Fellowship Of Christian Athletes

Last night a group of around 25 Rocky Mount High School athletes met and formed a chapter of the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes. Benton Moss was voted on to be it's president.

FCA is the largest christian sports organization in America. FCA focuses on serving local communities by equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ.

We hear and see every day what is wrong with our youth and society in general and it is nice to see that there are those that care about our world more than what can our world do for me. There is hope for all of us yet.

Back during football season we talked about the balance of the league of the Big East and how even everyone was. Don't look now but the boys basketball can be said the same. Everyone in the league has lost at least one as they begin the second trip around. Most have only played four games with all the weather delays and at some point in time they will have a three conference game weekfor most.

Tonight two of those once beaten teams collide as Rocky Mount travels to Nash Central. Central has not lost since they lost the first conference game of the year at Rocky Mount.

This NFL labor talks stuff is really funny listening to each side talking their talk which of course is just positioning themselves for that final hour push to get an agreement. If you are the biggest sport around there is no way either side can afford to strike or lock their gates to keep the other side out. Our national economy is just not in a position where every day Joe wants to hear a bunch of millionaires fuss with Billionaires about how tough life is.

The world is in Raleigh starting today at the NHL All Star weekend is in town. This year they are going to have a draft and pick sides tonight for who will be on what team. I think this is a good idea. It is kind of like back yard ball where you pick two captains and they start picking who they want on their team. Most of the time you wind up with a pretty balanced team on both sides.

Bulldogs Conference Champs

You know they say that football players wrestle just to stay in shape for football season. Baseball players do the same in cross country. Wrestling just like cross country and tennis are considered minor sports. Nobody cares about them. If you think that way you should have been at Northern Nash tonight as Nash Central and Northern Nash met on the mat for The Big East Duels Championships. Those of you who think wrestling is a minor sport they played for the team title tonight.

There are 14 weight classes from the scrawny 103 pound class up to the super heavy weight at 285. Those 14 matches it went right down to the last second of the last match before Nash Central knew they were the champs. Nash Central beat Northern Nash 32-30.

The last match of the night saw Northern's TJ Marshall in the 215 weight limit needing to pin Central's Isaiah Edwards. There was one minute to go in the second period when everyone in the gym thought that Marshall had done it for the Fighting Knights but Edwards wiggled out of bounds to stop from being pinned. Despite all his efforts Marshall could never get the pin even though he did win the match but Northern needed the six points from winning on a pin instead of the three you get on a decision.

Nash Central started the evening by getting a pin in the 285 pound class from Tamaris Lane in eleven seconds of the match to give Central a 6-0 lead. Corey Johnson took 18 second in the 106 class to pin his Bulldog foe and the match was tied 6-6. Central's Xavier Cox pinned his Northern 112 pound foe to give the Bulldogs the lead that they would never give up.

Northern's Keith Battle won at 118 on a decision. Shakeel Ricks won a decision for Central at 125. Demetrius Taylor added three points in the 130 pound division. Josh Taylor added four points for Nash Central at 135. That made the score 22-10 and then the comeback started for Northern.

Tavis Richardson won by 15 points at 140 to give Northern five points. Devonte Johnson for the Bulldogs scored four at 145. Joesph Cooper gave Northern six points with a pin at 152. Chris Horton won three points for the Knights winning in over time 3-1 in the match of the night over Tovis Davis.

Austin Sanford got a pin for Nash Central at 171 which looked as if that might be the nail in the coffin but Northern's Brian Sweet won a decision at 189 to set the stage for the final match.

If you were not there and wish you had of been you can see this match Sunday night on the Stretchlon Sports Show at 8.00pm. As they say "THIS WAS A HUM DINGER".

Morales ESPN Soccer All American

Rocky Mount High senior Andrew Morales has been named to the ESPN Rise All American Soccer Team. Thirty three of the top players in the country were named to the team. Morales who will sign with Duke in early February will receive his all American honor on signing day in the library at Rocky Mount High school.

Oh by the way there was a matter of a couple of basketball games tonight at Northern and the Gryphons come home with two victories.

The Lady Gryphons took on the Lady Knights and both were unbeaten in conference play so tonight was the battle for the undisputed lead in the Big East. Northern lead for 47 minutes and thirty second before a Tia Hudgins put back with 29.8 second gave Rocky Mount their first lead of the game and a lead they would not give back.

Northern lead twice during the game by eleven the last time coming at 33-22 but with two minutes to go in the third quarter Grover Battle decided to take the air our of the ball with his team leading 41-31. Up unto that point the Lady Knights had won the battle on the boards 29-18 as many of their points came of missed shot put backs. From that two minutes to go in the third until the end of the game Rocky Mount out rebounded Northern 12-3 and out scored Northern 19-6.

Despite the come back to win 50-47 Rocky Mount was a dismal 17-34 at the free throw line. Everyone was except J'Kyra Brown who nailed 12-16 so if you add it up her team mates were 5-18 and they still won.

