Two Weeks To Kickoff

Two weeks from tonight high school football kicks off. Everyone of the new Big East 3-A plays an Endowment game but Rocky Mount.

The Mickey Crouch era at Northern Nash starts with a home game against Beddingfield. Nash Central meets Tarboro in what will be a revenge game for the Bulldogs. If you remember Tarboro put fifty on the Bulldogs last year.

Rocky Mount reaped the advantage of winning an Endowment game last year when they were seeded as an undefeated team for the playoffs after having to forfeit a game last season. This year may be one of those years when it is better not to play the eleventh game. New coach in town, that extra week of practice may be better than the extra game. If you remember Holt's first year we didn't play the extra game either.

Rocky Mount is finding that the football success that they have had the last six years means they are finding it tough to find someone willing to play them that doesn't have to. The Gryphons looked for a quality foe close to home but the only takers were westward teams so Rocky Mount chose to not play an extra game.

The only way to benefit seeding wise from an Endowment game is win it. Remember you can only drop a non conference loss not a conference game.

Optimism is running high at Northern Nash as Mickey Crouch presents his first addition of Knight football. The word is more guarded at Nash Central. Having played in the eastern finals last year most folks are thinking Rocky Mount will not be nearly that good again.

Working on having all the coaches on "The Stretchlon Sports Show" on Sunday night August 16th live. Andy Jackson of Rocky Mount Academy, Kevin Crudup of Nash Central, and Dickie Schock of Rocky Mount have committed so far. The only local coach not set up yet is Mickey Crouch of Northern. It's not his fault however. He and I have not be able to make contact with each other. Do you know how hard it is to find a coach when school is not officially in session?

Speaking of live TV. Don't forget to catch the "Stretchlon Sports Show" this Sunday night as we honor the 2009 Tar Heel 11/12 year old State champions. The show will run from 8.00 until 9.30 Sunday night.

The New York Yankees finally beat Boston last night for the first time this year. Boston has to now worry about Tampa for the wild card playoff spot. You know there is something about Tampa that you had better lookout for. They may very well win the American league again this year.

Disappointing Look At Sport Complex

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has sent out a memo to all member institutions reminding them of the health of all high school athletes during this hot spell that we are under now.

This memo was issued after a football player from Kentucky died last week from dehydration in 75 degree weather.

The NCHSAA has made it mandatory as of Wednesday any school who holds the so called two-a-days that the second practice can be no longer than ninety minutes.

All practices are suppose to be over before 10.00am or start after 5.00pm to avoid the extreme heat of the day.

I need to update you on my cousin Lauren Doughtie who has now played in seven Futures tour tournaments. The last time I spoke about her she had played in two tournaments and cashed in on both. But since then, she has gone five straight weeks and not made the cut.

Lauren finished her career at N C State before she started on the Futures tour and seven tournaments were already over before she started. There are only a few left and she stands #133 and needs to finish in the top 100 or have to qualify again this fall for the Futures or even if she tries to qualify for the LPGA tour.

She needs to finish in the top ten in one of the few Futures tour tournaments left to get into the top 100.

If you have been a regular reader of this blog you know I hate to be the barer of bad news. There are too many good things in life to have to dwell on the bad all the time.Tuesday night while I was at the Sports Complex doing the Co-Rec championship game I was distressed at what I saw.

The geese have over run the complex and you have to watch every step you take. That is expected if you expect to have animals as scenery.

Seems to me if you are going to cut the grass and set a field up for play every day you could power wash the sidewalks. What mostly disappointed me was the condition of the area between the concession stand and playing field. There are areas where there is no grass growing and the ground is unlevel from washouts.

The sports complex is what less than five years old. It is suppose to be a show case for the city. Somebody from down town needs to come look at the condition that the complex has already become.

If you are going to spend the kind of money they did to build the complex they had better take care of it. The fields look great but not everyone who uses the complex goes on the field but sits in the stands and watches.

I only saw where I was and not how the little league end looks. They are getting ready to open the soccer fields soon. Don't neglect what you already have trying to add to the complex. Take care of it. We can use it for a life time, If we take care of it.

What Happened To My Recliner?

Heading home from work Tuesday, I contemplated a nice easy evening of recliner TV. When you have an office in a warehouse you find out during the day how hot it really is. The forecast was for near 95 but when it has been in the 90's for a month who can tell whether it's 92 or 95 degrees.

