Last year the two best basketball teams east of Raleigh resided in Nash County. This year you can say two of the best teams east or Raleigh are here. South Central has already shown they want to be a part once again of the best basketball in the east.
Northern Nash: 9-0 They have ten players that all look alike. Take one player out and put another in and they still look the same. This senior group made the Regional as Sophomores but only Rocky Mount prevented them from returning last year. This point in the season only one team can keep them from going undefeated in regular season or should I make that two. Themselves and Rocky Mount. Alexus Hill can shoot from the outside and she provides speed for all of the other bookends. Those book ends have names Quinesha Lynch, Shakyia Mercer, Khadrijah Richardson, De ja Lewis,Jordan Oldham, Camille Branch and Suzannah Sykes. Northern Needs to shoot more from the outside because they can control most of the rebounds on misses. Lack over all team speed but they are the class of the Big East.
Rocky Mount : 6-2 So far this year lost in over time to Northern Nash and lost by three to South Central. This Gryphon team must depend on it's defense because other than the best player in the east J'Kyra Brown. No one else willing to shoot. Carmen Richardson needs to get greedy and shoot more just to to ease the double teams on J'Kyra. Until this team finds more scoring it will be hard to beat the best in the east Northern and South Central. That being said as long a J'Kyra stays healthy Rocky Mount can beat most of every one else. Every team is double and triple teaming J and by late in the game she is wore out and in the big games she can't do it alone. If one or two others step up offensively Rocky Mount could be real good again.
Nash Central: 7-2 The most over looked team in the area is Nash Central. They showed everyone how good they were as the #3 Big East team in the playoffs last year. Ni'Ya Styles is maybe the best point guard in the area and the Bulldogs are a team none of the big dogs had better overlook. Veteran Timyra Staton provides rebounding underneath. If either NN or RM stumble Nash Central will be ready to race by the one that scratches their knee.
Southern Nash How good can you expect your team to be when three of your conference members are NN, RM and NC. That's only on this side of the county not including next door in Wilson County. Southern has good talent but next to a six footer I am real short. Danielle Noland and Khadijah Manning are a good nucleus.
The all Tournament team at the Nash County Holiday Tournament: MVP Quinesha Lynch Northern Nash, Alexus Hill Northern Nash, J'Kyra Brown Rocky Mount, Carmen Richardson Rocky Mount, Ni'ya Styles Nash Central and Khandijah Manning Southern Nash.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
The State Of Nash County Basketball
If might not yet be the official halfway point in the high school basketball season but the Christmas break is a good time to review what has happened so far.
Rocky Mount Boys: 8-0 Looks as if there is no let down following their second state title in three years. Donte Battle has turned into a beast under the boards and he is getting plenty of help inside from Jaquel Bryant and up and coming Imanuel King. Coming back from missing almost the entire last season M J Gainey is just maybe the best all round Gryphon. It doesn't matter who the athlete is missing time with an injury is heart breaking but Little Mike has come back with a dead eye shooting and a coaches son basketball wealth of knowledge. The Hines brothers Mason and Mike round out the best starting lineup in the area.
Nash Central :7-3 If there is one thing every team in this area needs to compete with Rocky Mount is height and the Bulldogs don't have enough of that. They do have speed which they will need to use to their advantage. Nate Pittman leads the way but the Bulldogs need to improve their outside shooting if they are to endure once playoff time rolls around.Jaquan Williams and L J Porcher need to lead their. There is also Daniel Pittman and Cole Smith. The Bulldogs are better than I thought they would be after what graduated last year.
Northern Nash : 4-5 No one has improved this year more than the Knights. Already with four wins after only one last season. The Knights desperately need some taller trees. They will be more competitive this year and will not go win less in the Big East. Isaiah Alston is giving Northern solid leadership and as the Knights proved in the Nash County Holiday Tournament they will win some close games this year.
Southern Nash :1-9 Graduation hit the Firebirds harder than any other team last season and so far like most Nash County teams no tall timber under the basket. Firebirds will rely heavily on Chi-Ali-Bunn for leadership this season. Already been a long season and January isn't here yet for the Firebirds.
