Basketball Saturday!!!! Maybe

It has already been prearranged that if there was no school on Friday and if  it is determined at noon Friday that it will be ok and safe sports  and after school activities will resume on Saturday.  If you remember two weekends ago when school was out on Friday and all after school activities suspended  it was decided to allow activities  on Saturday.  Last Saturday's games were to make up games and had nothing to do with school out.

Well, school is out again Friday so the decision will be made by noon after officials have a chance to check to see if the temperatures help melt the snow and ice as well as it did Thursday.  The forecast says the temp will be a little higher than today not much.

If games are played Rocky Mount will travel to Northern Nash.  Nash Central will be at Southern Nash and Hunt will travel to Fike.  All games not finished in the regular season will not be played and the Big East Tournament will begin Monday at Rocky Mount High. That will leave four teams playing only nine conference games as Nash Central at Northern Nash and Hunt at Southern Nash will not be made up.

Rocky Mount High School is suppose to be host the Eastern Regional Wrestling Tournament Friday and Saturday but with school out Friday the earliest it can start now is Saturday assuming safety it is determined.  If the tournament had started Friday Saturday would normally be championship day but the NCHSAA says it may allow Sunday finals.  You can best bet believe they will do everything they can to finish Saturday night if it means wresting at midnight.

Another activity that is suppose to come off Saturday night is "One Voice"  at Rocky Mount High's Black Box Theatre 7pm. This is the program the IB students at RMHS put on each year and the money raised from this talent show is given to a program of need.  This year all money raised is going to the UNC Cancer  Center in honor of Former RMHS IB student Holly Fryer  who two years removed  from Rocky Mount High continues her fight with cancer.

Can both events go on wrestling and one voice go on at the same time.  Another problem  Rocky Mount High playing basketball at Northern may be over at just about curtain time for one voice.

The NCHSAA  has said they may lift the no Sunday sports for North Carolina schools this year due to the fact this winter especially the last three weeks has been rough.  That way Wrestling could finish on Sunday if needed.  Another concession made by the NCHSAA is they will allow teams to play four games next week and they will be allowed to do it Monday Through Friday because all basketball has to finish Friday night in order for basketball seeding for the playoffs can be complete by  6pm Saturday night.

To say the least the past three week's weather has been as bad as what year was it 1980 when eastern North Carolina in some spots got two feet of snow.  The one thing I remember about that storm was the only time I have ever seen thunder and lightening while a blizzard was going on.

Another Day Lost, Won't be last

Another day of school is lost and with it another day to try to finish the regular season basketball of the Big East.  I hope you don't feel there is hope for school on Friday.  If there is no school Friday there is simply no way to finish the regular season by Saturday which will make it spill over till Monday the supposedly first day of the Big East tournament.  I have no idea what the rule is about starting the tournament Monday based on the standings as of today.  Since all playoffs seedings are based on regular season standings.  Seems to make more sense to finish regular season.

You know the weather must be really bad when they will postpone the Duke-Carolina game over the objections of ESPN.  Game is rescheduled for Feb 20th.

Heard on TV while watching the State-Wake game on Tuesday an interesting fact.  Florida State won the national championship in football, Syracuse is right now number one in basketball and the preseason baseball poll has Virginia number one in baseball.  Seems as if ACC is the power conference of the nation.

Here is Joe fan who really has no reason to think that this is a possibility but I think the Wolfpack will win Saturday at Syracuse.  State hasn't gotten that signature win yet and the Cuse is not blowing folks out lately.  I don't care who you are the pressure mounts the longer a win streak gets and I think the Orangemen have been playing lately to not lose over playing to win.  Now that I have said this State will probably lose by 30.  Should they beat Syracuse  that would probably turn around and lose at Clemson next week.

The NFL has thrown around the idea that they might drop kicking an extra point and go to some variety of running for one or two points.  It makes no sense to me to mess with the extra point but I think something that would really open up the game is eliminate a field goal inside the red zone
and make you go for it on fourth down inside the 20.  Think about the possibilities.

I hate the field goal when a team is on the one yard line.  I think having to give it up or score would make teams try to score more when they are on the fifteen yard line.  The NFL wants more scoring but what I think what fans want is more gambling type situations. Folks go to Nascar to see the wrecks and teams going for broke gives more opportunity to mess up when you don't score but rewards those that are successful.

Let's Play What If

Ok school is out again today and with it goes another possible day to get regular season games in the books.  Hunt, Southern Nash, Northern Nash and Nash Central all have two games left to play.  Let's be honest, if this storm brings ice as promised I doubt there will be any school for the rest of the week.  If the regular season spills into next week there is a good chance the Big East Tournament could be cancelled or shortened.