Not every one knew that Tia Hudgins played despite being in a walking cast since Friday night's game with Southern. First off the bench Carmen Richardson did not play after getting a concussion against Southern. Brown lead the Gryphons with 21 while Hudgins 14. Quenesha Lynch lead Northern with 19.

Rocky Mount is now 16-2 on the year 4-0 in the Big East Northern is 10-2 and 3-1 in the Big East.

Back during the Holiday tournament finals Dante Battle nursed a injured elbow and did not play in the second half of the championship game after he tore the bandage off in the second quarter of that game.. Kenyatta Battle spent the last 47 minutes and 45 second sitting in the Gryphon locker room in coach Mike Gainey's dog house. If it had not been for Michael Bracket's swish at the buzzer the Gryphons would have walked out of the holiday tournament a winner.

Tonight a motivated Gryphon squad with all hands on deck come out from the opening tap and pressured Northern's guards to keep them from getting the ball inside to DeShawn Freeman and when he did get the ball the Gryphons doubled team and tripled team him all night and the result is a 70-52 Gryphon victory at Northern.

The high light of the night for Northern was taking a 5-2 early lead but Rocky Mount responded with six straight points and a 8-5 lead and they never looked back. They lead by 11 and the quarter, 15 at the half, 19 at the end of the third quarter and 18 at the end.

Northern Out rebounded Rocky Mount 35-27 and had more turnovers 20 to the Gryphons 15. It wasn't so much the turnovers but the struggle that the Fighting Knights had to get the ball to Freeman who managed to get 19 but most were long after the game was decided. Michael Bracket carried over his winning shot in December and score 16 but those couldn't do it by themselves for Northern.

Exzavier Cooper lead the way with 15 but this was a team victory tonight with Tecoby Hines adding 11, Tevin Taylor 8, Bruce Applewhite 8,Terrell Hilliard 6, Levon Brutus 6, K J Peoples 5, Kenyatta Bullock 5 , MJ Gainey 4 and Damien Strickland 2.

The second trip around the conference starts Friday for the Gryphons as they play at Nash Central. Central did the Gryphons a big favor last Friday night beating Hunt at Hunt so the Gryphons start the second time around tied for the lead with Hunt. Northern who also lost to Hunt at Home play at Hunt Friday.

Giving All That You Have For The Team

The Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is being grounded up like hamburger over his sitting on the sidelines in the second half of the NFC Championship game after going out with a knee injury.

Let me be the first to tell you I hate Jay Cutler more than any other quarterback in the NFL. Cutler was involved in the now famous Philip Rivers barking incident in which the news media has used over the years to claim that Philip Rivers is a trash talker. What the cameras didn't show on the night that Rivers was caught barking at Cutler was that Cutler had grabbed his crotch and pointing to the San Diego side line. That got the attention of several Charger players including Rivers.

Just two years ago LT sat on the sidelines with his Darth Vader mask on sitting staring into space while the Chargers beat Indy in the playoffs. The only thing I can blame either for is they were not up cheering for their teammates but pouting on the bench.

Philip Rivers was also injured in that Indy game and never came back into the game after he tore up his knee. He did under go surgery the following Monday and played in the AFC Championship game needing to have total reconstruction surgery.

I fail to see how anyone can judge an injury to any player based on how important the game is. Yes Cutler could have pulled a Brett Farve and when the doctors or coaches said sit for the rest of the game he could have said not on your life. I'm playing. Today he would have been a hero even though his team probably would have still lost the game.

If there is one thing that Jay Cutler needs more than anything else is a dose of humble pie. He is a Brett Farve type of quarterback whether he either looks great or stupid on some of the passes he makes. Standing on the sidelines he just has the look of a non caring person who could care less.

The national news media is paid to fill talk time from Sunday to Sunday waiting for the next games. They are looking for anything to help fill the time. In the case of a player going out with a injury you have to trust the doctors and the player who would know whether they can perform up to the expectations needed to win. When they can't they need to sit.

Cutler's case he didn't do much when he was healthy to make you think he would play better hurt. I just wish he would work on his facial expressions that make him look like he cares.

Super Bowl Set

So far this NFL playoff season I am 8-2 on my picks getting both games right yesterday. During the next two weeks more questions about Brett Farve will be asked than about any other player. The last time I checked he doesn't play on either team left. I like this match up of the Green Bay Packers against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I am not making a winner prediction yet but I am going to say the losing team will score 20 points.

If you are playing the 11th place team in the league and you are home, you would hope that you could win by more than two points. State blew a 17 point second half lead and was mighty lucky to win their second ACC game yesterday. Their only two wins have been against the worse two teams in the league. The rest of their conference schedule is not promising as four of their next five are on the road starting Tuesday night at Clemson.

So far the high school basketball season has only played three conference games. This week Rocky Mount has three road games starting tonight at Fike. This is the makeup game that was snowed/exammed out last Tuesday. Tuesday the Gryphons are at Northern and finish up Friday Night at Nash Central.

After Friday night you will be able to tell a lot about how rest of this season is going to fare. A good week winning all three and the Gryphons could be back in the drivers seat pending what Hunt does this week. Lose two and you will be playing for your playoff life the rest of the season.

