Lady Bulldogs' 4x400 State Indoor Champs

Friday the State Indoor Track and Field Championships were held and the Lady Bulldogs of Nash Central 4x 400 Meter Relay team is a state champion today.  The team of T'Keyah Macklin, Caresha Leonard, Anaiya  Harris and Teona Hill  crossed the finish line ahead of the field.

Miya Spivey finished 8th in the girls high jump putting a point on the scoreboard for the Bulldogs.

The 4x800 relay  team finished 7th For the Bulldogs.  This team had members Carisha Leonard, Anaiya Harris, Cassidy Lyle and Teona Hill.

Anaiya Harris finished 5th in the girls 55 meter hurdles scoring more points for Nash Central. The relay team of Miya  Spivey, T'Keyah, Keiva Ausby and Teona  Hill took 4th in the 4x 200

Teona Hill finished 4th in the 300 Meter Dash scoring more Bulldog points.

The Rocky Mount girls teams had two members scoring points in the 55 meter dash.  Finishing  4th Laneeja Sheppard and Teyanna Dessaure 7th.

The Lady  Gryphons finished 3rd in the relay 4x200.  Nyanna Edwards, Jasmine Davis, Brittany Brickford and Laneeja Sheppard

The Northern  Nash  boys Relay team finished 7th scoring 2 points in the 4x200. The team consist of Tyrek Mils, Donovan Whitehead, Elijah Spencer and Mahleke Mills.

Coleman Cherry for the Knights finished 6th in the 1600 meter run.

Southern Nash's lone points came in the1600 meter run when Nadir Thompson  finished 5th scoring 4 points.

Nash Central girls finished 8th with 27 points.  Rocky Mount scored 20 points pulling down 10th spot.  The boys Southern Nash with 4 points were 38th and Northern Nash 5 points tied for 30th.

Big East Basketball will finish it's regular season today as all three games left will be made up. Hunt will travel to Fike with the girls game starting at 1pm.  Nash Central will drive to Southern Nash with the girls action beginning at 4:30.  The last game of the day will be a trip by Rocky Mount to Northern with a 6pm girls start.

The 3-A Regional wrestling championship was delayed from Friday to start Saturday and it will finish on Sunday.  Special permission had to be obtained by the  NCHSAA Board of Durectors to allow action on Sunday.   Most of the eastern state was about the only schools who were out of school because of the snow threat on Friday and the western regional started on Friday.


Thursday in Raleigh was the State 3-A swimming and diving Championship.  The best indivual effort by any local swimmer was the second place finish by Nash Central's Jennifer Jackson who finished second in the 50 yard free style.  She earned 17 points for her Bulldog team.

Rocky Mount girls team wise had the best day of any local team collecting 56 points which was good enough to finish 12th. Rocky Mount got points in the women's 200 Medley Relay when Kayla Miller,Jillian Lavely, Megan Moss and Aimee Dalsimer finished eighth collecting 22 points

Kayla Miller finished 8th in the Women 50 yard free style collecting 11 points. Teammate Jillian Lavely finished 14 earning 3 points.  The Women's 100 freestyle Kayla Miller was there earning points again with a 7th place adding 12 points to the Gryphon Total.

The Gryphon Relay team finished 13th in the Women's 200 yard free style and either it another 8 points.  The team consisted of Aimee Dalsimer, Megan Moss, Jillian Lavely and Kayla Miller

Nash Central girls are the 16th best swim team in the state having a total of 33 points. helping the 17 earned by Jackson was the Bulldog 200 yard Medley  Relay getting a single  point by finishing 26th with the team of  Mia Gibson, Jennifer Jackson, Kaley Sharpe and  Sarah Hicks

The Bulldog Relay team scored 2 points in the 200 yard free style relay with the team of Sarah Hicks,Kaley Sharpe, Mia Gibson and Jennifer Jackson.

Jennifer Jackson had a responsibility in every point earned by the Bulldogs when she finished 7th in the 100 yard Breast  Stroke giving the Bulldogs another 13 points.

The Big East boys only had  two teams with points Fike 83 good for 11th and Hunt 29 points finishing 24th.

Jumbled Mess

Big East boys basketball heads to the final night of the regular season and just about any thing is possible.  Well, maybe not everything.  Even though they can not have a losing season Northern Nash is the sixth seed.  A victory Friday night at home over Rocky Mount can not get them out of the hole.  At 2-7 12-9 the Knights are doomed for last.

