Face-Off Has Lost It's Luster

State and Carolina won their opening games in the ACC baseball tournament and looked on a collision course  to just maybe playing the most important baseball ever between the two Saturday night.  Somewhere on the way to the championship game both stumbled and now one will be out by Saturday and the other will have to win in order to play in the ACC Championship game Sunday at noon.

I am not sure the ACC has ever had eight teams that when the final game of the regular season was in the books that there was no ACC team  in the RPI more than 31.  All eight teams that are in this weeks ACC Tournament have to be in the NCAA  Regional somewhere next week and at least four or five will be host schools.  Why then should we be surprised that the bracket that State, Carolina, Wake and Miami are in all are 1-1 heading into their third games.

If you pull for State you have to pull for Miami to beat Wake tonight in the 7PM ACC TV game.  If Wake wins then State can't make the Sunday Championship game since Wake holds the tie breaker beating State last night. State hold the tie breaker over Miami.  In Carolina's case they have to hope Wake wins since they beat the Deacs Wednesday and not Miami who beat the Tar Heels yesterday.

So Saturday night State has nothing to play for other than beating Carolina if Wake Beats Miami tonight..  Carolina has nothing to play for if Miami beats Wake.  If Wake wins tonight over Miami and State beats Carolina then they play in the championship game Sunday.  If Miami wins tonight then Carolina has nothing to play for Saturday other than beating State.

If Wake wins tonight then Carolina must beat State to get in the Sunday Championship.  If Miami wins tonight then State must beat Carolina to get in.   If I am Wake or Miami I would feel real good about my chances playing Sunday if State can beat Carolina to knock them out or vice versa.   It would all be much simpler to digest if it were a double elimination and play until you lose two.

If Miami wins tonight and Carolina has no chance to play Sunday you can expect both Benton Moss and Hobbs Johnson to share the pitching Saturday night because one would have to
go two weeks without pitching heading into the playoffs.  Mike Fox doesn't want that to happen.

Gryphons Win Big East Wells Fargo Cup AGAIN

Mike Gainey Announced tonight at the end of the year sports banquet that Rocky Mount High School had won the Big East Wells Fargo Cup for the fourth year in a row as the best all round sports program.

Paul Lilley who had so much hardware by night's end that he needed a u-haul truck to carry his awards home won the Male Athlete of the Year award.  He was joined by Tia Hudgins who was voted by the coaches as was Lilley as the best all round female athlete.

The most prestigious award when it comes to being a student athlete went to Caroline Bell and Will Crumpler who were the winners as the Top Male and Female Scholar Athletes of the year.

The Juan Chesson Award winner which was presented by Martha Proctor and is named for former Gryphon Juan Chesson who has over come the most to achieve was Holly Fryer.  I think most people know that Holly has been battling Cancer for about three years now but she has not allowed the cancer to keep her off the athletic field and on top of that she is a member of the 2011-2012 Scholar Athletes.  What many of you may not know is Holly goes to Chapel Hill every Monday for Chemo treatments and yet she has endured   this spring on the soccer team and in the class room.

The Triple Crown winners and award honoring the most well rounded athletes were Precious White a Volleyball, Basketball and softball player and Paul Lilley soccer, Cross Country, Indoor track and spring track.

The stars of the show was the basketball team as each member received their State Championship rings.  Mike Gainey proudly announced that all  seniors on this years team will all be attending college either because of academics of athletic scholarships.

Paul Lilley was presented a State Champions ring for his winning the indoor mile championship.  Assistant coach Nick Winkel who has his name on two of the state champions banners that hang in the gym received another for coaching Paul as well as head coach Dee Anna Davis who has during her coaching career at Rocky Mount coached both of them..

Former Gryphon coach Walt Wiggins was  there as a surprise to present Linwood Weeks a Gryphon Assistant Principal who was an all star football player in his playing days and award as he is retiring from Education in August.

Legion Season Starts With Down Pour

Coleman Pitt Post 58 began the 2012 baseball season at Gryphon Stadium and a shower of rain just after both teams took their infield did a nice job of keeping Hank Jones from from having to water the field.  Post 58 sent Cameron Webb former Viking of Tarboro High to the mound and after three innings of pitching found himself heading  to the dugout with a 1-0 lead over Greenville Post 39  after a second inning home run from Post 58 center fielder Khalil Macklin.  Before Webb and his defensive partners could get off the field hail started falling that turned into a heavy shower and some 45 minutes later when a second wave passed through the area the game was done for.

No make up date has been set and since this is not a conference game it might not get made up.  These two meet in Greenville June 5th.  One of the problems Legion teams have once the season starts is finding a date that both don't play someone else.  Post 58 is playing Thursday in Johnston County. When and  if a date to make this game up is known  we will pass it along to you but we will act as if next Tuesday nights game will now be the home opener.

