The Eastern Regional basketball Tournament got under way last night in Fayetteville. Tuesday was 4-A, tonight the 1-A, Thursday belongs to the 2-A and the 3-A is Friday. Every division rotates year to year and the winners on Tuesday will play their regional Championship game at noon Saturday right on up to the 3-A final as the last game on Saturday. Next year the 3-A will rotate to Tuesday.
If Prep can win the game they lost last year they would play at 2 pm Saturday looking for the right to play the West Regional Champion in Raleigh at 2:30 on March 16th in Reynolds Coliseum. If Prep can come back to earth after beating the team that knocked them out last year on Plymouth's home court last Friday they have an excellent chance of making it to Raleigh. They have their entire team back from last year including DeShawn Freeman who last year was on the sideline with a knee injury during the Regional. Freeman at 6 feet eight inches is a load for any team.
Rocky Mount waits to Friday night at 7:00pm before they hit the hard wood and should they survive and beat West Craven they will have less than 24 hours to get ready for the championship game Saturday but guess what who ever they play will have less time to get ready. The second game of the night is the first game Friday's opponent Saturday.
Regardless of the outcome for either team this week both Prep and Rocky Mount have had tremendous year only losing five games between them. Hope we have two Rocky Mount teams playing the next two Saturdays.
Rocky Mount baseball traveled to Rose Tuesday and were in the middle of a tight game most of the way. Spencer Ramsey pitched the first five innings and Rose lead 2-1. However Rose scored 5 in the bottom of the 6th to win 7-1. The Gryphons play again Thursday barring snow if we get any today or tonight.
Duke was a winner last night so they held up their end to make the Duke/ North Carolina game Saturday is the battle for the outright second place finish this year to Miami. The last RPI standing as of Monday had Duke #1, Carolina 20# and N C State 24th. I would think that all three are automatics in the upcoming NCAA Tournament regardless of what they do rest of the season and ACC Tournament.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Look Out Gryphon Softball Is Improved
When you had a season when you didn't even win a game like a couple of years back and you followed that up with winning only once then it will not take much to be improved. Friday in their season opener at Tarboro the Lady Gryphons beat the Vikings 20-0. Monday they made a visit to SouthWest Edgecombe and the game was tied at 9-9 and it had to be stopped because of darkness. The game will be finished when SouthWest comes to Rocky Mount later on to finish that game and then play the regularly schedule game with the Cougars. The Lady Gryphons play their first home game Tuesday in their new on campus field.
The baseball team is on the road Tuesday playing at Rose High School trying to improve on their 1-1 record. If you have not been out to the baseball/softball complex at Rocky Mount High you will find that the home plates of both are back to back to each other. All the area between the two fields is completely cemented so you will not have to worry about ever sloshing through mud as you might have had to do in the past. There is a concession stand and bathrooms connected where you can almost watch both games at the the same time. Both bleachers behind home plate will hold about forty people and the backstop area between the dugouts is low enough that you can bring your folding chair and camp out between the dugouts.
The Big East schedule this year will have all conference games played together. Both Softball and baseball jv teams will play before the varsity games. So there will be an opportunity to see both varsity teams playing at the same time. I only see one problem with the idea of softball and baseball having games at the same time. Foul balls from the boys game just might land on the softball field.
You know we are a people of instance opinion and by early January Carolina people were in a panic that the Tar Heels just might not make the NCAA tournament this year. Look at them now. Just maybe the hottest team in the country.
Duke got Ryan Kelly back and he may have played the best game any player in the country has played this year. Duke has had several games at home that they were lucky to win. They had a ten point lead on Miami with two minutes to play Saturday and almost had to go to overtime.
Everyone keeps right on bad mouthing N C State. People have complained that the Pack just did win at BC and I have to ask the question who else has? They lost at the buzzer at Maryland and Wake and once again not everyone else has played at those places any better. My goal of the Pack finishing the season with single digit losses is still possible but they might have to win the ACC Tournament or the NCAA for that to happen.
