First Two Week Trends

The Rocky Mount  Gryphons have been impressive the first two weeks of the high school football season scoring  85 points.  They have scored on defense, special teams and even  a touchdown or two from their offense.  The closer we get to conference play the less teams will kick the ball to Rashawn Harris on punts.  If the late Charles Alston was still around Harris has to be close to the all time record on punt return touchdowns from last year and the early season this year.

The defense has allowed just seven points and the defense seems to be quick and to this point quicker than the first two games.  One more week until a trip to Rose an a meeting with SouthWest Edgecombe who will run right straight at them possibly taking away the quickness factor.

Northern Nash's defense had a hard time with the Northeastern speed.   The best way to off set quickness is occupy the ball on offense and score early and hope to wear out  the opposing defense in the fourth  quarter.  Up next for the Knights will be another fast team where to this point has had trouble holding onto the ball.  Northern has played Tarboro as well as any other non conference foe in recent years.  They will need to keep the Vikings out of the end zone.

Southern Nash so far has shown to be average on offense and average on defense.  That is not a good combination if this trend holds for the whole season.  I think if you ask any coach regardless of wins and losses is seeing players improve as the season progresses.  There is still four more non conference games to go before the playoff push begins.

The streak stands at 15 at Nash Central.  Their defense has been half way decent but the offense has had halves so far this season that they were non existent and it puts way too much pressure for the defense. The Hertford County non conference game may be their chance to break the streak in a couple of weeks.

North Edgecombe was very competitive against SWE  and that might lead them to be in that final game against Tarboro at seasons end with a chance for a conference crown or a high seed in the state playoffs.

We have gotten so use to expecting Tarboro to run all over everyone that it seems unnatural for them to act as mere mortals.  If they don 't do anything else this week is they need to be able to make the exchange between the center and quarterback.  Once they can do that then they can  focus on others parts of their game.

Rocky Mount Academy in two short years under BW  Holt has risen from the patsy to the hunted.  They have risen to the Level where Tarboro has been where they will be expected to win every game.   That is a new problem for the Eagles as they now have to learn to be ready to play regardless of the quality of the foe.

NC Wesleyan Opens Saturday Night

NC Wesleyan College will open their 2014 football season Saturday night when they play the first night game ever as they host Stevenson University.  Coach Jeff Filkovski hopes to improve on last years 2-8 record  and hopes to have better results than last years 19-9 lost at Stevenson in Baltimore County Maryland.  The 7pm kickoff will be at Rocky Mount Sports Complex.

While we are speaking of Wesleyan this falls under the category of it is never too late.  John Bracket who has been at points in his life at Wesleyan has been the women's basketball and softball coach at the same time.  Bracket will be part of the 2014 NC Wesleyan Hall Of a Fame. Bracket is in the top forty of all time softball wins in D3 history. He also served for 20 years as the women's basketball coach.

Just last night I got to watch the replay of the Georgia-Clemson football game in which Tarboro 's Todd Gurley scored four touchdowns and rushed for 198 yards.  Didn't 't realize that Gurley 's kickoff return was 105 yards but the NCAA doesn't 't recognize anything beyond 100 yards.  Now as a junior Gurley will more than likely turn pro next season if Todd can stay healthy something  he could not do last year he has gotten off to the type of start that every Heisman voters will be watching every game he plays.  It would not hurt if Georgia could win enough games to make the football playoffs.

One good thing about the Labor Day holiday is the PGA tour finishes on Monday.

Tony Stewart returned to Nascar racing this weekend after sitting out three weeks since he was involved in an accident which resulted in the on track death of a local New York State  driver.  Didn't last long as Stewart crashed after a flat tire.  Sure do miss Nascar not running at Darlington on Labor day.

Heisman Watch Todd Gurley

The pride of  Tarboro  Todd Gurley  puts his name front and center in the race for the Heisman Trophy as the best college football player as Gurley scores four times as a national tv audience watches.  Gurley set the all time all purpose yards for the Georgia Bulldogs getting 293 yards including a 100 yard kickoff return.  I had asked for 200 yards rushing  from Todd but he could only come up with a 198 yards rushing as the Georgia Bulldogs crush Clemson 45-21.

