Gilrs Tennis #5 In State

Tuesday the Lady Gryphon Tennis team played their final home match of the season and blanked Southern Nash 9-0. Thursday is the final regular match of the season and with a victory it is possible for a tie for first place with Fike. The only problem Northern Nash is the team we have to beat and you know Northern enjoys beating Rocky Mount especially if Rocky Mount can lose something like a championship if Northern can knock them off.

Their win last week over Fike has propelled the Lady Gryphons to #5 in the latest tennis rankings.
They are now 15-3 on the season. In conference play the lady Gryphons have played 69 individual matches and doubles matches. They have won fifty nine and lost only ten. In the head to head competition with Fike in two matches they have lost 10 matches while winning eight. That means our girls have not loss one point to any other conference team. They have all been shutouts.

Tennis begins the conference tournament at Barton college next Monday.

Today the soccer team beat Nash Central 8-3 at the soccer field. They are now 5-1 in conference action and they host Hunt Monday. Hunt put the one in the loss column on the Gryphons earlier this year so Monday is a biggie if the soccer team has any thoughts of the league championship. Hunt remains unbeaten in the conference. Their victory today is #14 in 17 tries. They have only one lost and two ties.

JV Football travels to Nash Central Thursday night, Varsity host Nash Central Friday. This is the first conference game of the season for football so the three straight losses will be a distance memory if they can get back on the winning track for the rest of the season. I think you will see more long gainers like you have come to expect from Gryphon football, mostly due to to the Big east is down in football from top to bottom.

Only Southern Nash has a winning record. Hunt is 3-3, Rocky Mount 2-3, Nash Central 2-4, Fike 2-4 and Northern 0-6.

Volley Clinches Bye

The Lady Gryphon Volleyball team made sure that there was no chance for a tie with any one this afternoon knocking off Southern Nash for the third time this year. The Score was 3-0. The ladys are now 9-0 in conference and go for a perfect conference season Thursday at Northern. Today's victory moves them to 15-3 on the season.

The conference volleyball tournament starts Monday at Southern Nash. The semi-finals will be Wednesday and after Thursdays match at Northern the Lady Gryphons are off until the 15th. Should they win their semi-final match the tournament championship is Monday the 20th.

I don't know why no one has been talking about this but do you know our girls tennis team knocked of Fike last Thursday at Fike 6-3. That comes on the heels of Fike winning 7-2 here three weeks ago. I have not heard how today's match with Southern Nash went but with the regular season ending Thursday the lady Gryphons are in a flat footed tie with Fike.

I hope you saw on Rocky Mount highs web site but starting this Friday Rocky Mount high school football goes on the world wide web. I understand we had issues with some of our broadcast Friday night but Wes Bradshaw did tell our audience that discussion were started last Thursday to put Rocky Mount on the web and all the issues were resolved Monday to make it happen Friday night.

I know people like Greg Pierce in Fuquay a die hard Gryphon fan can now hear the Gryphons live on Friday's instead of waiting for the score at 11.00pm.

While other sports are finishing up their regular seasons football is just beginning conference play Friday night. An improved Bulldog team from Nash Central make the long six mile ride to take on the Gryphons. Since coach Crudup moved Dominque Holloway to quarterback the Bulldogs have been much improved.

Should be an interesting game since after losing three in a row the Gryphon Confidence has been dented.

Morales 3 Northern 1

Monday afternoon Northern and Rocky Mount meet on a field on conflict going head to head once again. Soccer was the game. An overcast day slowing turned at halftime to a misting rain and a slow drizzle by games end.

The first thirty three minutes there were few opportunities, when there were Rocky Mount had more but Northern missed several good chances also.

The 6.31 mark of the first half Andrew Morales got hold of a pass in front of the net and knew where to put it to keep Northern's keeper Jeff Powell away from the shot 1-0 Rocky Mount
Just before the Half Morales put a dagger in the hearts of the Knights, placed a midfield kick just over the out stretched arms of Powell and just under the top bar of the net to score goal #2.

I can't say that over the years I have watched many soccer matches from start to end on TV or even live at soccer games for that matter. In my inexperienced life I have never seen a mid field shot placed more perfect from such a long distance from the goal. In Golf it would be like making a hole in one. 2-0 Gryphons at the half.

Less than three minutes into the second half Morales in a crowded bunch put a shot on goal that I don't even know how he got it by his own players much less the Northern Knights. Third goal of the game within ten minutes of playing time and Rocky Mount had all they would need.

