Northern Claims County Title

Northern Nash backed up their good start to the 2015/2016 basketball season by winning the Nash County Christmas Tournament with a 74-70 victory over Nash Central.  Darius Spradley earns the MVP of the tournament.  Northern Nash wins for the 10th time this season which is more wins than all three other public schools  in Nash County combined.


The championship night of the Nash County Christmas Tournament started with the boys consolation game and the home standing Firebirds got a sweet one beating Rocky Mount 61-48.  The Firebirds are 5-3 while Rocky Mount is 0 for the season 0-9.

As promised yesterday Tom Suiter gave the 3A State Champions the Rocky Mount Gryphons the trophy for winning the WRAL TV Fabulous 15 which is considered the top football team in the Big Five's viewing area.  If you failed to see it you can go to highschoolot.com to see the news item.

The NCHSAA has released their first draft  of the prospective realignment coming up in 2017.  The Big East will lose Nash Central who is falling to 2-A while Franklinton will take their place.  Northern Nash, Rocky Mount, Southern Nash, Fike and Hunt will all remain.

So off to 2A goes Nash Central where they will join what has been called the Eastern Plains.  Beddingfield, Bunn, Nash Central, North Johnston, North Pitt and SouthWest Edgecombe will comprise the conference.

The new local 1A conference will have eight teams which I think eight is the perfect size for a high school conference.  Tarboro, Weldon, SE Halifax, Rocky Mount Prep, NW Halifax, North Edgecombe and Kipp Pride.

Now that football is complete the fall standing are in in the Wells Fargo Cup.  Championships in football, women's tennis and women's cross country help propel Rocky Mount to 68.5 points.  Hunt gained 68 points followed by Fike 61, Southern Nash 56.5, Northern Nash 49 and Nash Central 42.

Tom Suiter Was In Town

Tom Suiter from WRAL TV was in Rocky Mount on Wednesday and any time he is in town it must be good.  You need to watch the 6:22 sports Thursday night on the Big Five to find out why he was here. A hint for you.  Last week Rocky Mount was number two in the Fabulous 15.  The number one team was Southern Durham.  Guess who is number one this week.

Wednesday night Northern Nash boys beat Rocky Mount 76-58 to move on to the championship game of the Nash County Christmas Tournament.  Thursday's triple header starts at five with southern Nash and Rocky Mount in the boys consolation game.  The double header championships games will feature Rocky Mount and Nash Central girls and the boys will be Northern Nash and Nash Central.

I have either been real bad picking NFL games or lately real good but last week average at best going 8-8.  Runs my record for the year to 119-89.

Todd Gurley is prime time tonight and Gurley needs 25 yards to hit 1000 for the season.  Tampa Bay is in St Louis and this is tough one to call but we will go with Rams 26-24

Jets at Dallas:  Saturday night special I like Jets to stay alive for a playoff spot.  26-20

KC at Baltimore:  KC is playing well needs to keep winning to secure wild card.  KC 31 Ravens 20

Houston at Indy :  the winner might win AFC South at least this week.  Indy at Jo e 23-20

Atlanta at Jacksonville.  Another loss for the birds.  Jax 26 Falcons 23

Chicago at Minnesota:  have you noticed there are a lot of up and down teams.  Vikes win at home 30-23

Tennessee at New England: Pats win but not by much:  30-27

Carolina at Giants:  if Panthers lose it is this game. Starting to save those bumped up for playoffs.  Come on Panther fans Super Bowl is goal not undefeated season.  Panthers win any way.  35 27

Buffaloe at Washington:   I think Skins win at home.  Washington 27 Buff 20

Green Bay at Oakland:  interesting game.  Packers win 23-17

Cleveland at Seattle:  not much of a game.  The 12th man all the way 30-13.

Denver at Pitt.  Denver can't score enough points to win this one.  27-13 Big Ben.

Miami at San Diego:  Chargers out score Dolphins 13-10

Cincinnati at San Fransico. Cincy needs this one to try to keep in race for bye.  Cincy 23 SF 21

Arizona at Philadelphia:  this could be a tough game for Zona but both these teams still in hunt for playoff.  Cards 31 Philly 23

Detroit at New Orleans:  might be highest scoring game of weekend.  Saints 38 Detroit 28

Nobody Could Expected This

The opening game of the Nash County Christmas Tournament started out with Northern Nash girls  9-1 and Rocky Mount girls 5-2 taking on each other for the first of at least three matches this year.  Was it great defense or was it poor offense?  It seemed as if both sides were playing each other in a telephone booth as the defense on both sides were defeating the other sides offense.