One point in time Carolina trailed 22-21 but scored at will after that to beat Liberty 56-29 to open the college football season.

Duke had little trouble with Elon as Duke wins their opener 52-13 over the Phoenix.

NC State pulls one out of the hat late just like they did with the first game of the season last year.  Only difference their quarterback heads to the second game healthy which didn't happen last year. Pack 24 Georgia Southern 23.

ECU with ESPN in the house had little trouble with North Carolina Central even after the Eagles score first.  The Pirates top 50 beating Central  52-7.

This college football season is under way and for the first time there will be a four team playoff.  The preseason  number one and two teams didn't play like they were the top two teams but a Florida State survives Oklahoma St 37-31 while Alabama beat West Virginia 33-23.

Today Campbell volleyball beat Wofford 3-0 and this afternoon Campbell beat Valparaiso in five sets winning set five 15-9.  After not winning a conference game two years ago and not making the  conference tournament  last year the Fighting Camels  are off to a 3-0 start and have a match with Duke on Tuesday and travel to Long Beach CA next weekend.  We will know about the Camels after next weekend.

Gryphons Dish It Out Vikings Dished

For the second week in a row the Rocky Mount Gryphons show speed and explosiveness and score the most points during the Jason  Battle era stomping JFWebb in Oxford 51-7.  Webb scored early but the Gryphons responded and by halftime had control.

The Gryphons go to 2-0 on the season and return home for their last home game in what will seem like the rest of the year when they host Hertford County next Friday.  Conference play will be well underway before the Gryphons will see the home turf after next week.

Hertford County hosted Hunt  and for a while it looked as if Hunt might start the season 0-2 but simply too much Warriors as Hunt wins their first game of the year 42-13 over Hertford County.  HC visits next week to Rocky Mount they will be 0-2 on the season.

Tarboro has had so much success this past decade but Friday night they got a dose of the real world and what it is like being on the other end  of a stomping.  Washington dishes the Vikings 51-7.  It took to the fourth quarter for the Vikings to find the end zone.

Rocky Mount Prep loses for the first time this year as Granville Central takes care of the Jags 45-16.

Friday night started the college volleyball season and the Doughtie's were in Durham to see Campbell get their season underway beating North Carolina Central 3-0.  Central was the scene last night of the Southern Durham Hillside  high school football game and I don't know how many fans the Central football field will hold but the stadium was jammed and Southern won the game 16-13.

The college football season gets underway today as State, Carolina, Duke and ECU all get their seasons underway at home.

Wrong Night To Play

Three of Nash County's four high schools chose to play on Thursday instead of Friday this week in order to allow players,fans and students to get as much of a three day weekend as possible and as it turns out they could have used another day to practice this week.

We all have our things in life we count down to get to one but in the case of Nash Central the count is upwards as the Bulldogs loss their 15th straight game tonight in their home opener losing to Kinston 41-12.  The first two weeks of the season the Bulldogs have given up 33 points to Tarboro and tonight 41 to Kinston while scoring Just 18.  They have been out scored 74-18 against  a 1A and 2A schools.

If you pay attention to my picks I told you this week had some really good games an I thought the Northeastern- Northern Nash game would be good one.  I thought it would be high scoring which it was for Northeastern.  Will be interested to see how the Eagles scored so many points.  Northeastern  48 Northern Nash 20.

Another good game which I thought would be high scoring was Southern Nash at Beddingfield.  Tonight Beddingfield opens some eyebrows and throttles the Firebirds by breaking a 7-7 tie and beat Southern Nash 19-7. Not a good night at all for the three Nash County schools as they  are  0-3 on the night.

What right now looks like the beast in the Big East is Fike rolls over Roanoke Rapids 41-7.

Leggett was the sight of what turned out to be a very competitive game as SouthWest Edgecombe beat North Edgecombe 22-12.

