Daggers Will Fly At Gryphons Now

It is a wonderful thing to be able to say I am a champion.  Come Monday Rocky Mount High School Gryphons will no longer be the champions of 3A football but the defending 3A champions.  Every team that plays the Gryphons this season will have a little more jump in their step when they take the field because there will be a respect paid to the champs.  Every team now knows that  Rocky Mount has proven they can win the big ones.  Every team will give a supreme effort to be the team to knock off the champs.  They don't want to be embarrassed by the champs.

Often forgotten when you continue to win each Friday night is how close you came to losing. Ten minutes left in the state championship game the Gryphons trailed 21-14.  The truth be told they trailed in every playoff game except the Eastern Finals when they ran into an over confident Eastern Alamance team that the Gryphons slapped in the face early and Alamance had no answer for the Gryphon speed.

Looking even further they trailed almost every game in conference play at some point.  Seemed the defense took a quarter to get their stride and the offense just kept pounding on everyone  and that pounding takes it's toll after a while.

There is always luck that falls your way.  Thought knowing in the fourth quarter we were going to win over south Johnston and heard that Havelock had fallen and another home game coming.  Did not hurt at all to play Eden Morehead at home and then took the last play of the game to win after trailing by 9 points in the fourth quarter. I think the crowd at the Morehead game was the biggest crowd ever at the new stadium.

Early on Sherrod Green was the fullback but switching him to middle linebacker only and Nick Bynum to fullback was probably the move of the year. Made both the offense better and the defense more solid.  We found out in the state championship game just how good Forest Bell was at quarterback.  He was as they say the field general who directed the Gryphons as Jason Battle wanted without mistakes.  Seemed every time someone got hurt there was somebody who stepped in to fill a hole.

The fourth year even Jason Battle made great strides as coach.  No longer was this team losing games because of penalties of sportsmanship both on the field and sidelines.   He made changes in his coaching staff  and maybe the biggest was from within himself.  When you look at Jason's four year record and already a state championship under his belt the Gryphon nation will now have to watch out for the wanna-a -bees looking a coach in 4A.  Remember Wake County is building five new high schools in the next few years.  why not get a proven winner as your coach?

This team will have to replace the quarterback.  That is the biggest hole to fill before the season starts.  Stay away from injuries.  The line might not be as good as last year.  Saw last week in the Telegram where Coach Battle was preaching staying hungry.  There is no doubt about that.  Last year's team earn several opportunities to play college football because of the exposure they received during the playoffs.  Winning brings college coaches to ask why and they come and look.  Right now Rocky Mount has a flock of good athletes  that will get their looks.  The coaches  will look deeper if you keep winning. There is where the six or seventh best players are found out about.

Starting Monday the real get ready for 2016 high school football season gets going.

TV Coming To Thursday Night High School Football

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has been a bastion over the years about live TV coverage of high school events by saying no.  You can't turn on a TV now days that ESPN or any of the upstart sports cable channels don't have some high school sports on to fill their 24 hour a day schedule.  Around ten years ago the NCHSAA gave Time Warner Cable the exclusive rights to all the football and basketball state championship games.

I am sure many people stayed home during the 3-A state championship football game last December and watched the Gryphons bring home the glory.  Both the 2010 and 2012 basketball titles could be watched on Time Warner if you lived within their cable area or go on line and Stream the games.

The NCHSAA has not allowed a live coverage of a regular season sporting event but the money trail is too tempting and starting this year there will be a High School Game Of The Week  live on Thursday nights this football season.  Now just like the NFL games do, there is a chance that you might hear that say the Rocky Mount at Southern Nash game may get flexed and moved to Thursday night because TV deems it to be an important game from around the state. I am not saying it is going to be a state wide TV but that is an example of what might happen.

Charter/Time Warner have the rights and will be picking the games to be seen.  I have not seen a schedule and don't know at this point how they plan on picking the games from around the state.  You will of course need to be on the Charter/Time Warner systems to see these games or live stream.

The old question of does carrying a game live on radio or TV hurt attendance at any game. There use to be a day when AM radio was the only source of any high school sporting event.  Many AM radio stations through out North Carolina are day time station which means they sign off at sunset or reduce power.  Many recorded football on Friday night and played the game back on tape Saturday mornings.    The early 70's when FM stations came along and had no restriction of signing off it was then possible to carry high school games on the radio live.

I think what high school athletic directors learned was the better the team the better the attendance. When your team  from what they heard through radio was good fans tend to come watch live.  Games with threat of rain were the games hit by low attendance.  I think that is true whether you have radio coverage or not.