Both teams came in averaging nearly fifty points each but tonight putting both scores together was hard to hit 50.  The first game of this year's Nash County Tournament goes to Rocky  Mount as they had just a little more offense and the Lady Gryphon defense carries the day.  Final Rocky Mount Girls 35 Northern Nash 23.  Now I know you are asking is that score right?

Just a couple more comments about Friday Night's football game and every team needs luck on your side.  South Point won the toss and elected to defer or receive at the second half kickoff.  That gave Rocky Mount the choice which goal they wanted to kick from.

The wind was blowing about five to six miles and hour and for those Gryphons fans at the game it was going right to left or toward the east goal.  That gave Chase Miller a little extra on his 35 yard extra point which he had no trouble making.

The Final play of the regulation the South Point kicker was kicking into that wind and this was already an extremely long kick which was wide left.  Suppose Miller is kicking the 35 yard extra point the other way.  Would the Gryphons be state champs into the wind

Sunday night I filled in for Wes Bradshaw who had the audacity to go on a cruise while Rocky Mount  was winning the football championship. I was helping Edward Green on the All New Sports Show.  During the first segment when we talked about the football game I made a statement that I thought Rocky Mount was the only school in the state to win state Championships in Baseball, football and basketball in the last ten years.

Josh Walfish reporter for the Rocky Mount  Telegram home watching the show who at 8:30 was going to be a call in guest to talk about the game heard me make that statement  and while waiting to be on the show went on line and verified that I was correct.  Thanks for watching and especially for finding the answer so quick Josh. Way to go Gryphons four state champions in last seven year in all three major sports.

As you know these days if you win a state championship in anything we all got to have that ring  right?  Basketball is not all that hard there is including managers, coaches and players about 20 rings to buy. Football brings on a different story as there will be about 60.  Just guess how much one cost and multiply by 60.  If you would like to help the Champion Gryphons receive rings send your donations to Rocky Mount High School tag it rings.  Every dollar counts.

Time To Turn To Basketball

Now that football is over and basketball season is well underway it is already time for the Nash county Christmas Tournament this year being held at Southern Nash gets underway tonight at 5:pm.

First game of the night features the Lady Knights of Northern Nash 9-1 on the season with leading the way so far Kayla Tucker a 5' 8" senior who is averaging 14.9 points per game.  They will meet the Lady Gryphons who so far this season are 5-2 and are lead by Keyanna a Spivey who is bringing down 17.9 points per game.  So far this season the Lady Knights are averaging 47 points per game while Rocky Mount is scoring 48.

The second game of the night at 6:30 will be the host Lady Birds of Southern Nash.  I think we all know that the girls basketball program at Southern is pretty low right now as they stand at 0-6 and I have been so focused on football do I remember they were winless last season?  Caitland Batchlor is the leading scorer for a team averaging 18 points per game.  Sitting on the other bench will be Nash Central right now 5-0 on the young season. They are lead by Robbi Allen scoring 14.7 points per game.  She is a sophomore.

The night cap will feature the host boys team Southern Nash Firebirds  standing at 4-2 to this point.  They are led by 6' 2" senior Marquise Wright.  So far this season Southern is averaging  56 points per outing.  They will meet Nash Central who are 1-5.  Their leader is Montre' Cash coming in at 9.3 per game.

Wednesday Night the 8:pm the night cap will featured the up and coming Knights of Northern Nash who are 8-2 led by Darius Spragley coming in at 18.6 points per game.  Thus far this season the Knights are scoring at 67 points per game.  Rocky Mount on the other side is showing the effects of football.  They are 0-7 and are only scoring 44 per game.  They are led by Enanual Spruill who scores at 9.3 per game.

The first game Wednesday will be the consolation game of the girl losers on Tuesday.  The first game Thursday is the boys consolation followed by the girls championship game followed by the boys championship game.

Reflections From Kenan

Friday night's state championship game was the first time in my adult life that I was not in a press box during the game.  I had a pass but daughter Morgan was home from college and wanted to go to the game.  I knew I would be high up on the opposite side of the stadium so I sat with her which lasted about five minutes before she started socializing.  Her brother Brooks did met us there and he didn't abandon me.  Morgan returned at the end of regulation figuring if she  wasn't there with me when the game ended she would get left in Chapel Hill.

First off let's give South Point their due.  They lost three games this year.  Shelby who won the 2-AA state Title.  Crest who won the 3AA title and to Rocky Mount the 3A champions.  South Point is such a good team it takes champions to beat them.

I don't know what the official starting position on every drive was but the Gryphons my guess was their own 22 yard line and while South Point was their 41.  Both teams move the ball but the extra 20 yards for us more than them was big in this game.

Rocky Mount made 8-14 third downs and made 3-5 fourth downs.