Rocky Mount and Fike only have one game left but if Friday night games are lost due to the weather you know that those extra games say Nash Central at Northern lost for tonight probably will be set for Saturday, if that happens that throws RM/NN is pushed to Monday.  What if the weather is so bad Saturday is out.  The NCHSAA hand book states that all tournament games must be completed by Friday before the Saturday Playoff seedings. If it takes to next Tuesday to finish the regular season that leaves three days to play ten tournament games and that is not likely.

In order to save some of the tournament only the top four seeds could play on Wednesday but here is another hand book issue.  The rule book states that a team can play four games in a week as long as one is one Saturday.  A tournament final on Saturday is out because the tournament must be finished by Friday.

Looks to me the only way to save the tournament this year is everyone with two games plays Saturday and everyone only has one left on Monday.  The weather forecast if it is true it would take a miracle to get back in school on Friday.

The biggest issue of all should the tournament gets canned is why try to play the final two games on Monday and Tuesday.  Any playoff team would go six days without playing so it would make since to me to say play the Rocky Mount-Northern next Wednesday.  All of this conjecture is of course base on school being shut down for rest of the week.  If they could get back in school Friday all the worlds problems will be solve and the tournament will go on.

Here Comes The Defense

Those of you that have been wondering about the Rocky Mount  High school basketball team and what is wrong with them losing seven games so far this year. I think I see one of the biggest problems that is finally getting better.  Defense.  Just think all teams have had this problem since the first of January, practice time.  Everyone played only once two weeks in a row first for exams and then a third week got caught for snow and only played one again.  All these multi game weeks doesn't give teams time to practice so there has been plenty of sloppy play the last month.

Ever since Rocky Mount was behind to Fike at the half Rocky Mount has now put together ten quarters of defensive basketball. They out scored Fike by 14 in the second half powered by defense.  Saturday the defense was quicker than the Nash Central Bulldogs and tonight the defense came to play.

The Gryphons forced 23 Firebirds turnovers mostly the second and third quarters. Sure looks to me like all of a sudden the Gryphons have a want to on defense that they have not shown all season.  Playing their last regular season home games Dante Battle and Emanual King took it upon themselves to try to get every rebound.  Battle had 12 boards and 24 points while King also had a double double getting 12 and 12.  The defense creating turnovers Isaiah Alston took advantage getting 17 points.

The end of the first quarter was 16-15 Gryphons but from that point on it was all Gryphons until the subs took over. they lead by 46-22 at the half, 70-29 after three and the final of 81-52.

We already know that if the Lady Gryphons can't do anything else you can count on the defense even when the offense  is struggling.  Tonight the D made the offense look good as the Lady Gryphons slowly pull away from the Lady Birds of Southern Nash 63-36.

Michelle Gainey lead the way for the Gryphons as she scored 14 during the Gryphon surge to pull away.  Carmen Richardson lead the scoring with 16.  Tyreka Nicholson lead the Lady Birds with11.  Rocky Mount won the rebound battle 53-30 lead by Keyanna Spivey with 11 but 12 Gryphons got at least one board.

Both Gryphons teams go to 7-2 in league play and by beating Southern tonight the boys clinch second and will get a bye in next weeks Big East Tournamnet which will be held at Rocky Mount starting Monday.  I haven't heard who won the Nash Central -Hunt game so I can't say the Lady Gryphons clinched second.  If the weather allows they finish the regular season Friday night at Northern.

Hunt clinched first in the Big East in boys basketball ripping Nash Central 75-47.  Northern girls clinched first in girls play beating Fike. Fike boys beat Northern 68-60.  Found out tonight this is the year only three teams from the Big East make the playoffs.  I talked with Robbie Kennedy AD at Southern and they plan to move Wenesday's Hunt game to Tuesday if they can make it through no early school dismissal on Tuesday. I would think Northern and Nash Central might do the same.

Weather Threatens Final Week

Senior night for Rocky Mount High has been moved to tonight due to possible snow or ice starting Tuesday!!!!


Hunt High has a game and a half game lead with one week to go and for them that means three games and the weather forecast doesn't look like this will be good week for many.  Cold weather is here and a couple of low pressure systems are coming from the south and if the temperature is right that is most of the time how we get big snows or ice.  Should weather prevent games this week what happens?

Hunt 7-0 has their last home game scheduled Tuesday hosting Nash Central 0-7.  If they win as they should then they win the regular season. Wednesday they travel to Southern Nash 5-2 who is still in the fight with Rocky Mount for second.  Hunt finishes up Friday at arch rival Fike 3-5.

Rocky Mount 6-2 right now on schedule with two games Southern  Nash Tonight and at Northern on Friday. Looks as if tonight will determine second as the worse Rocky Mount  could finish is four losses and the worse for them is third place.  Southern with three games this week could fall to fourth should they not win any of their three games. If they win them all they will finish in second.