You may have noticed to soften the throng of high schools that might protest live TV on Friday night the games will be on Thursday.  Do you remember several years ago when ECU had the first Friday night college game on TV and coaches and administration bellowed to ECU from stealing potential patrons to high school games?  Least for now Thursday night TV football has a path to least resistance.  Wait to they try to expand to Friday's.

Rocky Mount High School will be hosting a football scrimmage on August 11th.  Details will follow later.

Rowan County wins the NC American Legion state tournament beating Union County 3-2 to go unbeaten in the tournament.  It is their 9th state title tying Gastonia  and one behind Wilmington with 10 titles.

Parent Student Meeting Monday Night August 8th

Over the past several years the The North Carolina High School Athletic association  has required that all parent and students  planning on playing any sport in a high school must attend a require meeting.  The meeting for all fall sports at Rocky Mount high school will be Monday night August 8th in the gym.  This meeting is mandatory for both a parent or guardian plus the student athlete.

Monday is the first day of try outs for fall sports at Rocky Mount High. Here is the times for each and their first practice.
Cheerleading- Coached by Shira Parrish will be from 6-8 pm
Cross Country- Coached by Dee Davis will be at 7:30am at Battle Park
Football-Coached by Jason Battle starts at 5:30-8:30pm
Golf- Coached by Michael Morris 3pm at Northgreen Country Club
Soccer- unnamed coach- 1st session 7:30 am and second session 10:30am to 12:30pm
Tennis-Coached by Barry Nettercutt 8:00 -10:00am

All players must be eligible and meet the NCHSAA and Nash-Rocky Mount Eligibility Requirements.  You must have an updated physical before the first practice.

I am sure all other Nash County schools have the same requirements and their own practice times scheduled.  Call the school for the student/Parent meeting and first practice schedule at your school.

I have another athlete left off the playing college sports somewhere in the fall of 2016.  Jack Wellenhofer Rocking Mount is heading to UNC Charlotte where he will play football.

The North Carolina State American Legion State Tournament started Monday with one unbeaten Rowan County and three with one loss Caldwell County, Whiteville and the host team Union County.  The Legion whenever there is an even number still alive the undefeated team plays too.  The afternoon game saw Whiteville take on the host team Union  County.  This one went just seven innings as the host were not very hospitable to Whiteville the team who lost for the first time Sunday night.  Whiteville goes home losing 14-3.

Rowan County as the lone Undefeated team can knock Caldwell County out making Tuesday the Day Union County has to beat them twice.  Should Caldwell County win Rowan County gets a bye In Tuesday first game and Union County and Caldwell play for the right to play Rowan for the title
Tuesday.   Should Rowan lose they would have lost their having to lose twice Tuesday.

Down 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning Rowan plates four runs to take an 8-5 lead.  Caldwell loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth but  a double play ends Caldwell County tournament and this sets up Union County the Host team having to beat Rowan County twice in order to win the state championship.  Should Rowan win the first or second it would be their ninth all time state championship.

Area One Gone In Legion Tournament

Opening Day was Friday for the 2016 North Carolina American Legion State Baseball Tournament.  Pitt County representing Area One East and the top seed of the East.  Garner the West division champion and the number two in the east both took the field at Wingate University.

It would turn out to be a great day for Area One as Pitt County opened the tournament Friday morning and they only took seven innings to devour Caldwell County 13-3.  Game two saw Area One rep Whiteville defeating High Point  7-6 in extra innings.  The third game of the day Rowan County clipped Wilmington 7-4 and the night cap Garner beat the host team Union County 9-4.  A very good day for Area One.

Saturday starts with the four losers on Friday starting the day off with Caldwell County ending Wilmington's tournament 5-2.  The second game Union County remained alive easing High Point back home 6-2.  The afternoon session saw Rowan County win the first winners bracket game  7-2 over Pitt County.  Garner joined the one time losers to Whiteville 12-4.  Two days into the state tournament and six teams remain two are unbeaten Whiteville and Rowan County and four are now in the losers bracket Caldwell County, Pitt County, Garner and Union County.

Only three games on Sunday as two losers brackets games during the afternoon and the two unbeatens get prime time.  It took extra innings but Pitt County is knocked out 10-9 by the host team Union County.  The second game is the end of the line for Garner  as they fall 4-3 to Caldwell County.  Bad day all around for Area one as the state tournament is over. Last night Rowan County beat Whiteville 10-1.  The four teams left are Rowan  County, once beaten Whiteville, Union County and Caldwell County.  All four teams are in action today, no bye for the unbeaten team.

As promised I did leave off a few athletes who will be playing college sports.  Nick Bynum and JaQuez Johnson-Rocky Mount-Football-Shaw.

