Danita Whitaker State Champion

The very least Danita Whitaker had a very fruitful 18 hours of her life Thursday night and Friday. The Sports banquet Thursday night Whitaker hauled home the Most Outstanding award in Volleyball, MVP of the girls basketball team and Female Athlete of the year for the Rocky Mount Gryphons.

Friday after the first event in the girls 3-A track championships in Greensboro Whitaker can claim the title of State Champion winning the shot put competition. The top four finishers in each event are awarded All State honors so Whitaker can also claim to be all state in track. There is a banner that hangs in the gym for all state champions with their name of it and Danita's will hang forever at Rocky Mount High School.

South Central the team that beat Rocky Mount in the East regional won the state title while the Gryphons finished eighth. Fike's girls finished 11th and Nash Central 21st.

Gryphon Zikeener Parker finished 3rd in the 100 meter run and also finished 3rd in the 200 meters.

Nash Central's Xaviera Bass finished 4th in the 100 meters and 2nd in the 100 meter hurdles. Nash Central's relay team finished fourth in the 4x200 relay with Jennifer Cofield, Xaviera Bass, Danaisha Pitchford and Jasmine Williams

The boys saw Nash Central finish 9th,Southern Nash 21st, Fike 24th and Rocky Mount 34th.

Justin Hines of Northern Nash finished third in the long jump. Nash Central's 4x800 relay team finished 4th with team members William Ball, Jeremy Judd,Andrew Nguyen and Tevin Richardson.

Tevin Richardson finished second in the 800 meters for Nash Central. Rocky Mount's Paul Lilley crossed the line fourth in the 3200 meter run.

High School baseball playoffs Hunt beat Fike 1-0 to advance to the fourth round to face Eastern Wayne who knocked off West Brunswick 2-0.

Former D H Conley and North Carolina pitcher Alex White's stay in Kinston playing for the Carolina leagues Indians is over. White has moved on to AA Akron.

Big Surprise Sandra Langley who has coached basketball at SouthWest Edgecombe as long as the school has been in Pinetops was surprised Monday night during SouthWest's sport banquet when the Edgecombe County Board Of education announced the gym at SWE will forever be known As Sandra Shelton Langley Gymnasium.

Carolina has been left out in the cold. The Tarheels swept Virginia Tech in baseball this weekend but needed Boston College to lose today in order to make the ACC tournament starting Wednesday and it didn't happen. State swept Duke to take 7th spot and opens Wednesday at 4.00pm against Clemson a team that swept them the opening weekend of conference baseball season way back in March.

ECU won today over Houston and by doing so qualifies for the Conference USA tournament which will be held in Houston.

Did you by chance watch ECU Friday on channel 255 when they played Houston on TV. Sometime around the 5th inning I get a call from Bobby English who wanted to know if I knew the Hunt-Fike score. Bobby says look for me and wife Theresa behind the ECU dugout. I had no more than flipped the channel and sure enough Bobby is sitting just over the right shoulder of every right handed batter whenever the camera from the Houston dugout gave shots of the hitters.

Mega Conferences

It is a funny thing this talk of expanding college conferences. Cable TV is the back bone of the expansion talk. The Big Ten has founded their own Big Ten Network and by doing so each school within the conference has doubled their TV money. The Big Ten is looking to expand to 16 teams because if they do that then each schools take from the monies may double again.

Where does this leave the ACC? What ever happens to the ACC will depend greatly on which direction the SEC goes. There is talk of Florida State jumping to the SEC. Looking at where they are located on the panhandle of Florida the Seminoles moving to the SEC would put them into a car trip to just about any conference member except Kentucky.

Clemson has been mentioned as a possible new member. Let’s be realistic here. What can Clemson offer the SEC that they don’t already have? They would not give the conference new territory for TV, the SEC already has South Carolina.

I can see the SEC looking to expand toward Texas or Oklahoma. If the ideal conference these days is 16 who do they want to add? Bringing in Florida State does not expand their TV territory. Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State adds 20 million new viewers to the SEC TV territory. Texas has already shown that they have no conference allegiance when they lead the move out of the Southwest conference a few years ago.

