What Have You Been Smoking?

Don't pass out when I say this but should Duke beat Virginia Tech on Saturday since they play the early game on TV they could be the first ACC team this year that would have earn an invite to a bowl game.  Now if you have been in a coma for the past thirty years or even if you haven't then you know that Duke going to a bowl game just ain't going to happen.  Just one more is all they need and the way the Hokies are playing this might be the year for the Devils to beat the Turkeys.  Heck Carolina just beat  them and they hadn't beat Tech in Chapel Hill since 1924.  If might have helped that they had a fifty year spell that the two teams didn't play each other but hey 1924 is a long time.

This Friday night just might be the biggest Friday night of the year in Big East football.  Right now the two teams at the bottom play for last.  The two teams in the middle play for the lower bunk while the loser has to climb in the top of the bunk bed.  Then the two at the top square off.  This scenario just might not happen again this year.

Those Northern Nash fans out there looking at what has transpired the first two weeks just might be able to say "Boy we have played both of the big boys".  Surely the way the Knights played their non conference schedule they were going to be a factor when conference cranked.  So far not so as they lost big to Hunt and lost to Southern.  Both those teams remain unbeaten in conference play.  Nobody else can say they have played both. If Northern can score the way they did in non conference they just might finish third. I still scratch my head at Nash Central.  Just maybe as much talent as anyone in the league but they just plain and simple haven't got the pieces put together. 

Hunt and Southern will be playing with the winner a leg up for the top seed which after Friday night has only two games to go before the playoffs.  The winner of this game can propel themselves to a high playoff seeding and the loser has got to keep from falling back in the pack the last two weeks.

Rocky Mount will host Fike  and for each one of these teams this is a playoff game.  The loser will have two losses in conference and each will have a game left with either Hunt or Southern.  Fike has scored a lot of points but can't stop anybody.  Rocky Mount has played good defense but their offense has slumped in the second half of both conference games.  The winner will have the edge for third place but not guaranteed.

Tonight in semi final Volley Ball the three seed Rocky Mount is at Hunt while the 4th seed Northern is at #1 Fike.  The two winners collide in the finals Thursday at the highest seed left.

A Rainy Day For Tennis

The opening day of the Big East Tennis Tournament as you can imagine got a good soaking today and they will try again tomorrow.  The next two weeks will be taken up in Tennis with the conference championships for teams and then the individuals.  Nash Central once again this season lead by the Price sisters are undefeated in conference play but Rocky Mount with a very young team is set to pounce if Nash Central has a let up in any way.  I suspect with the rain today there now might be three straight days of tennis for those who win as the week goes forth.

Today Rocky Mount and Northern Nash who tied for third in Big East Volley ball and Rocky Mount won the coin flip and played at home tonight against Nash Central as the last place or 6th seed.  Northern also got a home game and took on Southern Nash as the 5th seed.  The Lady Gryphons beat The Lady Bulldogs in three sets 3-0 and Tomorrow travel to Hunt who is the #2 seed in the conference.  If Northern Wins tonight they get Fike the #1 conference seed Tuesday at Fike.

Saturday something happened in ACC football that hasn't happen in 18 years.  State, Carolina and Duke all won conference games on the same day.  It had not happened since Oct 5th 1994.  In fact in the 60  year history of the ACC it has only happen four times that all three won conference games the same day.  Must show you that these three schools are basketball schools but I bet if we could find all the facts and figures it has happened more in basketball but not as much as you think.

Here is a head scratcher for you.  How many times in ACC Tournament history has the Big Four met each other in the opening round of ACC Tournament?  Think  about that for a couple of days.

If you watched last night's NFL game the question you must be asking this morning is what happened to the real referees.  There must have been six of seven pass interference penalties that didn't get called but their was one offensive pass interference called on Antonio Gates in which the defender held  him the entire run down the field until he fell down.  I sure wish we could get those scabs back.