Rocky Mount Academy opened it's football season tonight whipping Halifax Academy 29-0.

Fike is showing the signs that they just might be the powerhouse of the Big East.  I think if you pull for North Edgecombe if you believe in good losses then you got one tonight.  They might be very good this year.  Don't know what to make of Northern's loss.  Thought that would be a better game.   Beddingfield may have made a statement that they could be the team to beat in Eastern Plains.

The college football season started tonight and where was SouthCarolina?  Where was the Wake Forest offense? 17-10 Louisiana La.

College Football Starts Tonight

The Deacons open the ACC and college football season on the road with a new coach in charge in Winston Salem.  They travel to Monroe Louisiana and play a team they lost to last year in Winston.  Don't think Deacs can pull this one out.  la- Monroe 36 WF 14.  The game will be on ESPN-U.

Villanova travels to Syracuse where Nova will give the Orange plenty but not enough Cuse 33 Nova 24.

UCLA at Virginia.  I doubt this one will be  will be close.  UCLA travels cross country and scorches the Cavs.  The Briuns 45 UVA 21.

Georgia Southern at NCState.  This is not going to be a blowout by any means but I suspect the Pack offense will be fine with their new QB as long as he stays healthy Pack 34 Georgia St 24.

Wofford at Georgia Tech.  This might be close for a half of the first quarter.  Rambling Wreck  62 Wofford 26.

UMass at Boston College.  How good is BC ?  Just good enough  to beat the minute men. 26-18.

Bill and Mary at Virginia Tech.  Tech hasn't had much offense the past few years and lived solely on it's defense.  I don't suspect this will be a run a way but the Techsters win 36-26.

It is time for the annual first game let's see what you got ACC  versus the SEC.  Clemson at Georgia. Tarboro's  Todd Gurley is being touted for the Heisman Trophy for the Bulldogs so I hope he gets 200 yards rushing.  Both teams looking at new quarterbacks and the hedges will be tough on Clemson
Dogs 31 Clemson 28.

Miami at Louisville  Is this a conference game or not?  Louisville has a new coach and have their first
Conference win 31-27.

Carolina host Liberty.  Carolina wins this one 44-34.  Two defensive backs suspended and the Heels didn't have much defense last year.

Labor Day Football Schedule Changes

There has been a trend over the past few years that several teams play on the Thursday night before the Friday night Labor Day weekend which gives many teams  three days off before practice on Monday.

Depending on what game you might want to go to Friday you had better check because almost half of our locals games are being played Thursday.  The Northeastern at Northern Nash is now on Thursday.            
Roanoke Rapids at Fike will be Thursday night this week.  The Kinston at Nash Central game is now on a Thursday.  All of the other games as far as I know right now are on for Friday night.  There has been one time change for the Rocky Mount JV game has been changed  to 6pm Thursday night instead of 7.  Since several Thursday Varsity games are moved to Thursday that pushes JV games if your JV team is playing to tonight.

Just found out that the defending State Champion Rocky Mount Academy opens it football season Thursday night hosting Halifax Academy.  The booster Club will be serving Spaghetti dinners  as a fund raiser before the game.

Hobbs Johnson's first full year in pro baseball is coming down the stretch  and his pitching record  is 11-8.  His ERA stands at 3.08 having pitched 141 innings for the Manatees  of  Brevard in the Florida State League.  He is second on the team in innings pitched, wins, and ERA.  It will be interesting to see if he is sent to fall ball in Arizona.

Brian Goodwin remains out with a shoulder injury.  I doubt this late in the minor league season that he returns this season.

The latest update on two former Rocky Mount Gryphon sons playing pro baseball.  Bill Merrifield 's son Whit has now played 69 games for the Kansas City Royals  triple A affiliate Omaha is still batting 339. He has played left field for most of those 69 games.

Sonny Wooten's son John who was promoted to Potomac the Upper A by the Washington Nationals about a month ago has played 18 games and is hitting 266.