Time For a Change

It has always seemed that the Big East gets slaughtered in the first round of the volleyball playoffs because they were always paired up with Eastern Plains teams of Conley, South Central and the likes. I have spoken many times of why they grow tall girls there and we don't. Most of those teams have moved up to 4-A and with it a switch for the Big East that at least they get a shot to try somebody else in the opening round. Saturday the three teams from the Big East began play in the state playoffs and two out of three have advanced to the second round. The only Nash County team who made the playoffs Northern Nash traveled to C B Aycock and the Lady Knights come back to Nash County knowing they will play again this week as they win in five sets 3-2 over Aycock. Northern 13-8 will travel to Topsail the 16-6 the number one team from the Mideastern. I don't know what is going on on Topsoil Island but for years Topsail has been a 1-A school and they have made the jump to 3-A. Must be a lot of people moving to the beach. The number two team from the Big East Hunt who just last week won the conference tournament lost 3-0 to Chapel Hill to end their season. Fike the Big East #1 beat West Brunswick 3-0 to advance to play Union Pines 17-7 the #3 team from the Cape fear Valley. Rocky Mount is the only Big East tennis team alive but only two made the playoffs to begin with. I like it a lot when the first game of the playoffs is against a quality team and wish the football playoffs would eliminate one round instead of theses slaughters we get in the first round of the football playoffs. Rocky Mount 17-2 travels to Triton 13-0 in the second round. There has been a change made by the NCHSAA which I like a lot. They are no longer going by conference seedings year by year. In the past each conference had a priority and when the top teams met the team with the priority was the home team. This year when ever number one seeds meet another number one seed the team with the best overall record is the home team. That is why Rocky Mount at 17-2 travel to Triton who is undefeated.

Big East Football Tighter Than Ever

Fike and Hunt both of the Wilson County schools have the early lead in Big East football as next Friday night is Hump day in the conference season. Fike I think over the past few years has been down somewhat so still being undefeated from where they were last year is a surprise. I know the Fike folks thought they were going to be good this year as maybe thisseason sa far isn't as surprising to them as it is to the rest of us. Hunt after going undefeated two straight seasons during the reglar season and that puts them at not losing a conference game that long as well. They stand 5-3 but their 2-0 conference starts have both come on the road. Southern Nash 1-1 has somewhat struggled all year in the non-conference part of their schedule and are finding the defense of the Big East teams with all thier injuries are not scoring many points. Don't care who you are if you only score 14 points in every game then you keep the other team in the game as well. Rocky Mount 1-1. If you look at the points Rocky Mount scored against Hunt the defense and specials teams played a huge part. Rocky Mount's offense has fell on hard times against the quality teams and looking at the rest of their schedule there are only quality defenses left to play. Like Southern, Northern Nash's inability to score not only keeps them from pulling away from anybody but thank goodness their defense is keeping them in games. The inability to score puts pressure for the defense to keep the other team off the score board all night. Nash Central's year to forget has found them in their two conference games in both at least in the first half. Last week they were in it till the end against The Gryphons and they were competitive with league leader Fike until the third quarter. They have scored 18 points in two conference games that that simply isn't enough to beat anybody.

Fike - Hunt Sits On Top

Nash Central has it's biggest offensive output of the year but they come up short to The Golden Demons of Fike who remain undefeated after two weeks of conference and beat Nash Central 33 to 15. Fike lead 20-15 in the third quarter before they motored away. If I told you both Hunt and Rocky Mount would have six each you would have thought that that might be the score late in the game but it was actually turnovers as neither team acted like a championship team but Hunt busted the Gryphons bubble in the third quarter scoring almost at will and race off to a 48-31 victory to grab their share of first place after two weeks. Northern Nash once again plays great and this time it is almost all the way to the end but Southern Nash scores with less than a minute to play to break the hearts of Northern Nash 15-14. Northern has given up 29 points in two conference losses while Hunt gives up 31 in one game,yet Hunt is 2-0 and Northern is 0-2. As expected Tarboro wipes Rocky Mount Prep away winning 78-14. North Edgecombe gets wallopped by Riverside of Williamston 56-14 and a vital 2-A conference game Washington hands SouthWest Edgecombe their first conference loss 27-14. Eight man football I think when the good teams play each other you can tell the better teams from the other because those really good teams can keep the other team from scoring. Rocky Mount Academy gives up only 34 points which is outstanding in Private school football but Southampton Academy holds the Eagles to just 8 and the game of the year in Private school football in this area goes to the team from Virginia 34-8. Tonight starts the North Carolina State playoffs in volleyball as the three teams from the Big East are all in action. Number three Northern Nash 11-8 on the year travels to the Eastern Plains number two C B Aycock 5-12. Hunt 12-8 the Big East number two host Chapel Hill 18-8 the Big Eight number two and the Big East regular season champs Fike 18-4 host West Brunswick 8-12 the Waccamaw number three seed. All games start at 7pm.