Rocky Mount the team that lost  their first 13 games this season have rebounded winning five of six conference games to stand 5-4.  Should they beat Northern it is possible that Rocky Mount could tie for first with Nash Central and Southern Nash.  To complicate the world if Fike 5-4 10-13 knocks off  Hunt there will be a four way tie at 6-4.  All of these what ifs haven't  said one word about Hunt 4-5 9-13 who if  they beat Fike could rise  to 5-5

All this confusion could be erased with one simple  fact if Nash Central 6-3 12-10 goes to Southern Nash 5-4 12-8 and wins.  That would put the Bulldogs at 7-3 and the outright regular season champ
If Southern Loses they would drop to 5-5.  If Northern beats the Gryphons the Gryphons fall to 5-5.

So we have started out with the possibility of a 4-way tie for first if Southern Wins, Rocky Mount wins and Fike wins.  If Nash Central wins the title and Southrrn loses, Rocky Mount loses, and Fike loses and Hunt wins there is a 4-way tie for second.

Confused I think everybody is?  What else could possibly confuse us even more ?  Remember last year weather caused state wide panic when conference tournaments,  district play and even the Regional schedule had to be adjusted because of weather.  You do know what the forecast is calling for about 11am.  Already Wilson County has cancelled school Friday.  No Hunt/ Fike game before Monday and I guess you heard about Monday Right?

 Let's talk girls they can't be this complicated.  No Nash Central 8-1 19-3 travel to Southern Nash 0-9 0-20.  The  biggest question in this game is, can Southern score 20 in this game.

Rocky Mount 5-4 12-7 visits Northern Nash7-2 17-4.  Rocky Mount could finish third with a win and Northern has second win or lose.

Fike 5-4 17-6 can still get third but Hunt 2-7 4-16 is stuck in fifth.  Life it can be so simple.

Oh wait, by the time I can even finish this Nash County has cancelled so there is no basketball until at least Monday and we will have to see what Monday  brings.  If is as cold this weekend what falls Friday will still be here Monday and of course we are suppose to have more them.

Hearing that some schools have postponed games until Saturday.  If the temperature is  as low as forecasted Friday night/Saturday morning and if there is anything white falling on Friday where is it going on Saturday regional wrestling is in jeopardy.  A repeat of last year could be in the works.

Gryphons Exact Double Revenge

Just last Friday night Fike came to Rocky Mount and swept the Gryphons on their home court.  The games were suppose to be at Fike but a wet floor caused the games to be switched to Rocky Mount.  Tonight the return trip.  Fike and Rocky Mount boys both still have an outside shot at tying for first.  Somehow or other last Friday Fike thought they were home and tonight Rocky Mount sweeps Fike on Fikes home floor.  The girls win 35-26 while the boys win 48-36.

Friday night all the boys games in Big East basketball has ramifications about who is going to finish first.  Nash Central is 6-3 playing 5-4 Southern Nash.  Fike 5-4 plays arch rival Hunt 4-5 and Rocky Mount 5-4 travels to Northern Nash 2-7.  There is a possibility that a four way tie is possible but in order for that to happen Southern Nash must beat Nash Central.

Fike girls lost their sixth game of the year to the Lady  Gryphons and both are tied in conference at 5-4.  Fike has the edge playing Hunt with only two conference wins while Rocky Mount travels to Northern Nash.

Tonight at North Carolina Wesleyan the men's basketball team finished their home portion of this basketball season and they beat Methodist University 72-59.  They are now 9-2 in conference play and the way the conference rules read the top seed regular season team gets to host the conference tournament.

D J Weaver finished his regular season at home scoring 32 points.  Brandon Brown added 11.  The 9-2 record right now leads the USAS but the Battling Bishops finish on the road with three road games over the next ten days.  All they need to follow is win all three and they will host the tournament Feb 25-27th.  Tall task but the way they are playing it can be done.

The girls lost the first game tonight to Methodist 65-48.

Methodist had two local players coming home as Alexia Hines  a freshman for the Monarchs who played last year for Northern Nash scored four points in the first half but was injured late in the second quarter and never returned to the game.  Tabious Hilliard the senior point guard from Rocky Mount high scored three points.

Boy's Title Up For Grabs

I always try to post by 6am every morning.  When ever there is live action like last night's Big East action I try to go on line as soon as I gather what information I can find.  I have a different excuse for being a little late this morning.

