Gryphon Second Quarter Surge

Rocky Mount played their best football of the year in the second quarter scoring twenty one points and coasted to a 21-14 victory in Big East play at Fike.

Trailing 7-0 in the second quarter the Gryphon's punt rush knocked the Fike blocker into their punter and Equail Wiggins recovered in the end zone for a Gryphon touchdown. The very next series Collins Cuthrell rolled toward his left and flung the ball to Spencer Bell who held his hands outstretched and caught touchdown pass of 44 yards. The ball was thrown directly over Bell's helmet and Spencer relied on the feel of the ball in his hands to make the catch. To this point in the season this is maybe one of the top five plays of the year.

Collins Cuthrell on a fourth and goal with time running out snuck over from one yard out to give the Gryphons a 21-7 half time lead. The Gryphons failed to score in the second half but for the first time this year got the short passing game in gear and Cuthrell was 7 for ten for over a hundred yards on the night.

Fike twice in the fourth quarter tried to tie the game but the Gryphon defense had a defensive stop inside the ten and a pass interception to seal the victory. The Grypons are now 4-4 and 2-1 in Big East play.

Northern Nash who's defense had played well all year came up big tonight in scoring a touchdown and shutting out Nash Central 20-0 at Central. This breaks Northern's 13 game losing streak. Understand that Nash Central had some discipline problems and some players did not start the game but I don't care who played and when Northern beat the team that Nash Central put on the field and beat em good.

Hunt held off a determined Firebird team from Southern Nash and takes the outright lead in the Big East with a 28-20 win over Southern Nash. This sets up Rocky Mount and Southern playing for second place in the conference next Friday night at Gryphon Land.

In the game of the decade in Pinetops Southwest Edgcombe beat Tarboro 22-16 in front of what I hear may have been as many as 6,000 fans. I have heard they were 4 deep around the entire field.

Let me throw this scenario at you. SouthWest may be the conference champs and there is a good chance that they will be seeded in the big 2-A bracket. Wouldn't it be something if Tarboro made it back to the 2-A championship and Southwest made it to the Big 2-AA and both played back to back for the State titles. It could happen.

Volley Ball Only Team In The State to Advance.

The Lady Gryphon Volley ball team advanced to the second round of the state playoffs tonight beating visiting White Oak 3-0. The scores were 25-12,25-23 and 25-22. This is the only match played today any where in the state so the Lady Gryphons are the only team that has yet made it to the second round.

Round two may find the Ladies on they road as they meet the winner of West Brunswick the #one seed from the Waccamaw conference who is 17-2 on the year or West Carteret the #four seed from the Coastal conference who stands at 14-8. If WB wins then the ladies hit the road to Shallotte on Tuesday and if WC wins that match will be here in Rocky Mount.

West Brunswick has former Rocky Mount coach and Principal George Kelly as it's principal.

Friday is doubles day in the state tennis playoffs for the ladies. The Gryphon teams of Lindsey Thomas and Kate Gray and Addie Keeter and Caroline Nelson qualified last week in the conference Tennis tournament. Action begins at high noon at Barton college.

Wednesday afternoon both of the Rocky Mount cross country teams finished third in the conference championships. Daniel Hannon of the Gryphon boys finished 7th with a time of 18.07 which was good enough to garner all conference honors.

The girls had three to place in the top ten and came away as all conference performers. ZiKeena Parker finished sixth with a time of 21.30. Latoya Applewhite was right behind in seventh and she finished in 21.36. Nefertelli Thigpen finished tenth in a time of 22.37.

Soccer finished in second during the regular season and by doing so gets a bye in Mondays opening round matches in the conference tournament. They await the winner of Fike-Nash Central game on Monday.

JV football lost at home tonight to Fike 13-7. The varsity travels to Fike tomorrow night in what is now a game for highest possible seeding for the football playoffs. If the Gryphons can win their last three games they could still wind up in a three way tie for first. In order for that to happen all the stumbling blocks need to fall in place just right.

The game of the century in Edgecombe County is tomorrow night as Tarboro visits SouthWest Edgecombe. If you plan to attend that game I hope you already have a ticket and plan to walk from Pinetops to the game. That is about as close as you we be able to park. I think everyone in the county has a stake in this game. I'll take the Cougars 26-14. Whig-TV will be there taping for playback over the weekend but there will be no live radio coverage of this one.

am 1390 pregame coverage of Gryphon football begins at 7.00pm and we will have eyes and ears keeping up with both the Tarboro- SWE game and the big Big East game between Southern Nash and Hunt.

One Is All They Needed

Tim Bishop scored the only goal of the night as Rocky Mount closed out their regular soccer season beating arch-rival Northern Nash 1-0.

The Gryphons who will be the # two seed from the Big East starts the playoffs next week meeting the #two seed from the Eastern Carolina Conference. If I understand the seedings in this the first year of realignment Rocky Mount will get the home game.

Yes, the Lady Gryphons did whitewash C B Aycock yesterday 9-0 and have moved on the the second round where they will host Union Pines. Union Pines knocked off Washington and going into that match was unbeaten on the season. if there is any Gryphon motivation Union Pines knocked us out in the second round last year at Union Pines.

Is the Big East good in Tennis? Fike the #2 seed beat South Brunswick the # one from the Waccamaw Conference 9-0 at SB. SB was 15-0 heading into that match. Fike now travels to D H Conley in round two. Should Fike at Rocky Mount win round two they would meet in Rocky Mount. But, we must get past a thorn in our side Union Pines.

Volley Ball opens their playoffs Thursday night at 6.00pm at the gym hosting White Oak the # three from the Coastal conference.

JV football returns back home Thursday night, seems as they have been on the road forever. Their last home game was the third game of the season when they hosted Hertford County. The off week means it's been five weeks since they have been home.

Varsity football has another injury to worry about . Aaron Barnes the leading tackler on the defense for the Gryphons was in an auto accident and has been on crutches the first part of the week. Doesn't sound like he will play Friday.

Today was the conference championship in cross country. They ran at Red Oak. Hope to give you the details Thursday night after I'm back from doing th PA at the JV football game. Also will know the details of Volleyball.

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.