The Sports section of the Raleigh News and Observer did and article in their sports section featuring Rocky  Mount High and their chances of repeating as 3A state football title.  It was a good read.

Speaking of great articles Josh Walfish's article in the Sunday Rocky Mount Telegram concerning innings being pitched by high school pitchers was right on.  I read an article several years ago by Doctor James Andrews the noted surgeon who perform the first so called Tommy John surgery.  He says that every pitcher needs three months of non-throwing once a season is complete for rest to the arm.

One thing that has happened to our society when we dedicate our life to one sport at ten years old is we don't know other sports that we might be good in.  A good example of one sport not using all your muscles.  Right after my freshman football season in high school I thought I was in excellent physical condition.  First day of basketball practice I was aching and gassed after all the different drills in basketball over football.  Let your kid play anything they want to.  Most of the time they will let you know the ones they don't like.  You may find trying to become great in baseball only to see your child might have been a better player in soccer.

New Members Join Wesleyan Hall Of Fame

It is for sure of one thing if you play sports at North Carolina Wesleyan College and your team wins a National Championship you can count on your team being elevated to the North Carolina Wesleyan Hall Of Fame 17 years after it happens.  That is going to happen to the 1999 baseball team who became the second Battling Bishops baseball team to win it all.

1989 the Mike Fox led Battling Bishops won the DII National Championship and in 2006 the entire team was named to the Hall Of Fame.  Can't leave out any National Champions so it is now a tradition at NCW that 17 years after you win it you get in.  So during the Homecoming weekend on October 15th the 1999 team will join 1989 in the North Carolina Wesleyan Sports Hall Of Fame.

Charlie Long's first team went 42-9 and on June 1st 1999 beat St Thomas 1-0 to win the National Championship.  The history of Division II baseball it is still the only 1-0 championship game.  Expect a big crowd for the ceremonies as the entire team is expected back to Rocky Mount and here is a list.

Robbie Adams                                               Kevin McNeil
Tim Autry                                                      James Pitney
Barry Blake                                                    Jon Rardin
Pat Bullard                                                     Scott Robeson
Nick Buonocore                                             Dan Salax
David Capabianco                                          Brett Schultz
Ryan Crammer                                               Jason Sigley
Jim Faraci                                                       Jed Snead
Russ Fink                                                        Jeremy Stewart
Sean Flemming                                               Carl Wheeless
Buddy Hernandez                                            Mike Wilchinski
Chris Johnson                                                  Taylor Williams
Daniel Johnson                                                Brian Woolston
Andy Jones                                                      Tim Wright
Steve Ladlick                                                   Joel Yednock
Jon Markle                                                       Head Coach Charlie Long
Jason Maurer                                                   Asst Coach Ernie Jones
Andrew McFarland                                         Asst Coach Jerry Edwards

It would be mighty hard to put a team in the Hall Of Fame without the coach being in there too especially since he is still coaching at Wesleyan.  Charlie Long who has been at North Carolina Wesleyan since 1991 and took over for Mike Fox as baseball coach in 1999.  He has won 429 games as coach, one national championship.  He has been USA South Coach of the year three times.  His coaching record in the D II playoffs is 16-9.  He trails only Mike Fox on the all times wins list at North Carolina Wesleyan.  Of course he of one of two coaches to lead a Wesleyan team to a national championship.

The final person heading to the Hall Of Fame is Ernie Jones who came to Wesleyan in 1991 to finish out his college baseball career.  Once Charlie Long took over the baseball program in 1999 Ernie came back to be an assistant coach and was with Charlie for more than 400 wins and the National Championship.  Between his Wesleyan playing days and coaching 17 years. Ernie has been a part of 10 conference regular season or tournament titles.  Six NCAA bids, three regional championships and three world series appearances.  During his 17 years as an assistance coach that is the longest tenure assistant coach in the history of Wesleyan.

Hall Of Fame weekend is October 15th.

Twin Counties Players March On

Now that the North Carolina Coaches Association has now concluded their convention in Greensboro and all the All Stars games are concluded every senior high school players have now finished their high school careers.  There are some that will move on to college and continue playing sports.  Before I even start I know somewhere along the way I have missed one but here is a list compiled as the year has gone on of those players that are fortunate enough to keep playing varsity sports in college  from the Twin county area.  If you see one that I have missed please pass it on to me because I don't want anyone deserving be left out.

