TONY'S hustle inductees

Saturday afternoon three members of the Rocky Mount tennis team qualified the the state tournament next weekend in Burlington.  George Shannon and Landon Norwood swept through their first three matches until they met up with the doubles team from Fike.  It was a struggle but the Gryphons prevail winning in two sets to win the 3A Eastern Regional at Barton College.  They will try for the state doubles title starting next Friday in Burlington.

Singles player Tyler Brice lost one match in two days and the one he lost was the Regional final.  It is his first singles lost of the season but by finishing second he qualifies for weekends state championships.

I have been covering sports in eastern North Carolina a long time before many of you were born.  During that time I have met many people who are special people in their support of others and their support of athletics.   Many young people who I have watched that I have grown fond of because the way the play the sport they participate  in.  I call those my all hustle team.  Here is a small list of some of some special people in my eyes and two new members to my all hustle team.

Richard Sarmiento :  I don't know if any person has effected baseball in Nash County more in the last 25 years.  His love of baseball with financial backing and his ability of getting others to help.  Many teams have played in tournaments in Cooperstown and was a vital link in Babe Ruth Baseball sending teams to the World Series and almost winning in 2005.

Bill Reece:  Is there anybody in Nash County who does not know Bill.  If there is a ball game tonight some where near he will be there.  Met him when our last daughter Morgan played teeball ball at Englewood  on the same team as Bill's grandson David Williams who by the way is on my all time hustle team and proud to say graduates from Duke next weekend.

Joe Bell:  Have worked with Joe all ten years that I  have done PA for Rocky Mount Legion Baseball.  You just  don't know the time and effort he has given to Legion baseball.  Three children have been involved through the years in Rocky Mount sports an I bet many of their games he has on film.

Don Johnson:  I met DJ in the 80's.  He was at Chowan College  being a ref and I did the PA.  If I remember correctly it was  a Region Ten Junior College tournament and I did any time Chowan played I did radio and any other games did PA.  It is hard to be around DJ without feeling better.  He just had that glow that more people need.

Now my two new all Hustle team members.

Leroy Edwards Southern Nash:  I have maybe seen him play maybe ten games altogether.  I bet  there are many people who when they watch him play never know he has a handicap.  He has learned to over come his disability an play the game of baseball one handed. That's my kind of player.

Logan Pearce Rocky Mount:  I saw him the day he was born as Pat and I are great friends with his mom and dad.  He has through the years been about smallest player in the field but one of the best and he could always hit.  His high high school days he is grown up but this year his hitting has been sporadic but one thing has not left him defense.  He has not allowed his hitting to effect his play.  Made error first game of season and hasn't made one since.  That's my kind of ball player.

Time to starting looking for more people who are friends of athletics and the next hustle ball players!

Is ESPN Dying?

The mad rush by the Power Five conferences to gobble up each other because ESPN was promising  trillions of dollars to have every sporting event on TV may be heading out the door like the clothespin.

There was a day when everyone hung their clothes out on the clothesline  and of course that meant to hold  them on the line you used clothes pins.  Along comes the electric dryer or gas dryer and now for 50 years there is no need to use clothes pins.  Tried to find a clothes pin in a grocery store lately? 

Every new invention at some point in time is replaced by another invention that improved on the first invention and after a while clothes pins are an after thought.  Wood matches replace by Bic lighters. The Sears catalog has been replaced by on line buying.  We can talk all day about the way it use to be  and how it is now.

ESPN had the audacity back in the early 1980's to go for 24 hours a day sports on TV which brought about rodeo, barrel jumping, Spelling Bee, all kinds of fill time while ESPN tried to figure out what to put in front of your eyes worth watching.  Nascar was the first big success brought on by the one  sports channel.  Does any body remember who played in the first college football game on ESPN???  East Carolina at N C State 1982 a 24-22 ECU win.

As ESPN got their feet on the ground they started putting hockey on the air, college basketball and as more games were seen by the audience the more people wanted to see it but times are a changing.  The Direct TV's of the world  which has every channel  you could ever want put ESPN on more cable  homes and the more homes ESPN got greedy and wanted more for their channels that what Discovery could ask the cable companies of the world.  Then there came a point where people had been sucked dry with cable expenses and many have ways to say goodbye to cable and with out subscribers ESPN who had become the Rich kid on the block that wanted more but already had every penny of your money.

