Every Game Has Meaning

The only good thing I can think of when three or four teams from conferences make the playoffs is that we have come to the last game of the season and every game in our local area has seedings  implications.  There is only one team in our area already to pack up the uniforms after Friday while everyone else should have a game next week just they don't know who they will play or where.  Had a good week going 6-1 in high school picks missing only the Gryphon's game at Southern.  Now stand at 64-20 on the year.

SouthWest Edgecombe 7-3- 3-1 @ Beddingfield 4-6- 1-3  I think for Beddingfield their non conference schedule this year  physically beat them down.  They have not fared well in conference and might keep this close but the Cougars prevail  32-24.

Southern Nash 7-3 - 3-1 @ Nash Central 0-10 -0-4.  There is a 50% chance that the Firebirds win they will be conference #1 seed and they will not let down this week knowing that.  Birds 36- NC 7.

Fike 9-1 - 3-1 @ Hunt 6-4 - 3-1.  For Hunt they can get top seed by winning.  Fike if they win must hope for a Southern Nash loss.  Should be enough motivation for Hunt.  But, Hunt has trouble with teams with speed, Northeastern, Rocky Mount.  Fike?   28-24 Fike

North Edgecombe 8-2 - 4-0 @ Tarboro 7-3 -4-0.  In their wildest dreams this is what the Warriors play for.  A chance to beat their bitterest rival for all the marbles.  As far as I know this is the first time ever these two have ever met with the conference title on the line.  Tarboro 26 North Edgecombe 14.

Rocky Mount Academy is one step away from a possible repeat of the State Title in 8 man football.  They meet St Davids a team that scored 42 on them earlier this year.  This one is in Rocky Mount however.  Eagles  56 ST Davids 25.

Northern Nash 5-5 1-3 @ Rocky Mount 6-4 -2-2  Seedings is all this one is for.  Both should be on the road next week but if Northern loses they would be a 5 seed and have to be one of those fill in teams to fill out the brackets and that means  they get a real high seed next week.  Guess what if they beat Rocky Mount then Rocky Mount falls to 5th and they are a fill in team too.  Gryphons 21- Northern Nash 7.

This week since the State 8 man is next week I will finish with Southampton Va 8-2 @ Arendell Parrott Academy.  Parrott has won already this year over the Virginia team.  They will again but it is close  44-34.

I will be in the TV booth for the first time this year as Wes Bradshaw  is taking a week off and Edward Green will be calling the play by play of the Northern/Rocky Mount game and I will join him at Rocky Mount.

There is a college game tonight  on national TV in North Carolina.  Clemson comes to Winston Salem to take on the Demon Deacons.   The Deacs have no offense but their defense has been ok considering how much the offense has put the pressure on the defense.  Clemson may go with their number two quarterback again.  This game could be a good one if Wake scores a little bit.  Tigers 26 Wake 13.

In A Slump

I have lost the zip on my fast ball.  My field goals once I hit them toward the right don't come back.  My foot speed is a step slow.  In others words I am slumping right now and I hate to have to say this but last week during my NFL picks I was only 7-8.  So I went back out on the practice field to go back to the basics   an I am worse this week than last.  A horrid 4-9.  You may recall I picked the games also last week based on the sporting lines and thank goodness I did better a solid 5-8.  Glad I don't bet on the games or Louie would be after me to collect.

I wish I had of known of Romo being out for Dallas last week but other than that one I stunk last week overall.  I am down to 83-49 on the season and I'm in jeopardy of not making the playoffs.  There is still time to recover but it is time to have a closed door meeting and straighten this season out.

Thursday night on the NFL scene the much improved Cleveland Browns travel to Cincinnati for the battle of Ohio.  I got a feeling this is a good one but Bengals win at home 27-23.

Chiefs at Bills:  playoff game here as both of these teams are in the hunt for the playoffs.  I have liked what I have seen from KC all year and I think they go in to Buffalo and who knows may be snow on the ground but KC wins anyway 23-20

Dolphins at Lions.  Here we go with another playoff game and after a week off Lions  hold serve winning 27-21

Dallas at Jaxsonville by way of London.  This is the third game this year in London.  Look out the London Beef Eaters soon to be an NFL Team.  Don't care who quarterbacks Dallas the boys win 24-16.

