Rest Time For Most

Southern Nash and Tarboro high light this week's Big East schedule as both have taken a week off earlier in order to meet up this week.   First of all I don't like the 11 game regular season. With the week off everyone takes along the way it takes 12 weeks to complete the regular season and then for the really great teams five weeks of playoffs.  I would love to see football over by the end of November all other fall sports do it why can't football?  Let us look at the preseason picks and where they could finish up.

I picked Southern Nash as the preseason number one and they stand 5-0.  I am concerned that all their injuries that they can not live up to their potential without at least one A number one back.  They are getting the job done with defenders and jv's running the ball and none are all star level runners.

Picked Northern Nash second and the reason was Northern always has talent but having a captain to guide the ship has been missing.  They have that captain in Randy Raper and you can see his influence taking hold more every day.

I picked Hunt third and after watching them this past Friday I think third is about right.  Any team that relies on power running needs a break a way back and they don't have one.  Also they don't have a quarterback that can get them eight yards with  a throw and they don't have that either.  They do have a solid defense and will be hard to score  lots of points on.

I picked Rocky Mount fourth but if you remember I said 2-3-4 could all switch as the season unfurls.  Look ok,Jason Battle is 13-4 as the head man of the Gryphons and when he has had to doesn't mind putting the ball in the air when the running game stalls.  The last two weeks they have been able to win when the running game sputtered.

I picked Nash Central fifth and they are heading that way fast.  Simply they can not move the ball to help a halfway decent defense.

After picking Fike for last they look like my big embarrassment of the season!  Still their schedule is questionable so I am still not sure they are as good as their 6-0 record.

There are several teams that need two weeks to heal up before the conference rush.  The team that uses the next two weeks the best will win the Big East this year.

We The Society Of Right Now

It can't be worth any thing if I can't  have it right now and what I want to know is who is the best football team, offense or player and when you give me your answer I will assume your answer will be correct for ever.

All the world is  so impressed with the wide open let's run as many plays as we can in a game cause if we run 100 plays we will win.  There is only one problem with the hurry up offense is that all that hurry up offense and ran ten plays and punted in two minutes puts their defense right back on the field and a tired defense can't stop anybody.

The  Philadelphia Eagles were the NFL rage for one half with their hurry up offense but by halftime the sorry Redskins had figured out how to stop them.  There is a few things that are basic in football.  Run fast, tackle and hold on to the ball.  The main purpose of holding on to the football is the longer you hold it the less likely the other team scores.

The NFL a league where the worse team is only six points in any game from winning they have seen everything there is to see and if they haven't a little film study will solve that.   Colleges where the top teams are still better than the average Joe's hurry up works when they play out manned team, in fact any offense beats those teams.

These wide open offenses will not last in the NFL because they require running QB's but when you look around show me one run and gun quarter back that has lasted all 16 games of the NFL season.
We the people who love bright shiny toys  fell for this gimmick offense.  If you look right now heading into week three the top two qb's are those old timey drop back in the pocket guys Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers

There are many things invented everyday that can change the world over night.  The reason they change the world is they come up with an idea that nobody else thought of.  In the world of football until someone comes up with an  idea where you  don't run and tackle the game will always be basic. The team that runs the fastest tackles better and holds on the the ball will win 99 per cent of the time.

Oh What A Night

This Summer I committed two Friday nights this fall to high school football.  I was at  Beddingfield for WHIG-TV covering Hunt at Beddingfield.  It was
also the first conference game of the year for Campbell volleyball as they traveled to High Point.  Campbell has a 15 game conference Losing streak dating back to the last conference game in 2011 and all 14 games last season.  Tonight in five  sets Campbell  is in first place in the Big South as they beat  High Point 15-10. So far  season Campbell has won all six of their five set matches and stand 10-7 on the season.

Unbeaten Triton travel to Rocky Mount and a barn burner  as Rocky Mount's early fumble gave Triton an early 7-0 lead.  Rocky Mount two plays tie the score on a Smith to Kearney 40 yard pass. smith and Kearney teamed up in the second quarter to give the Gryphons a 14-7 lead but Triton  got an 81 Yard run on a reverse to tie.  Micah Varnell gave the Gryphons a  17-14 halftime lead.