Northern Issiah Gonzales scored for Northern with just over twenty nine minutes to play. That score gave Northern life and made Rocky Mount last minutes seem as if they stopped in time . Northern had several chance but they were turned away by the Gryphon defense and keeper Drew Gorham.

Rocky Mount wins #12 on the season and are now 4-1 in the Big East. Northern's loss their fifth of the year but the important item is that is their second loss in conference action and puts them two back with five conference games to play to Hunt the conference leader.

Tomorrow is the last regular season home game for Volley ball. They will meet Southern Nash. Morgan Doughtie will be singing the National Anthem before the Varsity game. I think I know the words now as Morgan has been practicing at home tonight and I think she has sung it at least forty times.

Oh say can you see

Taking the Next Step

Both North Carolina and N C State want to be considered top level college football programs. In order to step to the next level teams that are great don't lose to the average team. I think with the quarterbacks that both teams have State has a chance for a better season this year than Carolina. Both have a lot of average teams left to play and if they don't step up more losses coming for both.

Who in the world would have thought that Denver and New Orleans would be undefeated in the NFL after four weeks. New Orleans made the Jets look like they had a rookie quarterback and Dallas is a glitz team. They only beat average and worse teams. If you are any good at all Dallas can't beat you so Denver must be making that step forward to the elite.

Monday is Northern and Rocky Mount soccer at 5.00pm at Rocky Mount. Rocky Mount is 11-1-2 while Northern is 11-4 but both at 3-1 in conference play and neither can afford two losses in the first go round of conference play. The team that loses most likely is out of any chance of finishing in first place.

I'll be there for the Stretchlon Sports Show.

The two losses that volleyball took on Saturday drops them to 14-3 on the season. They return to action Tuesday for the final home regular season match against Southern Nash. They finish the regular season Thursday at Northern Nash. Tennis is home Tuesday hosting Southern.

I don't know if you ever heard this score but the JV's lost at Rose Thursday 36-32 in the last few seconds.

Conference play begins Friday for football. I know most of your have given up already on the Gryphons but those of you that have only shown up when they win any way. I think you will be surprised when we get back to playing teams on our level that we are going to make some big plays again.

Best receiver In College Football

It was early in the second quarter Scott Riddle completed a twelve yard pass to Terrell Hudgins and the former Gryphon and North Carolina high school player of the year in 2005 has become the all time leading pass receiver in major college history. Elon wins at Furman by a 19-12 score. Terrell had 16 catches for 209 yards and and a touchdown catch with that yards he is less than 400 yards from becoming the all time receiver in yardage gained. If and when he breaks that record he would pass Jerry Rice. Oddly enough Hudgins became the all time Division one and two receiver today. The division one record of 316 was broken on his second catch and the all time record with his third.

From Greenville South Carolina to Greenville North Carolina Terrell's sister Tia and the Lady Volley ball team play in a doubleheader today against, first South Central and then New Bern. Already down two set to none Tia went down with a high ankle sprain and finished the day propped up on the bench watching her teammates get handed their Lunch.

South Central and New Bern both were bigger and more athletic than the Lady Gryphons and they were 3-0 losers in both matches. This is the level of competition the Ladys will face in the playoffs and today they were shown that they are a long way from advancing deep into the playoffs.

South Central the host school had set up the day as a Pink day for Breast Cancer and all proceeds from this round robin affair went to the American Cancer Society. Good event for Cancer but not a good day on the court for the lady Gryphons.

Both North Carolina and N C State have high hopes of playing in the ACC championship game but both had their hopes dashed. Carolina can't score atouchdown against a team Bill and Mary Beat in Virginia. Virginia 16- Heels 3 N C State had moments of greatness and then poor play in playing just good enough to lose to Wake Forest 30-24.

ECU holds off Marshall 21-17. Duke gives a good effort but falls to Virginia Tech.

I will finish up tonight and say anytime you make it to the ESPN scroll you know you have made the big time. While watching the State -Wake game at 6.32pm ESPNU they scrolled the announcement that Terrell Hudgins of Elon had 16 catches for 209 yards to become the all time receiver in FCS History. WOW

Heartbreaker

The Rocky Mount Gryphons lose their third straight game for the first time since 2001.
Rose only started twice all night on their side of the field. Giving them great field position all night the Gryphon defense holds the Rampants to one Touchdown.

A missed extra point, A missed wide open receiver on a fake field goal, a blocked punt, a fumble giving Rose the ball on our 32, and a fifty yard field goal with just over two minutes left and Rose squeaks out a 16-13 victory over a scrappy bunch of Gryphons.