If new TV territory is what is pushing these talks of mega conferences where can the ACC go? Syracuse who was on the table the first time the ACC expanded seven years ago, Connecticut, If the ACC is a power basketball conference both the Cuse and U Conn help build on that. Rutgers, you know Rutgers is the State University of New Jersey and brings with it the New York City TV market. West Virginia and Pittsburgh, these to me are ideal for each other. Even before they joined the Big East they hated each other like State and Carolina.

The big casino in all this is Notre Dame. They continue to talk as if they will remain independent. Notre Dame talks as if they are the Notre Dame of thirty years ago. They joined the Big East because being independent only can work in football not basketball or soccer. It may not happen during this expansion period but Notre Dame can not last as an independent. NBC's contract with Notre Dame for home football games is not a given the next time the contract is renewable.

The big loser in all of this expansion talks is the Big East. Born in the late 70’s as a basketball league that found out quickly with out a conference affiliation football carries a big stick on campus. They have such a jumbled mess with schools that want to be in a football conference that they will be the easiest to steal from.

My guess is the SEC goes toward the south west while the Big Ten and ACC cut up the northeast. All the while the PAC Ten gets the pick of the litter of schools it wants west of the Rockies. Utah in the Pac-10?, Colorado?. If this happens the Big Twelve is torn to pieces especially if Nebraska and Missouri join the Big Ten and Texas heads to the SEC

Four MEGA conferences each with two division champions, sounds to me like we are halfway home to a football playoff system.

Let me throw grease on the fire. Four mega conferences getting all kinds of TV revenue, is this the first step in the end of the NCAA as we know it? Could these four break a way and let the NCAA handle the so called small schools and create their own championships?

It could happen!

Six Against Five

Cries of foul, the ref cheated, the ref was bought off came from the stands Friday afternoon. Was this a Northern Nash- Rocky Mount sporting event? No it was the Student-faulty basketball game played in the gym after school. The faulty won in overtime 41-38. The students thought something was up when the referee turnout to be a faulty member. In order to let fairness be a part of this story I tried contacting members of the faulty team but they were unavailable as they were in the whirlpool getting treatment from trainer Bernie Capps after the game. The students went home to start their weekend.

Danita Whitaker is a State Champions today she won the girls shot put event at the 3-A state championship in Greensboro. She won by three inches.

Last night at the sports banquet coach Mike Gainey made it official when he announced that Tashawn Mabry had signed to play basketball at Rhode Island. The drama that has followed Tashawn this season both on and off the court getting away from the area just might be the best thing for his future.

The Fayetteville Observer is reporting that the Eastern regional basketball tournament is moving to Fayetteville to be played at the Crown Coliseum. When it was in Greenville the boys played at ECU and the girls were at Rose High school which could seat about 2,000. Crown's main floor seats about 12,000 which is larger than ECU and they have what they call the arena attached to the Coliseum. Fayetteville all games will pretty much be in the same building. The Crown Coliseum is located on 301 and I-95 business towards Hope Mills.

North Carolina has beaten Virginia Tech to pull even with Boston College who lost to Georgia Tech for the second time. North Carolina State beat Duke in bottom of the 11th inning to clinch a spot in the ACC tournament,

State is now 14-15. North Carolina and BC are 13-16. Carolina must win Saturday to get in and BC lose. BC has any tie breaker over Carolina. Better record over top four in conference. The weather forecast is calling for rain Saturday. The ACC says no inning can start at 4.00pm Saturday so Carolina has to do all it can to get this game in and win. Game time is set for 1.00pm but I bet in order to beat the weather they start earlier . Here is also a possibility. Carolina gets rained out and BC loses then Carolina is in. If BC wins Saturday Carolina is out under any scenario.

Rings And Ovation

The second annual sports banquet for all athletes at Rocky Mount High School was held in the gym Thursday night with about 450 people partaking of a meal an another 100 or so there to watch family members receive awards.