Fike 3-5 at this point could still get third but they would have to win both their games if Southern loses all three of theirs.  Northern 1-6 could still finish 4th and make the playoffs with a trifecter  win week and two Fike losses.  Nash Central is left to play out the schedule as they still look for their first win in conference but if they could get win all three of their games and Fike and Northern lose all theirs there is still playoff hope

Don't be surprised if all Tuesday games aren't moved to tonight as after the snow from two weeks ago has force everyone into multi three games or more weeks and both Rocky Mount and Fike having moved their game to Monday two weeks ago are the only two team with a normal week scheduled this week. Everyone else should have learned a lesson from them that when the weatherman warns the best deal is play ahead of schedule.

All Northern 7-0  girls need to do is win Tuesday to clinch first but Rocky Mount 6-2, Hunt 4-3 Nash Central 3-4 and Southern Nash 3-4 could all finish in second at 6-4.  If that happens the second place bye is up for grabs for anybody.

Will certainly be an interesting week to see what might happen to next weeks Big East Tournament should schools windup out for a couple of days this week with all the games still left on the regular season schedule.

Dominant All Day

Gryphons moved Tuesday night's Big East basketball game with Southern Nash to Monday night in  order to beat impending possible bad weather coming in Tuesday.  JV girls will start  at 3:45 followed by the  JV  boys and varsity girls about 6:30 andvarsity boys to follow.

Rocky Mount High caught up with the basketball schedule Saturday playing their third game of the week.  Only Fike and Rocky Mount will play the regular Tuesday-Friday next week as everyone else in of the Big East have three left to play.

Nash Central came to RMHS with both their varsity teams looking for the girls a victory over one of the top Big East teams while the boys just wanted a victory.  What happened was a total mismatch in both games.  Rocky Mount girls scored 37 in the first half which is more than Lady Bulldogs scored for the game.  Final Rocky Mount 60 Nash Central 33.  The   Boys game wasn't much better as the winless Bulldogs in conference play stay that way as The Gryphon  boys roll 73-39.

Carmen Richardson lead the Lady Gryphons with 19 and she lead in rebounding getting 9 of the Gryphons 48.  The Lady Bulldogs could grab only 20 as a team.  Rocky Mount jumped to a  19-5 first quarter lead but they caused 9 turnover in the opening sprint.  By games end NC had 30 turnovers but Rocky Mount using the bench at will had 32 by games end but were never threatened.  Kathryn Wilkins scored  12 for the Lady Bulldogs.

I don't believe Nash Central has any player over six feet three so you know they are in for a long night trying to get to the basket against the taller Gryphons.  What made this and even longer night is the Gryphons were even faster than the Bulldogs.

The Gryphons caused 26 turnovers while only misplacing the ball 13 times.  They out rebounded Nash Central 39-24 and anytime the turnovers and rebounds is that much of a mismatch then unless you make every shot the score is going to be lopsided.

Immanuel King lead the Gryphon scoring with 18.  Dante Battle got the most rebounds with 9 but the Gryphons had a total of 11 players to score and 11 got a rebound or more. Aaron Spivey  scored 23 for the winless Bulldogs.

Over at Northern the Lady Knights remain unbeaten beating Hunt 52-44 while the Hunt boys stay on top and unbeaten in conference beating Northern 74-59.  Next Friday night ends the regular season for the Big East and the conference Tournament starts Monday Feb. 17th.

A big shout out tonight for  Nash Central's Damien Silver as today he is a state champion. As he has won the 3-A 55 meters hurdles at the state indoor track championships.

Shift In The Standings

The big game of the night in the Big East was the top team in the league Hunt 5-0  going up against the upstart of the league Southern Nash 4-1.  Most of us in the business who are suppose to be  die hard know it all's have been whispering that the 4-1 start Southern has had has come at the hands of the bottom tier of the league. As soon as Hunt gets hold of them they will get put in their place. It is of course no fault at all that every time a game that snowed out it came to a team in the upper  crest of the league.

Well Hunt put them their place alright beating the Firebirds 62-50.  I would say that is a pretty good account of themselves considering no one else in the league has played the Warriors at Hunt as close. Hunt heads to Northern Nash Saturday at 6-0. Southern 4-2 will travel to Fike Saturday  Hunt girls beat Southern  62-52.

Something had to give tonight as Northern Nash traveled to Nash Central where both teams were seeking their first conference win.  Both at the halfway point stand at 0-5.  The Bulldogs lead late but The Knights pull out their first conference win winning 46-45.  Nash Central gets their chance at revenge as they travel to Northern Tuesday. Saturday Northern host Hunt while Nash Central will be at Rocky Mount.

I have not had much time since the Super Bowl to speak about the rout.  It seemed almost from the kickoff that Seattle had taken a five hour energy drink while Denver had on a pair of cement boots.  By the half time kickoff the game had become unwatchable.  I stuck to the end to just see how bad it was going to be.

On the way home work today as I rode by Wesleyan and there was a baseball game going on at Bower field.  Didn't it snow last night.