Wednesday night Northern Nash and Nash Central will play for the conference championship in wrestling. Many of the so called minor sports have the team championships and then next week will have individual championships much like tennis does. It hard to keep up with which one is happening but it is the team championships this week.

Rode by the new high school yesterday just to see what it looks like. You can sure tell that a school is on the rise. Just about all of the cinder blocks have been laid. Was surprised to see lights up. Might be a little muddy but maybe soccer, softball or that matter baseball has lights. It will be nice to be able to play all sports on campus instead of riding to the football stadium or down Howell street to play baseball. If no other sport benefits from the new school it will be soccer by being able to play playoff games on site and not worrry about time of day being able to play night games like the NCHSAA wants them to be able to do.

Doomsday

Today at Noon N C State host Miami in a battle which if teams continue to play for the rest of the season as they have in the early stages this will be for the battle for 11th place in the ACC. It looks as if Wake Forest has staked claim on last this year.

Both Miami and State are 1-3 thus far in the ACC portion of their schedule. The loser today will have an extremely hard time finding five more wins the rest of the way in conference play. The winner at least until their next game has hope that that they are just around the corner from turning their season around.

One day last week while coming home from work I listened as Debbie Yow was talking on 99.9 about the basketball coaching situation in Raleigh. She said something to the effect that fans needed in the middle of the season to turn their attention to doing all they could to help turn their team around. What happens after the season will come from the results of the remainder of the season.

The basketball situation in Raleigh will be Yow's first major decision since her arrival. My first impressions of Yow is she is a very driven leader and what ever happens will be quick and precise.

Today four teams play in the NFL championship games. Green Bay is at Chicago and the New York Jets at Pittsburgh. If championships are won with defense then I think both games will be toss ups.

I don't think there is any team in the field that is as good as they think they are on defense. If the defenses are even then who has the best offense? Of the four Green Bay is the best offense and of all the quarterbacks left Aaron Rogers has people in Green Bay forgetting Brett Farve which is hard to do as much as he stays in the head lines. Jay Cutler is the kind of quarterback that can throw three touchdowns and turn around and have two pick six touchdowns.

I think one of the most over rated is Mark Sanchez and even though he is talked about a lot Ben Rothlesberger is under rated. Sanchez is still playing because their defense keeps them in games and the Steelers are still alive because Big Ben manages to supply a big play when ever the Steelers need one.

I think starting tomorrow the Packers and Steelers will have one more game to play but if Julius Peppers and the Bears are there it would not surprise me. Then again if the Jets make it would not be a shocker.

Nothing Beats The Feel Of Victory

There is nothing better for getting the sour taste of defeat out of your mouth better than winning. Last night the Rocky Mount Gryphons hosted the Firebirds of Southern Nash. The Gryphon boys who lately have played ten minutes of great basketball and twenty two minutes each game as if they were not quite sure which players standing at each end of the court were teammates. Last night they knew which color uniforms were on there side and rip Southern Nash by a 73-48 score

The win gets the Gryphons to 2-1 in conference with a major trip Tuesday night to Northern Nash. It is odd at how perception makes you feel. A 2-1 record sounds a whole lot better than 1-1 or 1-2 heading into your biggest rival game of the year. The Northern Christmas tournament loss at home to the Knights is what started Rocky Mount’s tumble through the Twilight Zone over the past month.

There are no issues in girl’s basketball to worry with as once again the Lady Gryphons run Southern Nash ragged in winning their third conference game without a loss 63-34

The ladies are solid getting consistent play from the big three Tia Hudgins, J’Kyra Brown and Timisha Walker. The tandem of Marquita Hines and Tias Cooper at the guards are quick and I think the best thing you can say about them is they are consistent enough that you don’t notice them which means they are not messing things up. Carmen Richardson is adequate backup for either guard. The only thing this team lacks is height.

During the winter if you love track you go out and they say they you are on the indoor track team. There is a group of Gryphons that show up everyday and travel out to the football stadium and practice in their special event.

The biggest difference in indoor track over the spring when outside is the official place is how the events results are viewed. In the spring if you line up and finish first you win. The winter you are trying to beat a time which has been established by the state. If you run and win a race but the time is not fast enough you won a race that day but not in the eyes of the state.

Because indoor is limited space available for when the championships finally are run you only get to the state finals by having run what they call a qualifying time. So far this year ZiKeener Parker who runs various events has qualified and Paul Lilley has qualified in the mile. Both have chances to win state titles during the State indoor championships next month.

The East-West Shrine football Game is today. The big controversy is not who the best player is but whether Marvin Alston formerly of UNC should be allowed to wear the UNC head gear in the game. Alston is the player who was kicked off the team for all the illegal benefits he received starting back in 2009 from agents. He never played one down this season and very well may wind up costing UNC their entire season in 2009 if they have to forfeit their wins.

Should he be allowed to wear UNC gear? That we can argue about for the rest of our lives. I say no, what say You?