Great Effort Still A L

After a so-so week of 5-3 my overall guesstamation in college picks now stands at 38-16. Saturday games line up this week include. North Carolina played by far their best game of the year but in the end didn't do the things to win in the clutch and lose at home 27-23 to Miami. The game was closer than expected but I start the week on college picks 1-0. Greensboro College 1-5 travels to North Carolina Wesleyan for a 1pm kickoff at the Sports Complex. There is only one common foe so far and that is LaGrange where Greensboro lost by 14 on the road and Wesleyan lost by 24 at home. This is at NCW so this could be a nip and tuck affair. Greensboro 24 NCW 21 Duke at Virginia: Duke is on a roll offensivly but road games for every team is what they are. I think Duke has too much offense for the Wahoos. Duke 31 Virginia 21 Southern Mississippi at ECU: The Pirates will be spitting nails to get back out on the field after losing a game I won't say they lost but they had every chance to win. ECU 42 S Miss 20 Syracuse At Georgia Tech: After seeing the Cuse for the first time last week I will say they have the worse quarterback in the conference but yet they whipped State to death in 4th quarter with the run. This Georgia Tech that practices against the run every day with their offense. Tech 26 Syracuse 20 Maryland at Wake Forest: Can the B B&T magic continue? Maryland got killed by FSU and struggled at Virginia. The magic will last another week Wake 27 Maryland 24. ODU at Pitt: First year D-1 school ODU is better than your average first year team. Pitt had better be ready. Pitt 45 ODU 38 Just maybe the football game of all time in the ACC. FSU at Clemson 8pm on National TV. When has there ever been an ACC game as late as October 19th draw this much attention. You have to go back to the Mack Brown teams at Carolina meeting FSU. If this game was played at Tallahassee I'd take FSU by three touchdowns but this is in Death Valley. I will take NOLEs 30-27. Yesterday Hunt girls volleyball team beat Fike in the championship game of the Big East Tournament. Fike the #1 seed had beat Hunt twice during the regular season and this championship game went to a dramatic 5th set. Northern Nash Beat Nash Central for third in the tournament.

Week Two Of Conference Play

I was 6-1 last week on the high school picks running my over all standings for the year to 52-9. Heading into week two of conference play for teams in the Big East have a 6 or 7 by their name. If it is on the W side of the won-loss column this time of year that is really good but if it comes on the L side it is not. Going to Start off with the game of the year in Private school football. Rocky Mount Academy traveling to Courtland Va to take on the defending State Champs Southampton Raiders. Those of you unfamilar with Courtland it is a bedroom community of the greater Tidewater area. I would compare it to Spring Hope being a bedroom community of Raleigh. Many people commute everyday all over the Tidewater area from Courtland. This will be a monster game. Don't be surprised if the loser scores fifty. As well as RMA is playing I hate picking against them but Southampton 64 RMA 52 We will drop down to the easy pick of the week Tarboro comes to Rocky Mount to play Rocky Mount Prep. All six losses for Prep they have given up 36 points or more. Make that seven after this week. Another week for Tarboro to take their foot off the gas which in the long run is not helping them get ready for the playoffs. Yes they are getting plenty of playing time for back ups which is good for next year. Tarboro 52-Rocky Mount Prep 0. In a game that nobody can afford to lose Northern Nash travels to Southern Nash. The Firebirds and the Hunt Warriors are almost a carbon copy. Northern did a good job defensively against Hunt but needed better execution from the offense. Don't think the Firebird defense is as good as Hunt so this could be interesting game. SN 19 Northern 14 Fike right now seems to be the cream of the crop in the Big East. Fike at this point has a better all round offensive game that what Rocky Mount was able to produce with Nash Central. Fike had better not pull a Clemson at look toward another week. The Bulldog defense just can't do it alone. Fike 26 Nash Central 6. Oh boy, the real toughie of the week. Don't know where Rocky Mount's running game has gone. I think what you saw at Northern is about the offense Hunt has and they will be in low scoring games all the way. A field goal could be the difference in this one and I like what Rocky Mount has done this year in field goals with Micah Varnell. Rocky Mount 16 Hunt 14. Bet that you didn't even know that Washington is now a member of the Eastern Plains 2-A and own a victory over Tarboro and two close losses to Havelock and West Craven. As far as SouthWest Edgecombe is concerned this is the championship game to get to the championship game. If the Cougars win this one then it should set up the last game of the season finale with Beddingfield. This one should be a dog fight. Washington 26 SWE 22. We have a college football game tonight at North Carolina host the resurgent Hurricans of Miami. Thursday night football seems to always pose an upset and I suspect there will be a QB change for Carolina which may help score more points. Their problem defense and not being able to stop anybody. The Hurricanes are better than any one thought this year and I can't pick Carolina with their defense Miami 38 NC 24

