Hunt Does It Again.

It is now the Big East 3-A. When it was NEW-6 3-A conference Southwest Edgecombe was the smallest member as far as student enrollment is concerned. Hunt has taken their place and depending on the ADM's which will be released in the next couple of weeks may be the largest member of the conference.

The ADM's are the average daily attendance figures used to divide football. Hunt has come into the conference and won soccer, tied for the lead in football and tonight won the Volley ball Tournament championship over Rocky Mount.

It took five games and Hunt won the fifth set 15-10. No matter the lady Gryphons are still the #1 seed in the Big East and Host White Oak Thursday in Rocky Mount at 6.00pm. The #2 seed Lady Warriors play host to South Johnston Saturday at 3.00pm.

I don't know what the final score was but I think the lady Gryphon tennis team advanced to the second round of the playoffs. This afternoon they hosted C B Aycock. I dropped Morgan off at school to ride the bus to the volleyball game and I dropped by tennis to see how it was going at Sunset Park.

The four matches that were finished we won all four and the two remaining singles we were doing well and all three doubles matches we were up. No one called to tell me they were ready to commit suicide so I think Tennis managed to advance.

They play the winner of Washington-Union Pines. Depending on who won that, if it is Washington we are home in round two or if it is Union Pines we are on the road.

Monday night soccer beat Southern Nash 7-3 to insure second place in the Big East. They finish their regular season Wednesday at Northern Nash.

If you plan to play a winter sports November 2nd is try out day for all sports. Th good thing about winter sports as they are all inside.

Saints Rolling

I think I had my worse week ever making picks in the NFL. Even without the Monday night game I am only 6-7.

My worse pick of the week was taking the Giants to beat the Saints. Drew Brees is probably the best pure passer in the league. If the Saints continue to have a good defense to go along with the offense they will be hard to beat. Minnesota remains unbeaten but there is something about the way they are playing I don't like.

Tonight's Monday Night football game is a clear cut. Denver who is one of the surprises of the season and it looks as if their defense is for real. San Diego comes in and if they lose tonight they are done for any playoffs this year. I suspect San Diego will win this week but I don't think there is any catching Denver like they did last year.

The Jet's Sanchez was the darling of the NFL after three weeks. Now he looks like the average rookie quarterback going through the learning process. Even though I hated the score wasn't the Titans-Pats game fun to watch. That to me is the NFL playing in the frozen Tundra or with the field covered with snow.

I don't know how N C State can play any worse. Every one has been blaming the secondary for all their missed tackles. What I saw Saturday was slow linebackers.

The first BCS standing of the year came out Sunday and Florida is #1. I think Bama will win if they meet in the SEC championship. What scares me about Alabama is they have a great defense but the offense may need to score forty to win the National Championship and I don't know if they can do that. But, looking at the other teams who can beat them.

The Carolina Hurricanes are underway and off to a 2-4 start. Somehow Carolina has got to get a line up that can score four goals a game. They are built to play 2-1 games and when you can't score you are always the team with one goal.

Hunt Strikes Again

Friday the Warriors of Hunt took down the Gryphon football team for the first time in eight years. Saturday the Hunt soccer team beat Gryphon soccer for the second time this season.

Even though there are two regular season games left the Hunt-RM soccer match was the game for the title. If Rocky Mount wanted any part of first place they needed this one.

Hunt struck early but Justin Marsigli responded for the Gryphons to tie the score at the twenty three minute mark. Hunt scored twice before the half to take command 3-1. Hunt added a goal early but once again Justin Marsigli added a penalty kick to cut the lead to 4-2 with twenty nine minutes to play.

Most of the day Hunt applied the pressure and when the Gryphons got chances the Hunt defense denied the Gryphons scoring opportunities Only once in the last twenty nine minutes did the Gryphons get pas t the Hunt defense to get a clear shot and that one ricocheted of the side post.

This is only the second lost of the second for the Gryphon soccer team and clinches first seed for Hunt.

Girls volley ball plays Hunt's girls for the conference tournament championship Tuesday night at Southern. Lady Gryphons beat Hunt twice during the regular season but the last time at home took five games. Lady Gryphons try to sweep the regular season and tournament, first serve is 6.00pm Tuesday night.

Volley ball opens up their playoffs Thursday night at home with White Oak with a 6.00pm first serve.

Girls tennis has a home playoff match a first round match Tuesday. I believe this is the team playoffs this week. Next week the individuals have another playoffs so two playoffs kind of go along together.