The All Tournament team from the Nash County Holiday Tournament. M J Gainey MVP Rocky Mount, Donte Battle Rocky Mount, Daniel Pittman Nash Central, Nate Pittman Nash Central, Isaiah Alston Northern Nash and Chi-Ali-Bunn Southern Nash.
Tomorrow we will feature the girls.
Rocky Mount Boys: 8-0 Looks as if there is no let down following their second state title in three years. Donte Battle has turned into a beast under the boards and he is getting plenty of help inside from Jaquel Bryant and up and coming Imanuel King. Coming back from missing almost the entire last season M J Gainey is just maybe the best all round Gryphon. It doesn't matter who the athlete is missing time with an injury is heart breaking but Little Mike has come back with a dead eye shooting and a coaches son basketball wealth of knowledge. The Hines brothers Mason and Mike round out the best starting lineup in the area.
Nash Central :7-3 If there is one thing every team in this area needs to compete with Rocky Mount is height and the Bulldogs don't have enough of that. They do have speed which they will need to use to their advantage. Nate Pittman leads the way but the Bulldogs need to improve their outside shooting if they are to endure once playoff time rolls around.Jaquan Williams and L J Porcher need to lead their. There is also Daniel Pittman and Cole Smith. The Bulldogs are better than I thought they would be after what graduated last year.
Northern Nash : 4-5 No one has improved this year more than the Knights. Already with four wins after only one last season. The Knights desperately need some taller trees. They will be more competitive this year and will not go win less in the Big East. Isaiah Alston is giving Northern solid leadership and as the Knights proved in the Nash County Holiday Tournament they will win some close games this year.
Southern Nash :1-9 Graduation hit the Firebirds harder than any other team last season and so far like most Nash County teams no tall timber under the basket. Firebirds will rely heavily on Chi-Ali-Bunn for leadership this season. Already been a long season and January isn't here yet for the Firebirds.
The All Tournament team from the Nash County Holiday Tournament. M J Gainey MVP Rocky Mount, Donte Battle Rocky Mount, Daniel Pittman Nash Central, Nate Pittman Nash Central, Isaiah Alston Northern Nash and Chi-Ali-Bunn Southern Nash.
Tomorrow we will feature the girls.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Northern Out Last Gryphons
Went to see a basketball game and a rugby match broke out. They started pushing and shoving in the first quarter and by over time Northern Nash remains unbeaten as they survive Rocky Mount 55-50. Rocky Mount had four players foul out including J'Kyra Brown who scored 31 points but the 25 scored by Lady Knight Quinesha Lynch was the difference in the game.
Northern decided to take the first quarter off as Rocky Mount lead 11-0 at the end of the first period. The Knights had cut it to 25-15 at the half but at one point Rocky Mount lead 25-8. Neither side shot very well at the foul line for if they had of this one would never have made over time by either side. Northern had whittled the Gryphon lead to three at the end of the third and lead by three with under two minutes to play but were tied at 47 at the end of regulation.
As Rocky Mount lost players because of fouls Northern kept right on moving forward and managed to win it 55-50. That first quarter it seemed as if Northern was more focused on making sure this was a rough and tumble game that they forgot they needed to score. Once they started making shots their flow came with it and the victory. Their ninth of the year without a defeat. Alexus Hill scored 10 second half point and Khadrijah Richardson had 9 to lead the Knights scoring. Carmen Richardson had nine and no other Gryphon had more than four.
In the boys championship game Nash Central lead the entire first quarter but there was a point where Rocky Mount became taller and the Nash Central basket shrunk Rocky Mount pulled to a 33-27 lead at the half but in the second half played zone most of the time and the Bulldogs couldn't make enough outside shots to keep up with the taller Gryphons who weren't letting anything inside.