There were no turnovers by either side.  This in itself is a testament to how equal these teams were.  They probably could have kept playing to midnight and the score would have been 35-35.

If made the 44 yard attempted field goal by the South Point kicker to win the game would have been the third longest in NC state championship history.  The Monroe kicker Saturday made a 47 yarder  which is the longest ever.

Just before the half the Gryphons elected to score a touchdown over trying to make a field goal.  If made with a 10-7 lead there would have been no overtime.

Even though they seemed awful.  From the aftermath I think the refs were better than they looked.

They did miss on the Pass interference call on the Gryphons.  The replay screen showed the ball was tipped which negates any pass interference.  The Red Raiders scored on the next play to take the lead in third quarter.

The face mask penalty was the correct call when we did not get automatic first down.

Two plays more than any other should live forever in Gryphon Football Lore

Third and 18 from our own 29 yard line.  Down 21-14 with 6 minutes to go the Gryphons can not give up the ball this late in the game they may not get it back.  Forest Bell falls back to pass, nobody open anywhere.  He takes off running finding himself making ten yards and five yards ahead is a South Point approaching tackler who if he tackles  Bell they will be short by at least three yards and have to punt.  Bell fakes a pass 15 yards beyond the line when he still needs three more yards for a first and getting the tackler to jump in the air to bat the ball down and Bell proceeded to run around the tackler who is in the air and Bell continues to get five more yards and a first down.  Without this play the Gryphons lose.  This play will forever be call "the Juke".

The unsung Hero of the game was kicker Chase Miller.  If he fails to make that 35 yard extra point we lose

The defensive hit of the game came  during overtime when The South Point quarterback Diontre King on a third and seven, King kept the ball and broke across the line of scrimmage and may be heading for a touchdown in the left corner until number 44 Sherrod Green met him head on at the four and that as far as he goes.

Have you ever seen an illegal procedure on a kick off.  We had two on one kickoff.  From what I understand Chase moved the ball after the referee blew the whistle to put the ball in play.  The second one is we kicked it before the ref blew his whistle the second time
This is third time in five years the play by play announcer for UNC sports at Dean Dome and Kenan called us the Griffins.  It took a third quarter tweet to the NCHSAA up in  the press box  by Morgan Doughtie to please tell the announcer we are the Gryphons.

I thought the directions near the stadium were poor.  They should have had direction for the visitors and directions for where the home team should park.  Many people from both sides parked on wrong side and had to make a pretty good hike to get to their gate to enter.

While sitting in the stands it looked to me that both stands had equal amount of support on both sides.
And I thought about five thousand fans each.  Watching the highlites on  every place I could highlites the Rocky Mount side had more at least a thousand more.  I wish I knew what the official attendance was.

The last seven games the Gryphons were behind at some point in five games.  The third round game an the fifth were behind in fourth quarter. Both of those games they won it  on
 their last offensive play of the game


The Gryphons were 14-2 on the year tying for the most win in a season with 2008 when they were 14-1.

Jason Battle has been the coach of the Gryphons for four years now.  His overall record now stands at 36-14 and a State Championship

The celebration in the gym at 1:30 in the morning with all those crazy Happy  Gryphon fans was great.  Just goes to show good things can happen after 11pm if you make it happen

The ride home from Chapel Hill I drove and dictated my blog to Morgan who looked up the stats used on My after game post.  She took photos all during the game including the in the gym celebrations.  I have to thank her for her effort getting the blog on line as soon as possible  Friday with all the photos added.  Love ya Girl Friend.

Sports Does It Again

There are those in this world who oppose any type of competitive sports saying that the winner take all mentality  destroys our youth.  Sports much like fishing or any other activity where you can forget the world for a moment  brings to many  that  I can forget my problem for just a moment while watching sports activity.

2010 the Rocky Mount area was hit with economic depression.  Many business in the area either closed their doors or made severe cutbacks which harmed people in the area.  Along comes a basketball team who in mid January looked to be heading no where much like our economy was then.  Something happened to that team and the last few weeks of the regular season and all of the playoffs every piece fitted into place and the Gryphons won a state championship.

There was a brief period of time following that team we could forget our problems and focus on that team and what they were doing for us forgetting our problems following them.  Oddly enough the final victim in that championship run was South Point.

Fast forward five years to 2015.  Today Rocky Mount makes headlines for drive by shootings and murders including one of the Gryphon J V players number 9  Lavontae Brown.  Rocky Mount is no worse in violent  crime than anyone else but the City on the Rise has cornered the market on making headlines all across the state when it does happen.

This Gryphon team gave us notice pitching a shutout opening night and taking what all the media in Raleigh called the best 4A team in the state Middle Creek to the wire in the second game of the season at Middle Creek.  They followed that putting 75 on Hertford County who made it to the  second round in the 2A playoffs.

