Last Chance To Prepare For Conference

Last week went 7-2 for the second week in a row to run my over all record for this high school now stands at 35-10.  Several teams need to get themselves in order while several just need to refine what is working.  Limited schedule this week as both Tarboro and SouthWest Edgecombe are off

Rocky Mount@Triton:  Two years ago when these two signed to play each other both needed each other for a quality non conference game.  Not this year as Triton is winless and after what Rocky Mount has faced the last two weeks they need to play a quality team to get their house in order. A romp will not do them any good.  If this one is close then Rocky Mount has big problems.  Gryphons 35 Triton 13

Rocky Mount Prep@ SE HAlifax:  Two wins on the season but three will not come this week as SEH will host and take down the Jags.  SEH 32 Prep 16

Northern Nash @Smithfield Selma:  I like it when conference foes take on the same teams that others have played. Last week Fike played SSS and this week Northern.  I think Northern gets settle for conference with another big win.  Northern 44 SSS 13

Beddingfield @Hunt:  This  is big one in Wilson County.  So far Hunt hasn't played to the level we consider Hunt like while Beddingfield lost by 25 to Fike.  This will be closer.  Hunt 26 Beddingfield 20.

Nash Central @ Hillside:  Hillside has been picked to be one of the best in 4-A the last two years and they have never quite gotten to that level of superior.  Despite that they are plenty good to handle Nash Central who has proven to be a bottom feeder again this year.  Hillside 52-Nash Central 20

South Johnston @Fike:  Not close at all Fike 53 SJ14

Lawrence Academy @ RMA : The Eagles soar again as they take down the visitors from Bertie County.  49-14.

Just about all the Big East teams will be off next week as two weeks the conference plays starts for them.  As far as the Big East is concerned looks like Fike is the team to beat as thought and Hunt and Northern chasing close behind.  Question marks remain about Rocky Mount and Southern while Nash Central needs to have something good to happen to them

Bad Week For A Bye

If I was Ruffin McNeil I would want to play somebody this week after winning as Carolina calls it ECU's Super Bowl.  Two weeks off before a Poor SMU team might not be the best thing for the Pirates resting on their laurels. Last week had a mediocre 6-4 record losing both games played in Rocky Mount to extend my college pick record to 36-10 for the season.

 Congratulations to Shaun Draughn from Tarboro high extending his life in the NFL after being dropped by the Bears.  The San Diego Chargers picked him up Wednesday to replace injured  Danny Woodhouse and Ryan Matthews.  Draughn has played in a total of 22 NFL games to date having played on special teams in the Bears first two games this year. His career so far he has made the teams he has played for as a special teams player with back up running back where he has been able to lumber for 256 career rushing yards.  Unless you have Direct tv NFL package should see the Chargers a lot on tv after this week.  They play the lowly Jacksonville Jags so no National coverage this week.

Western Michigan @ Virginia Tech:  The Hokies need to beat somebody and it might as well be W Michigan.  36- 22

Colorado State @ Boston College: Here's one that I know nothing about the Rams.  This game is as BC so I pick them  36-28

Akron @ Pitt:  This is one of those games at the end of year you can't afford to lose.  Pitt 37-13

Florida State @ NC State:  I think the Pack is better than what people realize and I don's see FSU # 1 for long.  Just quite can't pull the trigger for N C State but I think this is a great game.  FSU 26 Pack 23

Kent State @ Virginia:  Hoos all the way  44-14

Wake Forest @ Louisville:  Have you ever noticed that the Deacs win games when you don't think they have a chance, but not this week   36-18 the Cards.

NC @ Clemson:  Who can win a game when both teams should be spitting nails after the losses last week.  Clemson gave one away while Carolina gave way.  Clemson 35 Carolina 24

Duke @ Miami:  Might be the hardest game in the country to pick this week.  I believe in CUT  Duke 38 Miami 34

Notre Dame @ Syracuse:  If Maryland can beat the Cuse so can the Irish.  37-23

N C Wesleyan @ Ferrum:  The Battling Bishops are hard to figure out.  Ferrum 32-NCW21

NFL Good Week Of Picks

Last week went  13-3 to jump  to 33-15 on the year. Picked road teams Chargers and Steelers beating undefeated on the road.   Six teams start the week off process so there is only 13 games coming up this week including the unnessary game in London.  Here we go looking for a perfect week.

The lowly Giants come to Washington to face  the much improved offense of the Redskins but look there is also the defensive side to every team.  I think Skins win in DC or Landover wherever Fed Ex Field is.  31-17

Green Bay at Chicago.  What is wrong with Green Bay? They have the look of a team that once they put it together could be trouble for every one.  But, right now they look like a machine needing oil.  Bears at home 26-23.

Buffalo at Houston.  On the road lost to the Giants,  This is a real flip a coin game.  This game will tell us a lot about Buffalo.  I can't put money on Emanuel on the road but the Bills have a defense.  Low scoring  Houston 19 Buffalo 12.