Finally tonight we all as couch potatoes yell at coaches and players when they mess up but yesterday the Kansas City Chief fans went beyond fans when their starting quarterback Matt Cassell went down with a n injury and the fans cheered.  We have become a sick society that has lost all compassion for our fellow man.  KC fans now join Philadelphia fans who have booed Santa Claus.

If I Knew The Answer I'd be Rich

Why is it that one week a team commits 14 penalties, allows a team to score on a Hail Mary and then the next week they knock off the third best team in the country and the best in the ACC.  If there was a coach that had the answer then they would win every game

Even while falling behind 16-0 in the first half I could tell that the Pack was not playing that badly just getting beat by a better team. There is no doubt that State became more aggressive on defense with blitzes and Mike Glennon five yarded Florida State to death in the second half.  Still without the partial blocked punt and great field position State may not have had enough time to go 80 yards to win.

There is just something in us that when we think everything is under control that is when disaster happens.  The Titanic Sunk because because they thought they were unsinkable and yet it sunk.  Florida State thought that they had control of the game and they did until they thought they had control and then they didn't.

North Carolina's victory over Va Tech was outstanding but here is a problem for the Tar Heels.  Don't know now that this just might be the worst Tech team in 20 years.  Pittsburgh handled the Gobblers.  Any victory is good and in the preseason this one might have been marked as  a Hokie win but the way the season has unfolded it was one the Tar Heels needed and they got it.

Duke is 5-1.  Duke outscored Virginia 27-0 in the second half.  Now this is Duke we are talking about when they are suppose to be shutout and the other team scores 27 on them in the second half.  Coaches are salesman and not only has the Duke players bought Coach Cut's sales pitch but Duke is expanding  Wallace Wade.  Everyone in Durham is buying in on David Cutcliffe.

Wake Forest lost at Maryland and for the first time I got a chance to watch Whit Barnes play for the Deacs for more than just a few plays.  The former Gryphon now a redshirt Junior started at right guard and for the most part played pretty well.  When your team only scores 14 points it hard to feel like you played well in a loss.

Just got word from Brooks Doughtie that the N C State Tri team has qualified for the National Tri Championships in the spring.  Today was the conference championships in Endicot Maryland.  The top ten teams qualify.  The Tri team is not a varsity sport so the club conference is a lot more schools than just ACC schools.  The men finished third.  Not bad since two of State's top three were out injured.

Hunt-Southern Cream of Big East

Hunt last night did what championship caliber teams are able to do.  Respond when someone slaps you in the face.  Down 7-6 at the half to the Gryphons the Warriors stormed right out of the locker room down the field to take the lead and never blinked after that.

Southern Nash has shown that they can be as good as anybody when they hold on to the ball but you know every three or four games they have a five fumble night and fumbles just take away scoring chances even if you recover your own fumble.

Rocky Mount continues to struggle in Big East play in the second half.  There is hope on the horizon for Gryphon fans however as the defense despite giving up three scores in the second half kept the Gryphons in striking distance but they need help from the offense.  Just maybe come out and run the wishbone or some offense that the teams at the half could not adjust to and throw the other sides defense off.

Nash Central continues to struggle trying to score using their best athlete at quarterback where it is obviously not working.  There are times when a coach has to decide what type of players do we have this year and what do they do best, not here is our offense  you players learn to run it.  The best coach I have ever been around adjusting every year to his talent was Daryl Allen while I was doing radio in Ahoskie.  It didn't matter offense or defense he coached the system for the players he had.

What in the world has happen to the Northern Nash offense?  They started out nobody could stop them.  Their problem was they couldn't stop anybody either.  Since conference play has started the offense has pressured the defense.   Next week Northern and Nash Central collide.  All Northern needs to do is help their defense just a little in that game.

SouthWest Edgecombe I think had the same problem Friday that President Obama had Wednesday.  Looked as though the President had been watching his rise in the polls and thought all he had to do was show up for the debate.  After three straight conference victories  thew Cougars thought North Pitt  was going to lay down for them and guess what both  the President and the Cougars got thumped.

