Gryphons Clinch At Least a Tie

Since Nash Central has been in existence, it has been as competitive as any football team against Rocky Mount, other than SouthWest Edgecombe.

Tonight, the Bulldogs make the Gryphon sweat before the awesome speed of the Gryphons tripped Nash Central 35-7.

Any one who gets up tomorrow and looks in the paper and sees the score will say that the Gryphons didn't have any trouble, but will they ever be wrong.

The Bulldogs had the Gryphons on the ropes as the fourth quarter started tied 7-7, but a punt return that was called back lit the Gryphon fire in the fourth quarter.

Brian Goodwin fielded a punt and followed some crushing blocks all the way to the 1-yard line, but a block in the back put the Gryphons all the way back to their own 43.

The first play Collins Cuthrell caught the Bulldogs looking run and hit a wide open Keith Strickland for a 57-yard score and the flood gates were opening.

Following a three-and-out by the defense, Goodwin fielded another punt on his own 35 retreated back to about the 25 trying to get to his wall of blockers and once he got there, he had clear sailing down in front of the Gryphon faithful and just like that, the Gryphons had a 14-point lead.

Cuthrell scored his first varsity TD as the Gryphons marched right back down the field the next time they got the ball.

The final score of the game occurred late as Hiawatha Bunn intercepted a Bulldogs pass and had an escort down in front of the Bulldog bench 79 yards to paydirt.

Goodwin got the only Gryphon score in the first half on a 22-yard end around, but that play may never have happened if it weren't for Nick Hahula's fake punt that kept the drive alive.

Hahula sold the fake punt by acting like he was going to run right with the ball and then threw back to the left where Bunn was able to pick up 20 yards on a fourth-and-12.

There is a rumor going around that Hahula will be taking snaps at quarterback next week since he has a 100 percent completion percentage in his career as a passer - 1-for-1!

The Gryphons were pressed hard by Central, but when it was clutch time, the Gryphons came up with the big plays.

The Gryphons clinched a tie for the conference crown 35-7 over the Nash Central Bulldogs.

In other NEW 6 play, Fike made sure that it could still get a part in the championship by beating Southern Nash 33-14.

Over in Death Valley, Northern scored its most points this year, but they pick SouthWest Edgecombe as the team to score 28 on as the Knights fell short to the Cougars, 46-28.

The ADM's were released today and to me it looks like the Gryphons will be in the 3-A bracket.

There are 95 3-A schools and Rocky Mount is the 46th smallest. Its average daily attendance is 1210.

If you take the top 47 as the 3-AA and the next 48 as 3-A, the Gryphons will be in the 3-A bracket by the skin of their nose.

You can go on the NCHSAA website and see all the size rankings of all four classifications at www.nchsaa.org.

Northern Nash has 1,320 students followed by Fike with 1,243, then Nash Central at 1,242 fourth in size is Southern Nash at 1,217, then Rocky Mount at 1,210 and SouthWest, which will go back to 2-A next year, is at 957

When you go the the listings, they do not have a list that says 3-AA or 3-A - they are all in a row, but I don't know how we will not be the the 3-A bracket.

West Craven is now the only true undefeated team in eastern 3-A football as two unbeaten teams went down last night.

Beddingfield lost to Kinston 33-32, and Eastern Alamance fell 34-20 to Oxford Webb. Rocky Mount's forfeit that leave West Craven as the only true undefeated team.

Beddingfield loss to Kinston means it can not win its conference out right and Eastern Alamance's loss means the best it can do is tie for the title.

So it is down to West Craven and Rocky Mount for the top seeding in the east.

All Kinston has to do is win next week and Beddingfield can only be their No. 2 seed so they can't be considered for the 3-A No. 1 seed. Eastern Alamance can only tie the winner of the Webb-Northern Vance game, so there will be a drawing for their conference's No. 1 seed. If Eastern Alamance losses the draw, then it will lose out on a possible No. 1 seed in the east.

Rocky Mount must beat Fike next week or it may be in the same dilemma as Eastern Alamance and not win a draw as its conference's No. 1 seed.

A victory Friday will solve that problem.

Bumps and Bruises

The Gryphon JV football team played its last home game of the year tonight against the Bulldogs of Nash Central and pulled off a 34-6 victory.

