There Will Be A New Super Bowl Champoin

The G-Men put an end to the talk of a two time back to back champion as New York clamps down on the Packers.  37-20. Houston played much better than I thought.  How many times in the past have the top seeded team not won a game in the playoffs.  I am not sure there is any advantage having a week off this late in the season.

I once again was 2-2 for the weekend and we only have two games next week.  Baltimore and New England and New York at San Francisco.  I think it will be New England and San Fran in the Super Bowl and at this point I would not put it past the 49ers winning the Super Bowl.

Last week in high school sports they played one because it was exam week.  This week it is end of semester and that gives those that need to retake EOG's will be doing that this week.Big East basketball starts again Friday night and the Gryphons find themselves on the road for the 3rd game in a row.


Just about every baseball team that can find one has a warehouse and they hit inside until the weather gets to the point where they can get outside.  There is a state rule that during the two week period and exams and Semester break there is no practice what so ever.   These three games in a row before the second round  gives them a very good second swing through schedule.  They play Northen and Fike on the road while Nash Central, Hunt and Southern all make a trek to Rocky Mount.

I thought Duke had a shot at losing at Clemson but the Devils win and have the outright lead in mens ACC basketball.

State wins by 36 Heels Lose by 33

N C State 36 point victory in Winston Salem Saturday was the biggest road win in 65 years for the Pack.  1954 they had beaten Maryland by 50. I realize I pull for the Pack but I think by March State could be real good.  The other end of the spectrum Carolina's loss at Florida state is Roy Williams worse since coming to Carolina

The ACC has about two bad teams, about eight average teams and two that could be very good.  Average most of the time means you will win against all the bad teams and lose to all the good ones.One of the very good teams took on one of those average teams yesterday that  couldn't  miss.  This is the same Florida State team that lost by twenty to Clemson. I don't care who you are you had better be ready to play against any body if you could get embarrassed.

As I said here yesterday I thought the 49ers were going to make a game of it with Saints.  I didn't however foresee them out scoring them.  The 49ers have a chance to go to the Super Bowl.  New England handled Denver about how I expected.  Tim Tebow had a good run but now he must get better if he is going to be the starting QB in Denver Next year.

Rocky Mount boys are on top in the Big East after three games and have played the two teams that I would consider their top rivals already on the road and won.  They stand at 12-3 overall 2-0 in Big East play and 4-0 in 2012.

The girls with their victory over Hunt is 13-2 2-0 and winners of six straight.  Their next two games are Southern Nash and then Northern.  I think the Lady Gryphons have added some offensive weapons since they last meet Northern.  Before it was a two woman show J'Kyra Brown and Tia Hudgins but now Carmen Richardson and Alexus Cooper are more willing to shoot than they were before Christmas.  Rocky Mount will be harder to guard.

Friday night at the George Whitfield Hall of Fame in Goldsboro two long time sports Legends were honored.  Dick Boudour  the University of North Carolina Athletic Director  was given an award  for his service  as AD at Carolina for 14 years.and standing right beside him Rocky Mount's Bernie Capps was honored for his forty years of service not only to Gryphon Athletic as it's trainer but for his service to the entire high school sports community.

Gryphon Boys Stand a Top OF Big East

Tonight the Rocky Mount Gryphons coming off exams  which finished today played their only game of the week  and for the boys it was a big one playing Hunt for first place.  Once again tonight Hunt proves to be  a strong adversary but Rocky Mount ends a two game losing streak to the Warriors winning at Hunt by four  points 61-57.  Only three games into the conference season and Rocky Mount is the only team to yet taste defeat in conference.

The girls side of the ledger the Lady Gryphons found the going against the Lady Warriors easy as they win big 66-40.  They keep pace with Northern who beat Southern Nash by 23 so both Northern and Rocky Mount are still undefeated in conference and Northern remains undefeated on the season.  Next week is another single game week as the Gryphons travel to Southern Nash as next week is end of the semester break.

Tarboro High Schools Todd Gurley made his announcement in on where he planned to spend the next four or five years of his life and the answer is Athens Georgia.  Today in the gym Todd chose the Bulldogs over Clemson and N C State.  Surprisingly Todd did admit that Carolina was his top choice last year but with everything that has come down in Chapel Hill the past year he passed on  them.

Tonight in Goldsboro three people with local ties to  Rocky Mount were inducted into the George Whitfield Hall Of Fame. Carol Carson now in her 25th year serving North Carolina Wesleyan College as its  head trainer was among the inductees.  The 1983 graduate of ECU also serves  as Senior Woman Administrator at the college.