Rocky Mount lead swelled to 17 down the stretch. MJ Gainey made outside shots 17 points but Donte Battle, Imanuel King and Jaquel Bryant controlled the boards. Rocky Mount does their part winning the Nash County Holiday Tournament 66-53 on the home court of the Bulldogs.
Donte Battle lead Rocky Mount with 18, but Nash Central transfer Imanuel King chipped in 14 against his old team. Nash Central had four double digit scorers but in this one they needed five or more. Nate Pittman 12 points, L J Porcher 11, Jaquan Williams 10 and Cole smith added 10.
The 3rd place of the boys game Northern Nash down two hit a trey with ten seconds to go and survived two Southern Nash shots to win 47-46.
Northern decided to take the first quarter off as Rocky Mount lead 11-0 at the end of the first period. The Knights had cut it to 25-15 at the half but at one point Rocky Mount lead 25-8. Neither side shot very well at the foul line for if they had of this one would never have made over time by either side. Northern had whittled the Gryphon lead to three at the end of the third and lead by three with under two minutes to play but were tied at 47 at the end of regulation.
As Rocky Mount lost players because of fouls Northern kept right on moving forward and managed to win it 55-50. That first quarter it seemed as if Northern was more focused on making sure this was a rough and tumble game that they forgot they needed to score. Once they started making shots their flow came with it and the victory. Their ninth of the year without a defeat. Alexus Hill scored 10 second half point and Khadrijah Richardson had 9 to lead the Knights scoring. Carmen Richardson had nine and no other Gryphon had more than four.
In the boys championship game Nash Central lead the entire first quarter but there was a point where Rocky Mount became taller and the Nash Central basket shrunk Rocky Mount pulled to a 33-27 lead at the half but in the second half played zone most of the time and the Bulldogs couldn't make enough outside shots to keep up with the taller Gryphons who weren't letting anything inside.
Rocky Mount lead swelled to 17 down the stretch. MJ Gainey made outside shots 17 points but Donte Battle, Imanuel King and Jaquel Bryant controlled the boards. Rocky Mount does their part winning the Nash County Holiday Tournament 66-53 on the home court of the Bulldogs.
Donte Battle lead Rocky Mount with 18, but Nash Central transfer Imanuel King chipped in 14 against his old team. Nash Central had four double digit scorers but in this one they needed five or more. Nate Pittman 12 points, L J Porcher 11, Jaquan Williams 10 and Cole smith added 10.
The 3rd place of the boys game Northern Nash down two hit a trey with ten seconds to go and survived two Southern Nash shots to win 47-46.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Nash Central Draws the Gryphons
Nash Central knocked off Northern Nash on Monday and Coach Rennie Taylor of Nash Central had an opportunity to scout the team that he will play for the Championship of the Nash County Christmas Tournament. Coach Taylor got a real good look as he will face Rocky Mount in the Championship game Thursday night.
Rocky Mount had little trouble controlling this one from the get go and sail on into the championship game taking down the Firebirds 57-45. This will be the second time this season the Gryphons will have faced a team on their home court trying to win a tournament as Rocky Mount beat Knightdale at Thanksgiving.
The consolation game in the girls bracket was played tonight and the home team Nash Central took advantage of their own confines and wins the 3rd place game 53-42.
Thursday night's championship game both games with be videoed by WHIG-TV and the girls game will be shown this Sunday night. The boys championship game will get air time on Sunday following Christmas. I will be behind the mic for both games. There will be three games played Thursday as the 3rd place boys game kicks off the final day of the tournament with Northern Nash meeting Southern Nash. The girls championship game takes center stage around 6:30 featuring the unbeaten Lady Knights of Northern Nash taking on once beaten Rocky Mount. The tournament wraps up with the boys championship game after the girls wrap up featuring Nash Central and R ocky Mount.
Duke played for the first time tonight as the #1 basketball team in the nation and they played like a #1 team. They had little trouble in Durham against Cornell winning 88-47. Last night the Pack took on a fairly good Stanford team and continue to show improvement. This team works well when Lo Brown drives with the ball. He opens up every body's game when he attacks the basket.