The ACC baseball tournament got under way today and if today's action is any preview N C State and North Carolina are heading toward a showdown Saturday night and the winner will play for the ACC Championship on Sunday.  Florida State the #1 over all seed in the tournament was upset in the opening morning game of the day as they lost 5-4 to Georgia Tech.

The second game featured Miami who has an RPI of 14th in the country and heading into the bottom of the ninth inning lead State 2-1 even though State had 10  hits through eight innings but only one run..  There are those games when you win you need help from the other side and State did get two more hits in the ninth but needed an error plus the Miami Ace from the bullpen to walk two batters for State to pull out a 3-2 win.

Carolina had little trouble with Wake in the 7PM game until the ninth inning.  Cruising along Mike Fox tried to finish off a 6-0 ninth inning lead bringing in  some of the not so used bullpen trying to saving his pitchers for later in the tournament and for a few moments things go edgy but the Tar Heel shut out the Demon Deacons and with a shutout they continue to have the second best earned run average for a pitching staff in the nation.

Thursday Virginia meets Clemson in the 11AM game and North Carolina takes on the Hurricanes of Miami at 3.  The prime time 7PM game is Wake and State.  State and Carolina sure seem heading for the match up of the century in baseball Saturday night for these two rivals as regardless of what happens Thursday the winner of State-Carolina game Saturday night  will play for the Championship Sunday at noon.

Post 58 Legion Season Begins Wednesday

Coleman Pitt American Legion Post 58 begins another season of baseball Wednesday night.  Post 58 host Pitt County Post 39.  A couple of new teams have joined the fray as the Elizabeth City area will have a team call Albemarle while Windsor will have their first team ever.  The old standby teams of Ahoskie, Edenton and of course Wilson will be in the same division with Rocky Mount.

If there is one team hurt from the addition of two teams it is Edenton who will no longer have the Elizabeth City and Currituck County players and by Bertie County having a team they will lose the Eastern Part of Bertie County players which has always included Lawrence Academy who just this weekend won the Private School Division State Championship. 

Lawrence  Academy being in the middle of Bertie County did draw players from Edenton, Plymouth, Williamston,Windsor and even Ahoskie.  There will probably be some Lawrence players still living in Chowan County but not as many as in the past.

First pitch will be at 7PM at what use to be Gryphon Stadium but I have not heard as of yet what the plans are to call it.  This will be my 7th year doing the PA and in those years two years Post 58 played at RMA, at least three at Nash Central, once at Northern Nash and now at old RMHS.  I am of the age now I can't remember what I did last week much last remember where the games were played  five years ago.  Just maybe now we can count of Post 58's home always being at old Gryphon Stadium.

It is time to get out your TV recorder as the ACC baseball Tournament starts at 11Am Wednesday Morning.  Depending on what method you now watch TV somebody somewhere will be carrying all the games live.  State plays at 3PM against Miami and Carolina plays at 7 against Wake Forest.  The last regular season RPI has been released and Florida State is first. Carolina is 5th, State 10th and Virginia is 12th. ACC baseball is having one of their best years ever and since it has been fifty years since they have won an NCAA championship somebody had better do it this year.

The Tar Heels the winners of 13 straight games which  is tied for the longest winning streak in the nation will pitch Shane Taylor on Wednesday.  Thursday they will pitch Kent Emanuel and as of right now Mike Fox  he has yet to decide who will pitch Saturday against N C State.  His choices will either be Gryphon Benton Moss or Gryphon Hobbs Johnson.  If the Heels make it to Sunday's Championship game there just could be a former Gryphon on the mound.

 Elliot Avent has said he is planning to hold ACC pitcher of the year Carlos Rodon to either Friday or Saturday and whether they beat Miami Wednesday or not will tell the tale.  If the Pack beats Miami Wednesday they will probably hold him to Saturday to pitch against the Tar Heels.  They must beat Miami first however.

Gryphon Duo Impacting Carolina Baseball

The college baseball regular season came to a close Saturday and Mike Fox and the Tar Heels of North Carolina will head into this week's ACC baseball tournament loaded and ready  to make another assault with their purpose to return to the college World Series.

Carolina swept their fifth conference foe of the year and this weekend pitching was the name of the game and two Gryphons were right there in the middle of it all. Freshman Benton Moss pitched into the eighth inning Friday night allowing only four hits  and no earn runs as the Heels beat The Gobblers of Virginia Tech 2-1.  Moss finishes the regular season with a 6-2 record  pitching 67 innings and striking out 77.  Benton finished with an outstanding ERA of 2.13 and considering he failed to get out of the second inning in his first college start and his ERA was 44.something he really has started great in his first college year.

