The Final Lap

Down the stretch they come and this is shaping up to be a great year for Nash Central basketball both on the male and female side.  Both squads have a game lead with two games to go.  They play Hunt and Southern Nash this week.  It is obvious that the boys have the tougher road to finish first.

Boys :  Nash Central 6-2 12-9 @ Hunt 3-5 8-13:  This is the easiest of the Bulldogs two games this week but it is on the road.  Hunt is dangerous at home and a Bulldog lost makes for a winner take all Friday night with Southern Nash.

Southern Nash 5-3 12-7 @ Rocky Mount 3-4 3-14:  This is a must win game for Southern Nash.  The only way Friday can be for the regular season title in Big East if the Firebirds lose at Rocky Mount is for Nash Central lose at Hunt.  If both Nash Central and Southern lose Both Fike and Rocky Mount still have a shot at some part of first.  They square off Wednesday at Fike so there would be possible
That the Wednesday Fike/ Rocky Mount winner wins Friday and Southern Beats Nash Central Friday there will be a three way tie.

Fike 3-4 9-12 @ Northern Nash 2-6 12-8:  Fike needs three wins this week and anything is possible.  A couple of wins this week to get the Knights primed for the playoffs.  It is conceivable that Northern Nash could have best overall record for the year in the conference and not make the playoffs.

The girls angle:

Nash Central has Hunt and Southern Nash combined 1-13  this week.  There should be no reason to lose either.  Aiding the Bulldogs is Fike and Northern Nash collide Tuesday so one will lose a chance to tie.  The other reason it should be clear sailing for the Lady Bulldogs is they don't play either team that could tie them.

Fike 5-2 17-4 @ Northern Nash 6-2 16-4:  The loser of this one is out of the regular season championship race.  The loser will have lost only five games all season.  The Big East girls are loaded and maybe one or more make the Regionsls.

Nash Central 7-1 18-3 @ Hunt 1-6 3-16:  The  worse thing that could happen to to Nash Central is sleep through this week and mess with their momentum for the playoffs.

Southern Nash 0-8 0-18 @ Rocky Mount 3-4 10-7.  This is last chance for Southern Nash  to win a game this year.  If they go 0 for the week they will be winless for more than two years now.

All Bronco Defense

The Carolina Panthers started the 50th Super Bowl as if  they were the team that had never had any players play in the Super Bowl while the Broncos defense played as if they were the team slighted.  Manning led the Bronc's down the field on their first drive but had to settle for a field goal and Denver had a 3-0 lead right off the bat.

If you ever have thought of how refereeing can change the momentum of any game.  Jericho Cotchery makes a spectacular catch and I never saw on any replay the ball ever touched the ground.  Remember something new for the Super Bowl NFL headquarters were making the reviews and their first one they miss.  Two plays later Cam is sacked on the four and Denver scores.  The ball should have been across the Panther 40 on the catch by Cotchery.  10-0 Denver.

The Panthers fumbled twice  but the second the D held getting a turnover themselves.  They allowed A 61 yard punt return when they thought a fair catch had been called but the defense held to a field goal.  One 73 yard drive was all the offense could muster on a Stewart touchdown.  Poor clock management at the end of the half.  Just maybe the worse half of football all year by the Panthers but only down 13-7.  The Denver offense has done nothing since the opening drive.  The Panthers can't say much either as Cam's passes have been high on every throw.

The third quarter the Panther offense dominates the football but a field goal hitting the cross bar and another drive ends  on a Cam high throw.  The third quarter the Panthers doing everything they can to lose.  Denver gets the only points. 16-7 Denver.

The Carolina D did everything they could to win and yet the Denver D was better all night.  The final straw for the Panthers was Cam's last fumble when he chose to not dive after the ball.  Still with a chance to win if he recovers the game is still not over.  By giving up it was.

Give the Denver D all the credit in this one.  The pressure on Cam all night he threw high on every pass.  The Panthers four turnovers and a missed field goal, six false starts and seven sacks.  The was a stomping and thank goodness the Panthers defense came to play or it would have been worse.  The Panther D held Denver to 1-14 on third downs.  They played their hearts out but Denver D was better 24-10.

The Panthers simply were not the best team.

Euphoria Rules

Tarboro High's Todd Gurley  has won the NFL offensive Rookie of the year.  Gurley who never set foot on an NFL playing field until the third quarter of the third game after recovering from a knee injury while at the University of Georgia rushed for 1106 yards third in the NFL.  He averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns.