49'S at Saints. 9'ers are 4-4 and boy do they need this one.  I think Saints beginning to play like the Saints  28-21   The Jazz win

Falcons at Bucs.  Who are those guys calling themselves Falcons.  Who knows whether the birds show up and Tampa has been in almost every game.  Bucs 26- Atlanta 24

Titans at Ravens.  Ravens had better be mad after sacking Big Ben on three straight plays late in the first quarter and then giving up forty something   Ravens 30- Titans 17

Steelers at Jets.  This is  typical NFL game.  Steelers look like Super Bowl bound last two weeks but the lowly Jets slip them.  I forgot this is the Jets. Pitt  38 Jets 23

Bronco's at Oakland:  This game will be closer than it should be because the Raiders play better at home.  34-24

Rams at Cardinals.  Cardinals can just about clinch division if they bear Rams    Card  27- Rams 24

Giants at Seattle.  Should be no contest but it will be closer than it should be.  Hawks 27 Eli 13.

Bears at Packers.  The tundra just might be frozen.  Take the Packers  34-20

Monday night football Carolina at Philadelphia.  New quarterback in Philly and nobody new on defense for Carolina so that is enough for me to pick Philly.  30-16.

I need to go outside and run some more wind sprints to see if I can get out of this slump.

The Writing Is On The Wall

We have  all heard the all saying that the writing was on the wall but we ignored the signs.  Sometimes it could be our own health that our body tells us something is wrong but we ignore it until we find ourselves in the hospital.  In the sports world the signs sometimes tell us that the way we are playing is heading for a loss but we ignored the signs until the signs show through.

ECU football started out this year with three high quality foes on their schedule that they had no problem getting up to play.  ECU gave a great effort and for a while made top ten South Carolina glad that the game was over as the Pirates played well. 

Then a trip to Blacksburg after Tech had just knocked off Ohio State and the Pirates played so well they came back home victorious.  Those hated Heels came to town and the Pirates laid an embarrassment on the Heels that Pirate fans will talk about for ever.  But what do the signs tell us now?  Beating Virginia Tech and North Carolina was nothing special  after all.

Then the Pirates go sailing into the top 25 and from that point on have not play a game against anybody special and since those teams were not that special the Pirates have assumed victory and up until Saturday have been able to win.  The writing was on the wall if you keep playing this way much longer and you will go down to one of those nobodies.  Temple is a good nobody  but at home in the cold rain with nobody watching were good enough to beat the pants off ECU even though the score was only 20-10.

Another team that had better watch out for the writing on the wall is Florida State.  Thus far they have beaten Clemson and way back in September when they beat the Tigers they have played no one to Clemson's level.  Twice the Seminoles have trailed to N C State 21-0 and were down 21-0 at Louisville but managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat and hold on to their high ranking.  The writing is on the wall for the Noles keep playing this way and down you go and with it the longest winning streak in college football which is now 20 something in a row.

 The only team left that might give the Noles trouble is Miami.  If they survive that then they will be in the ACC championship and if they survive that the four team playoff.  The writing on the wall says  if you fall behind to a superior team in the playoffs you will lose by 40. There will be no pulling one out of the hat against Oregon, Alabama Mississippi State they are too good to let you come back.

Finally the writing is on the wall for the Rocky Mount Gryphons.  They have lost four times this year and they can lay claim that three losses can be pinned on unnecessary penalties.  They can for sure say any chance we had of winning went out the door with penalties.  Some are regrettable a face mask, holding.  You know they can call holding on every play so they say.  But it is the penalties after the penalties that are killing the Gryphons.

Northern Nash is the last home game of only four played in Rocky Mount this year.  The best possible scenario for the Gryphons is third place and a road game against a number two seed or if they are lucky another three seed.  A loss and they might draw a Havelock  type if they fall to a fifth seed.

The writing is on the wall you continue with these unnecessary ones and once again you will go down in the first round.  It would be a shame for that to happen to this team.  This is a good football team when they stick to playing football they are that  good.  When they get to trying to act macho and run their mouth instead of the score board be their mouth referees hear all that junk as a game goes on and you are probably told many times to shut your mouth after plays are over but you keep on anyway.  So when do the refs finally say enough is enough on the most important time in the game the Gryphons have been hit the hardest.

Yes the writing is on the wall.  ECU ignored it and paid dearly Saturday.  All they can do now is try to win out and hope for a good bowl game.  It is on the wall for Florida State and there are teams left they need to be great if they plan on winning.  Rocky Mount has already paid a dear price for their foolish actions..  Three losses but two of them keep them from first in the Big East.  The good news for the Gryphons all is not loss if you buckle your chin strap and play football instead of who talks the best.  The Gryphons could be the Big East team that makes it to the East Finals I think they could
but only if they step on the field to play football.