By the way when was the last time Duke, North Carolina and N C State all three had 20 wins seasons by the end of the regular season. There have been many years it took both the ACC Tournament and NCAA to accumulate enough wins to get to 20.
The baseball team is on the road Tuesday playing at Rose High School trying to improve on their 1-1 record. If you have not been out to the baseball/softball complex at Rocky Mount High you will find that the home plates of both are back to back to each other. All the area between the two fields is completely cemented so you will not have to worry about ever sloshing through mud as you might have had to do in the past. There is a concession stand and bathrooms connected where you can almost watch both games at the the same time. Both bleachers behind home plate will hold about forty people and the backstop area between the dugouts is low enough that you can bring your folding chair and camp out between the dugouts.
The Big East schedule this year will have all conference games played together. Both Softball and baseball jv teams will play before the varsity games. So there will be an opportunity to see both varsity teams playing at the same time. I only see one problem with the idea of softball and baseball having games at the same time. Foul balls from the boys game just might land on the softball field.
You know we are a people of instance opinion and by early January Carolina people were in a panic that the Tar Heels just might not make the NCAA tournament this year. Look at them now. Just maybe the hottest team in the country.
Duke got Ryan Kelly back and he may have played the best game any player in the country has played this year. Duke has had several games at home that they were lucky to win. They had a ten point lead on Miami with two minutes to play Saturday and almost had to go to overtime.
Everyone keeps right on bad mouthing N C State. People have complained that the Pack just did win at BC and I have to ask the question who else has? They lost at the buzzer at Maryland and Wake and once again not everyone else has played at those places any better. My goal of the Pack finishing the season with single digit losses is still possible but they might have to win the ACC Tournament or the NCAA for that to happen.
By the way when was the last time Duke, North Carolina and N C State all three had 20 wins seasons by the end of the regular season. There have been many years it took both the ACC Tournament and NCAA to accumulate enough wins to get to 20.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Regional Will Be Tougher for Rocky Mount Than Prep
Two teams from Rocky Mount will make the trip this week to Fayetteville. Rocky Mount Prep it will be their second straight venture south. Already they have disposed of the team that knocked them out last year. Wednesday night at 7pm they will play Camden and should they win that one will meet the winner of the Wednesday 8:30 game East Carteret and Pamlico. If I were a betting man I would give Prep better than a 75% chance of winning twice this week. Now let me remind you any time anyone makes a prediction it is of course counting on no one getting hurt and when and if that happens all bets are off.
Rocky Mount making their fourth straight Regional and all three that have been held in Fayetteville will be favored in their Friday night affair with West Craven. West Craven has found it hard to advance in the state playoffs because it always seems they are in Rocky Mount's bracket and in the past three years that is not a good bracket to be placed. That is how ever the past and an all that counts now is what happens Friday. Standing in the way should they win Friday is Webb/Eastern Alamance and that will be no picnic.
We are looking with First Media Radio that if either team or both make it to Raleigh for the March 16th we are going to be doing every thing we can to see that our teams from Rocky Mount are covered.
Alex Knight for the second year in a row has finished second in the state in the 145 pound class in wrestling. He was the only wrestler from this area to make the top six in each weight class. Rocky Mount finished 12th with 34 points in the team competition and Southern Nash 51st with 12
Rocky Mount baseball won Friday night at Tarboro in extra innings 4-3. They are now 1-1 and head to Rose Tuesday. Their next home game at Thursday afternoon with Tarboro.
The Gryphon Cheerleading squad finished second in the Big East cheer leading championships Saturday at Southern Nash. Hunt was the winner.
Girls soccer opened their season Friday at Jacksonville and lost 5-0. Now that girls basketball is over they will have a couple of new players added to the lineup.