They were handed a drubbing in the Greenville Rose game and had everyone asking could we stop anybody who could pass.  What we did not see for the rest of the season was a six feet three division one receiver.

Friday night displayed across the bench of the Gryphons was a gold number nine worn by Lavontae Brown.  Yes this team has been effected as much as anyone else from all the violence that makes all the headlines.

It started about the Hunt game and down 14 to Fike this team started making Gryphon Nation  feel  there was something to be proud of Rocky Mount for.  As each comeback led to victory today the head line reads.  Rocky Mount High School 3A state champions.  Once again sports has interrupted  our depression of 2010  and our sorrow for those lost by death and those lost from human dignity
who think guns make them powerful.  I wonder if most of those who live by the gun had of played sports growing up would they be like they are now.

All across North Carolina people hear Rocky Mount State Champions those are the kind of headline that make it look like Rocky Mount is on the rise again.

This Thursday night in the Black Box Theater at Rocky Mount High School the One Voice, A Legacy Continues will  don the stage at the Black  Box.  In the past it has been just the I B kids at Rocky Mount putting their talents on display and each year monies raised were given to a worthy cause..  During the battle of Holly Fryar with cancer all funds have gone to the Lineburger  Cancer Center at UNC Hospital but as Holly Fryar's Legacy has grown the monies raised will go to the Holly
Project at UNC .The monies will go to the families in need while their child fights cancer.  Show time is 7pm .

Gryphons Win Overtime Thriller

Once again the Gryphons come from behind trailing 21-14 in the 4th quarter. The Gryphons scored with 3:06 to play to cut the lead to 21-20, this may of been the play of the game. Chase Milller the Gryphon extra point kicker had to try a 35 yard extra point attempt after the Gryphons got a personal foul penalty after the touchdown. Miller puts it down right down the middle which causes the Gryphons to tie the game.

The Gryphons survive a 45 yard field goal attempt on the last play of the game by South Point which was wide left. In overtime the Gryphons elected to play defense. The Gryphons defense did its job forcing the Red Raiders to attempt a field goal attempt which again was wide left. Once the Gryphons got the ball, two running plays by Nick Bynum got the ball to the 4 yard line, electing to kick to win the game, Jason Battle elects to kick the field goal on 3rd down and the Rocky Mount Gryphons are STATE CHAMPIONS 24-21 in OT!

BJ Sanders excites the Gryphon crowd with an 81 yard kickoff on the opening play of the game. South Point proved to be a worthy opponent as quarterback Diontre King and full-back Ryland Etherton were problems all night for the Gryphons. When it looked like they only got 2 yards they actually got 5. Etherton scored on a 2 yard run to tie the game at 7 at the end of the 1st quarter.

Both sides moved the ball in the 2nd quarter and the Gryphons made it to the one yard line with 3 seconds to go in the half. Electing to go for a touchdown the Gryphons were stuffed at the line of scrimmage and the half ended 7-7.

The Red Raiders got the ball first in the second half and the Gryphons held and taking the ball on their own 19 yard line and marched down the field. Nick Bynum scores from 15 yards out to give the Gryphons the lead. Not done yet though, South Point comes back. first by a 5 yard run by Etherton, then King breaks a 27-yard touchdown run with 10:35 left.

Then it was time for Gryphon magic. The Gryphons drove the field and scored with 3:06 left in the 4th quarter. The big play of the drive was a 3rd and 18 run by quarterback Forrest Bell that kept the drive alive for the Gryphons.

Detrele Revis was named the Defensive player of the game. 
Nick Bynum was named the Offensive player of the game. 
Forrest Bell was named your State Championship MVP! 

Forrest Bell was 15-21 for 210 yards, also rushed 7 times for 33 yards. Rocky Mount had 345 total yards to South Points 291.  All but 12 yards were on the ground for South Point.

ROCKY MOUNT WINS ITS FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 52 YEARS! It's 3rd overall. It is the 13th team State Championship for Rocky Mount High School. For Jason Battle, it is his first State Championship in football. Once the team receives their rings, Battles ring will join the other 3 rings that Battle already owns as an assistant coach on the 2008 State Championship Baseball team. He also owns two State Championship basketball rings from 2010 and 2012! He still has a thumb to go.

FINAL SCORE: YOUR STATE CHAMPIONS 24, South Point 21! 

For those of you who did not make the trip, about 5,000 faithful did. There were many fans from surrounding schools, surrounding county's, alumni and just plain Gryphon lovers that came to show support. South Point also had a great crowd. But everyone can agree that they watched one whale of a football game!