The Curiocity Factor

Regardless of how many days he is been the official football coach at Rocky Mount High Jason Battle is in his second day of football practice.  Optimism  is high that Battle can turn the ship around and make Gryphon football contenders again.

I would suspect that the first home game of the season there will be a big crowd on hand.  First of all it is the first game in the brand new football stadium and there is something to be able to say I was there for the first game ever played there.  But, for more than any other reason people will be watching just to see what kind of coach Jason Battle will be.

I can assure you that of all the complaints I have heard about last year's team all year long is "I can't believe even in the last game of the season they could still not get the ball back to the quarterback in the shotgun".  If Battle  can get the ball in the hands of the quarterback without losing five yards then there will be instant improvement in this team.  To me that sounds like an achievable goal.

One of the places where the pressure will be on Jason Battle this year is last years team didn't lose any of their non conference game early.  The Gryphons will have to come out of the gate and win just to keep up with what last years team started out doing.  If right off the bat it looks like this team isn't any better than last year all those people who came to be part of the first game ever will not come back.

You can take this for what it is worth.  Those who come to the first game just to say they were there for the first game ever, if they leave that night thinking I just don't see where this team is any better than last you know where they might go to see their next football game?

Rocky Mount Academy!  Yep    After not winning game at all last year if RMA can win one pretty early  then everyone is going to start saying " Old BW can win any where can't he!.  Some of those die hard Gryphon fans who are still loyal to B W Holt will venture down to watch his eight man football team.   If he puts 50 points up sometime(eight man football that is not that hard to do) early on regardless of whether they win the game or not then fans will flock to see exciting football.

Jason Battle's job is to get his first team off to a good start.  Holt's first year at Rocky Mount  he started out by winning what five in a row and they played exciting football.  Battle doesn't have to win them all early but they sure do need to be exciting.  The well is not dry by any means with some nice talent returning.  Jason Battle did not follow the legend B W Holt.  Somebody else bore that burden Battle's problem is the legend is coaching just down the street for somebody else.

Legion State Tournament Begins Wednesday

Pitt County 18-6 fresh off their sweep of Apex 20-6 in the Area One finals  will join Apex in the 2012 American Legion State Tournament that begins Wednesday in Lenoir.  Caldwell County the host team will bring a 26-8 record to the tournament are joined in Area four by the defending State Champion Cherryville  34-10.  Area Two will have Whiteville 19-6 along with Wilmington 28-7.  Area three will send High Point 29-7 and Randolph County 30-9 to this years tournament.  Pitt County will see their first action at 7.30 Wednesday night against the host Caldwell County.

I know the Nash County 13 year old Babe Ruth boys lost twice in the State tournament to Greenville's  Babe Ruth Team.  It is no shame to lose to a good team.  How good was Greenville's 13 year old Babe Ruth?.  Tonight they have a chance to win the Southeast region of the 13 year old tournament.  If they do they will have gone through the regional undefeated.

Today is the first official day of sports in North Carolina High schools.  All of our local teams regardless of what sport they might be can start trying to put together what they hope will be a State Championship team.

 North Carolina State is the first team to get a Penn State player to leave Happy Valley.  He is a Cardinal Gibbons players who red shirted last year at PSU.  He will begin practice with the Wolfpack Tuesday when the Pack hits the practice field for the first time this year.   State didn't send any coaches to camp on the door steps of Penn state players like some others have.

Update on Cousin Lauren Doughtie:  She finished 14th at the Futures stop this weekend and in the process moved up to 7th on the money list of the LPGA Futures tour.  Her goal is to finish in the top ten to get her LPGA card for 2013.

Last night I turned on the Olympics for the first time and the only thing on was the synchronized diving and my first thought was find something else to watch.  I saw just enough  to become fascinated  with it and couldn't turn away. When I realized that a Duke Diver was going to   win silver it made it even more worth watching.

The Vultures Are Flying

The recent sanctions given to Penn State University's football program gave permission for any player that wanted to leave to go play somewhere else they could do it without having to sit out a year under normal transfer rules.  Other colleges were given permission to pursue those players.  What is happening at PSU is nothing more than Vultures going after dead meat laying in the middle of the road.

I don't have a problem with a player announcing that he is interested in going somewhere else.  If a player does that then schools interested in said player should invite that player to their campus to look them over and for that school to make what ever pitch they need to make to sign that player.