Tennessee at Indy:  Tennessee just can't score enough to win this game Colts 41 Tenn 21

Carolina at Baltimore:  I'm still not sold on Cam even when he's healthy.  He has type injuries he  keeps playing will not be healthy this year.  D will keep it close but Baltimore is my pick 26-17

Detroit at Jets:  Which Lions team shows up? Which Jets team shows up?  Detroit wins 17-12.

Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh:  Tampa will be better with Mike Glennon at quarterback their only problem
 Is Tampa is not very good. Pittsburgh 34 Tampa 20

Miami at Oakland:  look out the Raider nation wins this one 23-20.

Jacksonville at San Diego: My only worry about this game is will the Chargers lose one they ought to win and spoil their start against quality teams.  Jax is a breeze if Chargers show up. 35-13 Chargers

Philadelphia at San Fransico: Frisco doesn't look like the power team they have been lately.  Philly scores but they give up a lot too. oh boy, who to pick in this one?  I'll takes Niners but don't know why 32-27.

Falcons at Vikings:  I think the Vikings are playing ok or better than everyone thinks.  Atlanta needs a  win as so Far New Orleans not playing well and Panthers have a five week stretch of contending  teams.  A win on the road and it might be the Falcons who are the NFC South's best team.  Don't think so Viking 24 ATL 20

New Orleans at Dallas: Don't know yet about the Saints but if the Boys want to be more than a win one lose one team they need this one.  Saints keep the Boys being the Boys  37-24

New England at KC:  So far Pats not very impressive and KC  is acting better than expected.  This game will tell us about Brady and company.  KC 27 New England 23

The NFL is a league where the best team is only a touchdown better than the worse in most cases games come down to the one that wants it the most.  It is hard to bet against a team that is desperate over a team that is fat and happy.  Find it hard to see any team in the league being better than 12-4 but somewhere there will be somebody that will be 13-3 or better.

At Least A Few Moments Without Ray Rice Talk

I told you Friday night of our trip to University of Maryland Eastern Shore to follow Campbell volleyball over the weekend.   Yes we found a motel room for Friday night and we made a decision to come home Saturday night after volleyball which ended around 8:30 pm.   By the way Campbell won the tournament and heading to this weekend conference play starts they stand 8-7 having lost to four teams in the volleyball top 50.

So at 8:30 we head home to Rocky Mount which is about a 4 hour and 45 minute trip.  We had to stop in Franklin Va. To get 2.99 a gallon gas so we pull in the driveway at 1:40 am.  I did an unforgivable and did not go to church Sunday so by the time I got up the NFL pregame shows are on all the channels.  It didn't take long to tire of the Ray Rice talk.  Please Sunday is game day lets stick to football instead of who lied, who knew and who knew what when.  I really at this point am ready to rid the Ray Rice talk about the same as all the political ad lies all over TV.  I turn off the football shows to watch a  1950 black and white movie.

The football was worth watching as for almost all the games I didn't hear the name Ray Rice once.  We live in the moment these days and if the Super Bowl was Sunday I think Phoenix would represent the NFC and at this point the AFC is more wide open.

I don't think New England will be around by the conference championship game.  Indy gives up too many points,  despite losing to Seattle I can see the Denver D is better but there is no way their offense can have the year they had last year. I see San Diego giving everyone in the AFC trouble.  Cincy looks as good as anybody but I need to see more when the tough games start. This is of course  only week three  so next week everything will completely change.

I find it hard to believe having heard some of the comments coming from the Carolina football players after the A Stomping they took.  This game means more  to ECU than us.  It's their Super Bowl.  College players need to realize that it is a privilege to play college football and when injury can strike on any play and your college career could end they need to act as if every game is their Super Bowl. 

Comments like these are some of the reason you hear people say ABC anybody but Carolina.  There is an attitude in Chapel Hill that they are better than everyone else and I don't know how you can become better until you admit that you had your head handed to you on a silver platter.  It is obvious  since Mack brown left that Carolina football is an elite program right?  Until they humble themselves Carolina will be an also ran  because until you admit we are not as good as we think they will never get better.

The Futures  Tour season ended Sunday and Cousin Lauren Doughtie finished 49th on the year leaving her to hope to make the LPGA in November when they have a qualifying school when only 4 or 5 out of 144 will make the tour.  Her scoring average was 73.48 while the top money winner averaged 71.22.  Even with our hopes of being on the LPGA tour 73.48 will not cut it so it will be better to come back to the Futures Tour next year.

It's Time To Regroup

If you are a member of the Gryphon and Tar Heel football teams today you have to take long looks at yourself.  Both teams lacked defense.  Both have major issues to take care of quick.

The Rocky Mount Gryphons can be given a pass for the effort against Greenville Rose.  If you recall I did mention late that Rose put their first team back in the game long after the outcome was decided and why in the world would they do that unless there was something during the game that Rose felt like sticking it to the Gryphons.  I certainly don't think that's very smart by Rose risking injury.

Fast forward to Friday night and the Gryphons have 15 penalties including the coaching staff.  There is no other way to say it but the Gryphons lacked discipline when the game doesn't  go their way.  Coach Battle has vowed to work on that at practice Monday.  This is the sixth week of the season and kind of late to start on something that should have been part of your coaching from day one.

