About All You Could Expect

Carolina Panthers fans had plenty to be happy about winning their last four games of the season all against teams with losing records.  Those four wins propelled the Panthers into a  home 1st round playoff game against maybe at one time when healthy the best team in the NFL.

The key word here is when healthy.  The Cardinals came to Carolina  with their third string quaterback and with Carolina's defense playing the best they have played all year Arizona didn't have a chance because it was just no way Arizona defense could score enough to stay in the game.

Fast forward one week and I think Carolina's defense just couldn't hold Seattle down enough to give the Panther offense a chance.  You just knew Carolina is not going to score  more than 17 points.  If you are only going to score 17  then the Carolina offense can't afford to give Seattle anything like a pick six especially when you are driving late in the game and still in the game.

Just for down the road heading toward the Super Bowl I am not impressed as much after this game with Seattle's defense as last year.  They seem late in the year to be getting the stride they had last  season but Carolina scored 17 and  should have had more.

Sorry folks but I still not in love with Cam as the Panthers  quarterback.  Seattle wins with defense and Russell Wilson throwing about 20 times a game.  Wilson makes good decisions about when to throw or when to run.  Cam is not an accurate passer and doesn't make good decisions at the critical moments.  He reminds me of  Jay Cutler to me he is too reckless with the ball.

Despite losing Carolina was still in it until the pick six.  There is plenty to look forward to as Carolina has a real solid foundation on defense. If Luke and Thomas stay healthy they have to of the best inside linebackers in the business for several years.

Defenses win championships and Carolina will need to make Cam a mistake free quarterback if they want to make the playoffs next year.

Double Trouble

Twice this year both varsity basketball teams have gone down to defeat on the home court the same night.  South Central pulled the trick on the Gryphons girls earlier during the season spotting the Lady Gryphons a twenty plus lead at the half and came charging back to win..  Tonight Rocky Mount girls gave up a double digit lead in the fourth quarter and lose their conference opener at home to Hunt 50-46.

Hunt is now 10-3 and 1-0 in Big East play  as Rocky Mount falls to 5-5 and 0-1.  Once again next week there will only be one conference game on the conference slate as the Gryphons will be home to Nash Central.  Tamara Harper lead the Lady Gryphons with 16 while Keyanna Spivey 15 and having her first double digit scoring game of the year Michele Gainey added 12.

We have seen already that South Central's height dominate Rocky Mount earlier and tonight the tallest Big East team Hunt gave Rocky Mount all the wanted  and for the second year in a row clip Rocky Mount in Rocky Mount 65-55.

40 of Rocky Mount's 55 points came from the outside trio of Isaiah Alston 18, Broderick Caudle and Kenaz Cooper 11 each.  Rocky Mount having not played in 22 days might have been telling in this one as Hunt is fresh off winning the Wilson County Tournament last week over Fike. and even played Wednesday night against highly rated Kinston.

There was some question about the Fike non conference schedule and tonight Fike goes on the road to Nash Central and the Bulldogs get a victory 55-44.

Nash Central girls looked primed to be the team to want to be the team to challenge Northern beat the Fike girls 56-42  Nash Central is now 10-3 and 1-0 in Big East play.

Southern Nash joined Hunt and Nash Central boys  in first place in the Big East as they romped at home over Northern Nash 86-67.

As expected Northern's girls took care of business beating the out manned Lady Firebirds 70-29.

Conference Time

The Big East basketball season begins Friday night.  Rocky Mount has not played since their victory in the Nash County Tournament and how will the lay off effect them?  Next week will also be a one game week allowing everyone exam week.

Hunt 7-4 @ Rocky Mount 7-2:  If you believe my pre-conference picks then the top two square off the very first game giving one the lead and the other behind the eight ball right off the bat.  Both these teams have had a heavy schedule taking on all comers and the winner will be on the front row right out of the gate.

Fike 9-2 @ Nash Central  6-3: Even though I don't think Fike schedule has been very stiff at all my concern for Nash Central is their guard play.  Don't care who you are or where you think you can be in the standings it is not very good for anybody to lose the first game.

Northern Nash 3-7 @ Southern Nash 8-4:  If you are going by records only then this is one Southern can not afford to lose.  This year's Northern squad is one you had better not sleep on because their performance is better than their record.

If on the girls side of the ledger everyone is chasing Northern and if everyone loses twice to Northern then when you play each other you are playing for a playoff spot and that spot can be no better than second.  Everyone is playing for the other first round home game.  Puts extreme  pressure on all these games and should just one sneak up on Northern that would give them a leg up on everyone else.

Hunt
8-3 @ Rocky Mount 5-4:  Here we go with one of those we need this one games. Rocky Mount will play defense but they will need better play from the outside on offense to be a factor for a playoff spot. Road game wins will be an added plus for who ever can get wins on the road.