In order to offer more football or basketball they convinced colleges to create huge mega conferences with the promise from ESPN that they will pay huge dollars because people want to see Clemson and Boston College and the more viewers the more money we will divide with you. So the greedy themselves colleges fell for this long everlasting  dream that the money tree will last  and every one will be happy ever after.

Now the  poor to keep cable for the high price people have gone to other ways to see TV.  Many are going to the stick which will give you 14 or so local channels and those that are computer savvy know where to find free TV.  It has come to the point Cable is too high I will down grade and take what ever I can get.

Who is hurting most of all from this new TV viewing  by those who have fallen in the trap of cable TV.  ESPN!  They have downsized twice in the last six months.  All of this promise to these mega conferences has to slow down especially if  ESPN has to file bankruptcy in years to come and that is quite a good possibility.

I wonder in just this completed basketball season has ESPN paid up to the ACC yet on what the ACC thinks should be getting in their cut.  If they haven't they may not be getting as much as they think their cut should be.    If the money falls what's going to happen to college having to pay their teams to fly to Miami or Boston.  I wonder then will they hold each school to the 50 million dollar buy out to jump from the conference?

I can see in my crystal ball that the day could the be coming where that eight team ACC could be born again.  South Carolina, Clemson the Big four North Carolina schools, Virginia Tech and Virginia.  I think Maryland will never be in the good graces of the ACC Gods.  If all this comes full circle we will all be wanting C D Chesley back to bring us the ACC.

Gryphons Go AfterTwo Tournament Titles.

Rocky Mount girls soccer team already the Big East regular season champion 9-1 went after the tournament title hosting Hunt while the Rocky Mount boys baseball traveled to Hunt looking for a tournament title after Hunt won the regular season title going 9-1 and the Gryphons were 8-2.

Last week the boys tennis team swept through the Big East tennis tournament sweeping all nine points  in the finals.  Tonight the Lady Gryphons finished off Hunt in a shutout 5-0 to win both of their tournament matches by a combined 14-0.  The Lady Gryphons led 2-0 at the half adding three scores in the second.They will now host starting as early as next Wednesday in the state playoffs and with their record they will get maybe three home games if they keep winning but two for sure.

The conversation since Tuesday has been who between the best two baseball teams in the Big East was who has the best number two starting pitcher. Tonight  at Hunt we found both teams have a quality second man and for Rocky Mount it is freshman Ben Seracki.

Logan Pearce doubles home the tying run in the fourth after Hunt scored in the second inning. .  The fifth Rocky Mount's second  run crossed the plate after Jamar Ellis hit a sacrifice fly and that was all the scoring and the Gryphons by winning the tournament get an automatic bid to next weeks state tournament which will more than likely give them a shot at two home game starting May 10th.

Ben Seracki pitched a complete  game throwing 67 pitches.  He gave up four hits and struck out one and you can see right there it doesn't take many pitches when the other teams goes to the plate swinging the bat and you walk only two batters.

Hunt started Josh Fuller who pitched four and a third innings allowed both runs and four hits.  He did not walk a batter struck out two.  Parker Garris pitched the final two and one third innings surrendering two hits struck out four and walked a batter.

This game was played just under an hour forty and that happens when the pitching doesn't walk many.

Logan Pearce had a double and rbi and a single. Josh Pittman a single, Jamar Ellis had a single and rbi, David Harrison single and  Ben Seracki helped his cause with a hit.

The third conference tournament game was softball and it is the second game of the night to be a one run game as Hunt beats Southern Nash 4-3 in eight innings.

BIG Night In Big East

Game time Rocky Mount at Hunt moved to 6pm

The Rocky Mount boys track and field team won the Big East Championship Wednesday while the Rocky Mount girls finished second breaking their conference championship streak which goes all the way back when the Gryphons were in the Big East 4A conference.