Just about time I go by the sports complex my phone rings, it's Richard Sarmeinto. "Want to do the Co-Rec Championship game tonight"?

My reply 'what time"?

"7.00pm"

I'll call you back in ten minutes.'

Arriving home I receive a welcome home kiss and I waste no time. 'What do we have on the agenda tonight?' Married men have to always ask when they come home what their schedule is for that night. There may be something your wife has promised you to do but you don't know it yet.

"Nothing".

I called Richard back, 'I'm available.

When you have a fifteen year old daughter who now has a learners permit you find that Morgan now wants to go with me just to drive. My own personal chauffeur.

Arriving at the ball park getting out of his truck is "Fuzzy " Bissette. Fuzzy has been umping city rec ball for thirty five years. Tonight he will be the the city official in charge of the field. Walking up to the field "Fuzzy tells me all the rules for co rec ball. Guys have to bat opposite handed, every other batter has to be guy, girl, guy, girl. Even in the field every other position has to be girl- guy.

Tonight Southside Baptist Church who has yet to lose in the tournament is taking on Gilliard Lawn Maintenance. GLM was undefeated in the regular season but Southside has beaten them earlier in the tournament.

A victory by Southside they are the champs, GLM wins and we play another game.

GLM takes and early lead and wins game one 7-2. Now both teams have a loss so the second game is really the CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. Southside scores three in the first and never look back and beat GLM 5-3.

This has turned out to be an enjoyable evening. Two very entertaining games. It is just past 9.00pm and I have to drive myself home since Morgan's learners permit is after hours.

So instead of reclining tonight I have added to my Resume' CO REC softball. I have covered girls softball but tonight was my first with the guys intermingled. I can add this to by Volley Ball, soccer, Pool, the cue kind, pool swimming, football, basketball, baseball and of course the one sport that I have covered that I know not to many other announcers ever have. 10K running live on the radio.

What you say, you never heard me tell that story.

That story is for another day.

A Quiet Week

High school practices are about the only thing going right now. Back in my day football was the only sport that had practice before school started. Now-a-days everyone from volley ball to cross country are preparing for the fall with August practice.

We are set, Sunday night 'The Stretchlon Sports Show "with yours truly as the MC will feature the Tar Heel State Little League champions. Show starts at 8.00pm on WHIG-TV. Talked with head coach Sam Toler yesterday. We will let Sam and his coaches talk for the first hour about this summer and of course each player. About 9.00pm we will open up the phone lines to let every one talk to the CHAMPS.

This is the third Tar heel Championship for Rocky Mount. 1999, 2007 and this year. Sam Toler was an assistant with Ray Peace in 2007.

Plaxico Burress has been indicted by that grand Jury in New York where he testified last week. All indications are that he admitted to the shooting. If that is the case he had better kiss the NFL good bye. Thirty one years old and maybe three years in jail, his shelf life will be long gone for the NFL once he gets out of the Pokey.

College football practice started at N C State yesterday. Other area colleges will start by weeks end. The ACC is still a mystery as for who is the out right favorite. Virginia Tech seems to be the cream of the crop but who they might play in the ACC Champoionship game is up for grabs.

I watched Tiger Woods this past weekend. He has to be the greatest ever at hitting what ever club the correct disstance. When he is on he can knock the pin down with his accuracy.

But, I do see that since Tiger has come back from his knee injury that his driving accuracy is not very good. It never really was but he has always been able to recover with his putter. He made some crazy number like forty five out of forty six putts within five feet. However it use to be anything with in twelve feet was a gimme.

Even Tiger age is beginning to show

One year Ago

Today marks one year that I have been doing this blog "From the Pressbox". I have been very fortunate that during this past year I have blogged 356 times. That's just short of once a day.
The first three weeks of this blog I think it averaged five hits a day. That would be Wes Bradshaw, Charles Alston and me checking the blog three times a day.

When football season got rolling and it looked as if the Gryphon football team might be special, Friday Nights and Saturdays were the first growth spurt as people started watching to see what I had to say about Gryphon football.

During the Legion playoffs when we had picked up some Northern and Nash Central viewers we had a hit total once of over two hundred hits in a day.

