A Needed Good Finish

Lauren Doughtie Cousin to yours truly has four weeks to go  until the Sentra Futures Tour championship tournament.  Lauren is outside the top fifty and if it was the top fifty on the LPGA that would lead to a very good season on tour, but this is the minor league tour and top fifty is a struggle to survive.

This weekend the tour made a stop in Richmond which since she is a resident of Suffolk this would be considered her home course on tour.  Two years ago Richmond didn't act like a home course as Lauren failed to make the cut.

Lauren opened with 71 on Friday which was good to be tied for 23rd.  Saturday Lauren shot her second best professional score carding a 67 which bumped her all the way to fourth 2 shots off the lead.  I can tell you being two shots out heading  into the final round sends the entire Doughtie clan into a frenzy.  Today Lauren shot a 70 giving her a three day total of -8 and alone in fourth place.

She won once in 2012 so this fourth is her second top five finish in her career now in her fourth on the Futures Tour and one on the big tour.  Her winnings today will hardly budge her upwards in money earnings but now with three regular tournaments to go she has momentum.  The goal for any on the minor league tour needs to finish the year in the top ten to automatically qualify for the LPGA without having to go to a qualifying school.

Today is day four of the American Legion World Series but opening day the Shelby Tournament broke the all time attendance record with more than 7,300 at the opening game Thursday afternoon. .  The all time record had stood since 1936. The next record to be broken is the all time tournament attendance record which is over 108 thousand set in 1938. There have been three games per day
giving every team three games.  The top four after today play Monday and Tuesday for the title.

Since Shelby became the  home to  the World Series. Three of the top five most attended days at the World Series have come in Shelby.  It is surely a good decision by the American Legion to move to Shelby just wish eastern North Carolina was a hotbed like that area is around Charlotte.

Right now is week two of the NFL four weeks of preseason football.  These games are being played in front of half empty stadiums due to the fact season ticket holders are required to buy the two preseason games as part of the eight game home football schedule.  Who wants to go watch no names who mostly will get cut play three quarters of the game after the starters are on the bench with baseball caps on.

There have been several games that I have watched that just before the half or after the score of the game was decided teams have gone in the victory formation and let the last few seconds of the half or games run out.  I thought that this was the time when those trying to make the team needed to shine.  I don't know many players that will make the team because they stand around really well after the center snaps the ball to the backup QB.  Why don't teams work on their two minute offenses with the second and third stringers on the field? How are these guys going to shine and impress anybody  in victory formation?

Monday high schools around the area will go into game week practices.  There are other fall sports team that will also begin their sports season this week and the next.  All teachers during their teaching careers in order to make higher incomes or if they want  to move in administration have to get certificates to continue their teaching skills.  Recently Rocky Mount High Athletic Director Michael Gainey received a certificate from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

The two time state champion basketball  coach wears two hats at RMHS being basketball coach and athletic director.  Everyone that plays a part  in educating our children regardless of job has to stay up to date in order to know the latest in education.

The professional golf tour is back in North Carolina in Greensboro this week and it is the last week of the regular season in golf.  Next week starts the four week playoffs and a month from now the Ryder Cup.  Scotland will host the Cup this year and one of the few times in the history of the Ryder Cup the US will not be the favorite.

Basketball Season?

The University of North Carolina basketball team is in the Bahamas this weekend and tonight lose to Providence Bahamas 83-82.  Too early in fact this is summertime to worry one way or the other about  how the Heels will be this doing this basketball season.

The American Legion World Series is underway  in Shelby NC and opening day was Thursday and the three game winners were New Jersey, Nebraska and Michigan.  The Southeast winner Florida lost opening day to Nebraska  and on Friday Florida lost their second game so the so called host team representing the Southeast is heading home.   Today Nebraska, New Jersey have won so far and Hawaii playing in their first game is winning tonight.

Only saw the last inning of the girl pitching for Pennsylvania today during the little league World Series as Penn beat Tennessee 4-0 on a shutout.  During my little league coaching days in the Tar Heel playoffs coaching in Ahoskie there was a girl in Plymouth who pitched during a district Tournament played in Ahoskie.  We never had to face her but I can tell you she killed us batting and when not pitching played first base.  Not only was she a good pitcher but she was the best first baseman in the tournament.

I know girls up to about about 12 years old some are as big as boys but then there is that growth spurt for boys to leave girls behind in size.  Can you amagine if this young lady was already playing fast pitch softball.  Who knows she might grow to be six feet and just might stay in baseball.  Wouldn't that be something when she is high school age.

Nash County Football Front And Center

Rocky Mount High School played host to six other teams tonight and for many it is their last chance to face a different colored uniform until the big night next Friday when the high school football season begins.

D H Conley dropped out of the four visiting teams so instead of all four Nash County squads getting four different teams to face it left them with only three while Southeast Halifax, Bertie and Knightdale got four Nash County squads to face.

I suspect by the end of the night the teams  glad to go home were Bertie and Southeast Halifax as each got four sessions on the field all against larger Nash County schools both in team size and school size.  Knightdale the only 4-A school held their own in both those categories.

As far as who looked the best it is hard to say but of the four Nash County schools  Northern Nash  defense was stout. Southern Nash was right on their heels and Rocky Mount held their own. Nash Central's defense did well.

The jamboree each team ran 20 plays that they started at the forty yard line and not many sustain drives were put together to get the ball in the enzone.  Each team got ten plays from the ten yard line and Northern, Rocky Mount and Southern all scored multiple times.  Nash Central struggled to move the football regardless of where the ball was.

My impression is Southern was the best Nash County team overall.  Northern struggled moving the ball during the twenty plays from 40.  Rocky Mount looked slow in the offensive line but running the spread showed team speed.