When Is This Travesty Ending

Saturday was the annual Cardinal Gibbons state championship day.  They won the team title in tennis, won both the boys and girls cross country titles and volleyball.  Earlier in the week they won in golf.  They didn't win in boys soccer and football because those titles were not up for grabs as of yet.

My main beef with a private school playing in the public arena is they are not bound by any territory  like  where they can call their school district.  Rocky Mount, Northern and Nash Central are held that they must use player from their school district.

Any child from a Rocky Mount can attend Gibbons  but if you live in Raleigh you can not play sports in Nash County.  That to me is the only concern I have that which I think is too much of an advantage for any Private school or let's throw in prep schools in this equation too.  Every team needs  to have to play on level plains.

They have dominated the so called minor sports.  There have been periods of time when schools like Independance dominated the 4-A  football but they were average in other sports.  Rocky Mount High school still 51 years since is the only team in North Carolina history to win four straight titles two in football a basketball title and baseball all in a row.

Yet Cardinal Gibbons has won six straight volleyball and too many others to think they have been lucky to have such good talent in just one sport but all sports. Cardinal Gibbons reminds me of UNC that they are in total denial that they do any thing wrong.

There is only one way to solve this problem and for the public schools to vote them out.  When I say vote them out I'm not saying just Cardinal Gibbons but all Private and Prep schools. A few years ago more than half of the schools that voted, voted to oust the private schools but enough schools obstained from voting to not be enough to get them out.  It's time for a change.

Hunt has won in the second round of the soccer playoffs and are still alive.  They are the only Big East team.

You know we get so caught up in sports that we get put back in our place whenever we get a douse of life.  The Gryphon nation lost Teira Hinton in an auto accident and during the Southern Nash Rocky Mount football game Southern head coach Brian Foster fell to the ground from an apparent blood pressure issue.

Our lives are more than wins and losses and it is unfortunate that it takes a hurricane like Floyd, or a death of a child for us to come together to remember that life is what we are put on this earth to live for.  Then when a life is cut short especially one that many knew we come together for a period of time only to soon forget and we get back to wins and losses of life.   Wins and losses are  things that really don't matter in life.

Northern Nash cross country team finished fifth in the state cross country championships today in Kernersville.  The Knights had five runners to break the 18 minute barrier and their 6th  runner ran an 18:11. The top five point scorers for Northern averaged 17:17 minutes on the 3.1 mile course. That's outstanding effort by the Knights.

The muddy water is clearer now as we head down to the final game of the high school football season.  The game of the night will be at Hunt where 3-1 Fike travels to 3-1 Hunt.  The winner could win the championship but all those Wilson County eyes will have one tilted toward Nash Central wanting to see the outcome from the Southern Nash- Nash Central game.

You know everyone will assume that Southern will win at Nash Central.  The Firebirds need for their own sake to hold on to the football.  If they do that they should win and be eyeing themselves the Fike-Hunt game in hopes that Fike wins.  Should Southern stumble then the Fike- Hunt winner is conference champions out right.

If Southern wins and since Hunt beat them at Southern earlier then Southern gets the top seed and a co championship with Fike should Fike win.  If Hunt wins and Southern wins then Hunt gets the top seed since they beat Southern 18-7 this season.

That clears up who can win the conference but Rocky Mount and Northern still have playoff seedings to gain.  Should Rocky Mount beat Northern then they finish 3-2.  If Hunt loses then Rocky Mount takes third.  Both Fike and Southern get third over Rocky Mount.  What matters whether you finish third or fourth.  As a third seed you may travel to a second place conference team  in the first round but as a four you will probably head to a conference champion in the first round.

Still in the Hunt for 4th spot is Northern and the team they could beat out is Rocky Mount.  If both finish 2-3 then Northern is fourth and Rocky Mount fifth.  Regardless of where you finish fourth or fifth there is always the chance that you will travel to the Big East top team in the opening round.
 
What kind of reward is it if Rocky Mount has to play Southern in the first round or Fike or even Hunt.  They almost won all three of those games.  Suppose Hunt host Northern in the first round.  I hope that doesn't happen that we have to play each other at least until the second round.

Streaks heading towards Friday night.  Nash Central could go 0 for the season for the second year in a row.  Their losing streak stands at 23 now. They have scored 173 points in their 23 straight losses or 7.5 points per game  Here is one that you should think about.  Rocky Mount Academy with their opening round playoff win is 10-0 this season and have now won 14 in a row since they lost on October 18th 2013 at Southampton Academy 34-8.  Since RMA lost 14 games ago they have scored 736 points which is 52.5 points per game during their winning streak.

