks Robinson. Now you know why I named my son Brooks.
The first four games of the season I was 1 for 15. As a senior by this time I was working at the radio station on weekends and three nights a week a worked to midnight. I was depressed about having a terrible season my senior year after having a really good first two. After practice I waited in the looker room for coach Murray to come take his shower after all the other players had left. I told
coach that I understood if he needed to benched me to put someone in the line up who could play better than I was. What he told me then help me change my season and there are not many days that go by I don't think about that day.
He told me that as I went through life I would have people in my life that were going to depend on me and there would be days when I would not feel like going to work but when I looked at those depending on me I would get up and do what I had to do to take care of my family. My teammates were depending on me now and I have to get up and go to work for them.
I finished the season on an upswing graduated went directly into the radio business and spent 22 years working with him as the Athletic Director at Ahoskie and Hertford County High on a weekly basis doing football on the radio.
Murray was the line coach for Darryl Allen for every year that Allen was the head coach. He was a man that could be second fiddle and be perfectly happy watching others get the glory. What kind of Athletic Director was he? He is in the NC Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. Thursday Richard Murray moved on to join to join the Athletic Directors Hall of Fame in Heaven. Richard Murray was one of the greatest men I ever knew.
Berry set a school record walking 50 times in 49 regular season games and in doing so set the school record when he walked for the 48th time. His 50 walks leads the nation in division II. Lander will try to win their conference tournament next weekend. "Baseball" Britt Johnson a 2001 Gryphon graduate and the assistant coach for Lander is responsible for Berry being at Lander.
Hobbs Johnson lost three straight games since my last report on him as he plays for Brevard A league team in Florida. His first lost he gave up six runs in five innings but one outing five innings of relief and another start he gave up no earn runs but lost twice. This week he picked up his second pro win giving up one earned run for the win and in five appearances his ERA is 2.33 with a 2-3 record.
Brian Goodwin has been on a roller coaster playing for AAA Syracuse Chiefs. He started out just getting two hits in his first 20 at bats them got 13 hits in his next 30. He has managed only five in his next 38 to drop his batting average back down to 224. Interesting Brian in those five hits has two triples which gives everyone hope than if he makes contact he 's going to get on base.
Back in January when I attended the funeral of Darryl Allen in Ahoskie many people were there and even though I knew his health was not good then from cancer Richard Murray and I had several minutes to hash old times.
Other than my father Coach Murray was the person I most respected in my life. 1967 as a skinny freshman I had coach Murray in Civics and and I was a running back on the JV's for two years as he was the line coach. I played varsity baseball for him for three years and as a senior I had him in a government class.
During my senior season I pulled a groin muscle two days before our first game. I was a third baseman and I never made an error in my career with the ball going through my legs. I threw many away making errors but I was a vacuum cleaner and my nickname was Brooks after the Baltimore third baseman Brooks Robinson. Now you know why I named my son Brooks.
The first four games of the season I was 1 for 15. As a senior by this time I was working at the radio station on weekends and three nights a week a worked to midnight. I was depressed about having a terrible season my senior year after having a really good first two. After practice I waited in the looker room for coach Murray to come take his shower after all the other players had left. I told
coach that I understood if he needed to benched me to put someone in the line up who could play better than I was. What he told me then help me change my season and there are not many days that go by I don't think about that day.
He told me that as I went through life I would have people in my life that were going to depend on me and there would be days when I would not feel like going to work but when I looked at those depending on me I would get up and do what I had to do to take care of my family. My teammates were depending on me now and I have to get up and go to work for them.
I finished the season on an upswing graduated went directly into the radio business and spent 22 years working with him as the Athletic Director at Ahoskie and Hertford County High on a weekly basis doing football on the radio.
Murray was the line coach for Darryl Allen for every year that Allen was the head coach. He was a man that could be second fiddle and be perfectly happy watching others get the glory. What kind of Athletic Director was he? He is in the NC Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. Thursday Richard Murray moved on to join to join the Athletic Directors Hall of Fame in Heaven. Richard Murray was one of the greatest men I ever knew.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Mercy Mercy
The NCHSAA on Wednesday adopted a mercy rule for football and basketball. Football in the past the teams could agree or not agree once one team lead by 40 to start running the clock. The rule was changed to a 42 point lead and running the clock is now require in all games. Coaches can call time out or the clock will stop after a score or player injury.
Basketball for the first time will institute the mercy rule once a lead hits 42. The only difference in the rules the clock in basketball will continue after scoring but will run during foul shots.