Rocky Mount had little trouble controlling this one from the get go and sail on into the championship game taking down the Firebirds 57-45. This will be the second time this season the Gryphons will have faced a team on their home court trying to win a tournament as Rocky Mount beat Knightdale at Thanksgiving.
The consolation game in the girls bracket was played tonight and the home team Nash Central took advantage of their own confines and wins the 3rd place game 53-42.
Thursday night's championship game both games with be videoed by WHIG-TV and the girls game will be shown this Sunday night. The boys championship game will get air time on Sunday following Christmas. I will be behind the mic for both games. There will be three games played Thursday as the 3rd place boys game kicks off the final day of the tournament with Northern Nash meeting Southern Nash. The girls championship game takes center stage around 6:30 featuring the unbeaten Lady Knights of Northern Nash taking on once beaten Rocky Mount. The tournament wraps up with the boys championship game after the girls wrap up featuring Nash Central and R ocky Mount.
Duke played for the first time tonight as the #1 basketball team in the nation and they played like a #1 team. They had little trouble in Durham against Cornell winning 88-47. Last night the Pack took on a fairly good Stanford team and continue to show improvement. This team works well when Lo Brown drives with the ball. He opens up every body's game when he attacks the basket.
Bomb Shell From Red Oak
Every high school goes through peaks and valleys since the kids that play for you are from a zone on a county map. There is not any recruiting of bringing one player from some where else to fill a need when you know that in up coming years where you are short on talent. High schools that consistently win year after year can look at one thing and that is coaching.
Northern Nash has once since the the Nash County Board of Education added Nash Central to their high school roster has made a big push in the state football playoffs. Other wise they have been average to not so good. It is odd to think that most of the football glory that Northern's has experienced was when they were in the 4-A class. Since the down shift to 3-A football has been very inconsistant to say the least.
The Knights like the other schools of Nash County formed the NEW conference in 2005. Northern dropped from 4-A that year and in the four years in the NEW conference went 8-38 having three straight 1-10 seasons. During the four yours as a member of the Big East 3-A the Knights are 16-29 and they are just 7-13 in the Big East.
2010 is the only year in 3-A that the Knights had a winning record and they made it to the third round going 10-4. They had a new coach and it looked for sure that the tide had turned in Red Oak. Six of the last eight years they have won two games or less. All schools pride themselves and winning football is a major pride for the Knight's family. Looking once again for a coach to bring back the glory to Death Valley the Knight's faithful prayers just may have been answered.
Today Northern Nash High school announced that Randy Raper has been hired to be their 4th coach this century. Yes you read it right Randy Raper of Hunt High School. What else could coach Raper do at Hunt. His last two teams went undefeated in the regular season.
During the last four years since Hunt joined the Big East Hunt is 47-9. They are 19-1 in Big East Conference play. If you compare Hunt with Northern over the eight years that the Knights have been back in 3-A Hunt during the same time is 87-31 while the Knights are 24-67.
Raper seeking a new challenge after spending almost all of his adult life at Hunt believes in hard nose football. Run that football and throw if you must. If you look at Raper's record at Hunt running the football will win you a lot of football games. During those years when he had a quarterback that could throw if needed Hunt has been great.
I am sure all of the Northern Nash Knight fans are cheering in the streets at the opportunity that has fallen their way. I am sure at Hunt the flags are at half mast over the shock. Welcome Randy Raper to Nash County. Welcome back Northern Nash. You got a gem!
Northern Nash has once since the the Nash County Board of Education added Nash Central to their high school roster has made a big push in the state football playoffs. Other wise they have been average to not so good. It is odd to think that most of the football glory that Northern's has experienced was when they were in the 4-A class. Since the down shift to 3-A football has been very inconsistant to say the least.
The Knights like the other schools of Nash County formed the NEW conference in 2005. Northern dropped from 4-A that year and in the four years in the NEW conference went 8-38 having three straight 1-10 seasons. During the four yours as a member of the Big East 3-A the Knights are 16-29 and they are just 7-13 in the Big East.