Benton Moss won his third game of the season for North Carolina on Saturday pitching in a tournament in Houston Texas. Carolina is unbeaten and ranked #1 in baseball. Hobbs Johnson was taken out of the lineup last Sunday with an injury but he did get his regular start yesterday in Houston. He did not make it out of the third inning but no problem Carolina won anyway.
N C State lost opening day and has not lost since. They won all three of their tournament games in Myrtle Beach this weekend. Campbell has lost only once this season and they head to Raleigh Wednesday night to meet the Pack. Just might be there for that one.
Rocky Mount making their fourth straight Regional and all three that have been held in Fayetteville will be favored in their Friday night affair with West Craven. West Craven has found it hard to advance in the state playoffs because it always seems they are in Rocky Mount's bracket and in the past three years that is not a good bracket to be placed. That is how ever the past and an all that counts now is what happens Friday. Standing in the way should they win Friday is Webb/Eastern Alamance and that will be no picnic.
We are looking with First Media Radio that if either team or both make it to Raleigh for the March 16th we are going to be doing every thing we can to see that our teams from Rocky Mount are covered.
Alex Knight for the second year in a row has finished second in the state in the 145 pound class in wrestling. He was the only wrestler from this area to make the top six in each weight class. Rocky Mount finished 12th with 34 points in the team competition and Southern Nash 51st with 12
Rocky Mount baseball won Friday night at Tarboro in extra innings 4-3. They are now 1-1 and head to Rose Tuesday. Their next home game at Thursday afternoon with Tarboro.
The Gryphon Cheerleading squad finished second in the Big East cheer leading championships Saturday at Southern Nash. Hunt was the winner.
Girls soccer opened their season Friday at Jacksonville and lost 5-0. Now that girls basketball is over they will have a couple of new players added to the lineup.
Benton Moss won his third game of the season for North Carolina on Saturday pitching in a tournament in Houston Texas. Carolina is unbeaten and ranked #1 in baseball. Hobbs Johnson was taken out of the lineup last Sunday with an injury but he did get his regular start yesterday in Houston. He did not make it out of the third inning but no problem Carolina won anyway.
N C State lost opening day and has not lost since. They won all three of their tournament games in Myrtle Beach this weekend. Campbell has lost only once this season and they head to Raleigh Wednesday night to meet the Pack. Just might be there for that one.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Have We Seen The Best
There were rumors going around four years ago of this 8th grade kid that was going to basketball camps and had all the coaches woozy at what they were seeing. There was this girl who could dribble and shoot with the best of the boys and she was going to start her ninth grade year at Rocky Mount. All those hopes and dreams were dashed as while attending one of those camps she blew out her knee and had to sit an entire year.
Now a sophomore in her very first game she was timid on her knee not trusting that she could really let it all out. Despite that she scored 13 points in her first varsity game and would average nearly 15 that year. By her junior year all the fear of a wobbly knee gone her average ballooned to 22 and by her senior year 27 per contest.
When you look at the basketball career of J'Kyra Brown points per game is not her most important stat. There is always a controversy about the term Most Valuable player. My concept is if she wasn't there what would the team do. We all saw what a MVP was this year that on that night at Hunt when J'Kyra went down so did the hopes of the Lady Gryphons in 2013. During her absence or in some cases her limited court time the Gryphons not only lost that Hunt game but went down at Nash Central, Southern Nash and Fike was about to get their turn whipping up on the Gryphons until J'Kyra came in.
The last leg of her high school basketball career she had to lug this extended knee brace which will make a 4.5 runner in the forty take at least 5 seconds to maneuver. Slower and yet still a scoring machine and surely Northern Nash will be glad to never have to play again.
But J'Kyra is not about scoring, She tries to get everyone involved in the offense but many times her team mates would say why should I shoot when we have J'Kyra can do it better? I think she is a natural shooting guard but he is able to handle the ball well enough that she can play the point. She is tall enough in the high school level that she can rebound with the best of them. Up until her latest knee injury she could defend the other teams best player.