 Rocky Mount after hanging on Tuesday in a 4-3 victory  over Southern Nash will be at Hunt Thursday at 7pm for the Big East baseball tournament title.  This game will not affect either teams standings regardless of who wins.  Hunt is the top seed from the Big East.  They won 3-0 Tuesday using their ace just like the Gryphons did.  Who has the second best pitcher will go a long way in deciding who wins the tournament

The biggest  possible effect from the championship game  is each teams over all record during the state seedings process.  There should be six conferences comprising the so called east bracket and each conference winner will be labeled 1-6.  Starting with seeding 7 they will pick and seed according to over all best record.  There are 16 teams in the state with overall better records than Rocky mount going into Thursday's game  and how many will be in the west bracket and how many in the east.  Rocky Mount just might be seeded 17th and not get a home game but that is not likely especially if they win. Both teams have plenty to play for pride and how many home games either get.

Baseball playoffs begin Wednesday the 10th and the way the state has done the bracket announcements is they probably be released Monday.

Tuesday the third seed in Big East soccer Hunt upset second seed Fike 1-0 to earn their way to a 5pm match Thursday against Rocky Mount.  Rocky Mount stands at 13-4-1 and have scored 99 goals on the year while Hunt 9-7-2 has scored 50 in 18 games.  That's 5.5 goals against 2.77.  If the Gryphons are on their games they could bring home a tournament title.  But, that is why they play the games.

 Like baseball the soccer playoffs  start the 10th and I am sure the Lady Gryphons will get at least one home game and if they survive probably two home games.  Brackets should be out Monday

Friday and Saturday Rocky Mount boys tennis will be sending five members to the regionals for the singles and doubles competition.  Tuesday the team or as it is called the dual playoffs began with Rocky mount advancing to another home game next Tuesday against Topsoil.  Tyler Brice the conference champion in singles along with Langley Salter and Ben Osterhaut will start in a bracket and each win advances them up the ladder.  As long as you win you advance.  Three wins would be needed to qualify for the state and a fourth win would be regional champion. 

 George Shannon and Landon Norwood conference tournament champions in doubles  will go through the same process in the doubles.  How strong is Rocky mount tennis this year?  During the regular season Tyler Bryce and George Shannon were the Gryphons top doubles team.  Brice who has a great shot at winning the regional singles  can not do both so Norwood has joined Shannon and they were good enough to win the conference doubles title.

Good luck to everyone!!!!

Great Day For Gryphons Athletics

Southern Nash coach Todd Brewer the poker player has won every deal this week.  He gambled last night holding his ace For and expected matchup with David Harrison tonight and despite seven errors Monday the Firebirds moved on to Rocky Mount.

Rocky Mount unloaded on Mills in the first getting a leadoff double by Josh Pittman and a bases loaded double by David Harrison scored two runs and again another bases loaded double by Logan Pearce gave Rocky Mount a seemingly unbeatable lead of 4-0 after one.

Southern didn't get Their first hit until the third.  Rocky Mount would only get two more hits off Mills after the three he gave up in the first.  Harrison walked four batters and hit one and the more the Firebirds faced Harrison the more the hits dropped.  Six in 5.2 innings and that dreaded pitch count Harrison was pulled with a runner on first and two outs.

Southern put two runs on the board in the fourth getting  three hits.  They left two runners stranded in the fifth and now in the bottom of the sixth enter Joernest Petway who had pitch the 7th last Thursday at Southern.  Petway walked two batters and in comes Josh Pittman who with two strikes hits Alex Marlowe to trim the lead to 4-3.  Still the bases are loaded.  Pittman gets a strikeout to hold the lead at 4-3.  Southern failed to get the ball out of the infield in the 7th to get the save and David Harrison gets the win.

Rocky Mount advanced to a Thursday night's conference final after Hunt with a compete game from Bryson Worrell beat Fike 3-0.

David Harrison a double and two rbi.  Logan Pearce a double and two rbi.   Leroy Edwards bases loaded single score two for the
Firebird.

Nice crowd got their money's worth as Todd Brewers gamble almost worked.

The opening round of the state tennis playoffs started in Rocky Mount as the Gryphons won all six singles matches on their way to a 7-1 victory over Northwood.  Tuesday May ninth they will host Topsail a 6-3 winner over Western Alamance.

Big East tournament soccer the Rocky Mount girls hosted  Nash Central in the semi finals and the game was stopped early in the second half with Rocky Mount winning 9-0.  Will host championship match Thursday afternoon.