The game seemed closer than the score as on Nash Central's first two drives of the game, it marched the ball deep into Gryphon territory only to fumble the ball away.

The Gryphons also got two other fumble recoveries as squib kicks turned into Gryphon recoveries and a very competitive game became a decisive victory.

Saturday, the girls cross country team will travel to Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, west of Winston-Salem, to run in the NCHSAA 3-A state cross country championship. It qualified for the state after finishing third in the regionals last weekend.

Tanglewood is a very hilly course and will be a tough test for all runners.

Round two of the NCHSAA 3-A soccer playoffs for the Gyphons is Saturday night at 7p.m, in Burlington. Williams High school will host the Gryphons for the second year in a row.

Last week, the Gryphon football team played with two starters out and two is the magic number again tomorrow night. Torey Lee will again be on the sidelines, but he will be joined by Marquavis Alston.

Last week, Whit Barnes was out but he is expected to play this week.

Friday will be the 10th game of the season and nagging injuries hit everyone this time of year. This is where you find out about the quality of the backups who now get their chance.

It about time for the AA and A .. ADMs to be announced. Rumors abound that the Gryphons will be in the 3-AA bracket. If you remember last year, they were, I think, the second largest in the 3-A team. So where the dividing line is this year will be close again.

I personally don't care one way or the other. If we are in the 3-A, West Craven, Beddingfield and Eastern Alamance are still all undefeated, where in the 3-AA, Ragsdale and Dudley are undefeated. But it is up in the air whether either or both will be in the west or eastern bracket.

Rocky Mount AD Mike Gainey told me tonight that Nash Central told him no one who wears any kind of costume to the game will be allowed in. Also, if you are one of those who goes out on the field to hear B.W's speeches to the team after the game - you won't tomorrow night. No one will be allowed on the field after the game.

Airtime is 7 p.m. for the AM 1390 Sports team from Nash Central. Kickoff is set for 7:30. I think we are wearing gold again.

Down the Stretch

Tuesday saw an end to the Lady Gryphon tennis team's year.

Playing Fike for the third time was the same answer as before. Fike is one of the better tennis programs in the state and Rocky Mount is just a tie-breaker away from winning.

The score was 5-1, but three of the games went to tie-breakers with Fike winning all three.

Barry Nettercutt's squad finished at 14-3 and all three losses were at the hands of Fike.

Turning to football, there are two games left to go in the regular season in the final year of the NEW 6 Conference. Right now, Rocky Mount is ahead going after their third title while SouthWest Edgecombe has one.

How important is winning the regular season? The conference winner has advanced to at least the third round every year.

There is nothing like playing high school playoff football on Thanksgiving Friday night.

(Well maybe state championship Saturday is close.)

Thanksgiving Friday is a benchmark for every team that is still playing. Rocky Mount is in the driver's seat leading the way at 3-0. It has got Nash Central and Fike left on the schedule.

If you remember back during the RM Jamboree, I said Fike was the second best team there. Nash Central already has two losses in conference and can't afford any more.

The road to the conference crown is full of pot holes that the Gryphons need to dodge.

SouthWest has already played three home games against the three best teams: Fike, Rocky Mount and Nash Central.

One conference loss is all they can stand if they want a share of the title. They have road games at Southern Nash and Northern Nash remaining.

Fike has Southern Nash and Rocky Mount left. They are the fly in the soup for if they win out, there is a possible three-way tie in the works.

Nash Central needs to win out. They already have two forfeits to deal with, so another loss they will be seeded well down the list and more than likely catch a high seed even in the first round.

It has Rocky Mount and Northern Nash left.

Southern Nash, if it could find an offense to go with its defense, it could be and are trouble for every body.

Fike and Northern is the way the Firebirds finish.

Northern Nash looks to improve and there is no better way than to beat somebody.

SWE and Southern Nash are their choices for a possible victory.

Rocky Mount has control of its own destiny. A loss and it may come down to the luck of the draw.

Just got off the phone with Wes Bradshaw who tells me he just got the word from Whit Barnes that he has been chosen for the Shrine Bowl.

Way to go Whit!

A Hat Trick For Matt Moore

The Gryphon boys soccer team had to play a home game away from home tonight.