J'Kyra is one of those players that makes everyone around her better. If the truth be told both Nash Central and Northern were better teams just because in order to compete with her they had to be better. We as fans have had a three year run that you needed to be in the gym at tip time of the girls game to watch J'Kyra and not wait until halftime so you could be there to watch the boys.
I suspect there will be many homes games in Greenville (ECU) next year that there will be a group from Rocky Mount there just to watch J'Kyra. The funny thing is what we have seen for three years we don't know what it could have been if she didn't have that dreaded injury as a freshman and the last month of her senior year.
There are two banners hanging in the rafters at Rocky Mount which any team that comes into gym can stare at those greats of the past. They hang in the rafters because of what they did after they left Rocky Mount. I think there is room for one more. I hope that as J'Kyra Brown moves on to ECU that she can get healthy and play at that level up to her potential.
You have to give credit to her parents. J'Kyra is well rounded that team comes first, she is polite and not the center of the world off the court. It has been a pleasure to watch this treasure both on and off the court. I mean this with all sincerity if you didn't see J'Kyra Brown play you may have missed the the best basketball player from Rocky Mount High school since Phil Ford. See Next Year J'Kyra!
Now a sophomore in her very first game she was timid on her knee not trusting that she could really let it all out. Despite that she scored 13 points in her first varsity game and would average nearly 15 that year. By her junior year all the fear of a wobbly knee gone her average ballooned to 22 and by her senior year 27 per contest.
When you look at the basketball career of J'Kyra Brown points per game is not her most important stat. There is always a controversy about the term Most Valuable player. My concept is if she wasn't there what would the team do. We all saw what a MVP was this year that on that night at Hunt when J'Kyra went down so did the hopes of the Lady Gryphons in 2013. During her absence or in some cases her limited court time the Gryphons not only lost that Hunt game but went down at Nash Central, Southern Nash and Fike was about to get their turn whipping up on the Gryphons until J'Kyra came in.
The last leg of her high school basketball career she had to lug this extended knee brace which will make a 4.5 runner in the forty take at least 5 seconds to maneuver. Slower and yet still a scoring machine and surely Northern Nash will be glad to never have to play again.
But J'Kyra is not about scoring, She tries to get everyone involved in the offense but many times her team mates would say why should I shoot when we have J'Kyra can do it better? I think she is a natural shooting guard but he is able to handle the ball well enough that she can play the point. She is tall enough in the high school level that she can rebound with the best of them. Up until her latest knee injury she could defend the other teams best player.
J'Kyra is one of those players that makes everyone around her better. If the truth be told both Nash Central and Northern were better teams just because in order to compete with her they had to be better. We as fans have had a three year run that you needed to be in the gym at tip time of the girls game to watch J'Kyra and not wait until halftime so you could be there to watch the boys.
I suspect there will be many homes games in Greenville (ECU) next year that there will be a group from Rocky Mount there just to watch J'Kyra. The funny thing is what we have seen for three years we don't know what it could have been if she didn't have that dreaded injury as a freshman and the last month of her senior year.
There are two banners hanging in the rafters at Rocky Mount which any team that comes into gym can stare at those greats of the past. They hang in the rafters because of what they did after they left Rocky Mount. I think there is room for one more. I hope that as J'Kyra Brown moves on to ECU that she can get healthy and play at that level up to her potential.
You have to give credit to her parents. J'Kyra is well rounded that team comes first, she is polite and not the center of the world off the court. It has been a pleasure to watch this treasure both on and off the court. I mean this with all sincerity if you didn't see J'Kyra Brown play you may have missed the the best basketball player from Rocky Mount High school since Phil Ford. See Next Year J'Kyra!