Our Sports Hero's Arn't Made Of Steel

News on Monday that UNC basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell has Leukemia has rocked the Triangle area and basketball world. Don't care which side of the fence you sit on sports has absolutely no meaning when a life is on the line. Hatchell who has become the 2nd winningest women's basketball coach in history will step aside from game day coaching and try to keep her hands in the day to day operations of UNC women's basketball as much as her health will allow. One national championship in her back pocket Hatchell still took a back seat to Kay Yow who is credited with creating women's college basketball in North Carolina. Like Yow Hatchell is in the basketball Hall of Fame. Like Yow has cancer. 61 years old there is no telling how long Hatchell could coach if healthy but our prayers go to her recovery. The largest crowd to ever see a college baseball game in North Carolina happened last year during the ACC baseball tournament when State and Carolina met. AlL these new teams being added to the ACC baseball teams will not play every team every year in conference play and State-Carolina will not play a three game series next year. They will play a single game on a Tuesday in April at the DBAP in Durham. I have to ask the question if baseball can figure out how to play at least once a year why can't State and Duke Play every year in football. Football is set up that you play everyone in your division and State and Duke are in opposite divisions and haven't played in several years. You know the year State plays at Duke most of the time it is the largest crowd Duke has that year because so many State fans go to the game. My grand mother told me years ago when I was a boy that only believe 3/4's of what you see and only half of what you hear. Our world is made up these days of people looking to find a way to bring anybody down any way they can. This picture of the Duke Basketball team holding guns at first glance you would say "what in the world are they doing". Then you find out the picture was taken at a shooting range on the Campus of the United State Military Academy when Coach K took his team there to see what our soldiers do to prepare to be officers. As far as I am concern that is a great teaching experience to his team about life. We have way too many people ready to jump and accuse without knowing the facts. Tuesday Rocky Mount Girls Tennis team won their opening round match in the 3-A playoffs beating Burlington Williams 6-0. Luckily there was no need to play the doubles but darkness would have been an issue it the doubles had to take place. Nash County spent 54 million dollars to buid a super great school. What is another $500,000 to put lights on a soccer field or tennis court when not having lights requires students to miss class time because events can't be play at 7pm because of no lights? If I understand the playoffs seedings now Rocky Mount will travel to Triton nex t Tuesday in the second round of the Duel tennis play offs. As expected Cardinal Gibbons beat Hunt 7-1

TV And Radio Commercials

Having spent many a day back in the stone age spinning records and playing commercials I thought it would be a good idea to have a training session on what you hear or see when you watch TV or listen to the radio. TV and radio stations are required to do so many minutes per week of public service. Sometimes they do it in the form of National Cancer Society ads or any public service group asking you to give money. In order to let you know what is up and coming they also do promos pushing up and coming shows or events on that station. When ever as they are called PSA's play(Public Service Announcements) the broadcast station donates that time and creates no imcome from it. The same for promos there is nobody paying them to run a promo and sometimes you get both promo's and PSA's in the same cluster of advertisments. When you see that you can think boy they must not be selling too much advertising to be playing all these promos. Yesterday I heard UNC running on the radio a package deal for the three remaining home games they have left and one of those games is the Duke game. Let me tell you right now, here we are in the middle of the football season and Carolina is still trying to sell out the Duke game. If you are a regular TV or Radio listener you will catch in April and May all the schools pitching their season ticket packages trying to sell out all of the games. Here it is October and any school still trying to fill the seats for any game now is in a lot of trouble. Guess What? It's not just Carolina but everyone is having trouble filling seats up every Saturday. The first sign of why people aren't going to the games would be how good the team has become as the season has unfolded. State, Carolina and you can now throw ECU into the disapointing department. Three weeks later you can see now that ECU beating Carolina wasn't all that much and the way things are now the State game could be the same. The next reason why people are not buying tickets is the cost of a per game ticket and the price of season tickets to any college team. I went to the grocery store over the weekend and when I came out I had $99 dollars worth in my arms. I had more money in my pocket when I made $1.65 an hour than I do now. There is a third reason why people don't go and this surely could be a Carolina problem. I hear it from many Carolina fans that they are still ticked at the Butch Davis fiasco and they way they got folks to buy the new enzone seats. The only way to make those folks forget is to have a winning team which will not be this year so the same problem will exist next year for them when it is time to buy season tickets. What all of this is saying is everybody is struggling to get by from the major TV stations to college athletics to you and me. This is the most unusual of times. Make pleny of money each week but don't have any two days after pay day. Sure can't buy a ticket to a ball game that way.