Deep down in the rule changes is soccer will now go to a shoot out after teams have played the two ten minute ovenrtimes and are still tied. There was another item talked about but no action was taken is there is on the table to go with four state football championship sites instead of three. Last year Winston Salem, Chapel Hill and Raleigh were the three sites.
I would see no problem what so ever if ECU, App State or any college that has a stadium of 20,000 hosting a championship. Anyone who has ever been to a football game at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone would be a great memory for a team with snow on the ground. I would assume if it does go to four sites each year a site would host both the 3A and3AA game.
There has been a change made in the Rocky Mount make up finish with Southern Nash which stopped in the top of the third inning Tuesday. Since it will be the last regular season game of the year they have decided to play the JV game at 4pm and push the varsity finish back to 7pm.
This weekend if you love baseball Rocky Mount and Nash County will be loaded with baseball. All four public high schools plus Legion Field will be hosting baseball travel league teams from all over . Games start at 8am and last well into the night. The Sports Complex will be thriving with nine year old to 14 years old players. I understand you can't get a motel room within 50 miles of Rocky Mount.
Basketball for the first time will institute the mercy rule once a lead hits 42. The only difference in the rules the clock in basketball will continue after scoring but will run during foul shots.
Deep down in the rule changes is soccer will now go to a shoot out after teams have played the two ten minute ovenrtimes and are still tied. There was another item talked about but no action was taken is there is on the table to go with four state football championship sites instead of three. Last year Winston Salem, Chapel Hill and Raleigh were the three sites.
I would see no problem what so ever if ECU, App State or any college that has a stadium of 20,000 hosting a championship. Anyone who has ever been to a football game at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone would be a great memory for a team with snow on the ground. I would assume if it does go to four sites each year a site would host both the 3A and3AA game.
There has been a change made in the Rocky Mount make up finish with Southern Nash which stopped in the top of the third inning Tuesday. Since it will be the last regular season game of the year they have decided to play the JV game at 4pm and push the varsity finish back to 7pm.
This weekend if you love baseball Rocky Mount and Nash County will be loaded with baseball. All four public high schools plus Legion Field will be hosting baseball travel league teams from all over . Games start at 8am and last well into the night. The Sports Complex will be thriving with nine year old to 14 years old players. I understand you can't get a motel room within 50 miles of Rocky Mount.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Thankful To Be Home
Rocky Mount did everything possible to play a vital Big East Conference baseball game today by moving the game up from 7pm to 4 but that didn't work either. By the time the game reached one out in the bottom of the second rain started and Rod Ramsey the home plate umpire wary of off in the distance rumbling of thunder the Firebirds managed to get the Gryphons out. Ramsey put a halt to play and within ten minutes the game is postponed even though the rain wasn't a down pour we all knew it was coming.
The weather forecast is for the same tomorrow and possible even Thursday. A game at Northern on Friday. There is a baseball tournament at Rocky Mount high this weekend as well as Legion Field. The game will be resumed at 5pm Monday.
Last night Hunt beat Southern Nash 10-0 so as of this writing Northern stands at 6-2. Fike and Hunt are 5-3 and Rocky Mount and Nash Central are 4-4.
Walked in the door at home just about 5pm and wife Pat is on the phone with daughter Morgan on the way home from Campbell as she had her final exam today at 3pm. She is driving up I-95 and runs up on that storm that hit Kenly. It rained so hard she stopped twice the first at the rest stop at Selma. Once the sun came out she starts up 95 and runs into the backside of that same storm and pulls off at Kenly at about the time the tornado hits just a mile back down 95. In a panic I advised her to get to the nearest business which turns out to be McDonalds and watch the weather and if she sees a funnel cloud head to bathroom. Don't worry mom and dad are on the way. The manager when he heard a tornado had hit close by he put all his employees in the bathrooms along with one scared customer.
Here we go Pat and I listening to the radio, they are talking the storm is heading right down 95 so we decide to take 301. Just about Halifax Road and 301 it starts pouring rain and by the time we went by Firestone part of the road is cover with water. There was talk that hail was falling north of Wilson so we decided to park under an over pass just in case the ice would not damage the car. About 15 minutes we move forward and at times rain was heavy on top of what had already fallen.
Once we get into Wilson traffic is heavy because there are many areas at corners of streets are under water and any low spots were covered. We made it up to near what use to be the Purina grain bins where the railroad underpass is located and of course that under pass is down in a valley. Looking ahead a car was under the underpass and the top of the car was all you could see. It is time for a detour.