The Gryphons moved over to the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex to open up the NCHSAA 3-A soccer playoffs. You would say first of all this has to be a great thing playing at the stadium over playing on the soccer field at the high school.

But, this is the first time a soccer game has been play at the RMAC all year. So there was no real home-field advantage for the Gryphons.

The football field has a crown. Their field on Nash street is flat.

The football field is not as wide as a soccer field, so the sidelines for the football players is actually in play during the soccer game.

This means there is a strip of the playing surface on both side of the field near the sidelines that are not in very good shape after football players have stood on it for eight football games this year.

Now, after telling you all those bad things about having to play tonight at the RMAC, Northern Guilford will be the one complaining as the Gryphons took advantage of all those disadvantages to whip the Nighthawks 5-1.

Senoir Matt Moore got season goals No. 27, 28 and 29 to power the Gryphons on to the second round.

Not far behind on the scoring parade was Justin Marsigli who scored twice himself.

Matt Williams, Marsigi and Justin Adams pitched in assists for the Gryphons.

Coach Drew Nick cleared the bench with 7.10 to play in the game saving the starters for a Saturday match with more than likely Burlington Willams, the team that knocked the Gryphons out of the playoffs last year.

Freshman goal tender Drew Gorham held on to his one goal allowed per game stopping four NG shots.

This could possible be the last home game for the soccer team, but with a victory on Saturday and some other teams losing, there is hope another home contest this year.

By the way, the game was played at the RMAC to be able to play under the lights.

I went by football practice today and was in head trainer Bernie Capps' office and heard the basketball tryouts going on. Basketball starts in about three weeks.

Serves Them Right

I questioned on my Friday blog whether it was wise to postpone a game based on the forecast.

It is not like we knew that a tropical storm was headed our way, only that there was a chance of rain Friday night heading into Saturday.

Rocky Mount and Southern Nash played in a drizzle in front of 500-600 fans.

I understand it is raining hard tonight at SouthWest Edgecombe and there may be 200-400 hundred fans there.

Even though the forecast was not good for Friday night people make plans based on when an event is scheduled.

Last week's game I will give to you moving it to Monday because that was considered by most to be the game of the year for the NEW 6. There will not be a bigger crowd at SWE until about the third round of the playoffs, if they can get a home game.

Nash Central and SWE have now lost a conference game apiece so any luster for that game has faded. If there was going to be a big crowd, Friday night was the time to get it.

I think anyone who has ever been to a high school football games in the area know that Rocky Mount has the best pressbox.

I don't know why but I think I enjoy doing games from Southern Nash better than any other than RMHS.

My first game I ever called there was the playoff game with Hertford County in I believe 1991.

If anyone remembers, that was the mud bowl game in the second round that year and Southern Nash won 18-14.

The thing I remember about the game is WRAL TV5 had its cameras on the field for the toss of the coin and it showed the players' feet were under water during the coin toss.

I have my sources scattered about the area and one of them Don Johnson as he just called and said that SWE has beaten Nash Central 34-21.

It rained rather hard until halftime and cleared off and got colder.

At one point in the second quarter, Nash Central led 14-12 ,but SWE pushed it to 34-14 before a late Bulldog score made it respectable.

A final score from the Northern-Fike game (courtesy of our friend Randy Langley), Fike - 49 Northern Nash - 6. With two weeks left, there is a 2-way tie for second with SWE and Fike at 2-1. SWE holds the tie breaker if it is a two way tie. However Fike still has Rocky Mount on the last night of the regular season.

Weekend Review.

Someone tell me if I am wrong but was today the first time ever that two players from Nash county played in the same game?

The Phoenix Cardinals today were in Charlotte and the Cardinals J J Arrington of Northern Nash went up against the Panthers and Julius Peppers of Southern Nash.

I did not live in the area when Jim Clack played but was there anyone from the area other than Clack in the NFL then?

I tell you a team that I would not want to be matched up with in the playoffs is the Cardinals. Man can that Kurt Warner throw that pill.

I was flipping back and forth for most of the day between Carolina and San Diego and Saints.

It looks like Philip Rivers is back in Raleigh playing for the wolfpack as he is getting chunks of yardage and today he continues to lead the NFL in quarterback ratings but the Charger defense can't stop anybody.