Former Fike High School football coach and now an assistant coach at Northern Nash Richie Pridgen joins the long list of honorees over the years.  Richie who retired at Fike a couple of years ago has spent the last couple of years on the football staff at Northern Nash.

Ron Fly long time Rocky Mount resident who now calls Goldsboro home was inductee as a basketball and baseball official.  I wonder in the forty years Ron has been a ref how many miles  he has run and how many foul balls has he taken while behind the plate. Even today when I see one or the other of the Fly brothers I have to act like I know who I'm talking to when I really don't.  I wonder sometimes when they look in the mirror to shave if the other brother(Don) isn't looking back in the mirror.

The NFL playoffs will be underway before you see me again.   New Orleans travels to the up start San Francisco Forty Niners.  This is not  a guarantee for the Saints.  It would not shock me at all if the Niners win but I think in the long run the Niners can't score enough.  Saints 24- Niners 16

Denver at New England.  I know I missed the Broncos last week but not this week.  34-14 Patroits.

I don't think this is a lock but I don't think Houston will run up and down the field like they did last week.  Baltimore is getting old but they will play again next week.  Ravens  20 Houston 13


New York at Green Bay.  Here again this is not a lock for the Packers. 27-21 Green Bay.

A Motivating Moment

I hope that I am not the only nut in this world that does this but have you ever while laying in bed trying to fall a sleep think of some great idea that will change your life and the world and when your feet hit the floor the next day that idea is not as great as it was when you were half  asleep.

I have thought many times  that the summer of 1963 for me was one of those summers that Hollywood would pay big bucks just as soon as I write it all down and contact the right person. I have several times in the past took pen in hand( this was before computers and started writing).  Two hours later and twenty fives words written down and my novel was history and my note in the trash can.

I have just gone through one of those nights where inspiration hit me and when my feet hit the floor the idea was still as big as it was the night before.  I have come to realize that this is 2012.  Next summer will be 2013 and the 50th anniversary of my great novel will still be undone.

Those of you who don't read this column everyday, I was bat boy for the 1963 Ahoskie American Legion Post 102.  I believe that it is the only time they have ever won the league title before or since. If I don't hurry up and write this great novel which by the way I have titled "View From The On Deck Circle" I will probably be dead  so time is running out.

I found some telephone numbers of a couple of the players and left messages but I did get an answer from one call.  I called the home of Bobby Hall.  1963 Bobby was a  sophomore who played at Plymouth High school  and the only place to play baseball in 1963 in the summers  was come to Ahoskie  for the Ahoskie Legion team.  Bobby played first base and right field.

His wife Kate answered the phone.  I have to admit since the last game of 1965 when Bobby was a senior and left the Legion team I have not seen him since.  Can you imagine someone on the line asking if this is the home of Bobby Hall formerly from Plymouth and worked for the State Credit Union, well that was my introduction to his wife who before we were through had a very pleasant conversation with me telling stories  about Bobby that she  had never heard.

If the name Bobby Hall does not ring a bell for you Carolina fans once Bobby graduated from Plymouth he headed to Raleigh on a football scholarship in 1965 and before he left Raleigh was the starting wing back in Earle Edwards wing-t offense at N C State..  Once I had finished my conversation with a women that I had never met before and she had given me Bobby's work number I was disappointed to have to leave a message with his secretary.  I'm pretty sure he  is one of the Big Wigs these days with the State Credit Union in Raleigh because he has his own secretary instead of voice mail.  You got to be high up the ladder to be able to do that.

Shortly before five my cell phone is ringing  and lo and behold Bobby Hall is calling me. You must remember I was ten years old in 1963 and Bobby 16 and a matter of fact Happy Birthday Bobby as his birthday was Wednesday.  Bobby Hall don't know me from Adam but from my message he knows I want to talk to him about the summer of 1963.

It was as if we have been friends for life.  The only contact that we have had in the last 47 years is me watching him run for the Wolfpack or him being part of my conversation with any one willing to listen to me talk about 1963  and Jimmy Hunter, Freddie Combs, Francis Combs or Bobby Hall.

I am now inspired to write the great novel.  I have Bobby's e-mail address and he is going to help me remember.  I hope as I make contact with others  still living from that team that they too fondly remember that year and want to talk about it.   If my fifteen minutes conversation with them is as enlightening as mine  was with Bobby Hall then my great novel could be in bookstores soon.