They keep right on ticking like a Timex watch but Tarboro had better start stopping people or they will not make it back to the 2-A championship game five years in a row.  Normally by now they are showing signs that they are getting in the groove.  A B Whitley being out of action on the side lines for the Viking defense is showing.

Rocky Mount Academy has won three games this year.  There is no doubt that when the Rocky Mount Telegram does their end of year  all conference teams the battle for Coach of the year will be between Jason Battle at Rocky Mount and B W Holt at RMA.  The way their teams finish out will determine who wins that award.

Big Boy Football

For the second week in a row Rocky Mount won the first quarter and for the second week in a row tried to make that good quarter stick but not tonight.  I don't know many Gryphons fans thought that the Gryphons could run up and down the field with Hunt but if they could occupy the clock and limit Hunt's  opportunities they just might have a chance.The Gryphons took the opening kickoff and used up over five minutes to drive down the field and take a 7-0 lead.

Hunt responded and went right down the field themselves only to be stopped by the Gryphons on the six yard line.  Rocky Mount held the ball into the second quarter and moved the ball to near the Hunt 20 before the Hunt defense held.  From there Hunt marched quickly down the field to score and a blocked extra point gave Rocky Mount a 7-6 lead at the half.

Last week Nash Central never started outside the Gryphon side of the field in the second half but could only score on the Gryphons once.  Tonight Hunt took the second half kickoff and combined passing and Josh Joyner running scored on their opening drive and never looked back.

Rocky Mount held Hunt to three possessions in the first half and made Hunt start from their 28 on average.  Three times Hunt started  on the Rocky Mount side of the field and score twice after the opening second half drive. 

Rocky Mount opening two drives produced 153 yards of offense but their final six could gather only 75 yards and that just will not beat the big boys.  Hunt had 148 yards at the half and produced another 210 in the second half.

Once again in their second straight conference game the Gryphon offense stayed in the locker room coming back from halftime but tonight the defense could not do it again this week  Final Hunt 28 Rocky Mount 7

Southern Nash spoiled Northern Nash's homecoming beating the Knights 34-14 and in doing so tied Hunt for first in the Big East

Rocky Mount Academy wins again beating St David 42-21.  Last Year RMA  losted 54-8 what a turn-a-round for the Eagles.

Rocky Mount / Northern Trade Wins

Waiting to Thursday this week to have the weekly Big East Cross Country run Rocky Mount pulled out first place at Nash Central.  Northern ran short of three runners but still finished second after a sloppy course had postponed this week's race a day.  Rocky Mount's Mason Holt wins again as he has won every Big East race so far this year. The girls race belonged to Fike  and Michaela Williams of Nash Central was once again the girls winner.

The final regular season volleyball match of the year saw Northern Nash girls come to Rocky Mount and pin a loss on the Gryphons after the Gryphons had won earlier this year at Northern.  Final score was 3 - 1 Northern.  The Big East VB Tournament is next week.

Tonight Hunt and Rocky Mount jvs played three over times before Hunt scored on play 11  or 3rd down on their third possession of over time.  Rocky Mount has 12 plays and failed to score.  Hunt 26 Rocky Mount 20.

Let's start on the football. Perfect 6-0 last week looking to get into playoff prognostication form.

Anybody noticed that SouthWest Edgecombe is averaging 42 points a game in conference games.  Friday they host North Pitt.  Might not get forty but 35 should still win  35-16.

Nash Central has got to win this game when they travel to Fike.  Both teams lost their conference openers and any hope of a home playoff game is out the door with another loss.  Fike can score and for some reason the Bulldogs can't.  Fike 26 Nash Central 20.  By the way the 52 New Bern scored on the Bulldogs not so bad when you see that New Hanover gave up 63 last week to New Bern.

North Edgecombe needs a victory and Kipp Pride is up next on the schedule and to me that seems to be good medicine for the Warriors.  38-14 NE Warriors.