I thank each and every person who thinks that this blog has information that they can use.
Blogging every day has been a matter of luck as at my house with a teen age daughter and a wife who is in every group in Rocky Mount, computer time is limited.

It is unfortunate that our local radio stations have chosen that nothing locally is worthy of having live on the radio.

Sunday "The Rocky Mount Telegram" did not have one item on the front page of the sports section pertaining to local sports.

If it is sports related you almost have to be there to know what is happening. I understand that the only things I can talk about are the things that either I attend or you pass along to me.

I ask you to pass along an e-mail to me, or call me and let me know what scores you know. Find out from someone who knows how to get up with me. I will do my best to make sure the community knows what is happening.

We live in the so called modern world and yet there is less local news and sports and weather about Rocky Mount available to it's citizens since before cave drawings.

As we start year two with your help we will try to provide information worthy of a city of 60,000 people.

When I'm not there with your help we can tell the world on the web what happening in Rocky Mount and Nash County.
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Tar Heel State Champs

The Rocky Mount Tar Heel 11/12 year old little league all stars have won twice today and beat Jacksonville to win the Tar Heel State championship.

Rocky Mount having lost Thursday during their first game battled through four loser bracket games,two on Friday and two on Saturday just to be able to face Jacksonville .

The State Tar Heel little league tournament played in Valdese just outside of Hickory saw two quality teams battle tooth and nail this afternoon before Rocky Mount took two games again today both from Jacksonville.

In the opener Tyler King gave up a first inning home run but King would not allow another run as Linwood Jones drove in two runs in leading Rocky Mount to a 2-1 victory in game one.

Now with one loss just as Rocky Mount, Jacksonville held a 2-0 lead after four innings in the championship game. Rocky Mount scratched across five run to take a 5-2 lead into the sixth inning.

Sam Lilley who came on to pitch with one out in the second inning trailing 2-0 just allowed one run in the sixth as Rocky Mount wins their third Tar Heel Little League State Championship in the past eleven years 5-3.

This group also had to come out of the losers bracket in the district tournament to win that title , so this team is 12-2 in the playoffs this summer.

Veteran coach Sam Toler assisted by Norman Chambliss, George Carter, and Mike Sanders did a great job of making sure this team had pitching depth and they played seven games in four days twice.

It is tournaments like this when the pitchers can only pitch I think it is seven innings for the whole tournament that pitching depth shines. Today they gave up just four runs to win the title.

This is the capper of a very good year of baseball for the boys of summer from Nash County.

The 11/12 year olds are State Champions. The 9/10 year olds finished second in the state.

The Rocky Mount Junior Legion team finished third in the 15/16 year olds and the Senior Legion finished 7th in the state.

We have already made arrangments to have the State Champions Live on the "Stretchlon Sports Show" next Sunday night from 8.00-9.30pm.

Tell all your friends to watch the CHAMPS.

Tar Heel All Stars Survive Twice

The Rocky Mount Tar Heel 11/12 year old all stars have survived their second day of loser bracket games winning twice today in Valdese in the North Carolina Tar Heel little league tournament.

Nothing was easy today in the first game against Clayton as the game went eight innings before the Rocky Mount all stars put three on the board and shutout Clayton in the bottom of the eighth to win 6-3.

This made the third straight game that Rocky Mount has won since their opening game lost to Coates 4-3 when Coates scored in the last inning on Thursday.

Friday Rocky Mount won twice beating Hildebrand 12-2 and last night they beat Ahoskie 7-5. Playing twice in the same day for the second day in a row tonight Rocky Mount beat North Raleigh 5-4 after trailing 4-2 as they headed to the sixth inning.

My source on the scene in Valdese is Robert Morris who's son Andy is one of the players. Rocky Mount won on a three run homer in the sixth but there was so much whooping and hollering from the players in the back ground I didn't hear the name of the player who hit the home run.

For all of this work playing four games in two days, it is now down to two teams. The undefeated team is Jacksonville and Rocky Mount must beat them twice Sunday afternoon in order to win the State title.

Just a reminder this team won six in a row in Zebulon after they lost the first game of the districts. So this team knows they can do it.

Pitching will be a major question mark Sunday, but so far in the five games that Rocky Mount has played the pitching has only allowed twenty runs so to this point pitching has been a strong point .

Good luck Sunday.. First game starts at 2.00pm