It took about and hour treading many intersections under water to get over on highway 42. We had decided by this time we need to make our way to 95. By this time the rain is sporadic and once we cleared the hospital traffic there was a flow out to 95. By now the sun is shining but looking down 95 is the blackest cloud we had seen all Day and it is near Kenly
Finally just as we arrive at the McDonalds it starts raining again but by now a panicked child is smothered with hugs from a happy mother glad to see her baby. The ride home was rather simple but you talk about a tired dog papa was glad to be home from an hour forty five minute trip to Kenly and a thirty minute ride home.
The weather forecast is for the same tomorrow and possible even Thursday. A game at Northern on Friday. There is a baseball tournament at Rocky Mount high this weekend as well as Legion Field. The game will be resumed at 5pm Monday.
Last night Hunt beat Southern Nash 10-0 so as of this writing Northern stands at 6-2. Fike and Hunt are 5-3 and Rocky Mount and Nash Central are 4-4.
Walked in the door at home just about 5pm and wife Pat is on the phone with daughter Morgan on the way home from Campbell as she had her final exam today at 3pm. She is driving up I-95 and runs up on that storm that hit Kenly. It rained so hard she stopped twice the first at the rest stop at Selma. Once the sun came out she starts up 95 and runs into the backside of that same storm and pulls off at Kenly at about the time the tornado hits just a mile back down 95. In a panic I advised her to get to the nearest business which turns out to be McDonalds and watch the weather and if she sees a funnel cloud head to bathroom. Don't worry mom and dad are on the way. The manager when he heard a tornado had hit close by he put all his employees in the bathrooms along with one scared customer.
Here we go Pat and I listening to the radio, they are talking the storm is heading right down 95 so we decide to take 301. Just about Halifax Road and 301 it starts pouring rain and by the time we went by Firestone part of the road is cover with water. There was talk that hail was falling north of Wilson so we decided to park under an over pass just in case the ice would not damage the car. About 15 minutes we move forward and at times rain was heavy on top of what had already fallen.
Once we get into Wilson traffic is heavy because there are many areas at corners of streets are under water and any low spots were covered. We made it up to near what use to be the Purina grain bins where the railroad underpass is located and of course that under pass is down in a valley. Looking ahead a car was under the underpass and the top of the car was all you could see. It is time for a detour.
It took about and hour treading many intersections under water to get over on highway 42. We had decided by this time we need to make our way to 95. By this time the rain is sporadic and once we cleared the hospital traffic there was a flow out to 95. By now the sun is shining but looking down 95 is the blackest cloud we had seen all Day and it is near Kenly
Finally just as we arrive at the McDonalds it starts raining again but by now a panicked child is smothered with hugs from a happy mother glad to see her baby. The ride home was rather simple but you talk about a tired dog papa was glad to be home from an hour forty five minute trip to Kenly and a thirty minute ride home.
The Weather Will Be A Factor
The Rocky Mount High baseball and softball games have been moved up to 4pm trying to beat the oncoming rains and severe weather. Northern Nash's games have been also mvoed up.
The entire high school basketball season was dotted with snow and ice and by the time the last week of the season arrived teams just didn't have enough days to get in a full schedule. The conference champions The Hunt Warriors missed out out by one game getting all their conference games in.
Fast forward three months and baseball enters the last week of the season in much better shape than basketball as the only Hunt and Southern Nash gamed rainout Last Friday being only game on the schedule being behind, but then there is the weather forecast. I haven't seen at this time the results of the Warrior-Firebird Monday night.
Both Tuesday's games and any make up game lost on Tuesday due to the weather that would be played on Wednesday just might be in jeopardy because the forecast 90 per cent chance of rain both days which could push the Tuesday games all the way to Thursday and set up a Thursday/Friday back to back days this week to finish the season.
I don't want to even comment on the comments supposedly spoken by the LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling. I see there is only one answer for the NBA. A league that has 70 per cent of their players are black has to somehow or other force him to sell the team. Here is the problem. How can you punish a 82 year old man that when he bought the team for 20 million and make him sell the team when the team is worth 600 million?
Are you going to force him just turn over the team to us (NBA) for nothing? Should the players just boycott the next game. The Clippers were one of the favorites to win the west division and for the players to just lose on purpose takes playoff money out of their pocket.
Last night was the last game ever by the Charlotte Bobcats. Today is the first day of the return of the Hornets. Bring out all of that teal you have in your closet.