2010 is the only year in 3-A that the Knights had a winning record and they made it to the third round going 10-4. They had a new coach and it looked for sure that the tide had turned in Red Oak. Six of the last eight years they have won two games or less. All schools pride themselves and winning football is a major pride for the Knight's family. Looking once again for a coach to bring back the glory to Death Valley the Knight's faithful prayers just may have been answered.
Today Northern Nash High school announced that Randy Raper has been hired to be their 4th coach this century. Yes you read it right Randy Raper of Hunt High School. What else could coach Raper do at Hunt. His last two teams went undefeated in the regular season.
During the last four years since Hunt joined the Big East Hunt is 47-9. They are 19-1 in Big East Conference play. If you compare Hunt with Northern over the eight years that the Knights have been back in 3-A Hunt during the same time is 87-31 while the Knights are 24-67.
Raper seeking a new challenge after spending almost all of his adult life at Hunt believes in hard nose football. Run that football and throw if you must. If you look at Raper's record at Hunt running the football will win you a lot of football games. During those years when he had a quarterback that could throw if needed Hunt has been great.
I am sure all of the Northern Nash Knight fans are cheering in the streets at the opportunity that has fallen their way. I am sure at Hunt the flags are at half mast over the shock. Welcome Randy Raper to Nash County. Welcome back Northern Nash. You got a gem!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
The Match Up Wanted
The opening round of the Nash County Christmas Tournament has produced opening night results that everyone wanted to see. Unbeaten Northern Nash had all the wanted for a half from the home standing Lady Bulldogs of Nash Central but the second half was all Lady Knights as Northern rolls to a Thursday night finals with a 51-29 victory.
Northern beat Rocky Mount in the opening round of the Christmas Tournament last year and then proceeded to lose to Rocky Mount four times for the rest of the season, RM took the regular season game at RM. The last game of the regular season RM over came a 14 point Northern lead to win at Northern. One week later again at Northern; RM won the Big East Tournament. Then one week later with all the marbles on the table with a trip to the Regional on the line Rocky Mount won the bigget game ever between the two schools. There is no doubt Northern will be ready Thursday
night with practically the entire team back.
Rocky Mount opened the night by taking down Southern Nash 46-27. Rocky Mount has one blemish on their record to date and that was a home lost to unbeaten South Central by three. The Gryphons will have the best player in J'Kyra Brown but the question for RM will be if Brown gets enough help to compete with a Northern team which will play ten players.
The third game of the night the host Nash Central boys beat Northern Nash 66-52 to move into Thursday night finals. They will not know who they will play until Wednesday night when Rocky Mount takes on Southern Nash.
Wednesday night will start with the 3rd place girls game which will be the host Nash Central against Southern Nash and then the Rocky Mount- Southern boys game. Thursday will feature three games as the third place boys game will begin the night and then both the girls and boys championship games. Both of the remaining nights will be playd at Nash Central
Northern beat Rocky Mount in the opening round of the Christmas Tournament last year and then proceeded to lose to Rocky Mount four times for the rest of the season, RM took the regular season game at RM. The last game of the regular season RM over came a 14 point Northern lead to win at Northern. One week later again at Northern; RM won the Big East Tournament. Then one week later with all the marbles on the table with a trip to the Regional on the line Rocky Mount won the bigget game ever between the two schools. There is no doubt Northern will be ready Thursday
night with practically the entire team back.
Rocky Mount opened the night by taking down Southern Nash 46-27. Rocky Mount has one blemish on their record to date and that was a home lost to unbeaten South Central by three. The Gryphons will have the best player in J'Kyra Brown but the question for RM will be if Brown gets enough help to compete with a Northern team which will play ten players.
The third game of the night the host Nash Central boys beat Northern Nash 66-52 to move into Thursday night finals. They will not know who they will play until Wednesday night when Rocky Mount takes on Southern Nash.