There is only one player at this point that has proclaimed an interest in leaving and that is their tailback who visited Southern Cal last week.  I don't have a problem with that at all.  What I have a real problem is like Illinois sending eight coaches to Penn State and camping out as if they were at a yard sale trying to entice players to come on over to them.  This is a real bad situation at Penn State  and I think  the University got in my way of thinking proper punishment for the misdeed they committed.

I do not however feel that they should have to allow other schools and almost every one of them competed with them in recruiting for the players they have now that they have to let everyone that wants to come pick and choose right on their door step.

What we are really seeing is how recruiting really is.  The vultures or coaches are showing no respect at all for the weak.  They are like the lion in Africa when there is a wounded animal then they are easy picking and right now Penn State is a wounded animal and has no defense to stop the vultures.

I don't think the NCAA was wrong in their actions they took against Penn State but allowing  this rampant running roughshod for players that just might want to stay at Penn State is a mistake and they should Put some type of rules in place that gives more respect to the players who don't want to leave  but  those coaches are after anyway.

Coach K And Coach D?

I don't care what level you coach  all you really enjoy is seeing someone blossom when they follow through on what you have taught them.  This morning a high school runner from Green Hope High School took part in the USAT Aquathon National Championships in Seattle Washington.  This requires a one mile swim and a 10K run.  This young ladies name is Shannon Scovel and this morning she won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.  Her coach is Brooks Doughtie.

Now just like Dean Smith, Coach K,  Rocky Mount High School and N C State  graduate Brooks Doughtie will always carry the label of a National Championship coach.  Brooks is in his fifth year of coaching long distance athletes and somewhere  he has something going for him in his style of coaching that seems to be just what those looking to excel in running are looking for.

What did Dean Smith have that nobody else in his time had?  What does K have that means so much success?  Brooks in his short time coaching has found that having a runner run up front brings on questions to his athletes from others who while racing against  them want to know why are they so good.  Yes the athletes  he coaches have the God given talent to do what they do but they also have the ability to follow through on instructions  and from that get better.

Shannon has now qualified for the World Championship in New Zealand in October.  Living in Raleigh Brooks has been a hands on coach with Shannon as he runs with her, bikes with her an even swims at times with her.  He requires one of her parents to be at every practice and you know the way I feel right now knowing that Brooks has coached a champion how do you think her parents are feeling?

Lauren Doughtie Update:  Going into this weeks Futures Tour Tournament Lauren was eighth on the money list as the season has hit the halfway point.  If she can finish in the top ten she will win her LPGA golf card for 2013.  What does it mean to your game to win one tournament as Lauren has done this year?  Her overall scoring average is not as good this year over last but her winning pay check one week has kept her in the top ten.  After one round of this weeks tournament she is 23rd going into today's second round.  Boy only of she could win one more tournament this year LPGA here we come!.

In case you didn't hear this the Greenville N C Little League team won the State Little League title yesterday and are heading to the South East Region in Warner Robbins GA.  This team is one that is in the Williamsport PA Little League and if they make it to the regional finals next weekend we just might get to see them on ESPN.

Mike Fox Has The Touch

Just in case you haven't heard former UNC pitcher Matt Harvey made his major league debut last night for the New York Mets struck out 11 batters in winning his first major league game.  North Carolina under Mike Fox has made several trips to the College World Series since Fox arrived from Rocky Mount and NC Wesleyan.  His main stay every year has been his pitching.  Fox must know a good pitcher when he sees one as he has been to Rocky Mount and plucked up Hobbs Johnson and Benton Moss from the Gryphons.

There is nothing like success and when Mike Fox walks into a pitcher's home and says I can get you to the major leagues boy he sure does have a resume' to back it up with all the pitcher he has put out over the last five to six years.

Game one of the American Legion Area One championship went to Greenville's Pitt County team 6-2 over Apex.  Game two is tonight.  Both teams are headed west August first as the State Legion Tournament is in Lenoir.  Next year it is about as close as it can possible get as Fleming Stadium in Wilson will be the host team.

The Olympics start tonight and all of those that have seen a preview of the show  are glowing about the it.  Remember London is five hours ahead of us so what you see at 8pm is taped delayed to the USA,  Still having a hard time making myself even care about it.