Fast forward three months and baseball enters the last week of the season in much better shape than basketball as the only Hunt and Southern Nash gamed rainout Last Friday being only game on the schedule being behind, but then there is the weather forecast. I haven't seen at this time the results of the Warrior-Firebird Monday night.
Both Tuesday's games and any make up game lost on Tuesday due to the weather that would be played on Wednesday just might be in jeopardy because the forecast 90 per cent chance of rain both days which could push the Tuesday games all the way to Thursday and set up a Thursday/Friday back to back days this week to finish the season.
I don't want to even comment on the comments supposedly spoken by the LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling. I see there is only one answer for the NBA. A league that has 70 per cent of their players are black has to somehow or other force him to sell the team. Here is the problem. How can you punish a 82 year old man that when he bought the team for 20 million and make him sell the team when the team is worth 600 million?
Are you going to force him just turn over the team to us (NBA) for nothing? Should the players just boycott the next game. The Clippers were one of the favorites to win the west division and for the players to just lose on purpose takes playoff money out of their pocket.
Last night was the last game ever by the Charlotte Bobcats. Today is the first day of the return of the Hornets. Bring out all of that teal you have in your closet.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Down The Stretch Neck And Neck
The final week of Big East baseball starts tonight with the rainout makeup game between Hunt and Southern Nash. After tonight all Big East teams will be down to two games each to finish the regular season.
I say regular season because I just found out Sunday that next week the Big East will have a conference tournament. The only thing that hasn't been decided yet as exactly how are they going to do the tournament? It has been discussed that one plays six, two plays five and three meets four with the top team left standing get a bye in the second. All first round games would be Monday.
If they do try this new formula and all three top seeds win then one would get a bye in the second round and two and three would play Tuesday. The winner would play the top seed Thursday. There is of course the old system one and two get a bye and three plays six and four plays five. What ever way they decide it will start Monday May 5th.
The big question is who will make the top three spots and will make the playoffs? Northern as they say has control of their own destiny. If they beat both Fike and Rocky Mount they are the champs of the regular season. Hunt becomes the first team that is still in the running for the title that must beat Southern Nash this week. Any team including Rocky Mount Tuesday and Nash Central Friday that would lose to the winless Firebirds would eliminate themselves from any chance of still tying for the title but they would hurt their playoff hopes of finishing in the top three.
So for Nash Central and Rocky Mount both needing plenty of outside help but they have got to win both of their games this week to stay alive for the playoffs. The best scenario for all three Rocky Mount teams getting the top three spots would be for Northern to beat Fike at home Tuesday. Nash Central knock off Hunt Tuesday and it wouldn't matter who won the Fike-Hunt game Friday because the loser would have five losses. The final straw to get all three in would be Rocky Mount beating Northern Friday.
The way this season has unfolded here is about how this playoff picture will be decided. I can see Northern and one of the Wilson County schools who start the week with three losses. One of them will not lose this week and there will be a three way tie for third and the third spot will be decided by next week's tournament.
I say regular season because I just found out Sunday that next week the Big East will have a conference tournament. The only thing that hasn't been decided yet as exactly how are they going to do the tournament? It has been discussed that one plays six, two plays five and three meets four with the top team left standing get a bye in the second. All first round games would be Monday.
If they do try this new formula and all three top seeds win then one would get a bye in the second round and two and three would play Tuesday. The winner would play the top seed Thursday. There is of course the old system one and two get a bye and three plays six and four plays five. What ever way they decide it will start Monday May 5th.
The big question is who will make the top three spots and will make the playoffs? Northern as they say has control of their own destiny. If they beat both Fike and Rocky Mount they are the champs of the regular season. Hunt becomes the first team that is still in the running for the title that must beat Southern Nash this week. Any team including Rocky Mount Tuesday and Nash Central Friday that would lose to the winless Firebirds would eliminate themselves from any chance of still tying for the title but they would hurt their playoff hopes of finishing in the top three.
So for Nash Central and Rocky Mount both needing plenty of outside help but they have got to win both of their games this week to stay alive for the playoffs. The best scenario for all three Rocky Mount teams getting the top three spots would be for Northern to beat Fike at home Tuesday. Nash Central knock off Hunt Tuesday and it wouldn't matter who won the Fike-Hunt game Friday because the loser would have five losses. The final straw to get all three in would be Rocky Mount beating Northern Friday.
The way this season has unfolded here is about how this playoff picture will be decided. I can see Northern and one of the Wilson County schools who start the week with three losses. One of them will not lose this week and there will be a three way tie for third and the third spot will be decided by next week's tournament.
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