FOOTBALL:
Marcus Williams- South West Edgecombe -Football- Appalachian State
Antwoin Pittman-North Edgecombe-Football-Winston Salem State
Jacob Hunter- Tarboro-Football- Chowan
Tahj Deans- Southern Nash- Football-East Carolina University
Zack Foster-Southern Nash-Football-North Carolina Wesleyan
Gage Chilton-Rocky Mount Academy-Football-Methodist University
B J Sanders-Rocky Mount-Football-Charleston Southern
Nick Bynum-Rocky Mount-football- Shaw
Ja'quez Johnson-Rocky Mount-Football-Shaw
Jack Wellenhofer-Rocky Mount-Football-UNC Charlotte

BASKETBALL:
Josh Mullins-Nash Central-Basketball-North Carolina A&T
Jahlia Williams-Northern Nash-Basketball- Winston Salem State

BASEBALL:
Jarrett Mobley- SouthWest Edgecombe-Baseball- Pembroke State
Luke Mills-Faith Christian-Baseball North Carolina Wesleyan
Noah Shrock- Nash Central-Baseball- North Carolina Wesleyan

Track And Field:
Nadir Thompson-Southern Nash-Track and Field- North Carolina State
Devonte Hyman-SouthWest Edgecombe-Track and Football-Virginia Lynchburg
Raquan White-Southwest Edgecombe-Track and Field-Virginia Lynchburg
Teyanna Dessaure-Rocky Mount-Track and Field- Mount Olive
Nyanna Edwards-Rocky Mount-Track and Field-Mount Olive
Laneeja Sheppard-Rocky Mount-track and Field- Mount Olive

SOCCER:
Rebekah Beal-Northern Nash-Soccer-Chowan
Hunter Franks-Rocky Mount Academy-Soccer-Louisburg College

SWIMMING:
Jenn Jackson Nash Central-Swimming-Gardner Webb

There is no doubt the Twin County area is a sports mecca.  Todd Gurley Tarboro, Montrezl Harrell North Edgecombe, Brian Goodwin Rocky Mount, Benton Moss Rocky Mount, Collins Cuthrell Rocky Mount  are all still active in professional sports after their college days.  I wonder who in the class of 2016 will join them.

Computers

Former N C State Shortstop Trea Turner has been called up to the Washington Nationals as another Nationals player is on the 15 day disabled list.  He got the call up in September last year after Syracuse fell out of the AAA playoffs.  He almost made the opening day roster back in April but the Nationals sent him back to the Chiefs for defense.

If Turner gets sent back to Syracuse you would have to wonder what in the world is the management thinking.  So far since his recall he is hitting 308.  He has played short and second and could be used in the outfield if needed.  Wednesday night Turner stole home for  only the third time in Washington Nationals history however short that history might be.

Where Turner has turned  on Major League baseball is what he did before the steal of home.  These days computers check and time everything.  Tuesday night Turner tripled and the computer said his 270 foot  run from home to third base was at 22.4 miles and hour.  Now as a fan that watches baseball and have seen turner run live at  N C State I know he is fast but how fast is fast?  The computers clocked him running at 22.4 miles per hour.  Still what does that mean to me an you.  22.4 miles an hour is the third fastest any player has run a triple in Major League Baseball this year.  That was Tuesday.

The reason Turner was on third Wednesday night was he got another triple and this time the computers say he ran at 22.7 miles and hour which is the fastest anyone has made it to third on a triple this season.  If you go on MLB.com and watch both the triple and the steal of home there is no doubt speed kills.

Trea Turner is the fastest man in major league baseball.  Much like just a couple of weeks ago we talked about Whit Merrifield  getting the folks in Kansas City excited, DC is koo koo for Trea Turner.  His speed can get to grounders that other players let go as hits.  Pop ups are catchable almost any where on the field  for him. 

I doubt that Trea Turner will ever visit a minor league baseball field again unless it is an injury rehab assignment. Turner's good fortune is hindering our very own Brian Goodwin.  Brian is tearing up pitching since he has returned from the AAA All Star game.  His average is back up to 293 after having dipped to 282 two weeks ago.  Brian is an outfielder so Turners who is an infielder/outfielder just may take any opening that could go to Brian.

When you look at the shortstop and centerfielder that have played for the Nationals  all season their  batting averages are dismal.  There is no reason that Turner should not be at short and give Brian his shot in center.  Just maybe Turner's success will open the eyes of Washington's management to see why in the world to you keep guys in starting jobs in the majors when your AAA club has replacements to do better than the starters they have now.

Michael Taylor has been the main centerfielder for most of the year.  He is hitting 226 while Brian  is 293.  Brian has driven in 52 runs while Taylor 14.  Brian has one triple and none for Taylor.  doubles Brian leads 23-10.  Stolen bases is 13 out 16 for Goodwin and 10/13 for Taylor.  I truly think something is going to happen for  Brian Goodwin before the trade deadline August 1st..  He is either going to get traded or they have to bring him up.  He's playing a whole lot better than what they have in centerfield now.