Last night I spent at Rex Hospital as my daughter Amy had her first baby with husband Micah Ward. A 24 hour labor that started Tuesday morning at her home at 4:30 am ended at 4:31 this morning when Matthew John Ward made his first public appearance all eight pounds and twelve ounces.  He is twenty one and a  half inches long.  I have just arrived home from Raleigh and had to gather the info because last night I didn't have ball on my mind.

Told you yesterday that the Nash Central boys road to the Big East championship had a tough one at Hunt. It was as Hunt wins their fourth conference game to go to 4-5 while the Bulldogs drop to 6-3 after a 54-51 Hunt Victory

Tonight Rocky Mount Travels to Fike to make up a weather game from a couple Of weeks back.  This one is at Fike after they switched last Friday night and Fike clipped the Gryphons.  The winner of this game Friday will have a shot  at a three way tie for first.

They got in this position after Rocky Mount beat Southern Nash   52-44.  Rocky Mount's record goes to 4-4 while Southern drops to 5-4.  Fike 4-4  got into this position beating Northern Nash 2-7 60-52 last night . The winner of Fike / RM will be tied for first with Southern Nash and Nash Central if Southern wins that match up Friday night  with Nash Central and the Fike Rocky Mount winners wins their Friday game also.





Nash Central girls can wrapped up first place in the Big East beating after clipping Hunt 59-43.  Nash Centrsl is now 8-1 and finish up the season with winless Southern Nash. Hunt goes to 2-7.

Rocky Mount held on winning at home over the Lady Firbirds 44-12. Rocky Mount is up to 4-4 while the Lady Firebirds lose another one and stank 0-9

The big girls game for the night went  Northern Nash's way as on their home floor the edge Fike 53-51.  Northern goes to 7-2 and must beat Rocky Mount and hope Nash Central loses to Southern.

Tonight is the final home basketball game for NC Wesleyan basketball team. There will be a doubleheader starting at 5:30.  They play Methodest.  Tabious Hilliard the point guard on the Rocky MountnState championship team in 2010 will be here playing for Methodist

The Final Lap

Down the stretch they come and this is shaping up to be a great year for Nash Central basketball both on the male and female side.  Both squads have a game lead with two games to go.  They play Hunt and Southern Nash this week.  It is obvious that the boys have the tougher road to finish first.

Boys :  Nash Central 6-2 12-9 @ Hunt 3-5 8-13:  This is the easiest of the Bulldogs two games this week but it is on the road.  Hunt is dangerous at home and a Bulldog lost makes for a winner take all Friday night with Southern Nash.

Southern Nash 5-3 12-7 @ Rocky Mount 3-4 3-14:  This is a must win game for Southern Nash.  The only way Friday can be for the regular season title in Big East if the Firebirds lose at Rocky Mount is for Nash Central lose at Hunt.  If both Nash Central and Southern lose Both Fike and Rocky Mount still have a shot at some part of first.  They square off Wednesday at Fike so there would be possible
That the Wednesday Fike/ Rocky Mount winner wins Friday and Southern Beats Nash Central Friday there will be a three way tie.

Fike 3-4 9-12 @ Northern Nash 2-6 12-8:  Fike needs three wins this week and anything is possible.  A couple of wins this week to get the Knights primed for the playoffs.  It is conceivable that Northern Nash could have best overall record for the year in the conference and not make the playoffs.

The girls angle:

Nash Central has Hunt and Southern Nash combined 1-13  this week.  There should be no reason to lose either.  Aiding the Bulldogs is Fike and Northern Nash collide Tuesday so one will lose a chance to tie.  The other reason it should be clear sailing for the Lady Bulldogs is they don't play either team that could tie them.

Fike 5-2 17-4 @ Northern Nash 6-2 16-4:  The loser of this one is out of the regular season championship race.  The loser will have lost only five games all season.  The Big East girls are loaded and maybe one or more make the Regionsls.

Nash Central 7-1 18-3 @ Hunt 1-6 3-16:  The  worse thing that could happen to to Nash Central is sleep through this week and mess with their momentum for the playoffs.

Southern Nash 0-8 0-18 @ Rocky Mount 3-4 10-7.  This is last chance for Southern Nash  to win a game this year.  If they go 0 for the week they will be winless for more than two years now.

All Bronco Defense

The Carolina Panthers started the 50th Super Bowl as if  they were the team that had never had any players play in the Super Bowl while the Broncos defense played as if they were the team slighted.  Manning led the Bronc's down the field on their first drive but had to settle for a field goal and Denver had a 3-0 lead right off the bat.