Run Of Greatness
Rocky Mount High's Alexander Knight lost in the state championship match at 145 pounds 4-2 in overtime to finish second today in the NCHSAA State Wrestling Championships. It was only Knight's second lost all season
I use to have this argument with the late Charles Alston all the time. Charles loved the fact that Rocky Mount High was a 4-A school. He loved all those State Championship banners had 4-A Champs on them. I told him that the only important words on any banner was State Champs and it would not matter if it said 1-A.
Rocky Mount High will be making their 4th consecutive trip to the 3-A Eastern Regional next Friday and I don't hear anyone complaining. Mike Gainey has built this basketball program into almost Rock Star status. Just Wednesday night after winning game two Gainey loaded up his Gryphons for the trip to Northern Nash to root on the girls against the Lady Knights. Once the Gryphon fans saw the team down at the stage end a roar erupted of excitement that the Gryphons were in the house. Not one Northern fan booed them whether out of respect for the defending State Champs or the shock that Elvis was in the house. That Saturday night every year when the brackets come out everyone looks to see whether they are lined up in Rocky Mount's bracket.
During this four year run to this point Rocky Mount has played 12 sectional games. How important is winning the conference title and a really good over all record? Rocky Mount has played 11 of those games in their own gym. The average margin of victory has been 24 points. The very first game of this four year run against Jacksonville in 2010 was the closes 64-54. The lone road game was in 2011 in the second game had to travel to Southern Wayne and come home with a 77-73 win. It helps playing at home in the playoffs.
The Gryphons are 4-1 in the Regional winning both games in 2010 by a total of four points. 65-62 over Northern Guilford and 83-82 over NE Guilford in overtime. 2012 two victories by 20 and 15. Their two State Titles 84-79 and 68-54.
After last night Rocky Mount as far as polls are concern is the top team left as the #1 team Concord fell. Next week in Fayetteville Rocky Mount will play West Craven a team that has fallen to the Gryphons all three years heading up to next Friday. 2010 in the second round at RM the Gryphons won 94-66. 2011 in RM the sectional final 101-85 and in the Regional Semi last year 73-53. You know the coaching staff at WC will not have any problem at all getting the Eagles focused for next Friday. They have got to be tired of Rocky Mount and will do everything to finally beat the Gryphons.
Their lone loss in this run was in the 2011 semi's at Fayetteville to South Central 70-67.Since 2010 Rocky Mount is 18- 1 in the playoffs. This has been a great run Mike Gainey has put together and we all hope the run continues but there is one thing about playoffs. It can end so quickly.
Next week's games in Fayetteville will have Webb High featuring a UNC recruit playing Eastern Alamance. Rocky Mount and West Craven. Out west Hunter Huss of Gastonia will meet up with another Gastonia school in Ashbrook. Statesville will play Harding University.
The Gryphons are no lock to make it to Raleigh. They will have to be ready. Rocky Mount now has the target on their back that Coach K at Duke and Roy at UNC always talk about. They get the supreme effort from everyone that beats them. The only way to counter another teams supreme effort is to play your very best. If the Gryphons do that we all should be happy win or lose
I use to have this argument with the late Charles Alston all the time. Charles loved the fact that Rocky Mount High was a 4-A school. He loved all those State Championship banners had 4-A Champs on them. I told him that the only important words on any banner was State Champs and it would not matter if it said 1-A.
Rocky Mount High will be making their 4th consecutive trip to the 3-A Eastern Regional next Friday and I don't hear anyone complaining. Mike Gainey has built this basketball program into almost Rock Star status. Just Wednesday night after winning game two Gainey loaded up his Gryphons for the trip to Northern Nash to root on the girls against the Lady Knights. Once the Gryphon fans saw the team down at the stage end a roar erupted of excitement that the Gryphons were in the house. Not one Northern fan booed them whether out of respect for the defending State Champs or the shock that Elvis was in the house. That Saturday night every year when the brackets come out everyone looks to see whether they are lined up in Rocky Mount's bracket.