There is nothing in life that compares to being the best.  You win the award as the top salesman or best truck driver.  The sports world is nothing more magical than winning a state title, national championship and in the world of professional sports the Stanley Cup or the Super Bowl.

Just December the entire city of Rocky Mount had that feeling of Euphoria as the Rocky Mount Gryphons won the State football title. There is just something about when you have proven you are the best that everyone stands up straighter, smiles more and just has that total satisfaction.  Like 2010 when our area was in economic depression the basketball team gave us time to forget our problems and stick out our chest with winning a title.

We are blessed in this area to be part of Tobacco Road and every time one of our state teams wins a national championship we get those same feelings we had while winning state titles but now it is the best in the United States.

North Carolina has three professional major league sports teams the Hurricanes in Raleigh, the Hornets in Charlotte and the Panthers in Charlotte.  We are little or young state when it comes to professional sports as we have only had the big leagues here in North Carolina since 1988.

Can anyone forget the run made by the Hurricanes in 2006 when every playoff series went down to the wire.  Two months the pressure built as they kept winning series after series until they won the Stanley Cup.  North Carolina went mad for the Hurricanes even though there were many didn't know a thing about hockey or how it was suppose to be played.

Back in 2004 the last real run by the Panthers into serious playoff football the entire state went ballistic when Steve Smith caught the bomb to upset St Louis and shocking Philadelphia to go to the Super Bowl.  The entire state was wild but we were the underdogs and our worry was not to get embarrassed by the big bad Patriots.  Less than two minutes to go there were thoughts throughout the world that those Panthers just might win that Super Bowl.

Tonight our Panthers stand with one hand on the mountain top and all they need to do  is pull themselves rest of the way up and stand on the mountain top.  This trip they are the favorites.  A new role for a state that has only one major trophy the Stanley Cup out of 67 professional season since basketball, football and hockey  came to NC.

If the Panthers play Panther football and don't have turnovers.  They have been basking in the glory for a week now and for teams normally underdogs all those pats on the back could lead to contentment.  Panther D against Bronco's D the edge has to go to Denver.  Offense against offense the Big edge is the Panthers.  Special teams they are a wash.  I see no way that Peyton and company will move the ball consistently against the Panthers and I suspect will put the Denver D in some bad field positions difficulties.

My advise to the Panthers hold on to the ball and you will win.  If that happens the entire Carolinas can declare a national holiday Monday as there will be nobody wanting to do any work on Monday but talk football about those World Champions.    Go Panthers!!!!!!!!!!

All Lady Bulldogs

It is no surprise that the battle for first place in the Big East girls basketball went to the home team tonight the Lady Bulldogs but for most of the game it seemed as it would be a laugher.  The Bulldogs led by ten at the quarter pole, eight at the half and eighteen at the end of the third.  The Lady Knights are a proud program and for more than half of the fourth quarter they had the home folks antsie in their seats as they cut the lead by more than two thirds.  Sometimes what it takes to make up a big deficient runs out of gas and the Lady Bulldogs take hold of sole pocession of the Big East with a 53-45 win over the Lady Knights of Northern Nash. The Knights drop to a tie for second with Fike at 5-2.

Tonight the Lady Gryphons 3-3 hosted Fike and with the regular season ending next Friday  night this was the Gryphons chance to start moving from fourth place.  Including tonight and three games next week three of the next four games are against teams ahead of Rocky Mount.  Fike enters 4-2 and one game out of first but a lost and any possible thought of still finishing in first would be fading.  Tonight Fike hopes of still taking the Big East crown as they come to Rocky Mount and win a shoot out behind a career night from Dajah Horne with 41 as  the Golden Demons win.72-64.  The fate of the Gryphons falls now to protecting fourth next week.

The Hunt Lady Warriors survived the battle with The Lady Birds of Southern Nash for last place in the Big  East as Hunt wins 50-26.  It is the third most points scored by the a Lady  Birds all season.  Their high mark on the season is 30 and once they scored 29.  Despite the offensive output they still lost by 24.

First place was playing last in boys basketball  as the Bulldogs  5-2 hosted Northern Nash 2-5.  Much of the night the Knights looked as if an upset was possible but down the stretch the Nash Central Bulldogs made the plays and they up their conference record to 6-2 after a 60-53 win over Northern Nash.