Finally today I need to respond back to Anthony and make sure he has his facts right. Anthony I was there in 2000-2002. In fact 2000 was the first time I volunteered my services to the program. 2002 I was the play by play voice for radio. So I have been there in the lean times.

Band Wagon

Rocky Mount has had six years of outstanding football and the Rocky Mount community jumped on the band wagon. Now the glory years are over. Those who have been there for the winning are jumping off the band wagon.

I heard Tom O'Brien say on his radio show this week that the State defense could have ten players doing their job correctly and one would not and that has caused State's defense to give up 79 points the last two weeks.

Boy, that sound a lot like Rocky Mount. If last years team played this years team the score would be 48-7 last year. We lost a lot of talent off last years team. Those players taking those spots this year as a group are not any where close to the caliber of last years players.

When I was in the 7th and 8th grade I played safety on the football team. The first time I ever ran a forty yard dash in high school I burned up the grass with a 5.2. My entire playing career I never broke 5.0. My blazing speed and I sat the bench while others who could run 4.8 or better played.

This year's Rocky Mount team doesn't have pan cake blockers. They don't have defensive ends killing quarterbacks every time they go to pass. This team athletically is just not what we have had in the past six years or so. With that in mind I would invite all band wagoners to jump now unless you already have.

Dickie Schock is calling plays base on what he thinks will work best. I think I would put the ball in Marquavis Alston's hands also. Why did we try so many sweeps last night. Dickie was looking for a 75 yard run like we got last week at Nash Central. It only takes one run in a close game.

Anthony in the comment section on this blog has declared he will no longer spend his gas money to support the Gryphons and watch them play as long as Schock is coach. Thanks for jumping off the band wagon Anthony. We won't miss you the few of us that show up and pull for the team when they need our help the most.

Do you think Holt would be 7-0 with this team. If you do you hit you head when you fell off the wagon.

What I see from the JV's right now there is no help on the way. That must be Schock's coaching why the ninth graders on the JV's aren't great. What we must all do is encourage the guys to do the best they can.

No program deserves to be great all the time. Everyone learns more from life when they fail than when life is a bed of roses.

These players need your support. You show support by being there to cheer for them whether they win or lose.

I have only during my broadcast career when I was was doing games been associated with three losing teams. Pat Smith's first baseball team was 8-13. The 1981 and 1982 Ahoskie teams had back to back losing seasons. It is no where near as much fun broadcasting games that you lose over winning.

I'm not going to not show up next week to support them because I think they might lose. You band wagoners can stay home, I'll be there to support them, the coaches and players.

Missed Opportunities

Hunt took advantage of Gryphon mistakes while the Gryphons fizzled golden chances on Hunt errors.

Hunt gave the Gryphons the ball on the Hunt twenty one yard line midway in the first quarter on a ball snapped over the punters head that the Gryphons eventually blocked. Results Hunt returns a interception back to their forty.

While driving late in the first half Hunt steals the ball from Marquavis Alston and returns it 48 yards to give Hunt the lead they would never surrender. Early fourth quarter a Collins Cuthrell pass is picked off and returned 70 yards for a Warrior touchdown.

Take away those two scores and you have a championship battle at 14-14. However they don't allow you to take away scores and the Gryphons lose on Homecoming night 28-14 to Hunt.

Rocky Mount had the ball six times inside the Warrior 40 yard line but could only score twice.

The loss is the first in conference play for the Gryphons who fall to 1-1 and 3-4 overall. Hunt is now 5-3 and 2-0 in the Big East.

There will be a big football game in Pinetops next friday as Tarboro survives a dogfight with Kinston and wins 20-16 while Southwest Edgecombe roughs up North Pitt 44-12.

That sets up Tarboro at SWE next Friday night both teams will go into that game undefeated and I don't know whether they have ever played each other in such an important football game.

In Big East action Northern Nash without Coach Mickey Crouch who is serving a one game suspension loses their 13th in a row at Southern Nash 27-6. This sets up Hunt- Southern next week for the Big east lead.

Finally tonight Nash Central wins their first Big East game tripping up Fike 27-13.

There is a biggie in Soccer Saturday afternoon as the Gryphons host Hunt in what is for the conference championship . The first kick is set for 2.00pm

Soccer Sloshes to Victory

The end of the regular season is one week away for soccer. The weather is doing it's part to play havoc with the end of the season. The Hunt-RM match postponed Monday due to the weather is going to be played at 2.00pm Saturday.