Neither side scored  in the third quarter but with 8:17 to play Triton scored to take the lead  21-17.   Triton who tried on side kicks all night made one work and had the ball but the gryphons held for one last shot.  The Gryphons score on a read option with under three minutes to play. Triton Fumbles to the Gryphons give the ball up with 58 seconds to play but Broderick Caudle puts a PPP topper on this one with an int.  Gryphons 24-21.

The cross county rivalry at Beddingfield saw two teams slug it out  at Beddingfield scored first but the extra point hit the left post to lead 6-0.  Hunt drove down to lead at the half. 7-6.  Beddingfield out slugged Hunt with a huge fourth quarter at they drove the ball the field to take a 12-7 lead and add a field goal l5-7 with 1:58 to  play but with 12 seconds to play Hunt hits a 68 yard pass to cut the lead to. 15-13 and on the 2 point try Beddingfield is offside to make the 2 pointer just a yard in a half away.   Beddingfield comes up with the defensive play and makes a tackle in the back field and win 15-13.

other scores tonight
Northern Nash 24   Smithfield Selma 7
Hillside 40 Nash central. 0
Fike 35 South Johnston 21.  Thursday night
Southern Nash 28 Ayden  Grifton 13
North edgecombe 40 Kipp Pride 24

Big East Report Card Halfway Point

Football hasn't played their first conference game yet while  all other sports have come to the halfway point and starting the second go round in conference games.  So far Northern Nash boys cross country team seems to be the class of the conference with  Steven Whitehead  as the top runner.  Rocky Mount's girls head the girls cross country with Barkley Browder the top 5k runner.

Hunt, Rocky Mount and Fike  seem to be a step ahead of the field in tennis.  Fike and Hunt are  the cream of the crop in soccer.  Hunt, Fike and Northern Nash head the field for the playoffs in Volleyball.

Before the first conference football game Hunt, Fike,Rocky Mount, Northern Nash  and Southern Nash  will be fighting and any one seems good enough to win the title and anyone could go 1-4.  Nash Central's defense is just good enough on the night their offense clicks somebody just might fall to them.  To say the least the Big East has the reputation of being the most balanced league in the east and it looks that way again this year.

Here's this week's college picks:
Clemson/Wake.   Tigers 38 Deacs22
BC/FSU. Not much of a game if FSU shows up 44-19
VA Tech/Georgia Tech. Forget this was Thursday you will have to take my word GT 24 VT17
Miami/SFLA The Hurricanes are back  35-16
C michigan/N C State if defense plays like the Clemson game they win big 31-13
Troy/Duke Devils had better be ready. Duke 41 Troy 28
N C Wesleyan/Averitt. battling Bishopswin their first 22/19
ECU/NC. This could really be a ball game.  This could go down to the last play. NC28-27
Rocky Mount is host to The Down East Football Classic When Elizabeth City Stat 0-3 play host to Fayetteville St 1-2.  I think ECSU gets in the win column with a 26-21 win.

Tonight I will be joining Edward  Green on WHIG TV for their game of the week.

Almost Last week Of Non-Conference

Considering I started out last year going 0-6 the first week of the season 36-7 at this point this season is worth a little shout  or as they say pat yourself on my back.  It only takes one week and a great season can fall to average. So as we get going this week must have A game every week making guesses.

The game of the week this week is Triton from the Dunn/Erwin area coming to Rocky Mount is the final tuneup for both.  Triton is 5-0 while the Gryphons lone loss lies at the hands of Greenville Rose.
Historically speaking the Hawks have been very good most years but fail to get out of the first or second round of the playoffs.  I have no reason to think Triton can't win this game but I'll  take RM 26-21.

Hunt at Beddingfield It is the wide open offense of Beddingfield taking on the grind it out Hunt Warriors.  Beddingfield has been trouble for everyone on their schedule and this one will be close but Hunt wins. 24-20.

Rocky Prep host SE Halifax.  SEH is average at best but that will be enough. To handle the growing Prepsters.  36-14

RMA at Lawrence. RMA travels to Bertie county and this one will not be easy but victory will come. RMA 42 Lawrence 26

Hillside at Nash Central. Hillside had a preseason as everyone was picking them as the team to beat  in 4A.   two straight losses and they will be spitting nails when they get off the bus.  Run the clock in the second half.  Hillside 58 Nash Central 6.