Fike 5-6 @ Nash Central 9-2:  Here is the other opening night game that is a must for the teams playing.  Nash Central has a shot of being a team that might be able to give Northern plenty at Nash Central.  They surely don't need to falter to anyone else at home.

Northern Nash 11-0 @ Southern Nash 0-10:   Southern has had a hard time scoring on anybody and now they face the full court press from the Big East best.  Should be a game in which the far end of Northern bench gets plenty of playing time but the problem for Southern is those people are better too.

Danny Talbott Featured In UNC Health Care Website

If you are a Blackbird or Gryphon there are sports legends that when their first name is mentioned you know who they are.  Buck  for Buck Williams,  Phil for Phil Ford and Danny for Danny Talbott.
If you go to the UNC Health Care Website they have a feature on Rocky Mount's  Danny Talbott.

Many of you know the health issues Danny is facing in his life and the article reviews his Carolina career and now the life and death struggles that many just like Danny is facing and how he interacts with UNC hospital.  Excellent article and you can access it at http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2015/january/priceless-gem.  I think you will like it.


One third of the NFL playoff field has been eliminated and another third will go down this weekend.  There are teams riding high and riding hopes of future dreams but we will be down to the final four by Monday.

First Game of the weekend is a 4:30 kickoff Saturday.  There one team that could send New England Home.  Baltimore at  New England.   I don't see New England is visioned as a physical football team but they are.  Baltimore can match them blow by blow.  You know it has been 11 years since the Patriots have won a super Bowl but the world has New England on that mantel  that they just won last year.  New England's home field in the playoffs hasn't been there over the last few home playoff games.  Ravens getting right  at the right time.  Baltimore 31 New England 24

Carolina for the second week in a row gets prime time on Saturday night as they travel to Seattle who for the last month have looked like Seattle that won the Super Bowl last year.  I am still not a Cam Newton fan.  He throws his balls too high for my comfort.   He will be under pressure the entire game.  On the other side of the ledger the Panther D has been playing Super Bowl style.  If this game is close who do you think will throw a pick at the wrong time?  Seattle 24 Carolina 13

Dallas heads to the frozen tundra and Green Bay.  I think Dallas got a big monkey off their back finally winning a playoff game with Romo as Quarterback.  So now they get to go North and play the team with the best quarterback when healthy and he didn't look too healthy the last game of the season.  Packer D is not great.  If Rogers is 80% I'll take him over Romo who probably can let it loose now that he has win under his belt.  Green Bay 38 Dallas 33

Indianapolis at Denver.  High scoring Colts versus the new Denver Bronco's   I see Denver has a rather good defense and I don't see that the Colt's have much in the way of a D.  Denver not scoring as much since they became a run oriented team but not losing much either.  The only winning team Indy beat all year was Cincinnati and they beat them twice.  Denver 33 Indy 28.

If all of this comes to pass then it will be Green Bay at Seattle  and Baltimore at Denver playing for the chance to go to the Super Bowl. I don't see a Seattle Denver game again.  we will talk about that next week.

Gaines Makes Top Five Of Year

Those of you who go on Highschool ot.com may have seen their article of the top five events that happened in North Carolina High school sports in 2014.  Nash Central's Houshun Gaines has made the list. Their top five stories are based on national coverage. Unfortunately it is not for his outstanding play on the high school football field but from  the Catfishing episode that  he endured during the season.

Just to refresh your memory Gaines verbally committed to the University of Florida in mid season only to find out a short time later that Florida said they had no interest in him.  Some where along the way his communications with Florida was with a fake posing as a coach for UF. 

Now in the middle  of a Nash Central losing streak which is for a school just over  ten years old their worse ever comes national exposure on ESPN and other networks of a player being who- dooed.

There is no doubt that Gaines has the body to play college ball.  It is a shame that any player and there is no telling how many more  with his type potential never get the proper coaching needed to get noticed by colleges large or small to play in college. 

This past season I did attend the Rocky Mount -Nash Central game and I saw last year's game in Rocky Mount. so it is my only assessment of Gaines as I watched his play on defense the whole game.  I watch intently since the story was already national by this time and I wanted to see for myself.  What I saw was a player who was great at chasing when the play went away from him but when Rocky Mount went right at him they gained  yardage.

There is good news for Gaines as he is now expected to sign with Virginia Tech on college signing day in February.  Tech is more famous for their defensive football than any other aspect and he should get the training needed.  There is no telling what the potential is for Houshun Gaines .  He already has good college  linebacker size.

Once on campus and he gets in a weight program and then he gets the proper coaching and fundamentals of defensive football  who knows he could be a tight end. 