During this four year run to this point Rocky Mount has played 12 sectional games. How important is winning the conference title and a really good over all record? Rocky Mount has played 11 of those games in their own gym. The average margin of victory has been 24 points. The very first game of this four year run against Jacksonville in 2010 was the closes 64-54. The lone road game was in 2011 in the second game had to travel to Southern Wayne and come home with a 77-73 win. It helps playing at home in the playoffs.
The Gryphons are 4-1 in the Regional winning both games in 2010 by a total of four points. 65-62 over Northern Guilford and 83-82 over NE Guilford in overtime. 2012 two victories by 20 and 15. Their two State Titles 84-79 and 68-54.
After last night Rocky Mount as far as polls are concern is the top team left as the #1 team Concord fell. Next week in Fayetteville Rocky Mount will play West Craven a team that has fallen to the Gryphons all three years heading up to next Friday. 2010 in the second round at RM the Gryphons won 94-66. 2011 in RM the sectional final 101-85 and in the Regional Semi last year 73-53. You know the coaching staff at WC will not have any problem at all getting the Eagles focused for next Friday. They have got to be tired of Rocky Mount and will do everything to finally beat the Gryphons.
Their lone loss in this run was in the 2011 semi's at Fayetteville to South Central 70-67.Since 2010 Rocky Mount is 18- 1 in the playoffs. This has been a great run Mike Gainey has put together and we all hope the run continues but there is one thing about playoffs. It can end so quickly.
Next week's games in Fayetteville will have Webb High featuring a UNC recruit playing Eastern Alamance. Rocky Mount and West Craven. Out west Hunter Huss of Gastonia will meet up with another Gastonia school in Ashbrook. Statesville will play Harding University.
The Gryphons are no lock to make it to Raleigh. They will have to be ready. Rocky Mount now has the target on their back that Coach K at Duke and Roy at UNC always talk about. They get the supreme effort from everyone that beats them. The only way to counter another teams supreme effort is to play your very best. If the Gryphons do that we all should be happy win or lose
Friday, March 1, 2013
Bitter Sweet Night
The Rocky Mount boys are headed south down I-95 for the fourth straight year as on their home floor tonight they have taken down their third foe of the week by at least 20 beating C B Aycock 72-43. 80 miles southeast of here the Lady Gryphons trying to hold on to the emotional high after the upset of their top rival Northern Nash on Wednesday ran out of gas in the 4th quarter and fell 56-52 to West Craven. 70 miles due east down highway 64 Rocky Mount Prep got revenge from the team the team that knocked them out of the Regional 1-A playoffs last year winning in Plymouth 60-57. The game at Plymouth an hour before game time the door was locked as the place was packed for these two 1-A titans clash.
J'Kyra Brown playing in her last game for the Lady Gryphons scored 27 Points in a losing effort as the Lady Gryphons jumped out to a 14-9 first quarter lead. The Eagles fought back to lead 23-21 at the half but a big push by the Lady Gryphons gave them the third quarter lead at 42-33. West Craven started the 4th quarter with a 10-2 run to cut the lead to 44-43 and it was down to the wire from there.
Let me refresh your memory. If there is one team that wanted revenge tonight it was West Craven. Last year in the Regional Semi's our Lady Gryphons knocked them off the block of an unbeaten team. Tonight UNC bound Jamie Cherry pumped in 20 to lead the way for the Lady Eagles. Carmen Richardson aided Brown with 15 . Takeyra Thomas had five, Kelsey Daniels three and Sekeya Battle two for the Lady Gryphons they finish the season at 16-10.
I would like to thank James Silver one of the team managers for Rocky Mount basketball as his text of the scores back to the gym kept everyone watching the boys play informed about the girls game. He also text me the final numbers tonight so I could let you know about our Ladies. Thank James. He would like for me to tell everyone how proud he is of our Ladies team with all the injuries they had this year to make it all the way to the Sectional Finals.