It's Down To Three

Going into Tonight's action four teams had a shot to win the Big East football race but it is down to three and only three as the best can happen now is a two way tie with the tie breaker settling first place.

The only game  featuring two tied at the top Rocky Mount and Southern Nash were tied 21-21 early in the fourth quarter when  the Firebirds coach  Foster went down on the sidelines apparently from a non football related incident.  Seeing Coach Foster put in an ambulance seemed to spur on the Firebirds who stopped a Rocky Mount drive and preceded to take it down the field for the leading score.

Rocky Mount drove all the way to the Southern three and faced with third and two scored but a holding penalty was called marking the ball back at the 14 and then one of those flags that Rocky Mount seems to get all the time  an unsportsman like Conduct penalty pushed the ball all the way to the 29 pretty much ending the Gryphon hopes for a Big East title   28-21 Southern Nash

After the way this conference season has gone there were two ho-hum games in Wilson County as Fike blasted Northern Nash 43-7 and Hunt shutout Nash Central 28-0.  This leaves Fike and Hunt to play each other next week at 3-1 knowing that Southern 3-1 plays Nash Central and the best either Wilson County school can do is tie Southern assuming Southern wins .  Then if that happens if Hunt beats Fike Hunt will get first spot having beaten Southern and Southern gets first if Fike wins due to the 42-35 victory over Fike by Southern.

Tarbooro will meet North Edgecombe next week with first place on the line after Tarboro beat Northampton 48-9 and North Edgecombe Routed South Creek 48-20

Farmville blasted Beddingfield 55-0.  Riverside beat RM Prep by 40 48-8.  Southwest Edgecombe had little trouble with North Johnston 49-13.

Eight man football playoffs it is down to four and the top four seeds all won including Rocky Mount Academy's 67-13 win over Lawrence Academy.  They will play St Davids  who took down Halifax Academy 68-28.  Parrott roughed up Cary Christian 42 6 and Southampton beat Hobgood.  Southampton travels to Parrott next week in the 2/3 game while RMA is at home in the 1/4 game with St Davids

Northern Nash was beaten in the second round of the State soccer playoffs by Northern Guilford 3-0.  Saturday Northern Nash boys seeded fourth will be running in the State Cross country championship.  Good Luck Northern.

Who Will Step Foward?

One difficulty playing only five games in a conference season is one game can change  the entire conplextion of a season. Through three weeks of conference play everyone has lost at least one game that changes their season.  Since no one to this point have stepped forward to grab the Big East by the collar we are faced with another week where one game can change your season.  Every game this weekend  has an impact on who will win the Big East football conference this season.

Hunt @ Nash Central:  Hunt should be only contender who walks on the field knowing victory is available which should put them to 3-1 heading to the final night being one of the teams who all they have to do next week is beat their arch rival Fike and look who could be the conference champion.  Hunt humbles Nash Central 31-13

Northern Nash @ Fike:  This needs to be Northern's last stand.   Standing fifth in the standings  this is a must win for the Knights.  A lost and their hopes of sneaking in the back door to first place will be locked out.  A Fike victory and the Wilson County schools play for the title next week.  Fike 36 Northern 24.

Rocky Mount @  Southern Nash:  The winner of this game will be part of the championship sandwich for next week depending on who wins between Hunt/Fike.  A Southern victory over Rocky  Mount will have the Firebirds hoping for a Fike victory next week since they beat Fike.  A Gryphon victory and they will be pulling for Hunt next week.  This is power against speed.  Rocky Mount has not won at Southern since 2008.  Rocky Mount wins 17-14.

Tarboro heads to Northampton. Another victory for the Vikings 42-6. SouthWest Edgecombe host North Johnston and they should win with ease.  41-14. North  Edgecombe host South Creek and this will be be a dilly.  NE will play Tarboro next week for the title.  NE 22 South Creek 18.  Beddingfield travels to  Farmville Central.  Beddingfield loses 26-22.

Went 3-3 last week to run my guess record to 58-17 Need to have a good week.

Round two of the state soccer playoffs started tonight with Fike 11th seed  and Chapel Hill 6th seed butting heads .       Chapel Hill advances beating Fike 4-1.  The second round needs to be completed by Saturday night and there are games going on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Northern 19th seed on the road for the second game heads to Northern Guilford  #3 seed where they will play Friday at 6pm.  Hunt  5th seed the Big East Top seed plays Saturday night hosting Jacksonville White Oak a number 12 seed..