To me as a charger fan it surely looked like the Charger came up short with the yellow flags. Twice they were called for pass interference when the defenders cannot possible play it any better.

The Saints benefited from both calls keeping drives alive and scoring 14 points.

I do see that Dallas and San Diego are both are alot alike. Both are a lot of Glitz but when it comes down to playing basic down and dirty football neither is doing it.

I think the World Series is has had three good games. Too bad they played last night and didn't start until close to 11.00pm

I don't understand why they took days off during the other series and now the World Series they want to Finish by Wednesday.

Another High school football player was hurt over the weekend from a head injury . An East Gaston player was carted off the field but the word is good tonight that the young man seems to be recovering.

Monday night finds high school football on the agenda as Nash Central Travels to Southwest Edgecombe and Fike will host Northern Nash.

I would expect B W Holt will be in Pinetops to scout Nash central.

It is always benificial when one team beats another but I can't make up my mind who I want to win the SWE Nash central game.

In the long run a SWE victory is best for the Gryphons since in case of a tie at the end of the season the Gryphons have the tie breaker against SWE.

If Nash Central were to win Monday and turn around and beat us they would have any tie breaker on us.

Finally tonight I want to go away from sports to tell you about something I did Friday morning.

We went to Greenville early Friday morning and when we got in the car we were about on empty so we decided to go to Tarboro to get cheap gas.

Just as I was pulling off of 64 my gas light came on. At the stop sign we noticed gas was $2.47 per gallon at the Murphy station but we went left hoping for cheaper at the raceway but it wasn't.

So back to Murphy where we filled up for $35.00. I think that is the first time in six months that I have not spent at least $50 a pop,

Praise the Lord!

The beat Goes On

The fight for the number #1 seeding in the 3-A level is going down to the wire and the Gryphons are in the hunt.

You need to remember state rankings will not play a part in who becomes #1 in the playoff brackets.

Right now with two weeks to go there are four teams still undefeated and in the running for the #1 seeding.

Rocky Mount has a loss but since they have played an endowment game if they don't lose again inthe eyes of the NCHSAA they will be 10-0 for the playoff seeding.

Beddingfield, West Craven, Eastern Alamance and Rocky Mount are all still alive to be undefeated.

Once the season is completed each conference will have their #1 seed. All undefeated conference winners who are undefeated will go in a hat and a drawing will be held.

If those four schools finish undefeated the seeding 1-4 will be those schools.

Any team that has one loss will then be seeded but no better than fifth.

After all the number ones are seeded the same process will be followed for the team seeded #2 in each conference.

The wild card in all this speculations is who will be consider 3-AA or3-A. We feel Rocky Mount should be secure in the single A due to the fact on the official day to take the census the Gryphons have less students than last year and they were3-A last year.

In order for all of this conjecture and worry to formulate the Gryphons still must will their final two games because first place is still up for grabs in the NEW-6.

If no NEW-6 team is undefeated then you can expect for sure only one home game for the league champion or who ever gets the number 1 seed in case of a tie.

College football today

Carolina is back in the Hunt for the Orange Bowl bid and even a trip to the ACC championship game in Tampa.

Poor old Wake Forest somewhere along the way has lost their offense. If anyone has seen it please call Jim Grobe in Winston Salem.

Here is and old cliche for you. I bet N C State is the best 2-6 team in the country. I love their effort.

Now Duke has messed up the national media gossip about the SEC being the best football conference in America. They laid a whipping on Vanderbilt.

The last four years they have not been able to beat anybody. Next saturday they play NC State in Durham. It is NC State and Duke first game in five years.

I think Duke and N C State should play each other in years where they don't meet in a ACC game. Duke will be the favorite next weekend.

In Elon today the #3 ranked Phoenix of Elon played the #4 ranked Wofford Terriers and the dogs whipped Elon 55-20.

Wofford was the only team to beat Appalachian State last year.

Finally tonight N C State's basketball team played their red and white game tonight in Raleigh. It is the time since the RBC building has been built that it wasn't played before a football game. The football team played in College Park today.

In order to help draw a crowd tonight the game was the back end of a doubleheader with the Volleyball team. How far has basketball fallen in Raleigh?