Larry Fedora has been able to scores points since he has come to Chapel Hill but the Tar Heels embarrassed the entire Tar Heel nation giving up 70 against a team they don't consider a rival but you had better believe the Pirate Nation does.  Oh yeah they let those guys from the east to paste more than 50 on them last year.

You have to look no further than lasts years Super Bowl to see that great offenses can be stopped by by a great defense.  This world we live in now of high scoring offenses have only one problem when they score quickly is the other teams gets the ball quickly too and then you need to stop them.  If Carolina ever wants to be a great team they need to do what Mack Brown did and and become a great defense.  If the other side doesn't score you don't have to score that many to win.  Fans come to see winners and as long as you win fans will come.

All of you know that I am Philip Rivers fans and it looks like for the first time since his first year as an NFL starter the Chargers have a defense that will allow Rivers and company to make a real run at a deep run in the playoffs.  There is no doubt that allowing Rivers to call plays  at the line of scrimmage after looking at coverages is made for him. So far the three teams the Chargers have played they are a combined 7-2 and the two were administered by the Chargers.

The world we live in where you can go on line and see the daily interviews  done by your favorite team and I like what I hear from Mike Mccoy the Charger head coach.  He preaches discipline something that the Chargers have lacked in the past.  Any team has to hope they stay away from injuries to their vital players.  If the Chargers stay healthy I like their chances.

Great Day To Be A Pirate

My early years in life before you had to buy season tickets I spent many Saturdays in Ficklin Stadium.  The Names of Zack Valentine, Mike Weaver, Sam Harrell and Ruffin McNeil spewed from the Pirate PA during at the time the Pat Dye era.

I liked Mcneil not only because of his play but there was something about the PA way of saying Ruffin McNeil.  I guess for me it was having a last name first kind of deal.  Even though I loved McNeil for his play at ECU I had my doubts of bringing a defensive coach from Texas Tech  to Pirateland because at the time Tech had to score 50 to win most games.

Five years into the McNeil era the Pirates stand with a excellent chance of not losing another game this season  but they will be coming off the greatest day in a Pirate history.  There have been many great wins in Ficklin-Dowdy but yesterday now will be the game that every Pirate fan will always tell they were there whether they were or not.

Most were there to witness the stomping of a life time in a Pirate Land.  Last week the Pirates went to Virginia Tech who is still living off memories instead of reality.  The Pirates win there last  week tempered somewhat with Georgia Tech winning in Blacksburg yesterday.  The Pirate win over Carolina will only be impressive if Carolina wins their division not if they wind up 5-7 or 6-6.

You have heard me speak of this before that yes ECU falls into the category of a wanna-bee where they dream of being  an Alabama type program and the weeks after great victories fall to the nobodies of the world And all college D 1 programs in North Carolina fall in to this area.  Today maybe after the greatest day in regular season Pirate football history the Pirates are on the threshold of taking a step to get beyond a wanna-bee.

Today the Pirate nation can dream of by the end of the season hearing the Pirates in the discussion of maybe be considered for the the football playoffs.  The problem the Pirates have now as there is nobody left on the schedule that could add to the impression needed with the selection committee.  There are plenty left that could knock them off the consideration list.

All the way back to the days of Clarence Stasavich the Pirates have been a football school.  Twice in the 60's they played in the Tangerine Bowl when that was a bowl game for small colleges.  The Pirates stand on the verge of a January 1 Bowl game.  Don't let up keep pouring it on a Pirates.

Swinging Of The Pendulum

I think if we are all truthful with ourselves we know the the art of running fast, shooting the basketball and hitting the baseball when we find out our children can do it early on in life is a fast track to glory.  When ever any child or even in college steps out of line our discipline is pat them on the back and say don't do that again.

Those that make it to professional sports after all the years of never having to miss a game because their transgressions they think they can do anything they want.  Athletes who are over paid and now live a life of nobody is going to tell me no.

We have seen recently in the NFL that never telling them no has lead to child abuse, wife beating and seems forever drug usage.  Roger Goddell has for several years punished players for drug use but now those punishments are not strong enough.  You and I know if you get a DWI and call in to work and say I'm in jail be there soon your desk will be cleaned out as soon as you arrive.

The problems facing the NFL now were not started by the NFL just like concussions were not started at the NFL level, they were there back in midget the ball too.  If we are to clean up sports then we must do more than suspend a player for a game because he stands up in a student union on a table and yells obscenities.  Kick him off the team, take away his scholarship..

We all know that Ray Rice had hit his wife in the elevator but Rice can help us win so let's act like we know nothing about it.  Sounds a lot like Rocky Mount when nobody knows nothing about who fired the shots.  These are society issues that must be dealt with the very first time a player  steps out of line in the seventh grade.

We have some cleaning up to do.  Northern Nash beat Southern Vance 47-0.  I think they could have scored 70 but the running the clock rule gave mercy to everybody plus Northen called off the dogs.

Tarboro lost at Roanoke Rapids 22-20

Rocky Mount Academy beat  Community Christian 62-0 and North Edgecombe beat Weldon 32-6.