Sophomore Hobbs Johnson didn't get much farther than the end of the bench last year and the ultimate of being left home to go to summer school while the Tar Heels went back to the College World Series.  Hobbs got the message from Mike Fox and has responded.  First he was used in the bullpen but during the last six weeks of the season has found the mound as the starting Sunday pitcher.  By years end Hobbs is third on the team in innings pitched following his former Gryphon teammate Benton Moss and the leader Emanuel.  Johnson tossed 51 innings in 20 appearances  but Saturday in the closing game of the regular season Hobbs took a no hitter into the seventh inning for the Heels. His ERA for the season is a minuscule 1.40.

This week the ACC baseball tournament will be played in Greensboro and if Mike Fox keeps his weekend pitching rotation in tacked then you can see both Moss and Johnson pitch.  Carolina opens their ACC play Wednesday at 7PM but Benton Moss will take the hill Thursday afternoon at 3PM against Miami.

The emergence of N C State this season Hobbs Johnson may find himself in the spotlight Saturday night when State and Carolina meet up in the bracket with more than likely the winner going to the ACC Championship game  Sunday at 1PM.

Carolina, State, Wake and Miami are all in the same bracket and the team that comes out of their three games with the best record will play for the ACC title.  All ACC baseball games are televised with Raycon being the lead Network but since I am on Direct TV I will get the games on Fox Sports South and the ACC Final on Sunday is ESPN 2.  I don't recall if it comes to pass that State and Carolina have met in baseball with so much on the line as  could happen Saturday.

Hamstings, Charlie Horses and Ben Gay

If you were  in church today and there is an odd smell it is probably Ben Gay Ointment used  by many who took part in the Blackbird/Gryphon Old Timers game which closed out the last Rocky Mount High School sporting event to ever be played on the venues used as part of Rocky Mount High school Sports.

Almost fifty from the mid 60's right up to the the present decade came  back one more time to say goodbye but like so many funerals or family reunions it was more celebration than sadness.  I have heard estimates of at least 350 to almost 600 showed up either to play or look and of those that I have talked to not one person has said they didn't have a good time.

The final score was 6-4  and I don't think any one there remembers whether the Blue or Gold won.The good news was the rescue squad never got called but I know a hamstring or two got tweaked but no one would admit it.

It all started with all players taking part in the all star atmosphere of introducing all the those willing to play and Charles Alton Gryphon Historian supplying tidbits of information on all.  The game had its moments from when fielders made look what I got catches  to solid hits.  Humor was everywhere including for those close enough when Jason Battle  now Gryphon head football coach was removed from the game by Pat Smith and Battle tossing his glove in discussed as if mad that  Smith would take him out of the game.  There was no real batting order just those that had the courage to stand in the box hoping not to strike out.  Not many did.

Next Sunday night May 27th WHIG-TV will have an hour live show and will actually put some of the game on the air but they will show many of the interviews of those that came back.  Wes Bradshaw and Kent Cox were the backbone of the  getting all of these players  to come back.  The next time you see either tell them what a good job they did.

Just like when it is time to leave a family reunion and you have seen someone for the first time in twenty years, when it is time to go you realize how wonderful life use to be and wish that those memories could surface again.  There were calls to make this and annual event.  Sounds to me like everyone had a good time bringing back the old days.

Wes Bradshaw and Kent Cox were the backbone of putting this reunion together  ans they did a great job

Big Weekend In This Houseehold

Having a graduating senior in high school those last couple of weeks before the big day brings on several culminations of life leading up to graduation.  Friday night the Tar River Children's Chorus had their annual end of the year concert.  This year happened to be the 20th year since the Tar River Orchestral Society decided to fund a Children's Chorus.  It also mark the last time that Morgan would sing with the group as she will age out.

We have been in the group nine years and have traveled all over the east coast singing with the Chorus.  The Children's Chorus leader is Patsy Gilliland.  I think we all hope that when our time has come and gone in this life there will be someone to say that my life was better because I was a part of it.  I can tell you this Patsy being a part of my family's life the last nine year has certainly  enriched ours.

Tonight The Debuette Club is having their Presentation Ball at the Dunn Center.  Morgan has been in that since ninth grade.  The club is a public service group and she will receive a $2,500 dollar Scholarship tonight having performed more public service hours than any other senior.  Her four years she has given more than 400 hours back to help making Rocky Mount a better place to live.

Fourteen seniors will be presented and I will have to  wear a Monkey Suit tonight.  I have been instructed that I can't go to the Alumni game because Pat knows if I go to see any of the game I will be there to the end.  If I did that my funeral would be about Tuesday.

The Big east has finished it's sports season as Hunt was knocked out of the baseball playoffs last night by South Brunswick  7-0.  This will be the first time in quite sometime that at least one member of the Big East/ NEW conference hasn't gotten at least to Eastern Regional.

Yesterday's results in track  had the Fike girls finishing second in the state behind the champion North Buncombe. Rocky Mount finished 21st, Southern Nash 31st and Nash Central 55th.  The boys were lead by Fike finishing 5th.  Then it was Hunt in 18th,  Rocky Mount and Southern Nash 19th and Nash Central 32nd.