Needing badly to get the match in last night the Gryphons traveled to Fike and came away with a 3-1 soccer victory. Now Saturday's match means everything. Regardless of what happens Saturday there are two games left next week to finish the regular but without a victory on Saturday then the Gryphons will need both victories next week to hold on to second place.

It will be the #1 seed meeting the #2 seed in volleyball in the championship of the first Big east Volleyball tournament.

Rocky Mount took four sets but beat Nash Central 3-1. In the second game of the night Hunt got a strong challenge from the home team Southern Nash but prevailed in four games 3-1.

We taped both matches to be seen later on the "Stretchlon Sports Show".

This sets up the championship Tuesday night at 6.00pm Rocky Mount - Hunt. by winning tonight Hunt qualifies for the playoffs as the #2 seed from the Big East. Regardless of the score on Tuesday the Lady Gryphons are the #1 seed from the Big East.

Ritchie Pridgen former head football coach of Fike who retired after the 2008 football season and hoping to come back to coach football as a double dipper but lost that chance with all the budget cuts has popped up at Northern Nash. Ritchie will help as assistant coach the rest of the football season and will have a full time job at Northern.

This is a good catch for the Knights.

Big football game at Home Friday night. Hunt Warriors and the Gryphon clash looking for a share of first place. It is my opinion that the winner of this game will win the conference. I'll take the Gryphons in a close one 26-20. It's homecoming for the Gryphons

Southern Nash travels to Northern Nash and the Firebirds would like to keep their share of first place with a victory. I think they will 26-8.

Fike and Nash Central collide and for the loser it will be their second loss in conference. I'll take the Bulldogs 20-19.

If Tarboro wants to meet Southwest Edgecombe next week for the conference championship then they need to beat Kinston Friday. It will not be easy. Kinston will not go down lightly but the Vikes will prevail 24-21.

Greene Central gets their chance at Southwest Edgecombe after giving Tarboro a game last week. Not that close this week SWE 35 Greene Central 14.

Don't forget that pregame on am 1390 begins at 7.00pm. At this writing I don't know whether we have cured the internet problem so we will be world wide or not.

Hope so.

Weather May Have A Say

Rocky Mount and Fike girls tied for first place in the Big East's first tennis season. The conference tennis tournament is underway at Barton College but before it ends Wednesday night weather may not let it end. Depending on how far they advance in the tournament and with the forecast not good the rest of the week. Officials just may add up the points through ever how far they get on Wednesday and call it a tournament.

Wishing not to have to have a playoff match for first place , a coin toss was held for the #1 seed in the playoffs. Both Rocky Mount and Fike beat each other when they were home and since they both have met in the third round of the playoffs the last two years home court is important. The lady Gryphons get the #1 seed. Should both survive their first two rounds of playoff matches they would collide in Rocky Mount.

The cell phones have been busy over the last twenty four hours as with the pending weather approaches and with the thought that Hunt and Rocky Mount soccer would have three matches next week if they kept the schedule they were on, it has been changed to Saturday at 2.00pm at Rocky Mount. That's right the soccer game between Hunt and Rocky Mount has been moved to Saturday.

Rocky Mount travels to Fike tomorrow and Hunt host Southern Nash if they get them in. Since it rained on Monday neither team has played this week so the Saturday match would only be their second this week if the rain doesn't stop Wednesday's matches.

Rocky Mount girls volley ball watched Nash Central the # five seed beat Northern tonight a # four seed so Girls volleyball will feature # one seed Rocky Mount and Nash Central at 5.00pm Thursday in the semi finals of the conference tournament. Hunt the # two seed will play the host Lady Firebirds who knocked off Fike tonight. the finals are next week.

I see in the Rocky Mount Telegram that Mike Moseley former Athletic Director at Nash Central and basketball coach has joined John Thompson staff at Wesleyan. Once you get coaching in the blood it's hard to walk away in the prime of your life.

Kind of a full circle so to speak as Rennie Taylor who for the past several years has been basketball coach at Rocky Mount Academy and before that a John Thompson assistant at Wesleyan has followed Moseley to Nash Central and is the new basketball coach.

Mickey Davis who has been part of the Wilson County sports for a long time and in the past ten years has lead Wilson to hosting all types of Babe Ruth World series is going to be inducted into the Babe Ruth Southeast regional Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Next step after the regional is the National Babe Ruth Hall of Fame and if Wilson keep hosting Babe ruth World series it won't be long.

By the way Wilson will host another one next year.