Herford County won again tonight, Southwest was a winner and Rose now at 3-2 on the year the teams that have beaten Rocky Mount are a combined 17-2. Quite frankly the defensive front for Rose was the best we have seen all year, not the best team but best defensive front.

Now that the tough part of the schedule is over expect an over night improvement in the Gryphons.

If you are a consistant reader here then you know way back I predicted Rocky Mount to be 8-2 when the season started. I thought SWE and Rose would beat us. I didn't know until we played them how good Hertford County was.

We are going to be 7-3 before the year is over. This team is not a good enough blocking team that we will beat any body 42-14. Every game is going to be 28-14 kind of games but we will win them.

Am I disappointed that we lost? You Bet I am realistic, I saw eight players on the sidelines wearing jerseys that did not play. yet, with all of the mistakes and injuries it took the longest field goal ever made against Rocky Mount to beat us a fifty yarder by Warren Harvey.

Folks don't give up on this team and I know most of you have because the crowd was about JV size tonight. You can't be and don't deserve to be 13-2 every year.

Southern Nash Found the Bulldogs of Nash Central had a real bite tonight at the Firebirds lose for the first time 22-12 to Nash Central. Since the Bulldogs moved Holloway to quarterback they have been a different team.

Fike let me down again a 22-19 loser to South Johnston.

Southwest Edgecombe traveled to Farmville Central and won 40-14. We need to keep watching Hertford County as the playoffs filter out we may wind up there again before the year is over they battered Edenton 35-7.

Tarboro, Hunt and Northern Nash all took the week off.

Next week the conference action begins.

This week the LPGA tour held a pre qualifying tournament in which in order to make it to the qualifying tournament you needed to finish in the top 17. Cousin Lauren Doughtie finished 4th shooting a four day one under score.

In a couple of weeks the Futures tour will have their qualifying tournament for those who did not finish high enough in the standings at the end of the year. Lauren now will try to keep her Furtures tour card. If she gets that then she can go to the LPGA qualifying school in November knowing if she doesn't make it on the LPGA she can again play the Futures again next year. Good going Lauren this is the best week that she has had all year.

Volley ball has a big day Saturday. They are playing in a breast Cancer event at South Central at 10.00am . All proceed from this event goes American Cancer Society. They play South central the only team to beat them at 10.00am and then play New Bern at about 11.30. Much like football they could easily lose both of these matches but in order to get better you need to be stretched to your limit.

Terrell Hudgins needs three catches for Elon Saturday to become the #1 all time pass catcher in college football history.

We are planning to go to watch Morgan be the manager of the volley ball team. Of course having a Parker's Barbecue help make the decision to go.

Back To Football

The Rocky Mount Gryphon football team gets back to the trenches Friday night as they host Rose High School. This is no longer a conference game but if I were Rose I would have revenge on my mind when they get off the bus.

Two years ago the Gryphons stopped Rose's thirty nine game winning streak which oddly enough started the week after Rocky Mount beat Rose in 2004, Rose won three State titles during that streak.

Then last year Rocky Mount laid a whipping on Rose 36-0 like they haven't had in ages. The shutout stopped Rose's 143 game scoring streak. If a 2-2 team needs motivation I think beating Rocky Mount could get the Rampants going.

After tomorrow night one of these teams will be 2-3. I don't think it will be Rocky Mount. Gryphons 27 Rose 19

I think this game should have been the first game of the season not the sixth but Southern Nash and Nash Central collide in a non-conference affair in Bulldog country. Southern wins # seven but not by much. Southern 26 Nash Central 18

Fike has a home date against South Johnston. I think I have picked Fike right only once this year. I will pickum one more time 24-16.

Hunt and Northern Nash take the night off.

Tarboro host Greene Central. Tarboro wins but not like the slaughters they had been laying on everyone else. Vikes 27 Greene Central 14.

The trap game of the week is Southwest Edgecombe at Farmville Central. After beating Rocky Mount and Kinston back to back the Cougars might think they are somebody and get caught with their pants down if they don't watch it. Cougars 26 Farmville 16.

Yesterday the Tennis team beat Greene Central to go to 13-3. Unfortunately I have not heard at this writing how today's big match at Fike turned out.

It was a struggle for volley ball but they clinched 1st place in the Big East today beating Fike in five sets. They play in a tournament Saturday at South Central and they meet South Central in the first match at 10.00am. South Central is the only team to put a L up against Volley ball in fifteen matches this year.

I know people are down on the football team because they are not 4-0 right now. Don't count this bunch out yet. We are better than our record. Kickoff is 7.30 but the pregame on radio starts at 7.00pm on am 1390