Smithfield Selma comes to Northern Nash. SSS is 0-5 and have given up at least 38 or more in all their losses.  Northern won't get that many but enough.  NN28.  SSS 6

North Edgecombe host Kipp Pride.  Coming off their first win of the season pride can start another losing streak. NE 22 Pride 0

Ayden Grifton at Southern Nash.  It is unusual for AG but they are winless this year.  They have to hope after being off last week The Firebirds are looking forward to Tarboro next week.  Wishful thinking.  SN. 36 AG 13
I will be helping with TV Friday night as they will be covering Hunt at Beddingfield.

Social Media And Profit Takers

Over my years as a play by play voice of several high school teams or colleges including Ahoskie high! Chowan Jr.  College and Rocky Mount High.  During football season you could find me at 5pm always every week trying to see what plays our team was going to run or what I could expect from the team we were playing.

Over thirty years you grow to become a homer and every now and then you know defects that your local team has  and at times during a broadcast can see that defect play out on the field but if you mention it on the air the next foe down the road just might be able to attack that defect you discussed on air.

I also realize that coaches can only tell you so much when discussing what might be done each week and have at times asked me not to use certain things that I might know.  It is a case of trust for me that a coach will give me access needed to do a proper broadcast as well as he can trust me when he might tell me something everyone doesn't need to know.

Today with twitter and any other things that  can get information out in the finger touch on a screen our world is made of reporters or just a plain Joe  who can use a cell phone as a camera every movement anybody makes can instantly appear on You tube or some web site.  Coaches can't trust anybody as any time they speak it just might be fodder for someone to give them their  15 minutes of glory.

It is a shame that the Nebraska coach had something caught on tape two years ago but for someone once they found it produced it as if it happen yesterday. I know as a person who tries every day I sin  but I try my best  to do the right thing.  I hope on this blog we have given information helpful but when it comes to breaking stories where I have to dig up dirt on someone I will reserve that for those who are looking for the fast track to glory.

The world we live in today you can look at and talk  to someone over the internet in a matter of a few seconds.  I have looked at setting up a twitter account and I may someday but I still like this old fashion blog system.  When I have something to say I have more to say than what Twitter will allow me to say.  I like it better when you come to visit me here than me sending it out to you when ever I want.  That way you can  visit when you want to.  Hope to see you real soon !

College Football In North Carolina

If you include Louisville who joins the ACC next year there are five ACC schools in this weeks top 25 college  football rankings.  There are none of the four North Carolina  ACC schools among them or ECU.   Seems as if it's same old same old.  Where are we headed with this years colleges from North Carolina.?

ECU:  The past ECU could score 50 but had to worry they might give up 51.  I don't know if there were many Pirate fans were very optimistic about this year but so far the defense is showing signs they may be improved.  Held Va Tech to 15 points but still lost when offense could only 10 points at home.  This past week Marshall took VAT to triple overtime at Tech.  This week's Carolina game could be a season breaker or maker depending on the outcome.

North Carolina:  If you pull for the Tar Heels are you hopeful or disappointed with a 1-2 start.  South Carolina has to be acceptable but after jumping to  a 13-0 lead the end of the Georgia Tech game has to be down right dishearting.  Don't know if a victory over ECU can turn season around but a loss would be disasterous.

N C State:  Didn't play all that well in their first two games but I think all Wolfpack fans came away with a good feeling the way they played Clemson.  Next four weeks are winnable unless they let one of the  slip up as they have done in the past.

Duke:  Trying to return to a bowl game two years in arow will be extremely tough on a team having troublem keeping the other team off the score board. The good news is Duke can score but the question is an they score enough?


Wake Forest:  If a team ever needed a win the Deacs got one in New York State in beating Army.  This game could just be the game that turns them around.  I really respect what Jim Grobe has done at Wake and I think most Sdemon Deacon fans would take a five or six win season four out of five years if that fifth year was an ACC title.

When you really look at our football teams they look about the same as every year.