The varsity teams all played in the football stadium while the JV's were on the practice field.  If you could put all the crowd that were at both fields it was well attended but being spread out hard to see a crowd.

Found out tonight Brian Goodwin has hurt his non throwing shoulder sliding into a base and is on the injured list for the Syracuse Chiefs.  This will surely be a setback for Brian in his  quest to be the starting center fielder for the Washington National in 2015.

Coach Wants To See You

If you saw the movie Bull Durham there is that call that the coach wants to see you and every player trying to make it to the majors wants to hear.  Luke Laloose  got word that he was heading to the majors.  Crash Davis got word that the team was releasing him  and now what can an old player do.

Last night Xavier Macklin got word that he was being released  by the Gateway Grizzlies in the Frontier League. The  Frontier league is made up of players who are not signed by any professional team hoping their play will get noticed and someone will ask them to try out with their ball club next year.

Macklin was down to a 201 batting average which is last in batting average in the league.  Is this the end of X Man's dream? He is still young enough  24 and he has been coming off  surgery where he had Tommy  John  Surgery a couple years ago. If it is not where might he turn?  No where for the remainder of this summer but across the big pond might be next if X Man decides he hasn't given up hope yet.

The good year for Hobbs Johnson Continues.  He is  now 11-7 on the season pitching in the Florida State League for Brevard.  His ERA has dipped below three to 2.85 and he is two innings pitched from having pitched the most innings this season for the Manatees.  It will be interesting to see what happens next season for Hobbs.  He should as well he has pitched be invited  to the AA spring training and just might get work this fall in Arizona.

Mystery remains on where Brian Goodwin  is as he had played in almost every game the Syracuse a Chiefs had played in and for Brian that was 81 games but hasn't seen the field in about six weeks.  Minor league baseball does not give a player injury update like the majors do  and since he is not on any other teams roster we have to assume he is injured.  Brian has been on the fast track to the majors but his 219  batting average has slowed his progress.  The season is running out  and we need help in finding out how Brian is doing.

Head Knocking

Tonight for the first high schools around North Carolina could meet up with someone else on the other side of the line of scrimmage that had a different football helmet on.  Louisburg and Northern Vance paid a vist to Rocky Mount.

Mixed results for the Gryphons as at times moved the ball showing their speed and at times the offensive line didn't get off their blocks well.  The defensive side of the ball just like the offense  at time showed speed and at times looked small.   Over all about what all coaches expect there is still plenty to work on before the first game two Friday's from now.

I don't know if  the American Legion Southeast Regional could have had a better ending.  Florida scored two runs in the top of the ninth and then had to survive Asheboro getting two runners on second and third in the bottom of the ninth to win the Regional 8-7.  You have to hand it to Asheboro.  They were the last seeded team and only played in the regional because they were hosting the event and yet they made it all the way to the last pitch and almost won it all.

If you have ever looked at my profile I have as one of my top ten favorite movies is Mrs. DoubtFire.  My favorite line in the movie is where Priece Bronson is sitting in the bar by the pool and Robin Williams throws a lemon or some type of fruit that hits Bronson beside the head.  Mrs DoubtFire turns to look to see who threw it and of course Williams upset because his wife is dating someone else had thrown it and he makes the statement "a drive by Fruiting".  Williams of course made the line up on the spot during filming and to me it is a screamer of a line.  I am snickering now as I write this because I find it a very funny line.

Monday Robin Williams died and his death was self inflicted.  As far as comedians are concern he was the master of all.  However I do think the news media has over blown  his death and I don't think there needs to be wall to wall coverage.  An hour special would have been plenty.  Isn't it funny that all of a sudden nothing else is happening in the world. Last week the Middle East was on the verge of war and tonight it's back page news.  The world is still in turmoil.

Coaches Pick Fike

This morning the Big  East held media day and the main attraction is the football coaches being interviewed by local media and then the coaches vote on who they think will win in football.  The coaches voted for Fike as the top team followed by Hunt.  Three through five were Northern Nash, Southern Nash and Rocky Mount.  Nash Central was voted to finish last.  Tuesday night both Rocky Mount and Nash Central will be holding Srimmages before the big one Thursday night.

Tonight Florida is playing the host team from Asheboro in the final game at the southeast regional of the American Legion playoffs in Asheboro.  Asheboro has made a mess for everyone in this tournament  by beating everyone they were suppose to lose to, In fact the one undefeated team Asheboro beat them last night to give them their first loss but Florida by virtue of being the last unbeaten had already qualified to play in the finals.

This afternoon Asheboro beat South Carolina who had lost to Florida in the winners bracket showdown game and as we speak Asheboro  is playing Florida with the winner heading to the American  Legion World Series in Shelby later  this month.

This weekend racing In a local track in upstate New York Tony Stewart  bumped a local racer into the wall and as all racers do the racer  jumps out of his car and while running towards Stewart's car points his finger at Stewart's  and he somehow runs  over and killed the driver that he spun out.

The media has already sentenced Stewart to death as most are accusing him of murder. I would advise all since we only know what we have seen from a couple of clips that none of us know what Stewart saw and we should not convict until all the facts are in.

My Grandma told me that only believe  three quarters  of what see and only believe half of what hear.  So when you add up what you saw and what you heard only believe two thirds of what you see and hear. In the case of this tragic death of a race driver let 's let all the fact come out.

Finally are the rumblings about the 18th hole of the PGA finish Sunday letting the final two groups play the final hole together almost.  Me as a spectator sitting home I wanted to see a champion last night and I got it.  I didn't have to go on line Monday morning to find out who won.  If the PGA officials could have done better was maybe play threesomes starting so late in the afternoon after the heavy rains.  Here is one other villian in this deal.  How much pressure did TV put on the PGA officials to finish Sunday night. You know CBS didn't want to let the Golf Channel show the last hole Monday morning.