I know I went through it back in the sixties but can you imagine  getting out in this weather and running wind sprints.  I must be getting old or something because I don''t even want to get out in this weather to watch anybody else sweat.  Tell me when it is time for the kickoff of the first game.

Visitation for Rossie Tyler Gryphon JV Girls softball coach will be held Sunday night at Cofield Mortuary in Weldon.  His funeral will be Monday at noon at First Baptist Church in Weldon.

The Olden Days

Ever since June the 10th which was graduation day in Nash County maybe every day except Sundays you can find some athlete at a public high school in Nash County practicing some kind of ball.  It wasn't that way way back when I use to have to walk uphill both ways to school and back home..  When baseball season ended that was it for baseball.  Now days they have seven on seven in football.  Basketball teams go to camps as a team. Where am I leading with all this?

Well, Monday is the official start day for fall sports practice at all high schools in North Carolina.  Three weeks from tonight there will be a JV football game.  Where has the summer gone?  If you plan on playing a sport at Rocky Mount High you had better get that physical on Friday.   No physical no play.

Soccer will be the first sport to hit the practice field as they will be doing those dreaded two a days.They will hold their first practice at 6AM and last until 8AM.  They will do it all over again at 6PM.  Cross Country will practice for two hours from 730-930AM.  Volleyball will hit the gym floor at 9am and will dig and spike until noon.  Girls tennis will for the first time in a long time play on school property  from 10AM until noon. 

Jason Battle will put his first Gryphon football team through the paces starting at 6PM and go until 8.30pm.  The only sport at Rocky Mount not starting Monday is Girls golf which will not meet until August 8th at NorthGreen County Club at 9.30am.   The excitement is building as all sports for the first time ever will be played on campus.

If it is on Face Book then it must be True.  Rising Gryphon  Senior baseball player Jeremy Johnson has committed to play baseball for High Point University in 2013. 

Two teams representing Rocky Mount a Midgett and Little league team start their quest for State Championship titles tonight.  Both won district titles a couple of weeks ago. 

I have not had the honor to explore the New Rocky Mount High but I was told by a father of a Nash Central football player that Nash Central is now jealous of what Rocky Mount has over Just ten year old Nash Central.  That just happens to be the benefits of how fast our world changes.  Can't wait to see it.

Gryphon Nation Mourns

I have just heard of the death of Rossie Tyler.  Those of you who only know the Rocky Mount athletic life he was the JV Head Softball coach.  Those that walk the halls of Rocky Mount High every day know that he taught in the business department.  Kids who see teachers every day or in some cases are around coaches you family grows to know through time.  We in the Doughtie Household have heavy hearts tonight as Morgan is deeply hurting with the lost of Coach Tyler.  Morgan was manager for the softball team the past two years  and just about every day Coach Tyler has been there with her.  Our prayers go out to his family.

I don't know whether he is crazy or what but you have to admire Ryan Kalil all pro center for the Carolina Panthers.  Wednesday he ran an ad in the Charlotte Observer telling all Panther fans that the Carolina Panthers were going to win the Super Bowl this year.  He thanked the fans who have hung with the Panthers through a 2-14 and 6-10 seasons.

The truth is that I would want every player to think the way Kalil is thinking.  Pro football training camps are opening this week and if you get paid to play or you or on a junior high team you should always go into every season think we are going to win it all.  If you don't think about climbing the mountain you never will.  I hope the Panthers do play in the Super Bowl this year against Philip Rivers and the Chargers.  If that were to happen life couldn't be any better.

Progress time for Brian Goodwin who is approaching a week now with the Harrisburg Senators.  I last reported Brian was 0-4 with three strike outs in his first game there.  Since then Brian has stroked two home runs an in an afternoon  game today raise  his batting average is up to 173.  You know when you don't have many plate appearances only a couple of two hit games and he could be to 300 quickly.

If you go to the Washington Nationals Website or Google Brian's Name and read about what the upper management of the Nationals are saying about Brian  they are planning on Brian Goodwin to be the starting center fielder in Washington when ever they think he is ready.  Now when is ready when you play in the minors?  From what I am reading it is my opinion that if they could start Brian out in AAA next year kind of like what they did with Bryce Harper this year and Brian plays the way they need him to play don't be surprised that Brian gets a shot or two next year in DC.  Remember this, injuries or not developing like they would like to see could slow this process but right now Brian has the Washington Nationals  full attention as he is their top prospect in the minors.   Way to go Brian!!!!