The Fike boys made it a sweep  for the Golden Demons on a night they expected to be playing at home but a leaking gym floor sent the Golden  Demons north to Rocky Mount.  Fike maintained a five to eight point lead most of the way and when the final buzzer sounded Rocky Mount's three game win streak is over 63-55.  The two teams who were tied at 3-3 now have Fike 4-3 and Rocky Mount 3-4.  They meet again next Wednesday night at Fike.

Southern Nash stayed within striking distance in the Big East race knocking off Hunt  59-51.  The Firebirds are 5-3 while Hunts  drops 3-5.

I know it is hard to believe but Saturday Morning at 11am baseball season begins at North Carolina Wesleyan.  It's early I know but all spring sports will be finished by mid April in Division 3.  Two players from Nash County are on the roster.  Dillon Moore and Garrison Vick.

Meaningful Games Today

The Rocky Mount Fike game scheduled for tonight at Fike has been switched to Rocky Mount due to the recent heavy rains has wet the Fike gym floor.  Luckily these two play again next week and that game is moved to Fike.

There may not be a bigger basketball game in girls basketball in North Carolina than the one that will be going on just off Old Carriage Road at Nash Central.  The always strong Lady Knights of Northern Nash 6-1 and 16-3 overall invade Nash Central  6-1 17-3.  It is not definite but the winner will likely win the regular season but there is still a week to go.

Missing some all star players this season Northern Nash is still at the top of the possible top teams in the state.  Nash Central has risen to the top this year with new talent and I bet it will be standing room only for this one.

Rocky Mount  3-3 10-6 at Fike 4-2 16-4.  The league has three teams with at least 16 wins and at this point with two losses Fike can't afford another loss.  Rocky Mount actually could tie Fike in the standings if they pull off the upset. Rocky Mount has Fike twice and Northern left on the schedule so they can do a lost of damage to the top tier teams or fall towards the bottom.

Southern Nash 0-7 0-18 at Hunt 1-6 3-16.  If Hunt loses this game they would fall into a tie for last.  Boy have they fell off the map this year.

The boys action will concentrate on the middle for teams tonight.  Two of the three games have the number 2-3-4-5 teams playing each other.  Depending on the outcome 5th could move to second and second fall to fifth.  the way this league is first has no gimme with last.

Northern Nash 2-5 12-7 @ Nash Central 5-2 11-9.  This is the third game of the week for Nash Central.  They had better not take for granted the Knights who still own the best overall record in the conference.  A Northern Victory they could be only one game out of second if the cards fall right for them.

Rocky Mount 3-3 3-13 @ Fike  3-3 8-12.  It is possible that Rocky Mount could be alone in second with a win.  Early season injuries are over and the football players finally  finding a groove makes Rocky Mount dangerous.  The other side of that coin is Fike and Rocky mount still have two meeting before the season ends.  The standings could really shift.

Southern Nash 4-3 11-7 @ Hunt 3-4 8-12.  Depending on the outcome for this one they could be tied or Southern near top and Hunt near the bottom.  Just seems as all these teams in the Big East are rather close in size and ability and any little annoyance to them during any game  can result in a loss.

Last night the University of Virginia made their second trip to the Triangle within a week and for the first time in her career J'Kyra Brown got her first Division one start at Duke.  Playing her career high 30 minutes and hitting three threes and a layup Brown hit 4 of 11 shots for 11 point.  Duke wins how ever 62-47.

The Rise Of Cam Newton

Five years ago the Carolina Panthers drafted Cam Newton the often troubled quarter back Who had just led his college team Auburn University to the football national championship.  His athletic ability was not questioned.  His baggage was his question.  One year on the field at the University of Florida backing up future Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebo.

The first game his sophomore season a broken ankle led to a red shirt season.  Then a stolen personal computer of a Florida student that was in Cam Newton's room until the police knocking on his door found The computer thrown out his dorm window now on the ground.

Off to Binn Junior College where Newton would Win the National Juco championship become a Juco All American and now being heavily recruited for his final two years of college.  Newton chose Auburn but Mississippi State alleges that Newton's Father was asking between 120,000 to 180,000 dollars for Cam to play for them.  His only year at Auburn the Tigers win the National  Championship.

The Carolina Panthers with the worse record in 2010 have the number one pick.  The question do you
Pick the best player or do you pass on him because of his past.  The ultra conservative Panthers picked the best player Cam Newton.