If you ever have thought of how refereeing can change the momentum of any game.  Jericho Cotchery makes a spectacular catch and I never saw on any replay the ball ever touched the ground.  Remember something new for the Super Bowl NFL headquarters were making the reviews and their first one they miss.  Two plays later Cam is sacked on the four and Denver scores.  The ball should have been across the Panther 40 on the catch by Cotchery.  10-0 Denver.

The Panthers fumbled twice  but the second the D held getting a turnover themselves.  They allowed A 61 yard punt return when they thought a fair catch had been called but the defense held to a field goal.  One 73 yard drive was all the offense could muster on a Stewart touchdown.  Poor clock management at the end of the half.  Just maybe the worse half of football all year by the Panthers but only down 13-7.  The Denver offense has done nothing since the opening drive.  The Panthers can't say much either as Cam's passes have been high on every throw.

The third quarter the Panther offense dominates the football but a field goal hitting the cross bar and another drive ends  on a Cam high throw.  The third quarter the Panthers doing everything they can to lose.  Denver gets the only points. 16-7 Denver.

The Carolina D did everything they could to win and yet the Denver D was better all night.  The final straw for the Panthers was Cam's last fumble when he chose to not dive after the ball.  Still with a chance to win if he recovers the game is still not over.  By giving up it was.

Give the Denver D all the credit in this one.  The pressure on Cam all night he threw high on every pass.  The Panthers four turnovers and a missed field goal, six false starts and seven sacks.  The was a stomping and thank goodness the Panthers defense came to play or it would have been worse.  The Panther D held Denver to 1-14 on third downs.  They played their hearts out but Denver D was better 24-10.

The Panthers simply were not the best team.

Euphoria Rules

Tarboro High's Todd Gurley  has won the NFL offensive Rookie of the year.  Gurley who never set foot on an NFL playing field until the third quarter of the third game after recovering from a knee injury while at the University of Georgia rushed for 1106 yards third in the NFL.  He averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns.

There is nothing in life that compares to being the best.  You win the award as the top salesman or best truck driver.  The sports world is nothing more magical than winning a state title, national championship and in the world of professional sports the Stanley Cup or the Super Bowl.

Just December the entire city of Rocky Mount had that feeling of Euphoria as the Rocky Mount Gryphons won the State football title. There is just something about when you have proven you are the best that everyone stands up straighter, smiles more and just has that total satisfaction.  Like 2010 when our area was in economic depression the basketball team gave us time to forget our problems and stick out our chest with winning a title.

We are blessed in this area to be part of Tobacco Road and every time one of our state teams wins a national championship we get those same feelings we had while winning state titles but now it is the best in the United States.

North Carolina has three professional major league sports teams the Hurricanes in Raleigh, the Hornets in Charlotte and the Panthers in Charlotte.  We are little or young state when it comes to professional sports as we have only had the big leagues here in North Carolina since 1988.

Can anyone forget the run made by the Hurricanes in 2006 when every playoff series went down to the wire.  Two months the pressure built as they kept winning series after series until they won the Stanley Cup.  North Carolina went mad for the Hurricanes even though there were many didn't know a thing about hockey or how it was suppose to be played.

Back in 2004 the last real run by the Panthers into serious playoff football the entire state went ballistic when Steve Smith caught the bomb to upset St Louis and shocking Philadelphia to go to the Super Bowl.  The entire state was wild but we were the underdogs and our worry was not to get embarrassed by the big bad Patriots.  Less than two minutes to go there were thoughts throughout the world that those Panthers just might win that Super Bowl.

Tonight our Panthers stand with one hand on the mountain top and all they need to do  is pull themselves rest of the way up and stand on the mountain top.  This trip they are the favorites.  A new role for a state that has only one major trophy the Stanley Cup out of 67 professional season since basketball, football and hockey  came to NC.

If the Panthers play Panther football and don't have turnovers.  They have been basking in the glory for a week now and for teams normally underdogs all those pats on the back could lead to contentment.  Panther D against Bronco's D the edge has to go to Denver.  Offense against offense the Big edge is the Panthers.  Special teams they are a wash.  I see no way that Peyton and company will move the ball consistently against the Panthers and I suspect will put the Denver D in some bad field positions difficulties.

My advise to the Panthers hold on to the ball and you will win.  If that happens the entire Carolinas can declare a national holiday Monday as there will be nobody wanting to do any work on Monday but talk football about those World Champions.    Go Panthers!!!!!!!!!!