The high lite of the evening was the the basketball members receiving their rings for winning the state championship in 3-A basketball. Coach Mike Gainey called all the members of the team to the front of the crowd and while the team came to the front they received an standing ovation from those in attendance.

Each coach presented their teams awards and varsity letters, all conference awards to those that had won them.

The program ended with the highest awards given to any Rocky Mount High athlete.

Triple Crown Award: Presented by Dr Greg Nelson and Coach Mike Gainey- won by Addie Keeter, Cristy Barnes and Ross Bradley.

Juan Chesson Award: Presented by Martha Proctor -Won by Carter Varnell

Scholar Athletes of the Year: Presented by Principal Leon Farrow- won by Boys- Andrew Bowers and the girls by Addie Keeter

The Male and Female Athlete of the year : Presented by the coaching staff- won by Marquavis Alston for the boys and the girls winner was Danita Whitaker.

When I picked Morgan up from school today she told me that in the hallway in front of the gym that they had hung a team picture of the 2008 state champions baseball team and the 2010 state champion basketball team. I got a look at the pictures tonight and they are really great.

Baseball is over but the Big East is still alive and will have a team in the fourth round. This will make four years in a row that the NEW-6 and now the Big East will have a team in at least the fourth round. The previous three years we are 3-0 in the fourth round with Northern Nash Making the Eastern Finals in 07 and 09 and the Gryphons in 08.

We know the Big East will make it to the fourth round because both Fike and Hunt won their second round games and square off against each other Friday night at Hunt.

The final week of ACC baseball is underway with State and Carolina winning tonight and Boston College losing. BC and State are tied at 13-15 and Carolina is 12-16. Depending on what happens the last two games all three still have a chance to make the ACC tournament.

State seems to be in the drivers seat if they win they last two games they are in. Carolina wins their last two Boston college must lose both. If State loses both and Carolina wins both they are in. If all three tie a State and BC get in the ACC tournament.

Life Goes On

The Rocky Mount High school sports banquet is tonight in the gym. If they do it they way they did it last year you will enter and be directed toward the cafeteria and then bring your dinner back to the gym. Feed time is 5.00pm and all of the annual awards will be given out shortly there after.

The Rocky Mount Telegram is reporting this morning that Gryphon Basketball player Tashawm Mabry has signed a D-1 scholarship to play basketball at University of Rhode Island of the Atlantic Ten

We are all disappointed that baseball ended so abruptly. Any time you are in a playoff format it doesn’t take much to send you home just ask the San Diego Chargers or Cleveland Cavaliers.

Luck plays its part in any playoff and look no further than basketball to see that instead of a second round road game to West Brunswick, West Craven upset WB and had to come to us instead. Our girl’s basketball team did go to WB and the season ended there. Home field means a lot in any sport.

Football was 7-5, basketball 23-3 and baseball 22-3. That is a combined 52-11 in the so called major sports at Rocky Mount High Not bad at all for the so called big three at any school. Once those taking part in this weeks state championship in track, sports will be over for the 2009-2010 school year.

Now it is time to turn our attention to Legion ball. Tryouts are Saturday at 3.00pm at NCWC’s Bauer Field. I know the players from Rocky Mount were hoping not to have to go because they were still in the playoffs.

Life moves on.

My family's life over the last seven years has been wrapped around the Tar River Children's Chorus. Patsy Gilliland as director has taken the Chorus every other year on a so called big trip.

Our first year the kids sang in her hometown of Winston Salem in a music festival. The next year was a trip to Philadelphia. The following year to Bruton's Parrish in Williamsburg. Just two years ago they sang at Riverside church in New York City. This year we were schedule to take part in a festival at Disney World in Orlando. Just before Christmas we found out that festival had been cancelled.

It has been a scramble to get another event lined up. Memorial Day weekend we are heading to Charleston SC to take part in three week event called the Piccolo Spoleto. Charleston has music galore for three weekends. The second Presbyterian Church in down town Charleston is hosting a youth festival all day on Saturday of Memorial day weekend where you just walk in and listen. it goes on from like nine in the morning until 8.00pm that night. TRCC will be singing at 4.30 until 5.15 that afternoon. That Sunday we are singing as part of church service in another church in Mount Pleasant.