His rookie season is named rookie of the year.  He passed for over 4,000 yards and rushed for 700..  Three times he has played in the Pro Bowl and this year he is the NFL Player of the Year.  They say about many players that they have IT.   Is there any doubt that Cam Newton whether it his ability as an athlete or his leadership qualities Cam Newton has it.

Newton is suppose to be the proto type West Coast Offense quarterback.  His five years the Panther offense has evolved into the Cam Newton proto type offense.  He still throws too much off his back foot and when he does throw an interception like his only one in the NFC championship was an  over throw.  His power despite his only flawed he  can overcome .  His speed can out run any linebacker and when needed he can run over any defensive player on the field.

Other than snatching down Packer Banners or throwing away the 12th Man Seattle flags when was the last time you heard Cam Newton do any thing that would get him in trouble.  He has become the leader that no one in the league envisioned he could be.  He leads the high fives  to fans along the first row and now every touchdown the cameras follow his run to the first row where eager young fans wait for the Cam's Touchdown football.

The Panther have won  the NFL South division for three straight years and 2016 Cam Newton may be leading the Panthers to their first Super  Bowl ever.  If it happens the Panthers will pass almost half the NFL teams that have never won it.

There  are those who still say Cam is not good for the game with his antics.  Monday when the numbers come out I think you will find Cam will be leading the Panthers first Super Bowl win Ever and it will be the most watch ever.  Cam either you love him or hate him and you will see that they will watch him.  Panthers 27-7 Go Panthers!!!!!!

Lady Bulldogs Win Game Of The Night

Wednesday Night Make Up:  Nash Central girls take the lead in Big East basketball beating Southern Nash 51-9.  The Lady Birds have score just 20 points the last two nights against the conference leader in Northern Nash and Nash  Central. The Lady  Bulldogs are 6-1 and Northern 5-1.

They started the night tied for the Big East lead at 4-2.  Southern Nash and Nash Central played a game worthy of the outright lead.  Nash Central lead most of the first half but the Firebirds cranked it up from the outside in the second. But the home team prevails.  Nash Central 65-62 and they have the Big  East lead heading to Friday night action.

Tonight in the Dog Pound two of the three teams tied for first in the girls side of the ledger of Big East basketball play a game worthy of a championship.   Fike sporting a 16-3 record and Nash Central 15-3 tied with Northern Nash for the top spot but the loser will fall to third.

Nash Central had control early but Fike would not go down easily.  Fike found it hard to lead as every time they came close Nash Central would edge out only for Fike to tie the game.  Down the stretch Nash Central scores the last five points to beat the Lady Golden Demons 62-57.  Nash Central 5-1 finds themselves tied with Northern Nash 5-1  who laid a whipping on winless Southern Nash 50-11.

Rocky Mount Lady Gryphons jump out to a very comfortable 32-10 lead of Hunt but a rally by the Lady Warriors cut the lead to ten at the half 34-24.  No need to worry as Rocky Mount out scored Hunt  38-18 in the second half and win 74-42.  The Lady  Gryphons were led by Keyanna Spivey who had a career high 37 points.  She almost out scored Hunt by herself.  Rocky Mount has fourth place at 3-3 after Hunt falls to 1-5.

They came into tonight's game with rather mediocre records but both Fike  8-11 and Nash Central 9-9  found themselves tied at the top of the heap in Big East boys basketball  along with Southern Nash.  The final score will be no indication how good this game was as Nash Central defends the home turf beating Fike 67-57.  The Bulldogs are tied with Southern Nash at 4-2.

Southern Nash has a share of first place after defeating Northern Nash 67-58.  The win runs the Firebirds record to 11-6 which is now the best overall record of any Big East team.  The bottom has fallen out for Northern Nash as they drop to 2-5 in conference and 12-7 on the season.

Who in the world can believe this Rocky Mount Gryphon team after a 44-37 win over Hunt has reached the five hundred mark in conference play.  Losing their first 13 games of the season the Gryphons find themselves only one game out of first with threes games to go.  Hunt drops to 3-4.

Tonight was the first and second round of the Wrestling duels.  Fike 32-3 and Rocky Mount 22-19 were the only Big East teams to make the state tournament.  Rocky Mount traveled to Swansboro and  if victory comes then there is another match but Rocky Mount falls 37-33.  Next week will begin the singles portion of wrestling now that for Rocky Mount the team competition is over.  The results were even worse  for Fike As they lose at Cleveland 72-30.  The Big East is out of the state duel championships.