As expected the Rocky Mount Gryphons disposed of C B Aycock Falcons 72-43. It was a solid continuation of building of the lead the entire night. It was not the best performance of the week by far but it was the the 9th straight state playoff game that Rocky Mount has won by at least double digits.
Rocky Mount won the boards 31-23 and their defense caused 23 turnovers while Rocky Mount once again protected the ball rather well with only 11 turnovers. Donte Battle lead the scoring parade with 20 followed by Emanuel King with 16, MJ Gainey 13. Battle swiped 11 rebound to lead there too. Mike Williams score 15 for the Falcons and A J Munden got 25% of their rebounds getting 6.
Rocky Mount will play Friday game time is let to be determined but they will play West Craven as they beat Havelock 66-57. Rocky Mount Prep will play in 1-A Regional Wednesday night. The other game Friday will be Webb against Eastern Alamance
J'Kyra Brown playing in her last game for the Lady Gryphons scored 27 Points in a losing effort as the Lady Gryphons jumped out to a 14-9 first quarter lead. The Eagles fought back to lead 23-21 at the half but a big push by the Lady Gryphons gave them the third quarter lead at 42-33. West Craven started the 4th quarter with a 10-2 run to cut the lead to 44-43 and it was down to the wire from there.
Let me refresh your memory. If there is one team that wanted revenge tonight it was West Craven. Last year in the Regional Semi's our Lady Gryphons knocked them off the block of an unbeaten team. Tonight UNC bound Jamie Cherry pumped in 20 to lead the way for the Lady Eagles. Carmen Richardson aided Brown with 15 . Takeyra Thomas had five, Kelsey Daniels three and Sekeya Battle two for the Lady Gryphons they finish the season at 16-10.
I would like to thank James Silver one of the team managers for Rocky Mount basketball as his text of the scores back to the gym kept everyone watching the boys play informed about the girls game. He also text me the final numbers tonight so I could let you know about our Ladies. Thank James. He would like for me to tell everyone how proud he is of our Ladies team with all the injuries they had this year to make it all the way to the Sectional Finals.
As expected the Rocky Mount Gryphons disposed of C B Aycock Falcons 72-43. It was a solid continuation of building of the lead the entire night. It was not the best performance of the week by far but it was the the 9th straight state playoff game that Rocky Mount has won by at least double digits.
Rocky Mount won the boards 31-23 and their defense caused 23 turnovers while Rocky Mount once again protected the ball rather well with only 11 turnovers. Donte Battle lead the scoring parade with 20 followed by Emanuel King with 16, MJ Gainey 13. Battle swiped 11 rebound to lead there too. Mike Williams score 15 for the Falcons and A J Munden got 25% of their rebounds getting 6.
Rocky Mount will play Friday game time is let to be determined but they will play West Craven as they beat Havelock 66-57. Rocky Mount Prep will play in 1-A Regional Wednesday night. The other game Friday will be Webb against Eastern Alamance
Thursday, February 28, 2013
It's Baseball Season
Rocky Mount's baseball team opened their new field this afternoon and the Gryphons were a charitable bunch making seven errors and allowed ten unearned runs as as they fall 10-3 to Southern Wayne. The Saints got 8 hits and SW pitching held the Gryphons to only three hits as Jarrell Hunter had two hits and two rbi and Spencer Ramsey found the Gryphons third Hit.
Ramsey started and pitch the first three innings but the defense was little help. An array of arms threw the 4th, 5th sixth and seventh innings as two Gryphon pitcher Jeremy Johnson and Will Edwards are nursing injuries. Edwards will be out the first month while Johnson will pitch soon in fact he played center field today. Not much time to be depressed at the Gryphons travel to Tarboro Friday at 5pm
Three teams from Rocky Mount remain alive for their respective State Championships. Rocky Mount Prep will play the team that knocked them out of the Regional last year in Plymouth. That game will be played in Plymouth. Last year's Regional score was 86-78 but the Jags have maybe their best player playing this year whereas last year he was on the sidelines injured in DeShaun Freeman
Freeman provides inside presence that the Prep did not have last year. 6'8" his bottling up of the middle allows everyone else to take off for the basket in Prep's high powered run and Gun offense. This game is one of the best matchups in all sectional finals. It is not the only really good match up state wide however.