Every school in our area is represented on the chorus. All the faults Rocky Mount has, you can't show me another town that has an organization like the Tar River Orchestral Society that funds the TRCC. Rocky Mount is small population wise but large in the arts in music.

Long Ride Home

The expectations of a second state title in three years came tumbling home in the bottom of the seven inning tonight in Shallotte.

West Brunswick Pitcher Jay Gause fires a one hitter a two run homer in the first inning from Collins Cuthrell after Spencer Bell had walked to give Rocky Mount a 2-0 lead.

Benton Moss pitched six inning but tonight the Trojan batters sprayed hits all over the field. Nine of their ten hits came off Benton Moss who left the game after six in a 2-2 tie.

WB scored in the bottom of the first, bottom of the sixth and the bottom of the ninth with single runs to advance to round three with a 3-2 victory over the Gryphons.

Despite being hit all over the place Moss kept the Gryphons in the game with nine strike outs and a couple of walks. Parker Helms made a gem of a defensive of a play after West Brunswick got three hits in the third, Helms threw a runner trying to score out at home to keep the Gryphons ahead 2-1.

The top of the seventh brought on an incident in which Michael Whitehead hit a foul ball and Benton Moss was tossed out of the game. Kent Cox brought Hobbs Johnson in to the bottom of the seventh where three straight runners reached base on a hit , a walk , then a intentional walk. A ground ball was hit to Matthew Berry at first but by the time the throw got home the winning run had scored.

If you have read any of my blogs over the past week I was concerned about the Gryphon hitting and tonight despite giving up ten hits the pitching kept the Gryphons in the game but the bats never got going against an extremely good Jay Gause.

It sure will be a long ride home tonight for the Baseball team.

This makes twice this season a Gryphon team has ended it's season in the playoffs at West Brunswick. Girls basketball lost by four in the second round during basketball season.

If you watch the news tonight on Channel Five then you saw Nash Central's Jasmine Williams win this week's Extra Effort award from Tom Suitor. Jasmine will be competing this weekend in the state track championships where she just might be the favorite to win the high jump.

I don't know what I would do if I didn't have friends. Gene Taylor has be feeding me an inning by inning recap of the Gryphon game. Gene thanks a million. I owe you one.

Northern's Claytor Qualifies For Nationals

Former Northern Nash golfer Daniel Claytor(2009) begins play today in the Division II National Men's golf championship being held in Indiana. Claytor qualified by finishing second in the South/Southeast Regional Division II tournament two weeks ago when in 54 holes he shot 5 under par. Claytor is a freshman at Barton College.

Can Legion Post 58 Repeat as Area 1 champs and make it back back to the state tournament this year being played in Asheboro? The pieces start to fall in place this weekend at head coach Hank Jones holds try outs for this years squad. The try outs will be held @NCWC at 3.00pm Saturday . Jones will be assisted this year by former Gryphon and now JV Baseball coach at Nash Central "BaseBall" Britt Johnson.

Right now only eleven dates with two double header are on the schedule pending the out come of Gryphon baseball's success in the state high school playoffs. If there was one thing learned last year when the schedule was reduced to less than fifteen regular season games, was that with all our teenagers can do these days playing ball every night is not on their priority list. Reducing the schedule gave them free time most nights until the playoffs hit.

If no games are added the first game will be in Wilson at Fleming Stadium on June 8th. Those who attended the playoffs last year remember the fifth game in the playoffs against Wilson last year Post 58 scored two runs to tie and then added one more in the bottom of the ninth to get past Wilson and make it to the eastern finals against Cary.

Most if not all home games this year will return to Gryphon Stadium.

Baseball team pulled out at 12.15 for the journey to West Brunswick and with clearing skies it looks like baseball tonight for the Gryphons. Boy wouldn't this be a good one for the radio?

First pitch is scheduled for 6.00pm at West Brunswick high school. The weather man is promising clearing skys as the day goes on so it looks like BASEBALL TONIGHT for those who can get there