Wednesday night will start with the 3rd place girls game which will be the host Nash Central against Southern Nash and then the Rocky Mount- Southern boys game. Thursday will feature three games as the third place boys game will begin the night and then both the girls and boys championship games. Both of the remaining nights will be playd at Nash Central
Monday, December 17, 2012
AP All State Team Has Two From Area
Tyquan Lewis of Tarboro High School and Lewis Neal of Hunt have made the Associated Press All State Football team. Both players are defensive players and both will play their college ball some place else other than in North Carolina. Lewis is heading to Ohio State and Neal to LSU.
The Sandlappers of South Carolina beat North Carolina in the Shrine Bowl all star football game on Saturday 23-19.. Both Lewis and Neal played in the game. Neal from his down lineman position had a sack and two pass bat downs in the game.
Duke has returned to the top spot in the latest college basketball poll after Indiana lost on Saturday to Butler. This is the 16th year during the coach K coaching legacy at Duke that the Blue Devils have been #1 while he was their coach. That is the NCAA record if that is a record that is kept up with. Despite not losing last week Carolina fell to 22nd and State holds on to 25th in the latest voting.
The Carolina Panthers won their fifth game of the season yesterday beating the Chargers. Today the Charlotte Observer ran and ad bought by Panther fans who own Personal license seating criticizing Jerry Richardson in his handling of the team.
From the get go this season RG3 and Andrew Luck have been bantered around as the only candidates for Rookie of the year. Hold the phone folks but Russell Wilson just might be the best rookie in the NFL this year. He has tossed 21 tds and only had 9 ints and Seattle is in position to make the playoffs.
If you look at the way the schedule is set up in the NFL it is hard to figure who is the best team because if you look at all of them nobody that has beaten this season more than two teams with winning records. You play six division games and then ten teams. The average NFL team plays ten teams per season with losing records and that leaves only six games against winning teams . If you beat all the losers and half of your so called tough games you can go 12-4 13-3.
If I had to pick right now Denver would be my odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl. In the last five years Denver has had a decent defense but their offense has kept the defense in trouble all the time and it has been hard to tell about their defense. With Peyton Manning the defense is seldom in trouble because of the lack of their offense. Would not shock me to see the Redskins in the Super Bowl. You know when your backup quarterback wins with ease it must mean the Redskins are a good team.
The Sandlappers of South Carolina beat North Carolina in the Shrine Bowl all star football game on Saturday 23-19.. Both Lewis and Neal played in the game. Neal from his down lineman position had a sack and two pass bat downs in the game.
Duke has returned to the top spot in the latest college basketball poll after Indiana lost on Saturday to Butler. This is the 16th year during the coach K coaching legacy at Duke that the Blue Devils have been #1 while he was their coach. That is the NCAA record if that is a record that is kept up with. Despite not losing last week Carolina fell to 22nd and State holds on to 25th in the latest voting.
The Carolina Panthers won their fifth game of the season yesterday beating the Chargers. Today the Charlotte Observer ran and ad bought by Panther fans who own Personal license seating criticizing Jerry Richardson in his handling of the team.
From the get go this season RG3 and Andrew Luck have been bantered around as the only candidates for Rookie of the year. Hold the phone folks but Russell Wilson just might be the best rookie in the NFL this year. He has tossed 21 tds and only had 9 ints and Seattle is in position to make the playoffs.
If you look at the way the schedule is set up in the NFL it is hard to figure who is the best team because if you look at all of them nobody that has beaten this season more than two teams with winning records. You play six division games and then ten teams. The average NFL team plays ten teams per season with losing records and that leaves only six games against winning teams . If you beat all the losers and half of your so called tough games you can go 12-4 13-3.
If I had to pick right now Denver would be my odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl. In the last five years Denver has had a decent defense but their offense has kept the defense in trouble all the time and it has been hard to tell about their defense. With Peyton Manning the defense is seldom in trouble because of the lack of their offense. Would not shock me to see the Redskins in the Super Bowl. You know when your backup quarterback wins with ease it must mean the Redskins are a good team.
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