The next two weeks could be the whole season for the Tarboro Vikings.  They host Kinston and SouthWest Edgecombe back to back.  Kinston is only average this year and the only thing average about this Viking team  is their defensive coordinator is out of action when a passing team comes to town.  Kinston might scare the Vikes but will not score enough  Tarboro 42  Kinston 34.

Time to pick the most confusing game of the week.  Which Firebird team will show up.  The one that fumbles six times a game or the one that protects the ball.  Will Northern's offense be a factor.  Northern needs points to win this one unless the Firebirds give the Knights a couple of easy scores.  Southern Nash 27- Northern Nash 20

The battle for first place.  These two both played SWE and both games were close.  Rocky Mount needs to score in the second half of this game.  Look for Hunt to go off tackle often until Rocky Mount shows it can stop the power running.  The question for this game is Rocky Mount going to keep the ball away from Hunt like they did SWE.  If so it's close if not Hunt.  Hunt 35 Rocky Mount 14.


Friday and

That Ugly Word Choke

I have heard this a lot this week.  "Those American Ryder Cups guys sure choked on Sunday".  Couch potatoes that we are it is easy for us to know exactly what was happening to each of those players.  Poor old Phil Michelson got beat by a 3/4 court desperation shot.  Justin Rose's putt you know from where he hit that putt he probably could not see the hole but it went in.

I even heard today that Adam Greenberg choked last night striking out on three pitches.  I hope you know what I am talking about when we say Adam Greenberg the former Carolina baseball player who worked his way up to the major leagues and the first pitch he faced in the majors hit him in the temple in 2003.  He is lucky to see, let alone be able to work his way back through the minors and last night made it back to the majors.

He struck out on three pitches to the best knuckle ball pitcher in the majors.  Who cares that he struck out.  We should be raving about the comeback and hopefully last night is not the only major league at bat in Greenburg's future.

I want to tell you a sports story that I was a part of and you decide whether I choked or not.  I use to bowl while living in Ahoskie every Monday night at the bowling alley in Williamston.  I was in a league there for several years and my average ranged from 177-182 every year.  Each year the team that I bowled on went to the state tournament and this year when this story occurs it was in Winston Salem.

The state tournament take 10-12 weeks to compete as bowlers from around the state pick weekends and your team bowls.  This week we bowled singles where  five team members bowl the highest score they can for themselves.  Then there is a doubles where you and a partner combine you two scores.  The following day the team bowls trying to get the highest score possible for the team.  Then after the tournament is over depending where your scores are you may win money if you had a very high score during the entire event.

My first game in singles I had a rather dull 166.  I started my second game with four strikes in a row. Now you have to imagine that with your score on the screen over your lanes it doesn't take long that every bowler in the house knows that guy on lane 16 has four in a row.  Then five in a row and I can tell you I was sweating beads at this point as every bowler who is not throwing on his lane are gathering to watch me. 

Six and seven and everybody in the house is watching me as I approach my ball on the eighth frame.  My ball was always one of those kind that when I buried my ball in the pocket the pins just explode  or they all fall at once.  I'm not one of those guys that when the ball hits the head pin you can stand there and count them as they fall.

That eighth frame was the best ball I threw all night and all the pins flew except the ten pin that never moved.  I can tell you my worse night mare staring at the ten pin which to me is the worse spare in the world.  I can't throw a ball straight and every thing has to be right for me to make the ten pin.  As my ball approached the ten pin it was right where I wanted it but as it curved away it hit the ten pin and it wobbled but did not fall.  My perfect game ruined with an open in the eighth frame.

I finished with a 255 which is my all time high ever.  I got a check from the State Tournament for $54 as I had the 27th highest game bowled out of like 40,000.  Did I choke when I missed that ten pin or did I do the best I could and it wasn't good enough.  I think there are plenty of people willing to tell somebody else they choked sitting on the couch.