It is very hard to judge how good coaches are other than to look at their won-loss record.  Coaching is not only what happens on the football field  but  a good coach  should be guiding their players on what is best in the future.  He is a father to them while at school and many cases their coach is their only father.

I find fault  in Gaines' Catfishing experience only in his coach.  He didn't take care of his prize player's future nor did he do a  good job of coaching on the field.  We all learn through mistakes whether they are our own or someone else.

Houshun Gaines just may be the next great athlete that comes  from Nash County.  He is going to a football school regardless of their recent record is a prize place to be.  I hope and think with his experience this year he will be stronger for it.  The next time we hear his name on National TV it will be for his excellent play on the field.  He has the tools in his body all he has ever needed was the proper coaching.

Hill Named Big South Rookie Of The Week

Gardner Webb freshman and Northern Nash basketball player Alexus Hill has been named the Big South Rookie of the week following two games in which she hit double figures in both.  Coming off the bench Hill scored 14 points in a conference loss to Radford.  Earning a starting job Hill tallied 12 points  hitting two threes and dishing out five assist in GW victory over Coastal Carolina.

Last week during the guessing of who was going to win college playoffs and the wild card NFL games I rode the pony right down the middle.  One out of two in the college games and two out of four in the pro games.

Missed the Oregon-Florida State game.  Had picked the Noles by three.  Lost that one by 42.  Seems that game was right where it was suppose to be until Florida State decided to lay the ball on the ground.

I thought Alabama had won too many games this year with an average quarterback and a defense that was not quick as the past.  Had picked the Buckeyes by 9 and they won by seven.

So who's going to win the big one?  Oregon has speed on both sides of the ball.  I  don't like any passing attack that fails to throw the ball more than five yards down field.   Just because I don't like it don't mean they ain't good doing it.  Oregon puts extreme pressure on a defense with open field tackling.

Ohio State is down to their third quarterback and against two top ten teams the last two games scored 101 points so I don't pity the Buckeyes.  I think they have the best coach college football.  I think they have enough power to run the football and speed enough to score.  This will be a high scoring affair even if no one turns the ball over and gives the other side  free points.

Ohio State 42. Oregon 38

Now finally the last piece of business the guesses  about the ACC teams and ECU.  Went 6-7 during that ever lasting Bowl season.  Got the Pack, Pirates, Blue Devils, Georgia Tech, Louisviile and Clemson right.  The rest misses.

Some curious questions.   Why in the world did a Southeastern referee crew do the FSU/Oregon game and a Pac 12 crew do the Alabama /Ohio State game?  Since the four conferences involved in the final four no crew from any of those should have been involved in calling a game in which the winner might play their conference for the title. 

I don't think Duke got the quarterback play this year that they had last.  If you recall their backup several times last year pulled victories out the hat.  They didn't pull any out of the hat this year but they gave a good effort  as I thought ASU would romp in that game.

Funny how things turn around isn't it.  N C State last year didn't have a quarterback and looked hopeless heading into this season but found their QB.  Carolina went into the year as a top twenty team and everybody's favorite to win their division.  No defense what so ever and a losing year.

Who Can Knock Off Northern?

So far this season as we head to the start of conference basketball play Northern Nash is by far the cream of the crop in Big East girls basketball and the question is Who can beat them.  I would almost think the top priority for Grover Battle is to stay healthy as they already have  C C Harrison the other part of the tall tree tandem out for the year with a knee injury.  I don't know how they can be any better than 11-0 unless they beat everybody by 50 instead of 30.

Northern Nash:  11-0 Better than last year when they went 26-2.  A great tall player in the middle Kiana Thomas, a garbage player that will do what's needed in Susie Sykes and about eight more who could start for everybody else. Thomas 15.6 and 7.2 rebounds while Susie Sykes follows at 11.8.

Nash Central  9-2  the surprise team that is this good after losing their four year starting point guard.  Michaela Nelms  is the scoring punch leader at 17.3 and Myia Spivey at 14.1.  Caresha Leonard at 8.5 rebounds crashes the boards for the Lady Dogs.

Hunt  8-3  They are lead by Brionna Pate  who has been a one man wrecking crew so far 16.9 points and 7.8 points.  They have five other players scoring at least five per contest.

Rocky Mount   5-4.  Keyanna Spivey leads the way at 17.3 points per game and Tamara Harper the leading rebounder 6.9.  Lady Gryphons need much better ball handling heading to conference.

Fike  5-6  They are lead by Rebekah Langley 10.9 points and Deontra Jones-Keeper tops the rebound collector 5-4

Southern Nash  0-10  Please keep Destiny Burgess healthy.

So the Big East question is  can anybody knock off Northern ?

Northern Nash           10-0
Nash Central                7-3
Hunt                             6-4
Rocky Mount               4-6
Fike                              3-7
Southern Nash             0-10