Beating the Weather

Over the past several years the weather has not always been kind to Big East baseball.  There was one year the regular season had so many makeup games the regular season ended on what would have been tournament finals night.  Even had rain during tournament playing one night and rest of the tournament rained out.

We should have  expected this but a line of heavy weather was heading out way Monday night and a wise thing happened. Opening night games were moved up to 5pm.  Northern Nash at Southern Nash  and Nash Central at Fike.

 The big gamble by Southern Nash coach Todd Brewer to hold his ace to Tuesday worked just barely.  Southern best Northern Nash 6-5 to advance to Rocky Mount Tuesday in the semi finals of the Big East.  Northern's season is over.

The first time Southern Nash and Rocky  Mount met. David Harrison beat Southern and Trevor Mills 2-0.  Expect same type low scoring affair.

The other opening night game Fike beat Nash Central 2-1. Fike will now play Hunt Tuesday at Hunt. The loss for Nash Central drops them to 13-10 and no better than 4th in the Big East.  Their chances of making the state tournament next week will now depend on having a better record of All the teams that will be fill out the brackets teams.

The Rocky Mount girls softball team's season ended last night losing to Southern Nash 10-0.  After a 4-1 start in non conference games the Gryphon girls failed to win a conference game.

This has been a nice spring for Rocky Mount athletics. Tennis first place, soccer 1st place.  Baseball second and track and field boys  and girls hope to finish first or second Wednesday during conference championships

Tuesday the Rocky Mount 13-0 tennis team will host the 1st round of the state playoffs.  Undefeated they are the top seed in the east regional and will host Norwood 8th seed and 11-4.  Southern Nash11-4  is in and will travel to Chapel Hill the second seed and 12-1.  Fike 12-4 6th seed the third team from the Big East travels to Northern Guilford 10-3 the 3rd seed.

Rocky Mount High school will be holding awards night for athletics on Thursday night May 18th. Dinner will be served starting at 5pm.Those wishing to attend dinner will be $10. All athletes expecting to receive awards will eat for free but in order to receive any award any athlete might receive must attend to receive them.

The Playoff Road Begins

I am a believer that any team that has an ace pitcher that they can count on holding the opposition to a couple runs or less every game needs to pitch that pitcher the first game of the week.

I read in the Telegram Sunday that Todd Brewer the head coach of Southern Nash was going to hold his ace until Tuesday in what he hopes is a matchup with Rocky Mount again.  You can just about know that Northern Nash will pitch the best they have Monday with the beginning of the Big East baseball tournament.

Northern has nothing to lose.  If they lose Monday, Tuesday or Thursday their season is over.  The only way they will get an invite to the state playoffs is win this week's tournament otherwise their next defeat ends their season.

Rocky Mount has the same dilemma.  David Harrison has pitched  the first conference game every week this season.  Should the Gryphons save him for Thursday.  My answer is no.  Survive and advance. There is no guarantee that Southern will beat Northern any more than Rocky Mount beating either without the best available pitcher on the mound.

This pitch count deal is hard on everybody especially teams  playing three games this week. Any pitchers who throws 30 pitches Monday is out for Tuesday and any pitcher who throws 45 Tuesday is out for Thurday.

I Don't think even though they have lost only once in conference play that Hunt has more than one reliable  pitcher.   If both Rocky Mount and Hunt survive and play Thursday it will be a great gamble to save your best for Thursday.

Who ever wins this tournament will be the team with the second best pitcher in the league on their team against the other teams second best pitcher.  Southern, Fike, Nash Central and Northern will win only if every thrower they have had a great week.

Now why I want to pitch my best early every week.  Suppose there is rain Wednesday and the tournament is cancelled when it rains through Friday.  That puts me in a position my best pitcher has not pitched in two weeks when we start the playoffs. I want him still as close as possible to the same routine as possible when he throws his first pitch in the playoffs next week.

Tonight third seed Southern Nash 5-5 13-9 host Northern Nash 0-10, 5-16. The winner heads Tuesday to Rocky Mount 8-2 14-6.  Fike 4-6 12-11 host Nash Central 4-6 13-9.  The winner plays Hunt Tuesday at Hunt 8-1 15-7.