If Pam Gainey was to tell you the truth she has a hollow hole in the pit of her stomach after last year's team failed to win the Regional. Watching the results of the State Championship game she knows the Lady Gryphons could have won a title too but it didn't happen. Is there redemption available for the Ladies as they travel to West Craven 24-5. It is as much as any thing about how you are playing today not yesterday and the Lady Gryphons have a shot because they have it together right now.
The Rocky Mount boys could at any time lay and egg and be embarrassed but the door gets wider and wider for Rocky Mount to return to the Regional finals after the #2 seed Triton lost last night. If the Gryphons are focused there will be no problem against C B Aycock but they had better all have one thing in mind. Mike Gainey did a great job against South Brunswick keeping them focused. Less than 200 were in the gym so you can hear every comment and as the game ended a fan yelled good practice. Their opponent is better this round but if the #2 team in the State shows up it's on to the Regional.
After the boys game last night just about every Gryphon fan at the boys game loaded up and went to Northern. You could feel the side of the court rise where the Rocky Mount fans were seated when the boys still in uniform warmups enter the building in the tight contest. At that point Northern had taken control of the game to some extent even though it was tied at 23-23 just before the half. The energy just those guys showing up added to the Lady Gryphons play and maybe in a small way took something out of Northern. It may have been the turning point in the game.
Ramsey started and pitch the first three innings but the defense was little help. An array of arms threw the 4th, 5th sixth and seventh innings as two Gryphon pitcher Jeremy Johnson and Will Edwards are nursing injuries. Edwards will be out the first month while Johnson will pitch soon in fact he played center field today. Not much time to be depressed at the Gryphons travel to Tarboro Friday at 5pm
Three teams from Rocky Mount remain alive for their respective State Championships. Rocky Mount Prep will play the team that knocked them out of the Regional last year in Plymouth. That game will be played in Plymouth. Last year's Regional score was 86-78 but the Jags have maybe their best player playing this year whereas last year he was on the sidelines injured in DeShaun Freeman
Freeman provides inside presence that the Prep did not have last year. 6'8" his bottling up of the middle allows everyone else to take off for the basket in Prep's high powered run and Gun offense. This game is one of the best matchups in all sectional finals. It is not the only really good match up state wide however.
If Pam Gainey was to tell you the truth she has a hollow hole in the pit of her stomach after last year's team failed to win the Regional. Watching the results of the State Championship game she knows the Lady Gryphons could have won a title too but it didn't happen. Is there redemption available for the Ladies as they travel to West Craven 24-5. It is as much as any thing about how you are playing today not yesterday and the Lady Gryphons have a shot because they have it together right now.
The Rocky Mount boys could at any time lay and egg and be embarrassed but the door gets wider and wider for Rocky Mount to return to the Regional finals after the #2 seed Triton lost last night. If the Gryphons are focused there will be no problem against C B Aycock but they had better all have one thing in mind. Mike Gainey did a great job against South Brunswick keeping them focused. Less than 200 were in the gym so you can hear every comment and as the game ended a fan yelled good practice. Their opponent is better this round but if the #2 team in the State shows up it's on to the Regional.
After the boys game last night just about every Gryphon fan at the boys game loaded up and went to Northern. You could feel the side of the court rise where the Rocky Mount fans were seated when the boys still in uniform warmups enter the building in the tight contest. At that point Northern had taken control of the game to some extent even though it was tied at 23-23 just before the half. The energy just those guys showing up added to the Lady Gryphons play and maybe in a small way took something out of Northern. It may have been the turning point in the game.
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