It's High School Football Time

The Temperature is in the mid 90's and the heat index is near 100 or more everyday so it must  be a perfect time to start high school football.  The 2016 high school football season kicks off Friday night. Every team that plays football in the Twin Counties kicks off this weekend.  It's time to begin a new year of guesstimating.

Bethel Christian @ Rocky Mount Academy:  The second season as head coach starts for RMA's Terrell Hudgin.  Several key losses will be hard to replace.  The Eagles start the season 1-0.  RMA 46 Bethel Christian 24

Northeast Carolina Prep @ Freedom: This is Saturday and what a way to begin a season as NEC Prep travels to Apex to take on Apex Freedom. This is the second year of Freedom and last season played a JV schedule.  Good chance for Prep to win this one.  Freedom 20 Prep 19

NW Halifax @ North Edgecombe:  Should be a good way to start a new season for the Warriors.  North Edgecombe 26 NW Halifax 7.

Kipp Pride @ Rocky Mount Prep:  Prep will collect their first win of the season.  Jags 26 Pride 14.

Edenton @ SouthWest Edgecombe:  This is the a nice matchup to start the season for both.  This will not be easy for the Cougars.  SWE 35 Edenton 20.

North wood @Southern Nash:  Question Marks at quarterback is biggest Firebird question. They are big and athletic and regardless of questions Firebirds open with  a win.  45-25

Corinith Holders @ Northern Nash:  The most silent team of the August practices has been Northern Nash.  A mystery for sure.  One thing for sure Holders is heading to 4A next year so they have plenty of players choose from.  Corinth Holders 23 Northern Nash 13

 South Granville @Rocky Mount:  Expectations high in Gryphon Land and opening night should start the season off on the right foot.  Gryphon's 38 South  Granville 7

The game of the night will occur in Tarboro.  The Vikings are looking five playoff  games this season.     Nash Central looking to get two wins to double last year.  Over the last five years  the Bulldog program has lost the luster of even wanting to be a football player.  There are many who could play but won't help bring program back.  The only comeback Tarboro is looking for is playing on state championship Saturday. Tarboro 32 Nash Central 6.

The collision of helmets begins Friday night.

Extra Baseball At Legion Championship

Rowan County North Carolina jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the American Legion World Series championship game in Shelby North Carolina last night but this was for all the marbles and Texarkanas Arkansas fought back to tie the game at 4-4.

Arkansas missed a great chance to win it in the top of the eighth with the bases loaded and one out and they attempted a squeeze with the bases loaded.  I have never thought much of a bases loaded squeeze because even if the hitter makes contact with the ball it is still a force play at home.  Arkansas got a poor call in the ninth when the umpire at first call a Hog runner out when on the replay the player sliding into first slid completely across the base before the throw arrived.

You could not ask for a better championship game as Texarkana loaded the bases in the 12th and this time no squeeze.  Baseball is a beautiful game because of the chess match that goes on.  Rowan County chose to bring the infield in with two strikes on a batter with one out. What happened a ground ball which could have be a double play ball shoots by the short stop and Arkansas is on their way with four runs.

The bottom of the 12th Rowan County plated a run and had a runner on first with one out. A slow roller back to the pitcher who turned and his double play throw to second goes through the legs of the shortstop and North Carolina has a shot.  A bases loaded walk makes it 8-6.  Arkansas wins it on a come backer to the pitcher and the pitcher runs halfway first before his underhanded toss to first.  The State of Arkansas wins their first ever American Legion World Series.  Arkansas 8 North Carolina 6

The largest crowd in the history of the Legion World Series over 8500 most pulling for Rowan County.  It is the sixth   time a team from North Carolina has finished second.  Albemarle in 1944, Gastonia 1954, Charlotte 1964 and Cherryville in 1998 and 2003.

World Series Finals Tonight

Rowan County the State American Legion State Champions of North Carolina, the Southeast Regional Champs will play For the World Series Championship tonight.  The World Series started Thursday in Shelby with eight teams playing a round robin three games within their division.

The Stars Division consisted of four teams Cumberland Rhode Island, Leesburg Va, Texarkana Ark and San Mateo Cal.  The Stripes Division  four teams were Rowan County NC,  Rockport In, Omaha Neb and Kennewick Wash.  Each day three games were play which will give every team a day off sometime during the weekend.

Rowan County lost their opening game Thursday to Rickport Indiana 6-3.  They rebounded Friday sticking Omaha Neb with their first loss 5-2.  They had Saturday off and finished up the round robin on Sunday beating Kennewick Washington 12-0.  The top seed in the Stripes Division went to Indiana while Rowan County took second.

Over in the Stars Division California took the top seed while the Arkansas team took second. Monday the top seed in the Stars Division California took on the second seed in the Stripes Division Rowan County and the North Carolina State Champions take down California 13-4 sending the Tar Heel team to the World Series championship game.

The other semi final game features top seed from the Stripes Indiana against the second seed from the Stars Division Arkansas.  When the sun had set Arkansas had knocked the second number one seed out of the Series winning  4-1.  It was only Indiana's second loss on the season.

Tonight at 7pm you can watch the World Series live on ESPNU as all games the entire weekend have been seen.  Rowan County North Carolina versus Texarkana Arkansas.  The state of North Carolina will be going after the fifth World Series victory in the history of the World Series Which has been going on since 1926.  This could be the first ever victory for Arkansas.

High School Sports Season Starts Today

Today starts the 2016/17 high school sports season  even though the bell to start school is still more than a week away.  Soccer and volleyball will be the first out of the box but by the end of the week every varsity sport played in the fall will be under way.  The heat index Monday and Tuesday is expected to be over 100 but maybe by Wednesday those sports contested outside will see a cool spell down to the upper 80's.

Boy's soccer begins with road trips for both Northern Nash and Rocky Mount.  The Knights will head over to Bunn while Rocky Mount visits Rose High in Greenville.  Rocky Mount Academy 0-1 who opened their season last week plays match number two on the season hosting Cape Fear Academy.  Southern Nash will get their season underway Tuesday hosting Bunn.

Girls volleyball hopes the AC is working in all the gyms where they open season as leading opening day is Southern Nash as they load the bus heading to Smithfield Selma.  Rocky Mount Academy will provide AC for Cape Fear Christian at 4pm Tuesday.  Northern Nash can't pick a much harder opener hosting DH Conley.  Rocky Mount waits to Friday to open their season as they host Ayden Grifton at 5pm.

Football of course waits to Friday and every high school in Nash County begins their 2016 campaign.  
The defending 3A state champs Rocky Mount will open their season hosting South Granville. Game time is 7:00 pm.  Nash Central is the only school not at home Friday as they head over to Tarboro a team talking State championship talk after playing many under class men last year.  Everyone else playing Friday night all kickoff at 7:30.  Corinth Holders will be in Death Valley being hosted by the Knights. North wood will see how good Southern Nash might be coming to Nash County.  Kipp Pride is at Rocky Mount Prep and Terrell Hudgins begins his second year at Rocky Mount Academy hosting Bethel Christian.

Saturday Night in their scrimmage against South Johnston the Gryphons  lost to the Trojans 14-13.  The two scrimmages played last week it is evident the defense will need to carry the load early for Rocky Mount.  They have run the ball very well so far.  Everyone must remember it was the second game of their season at Middle Creek a loss before anyone had any thoughts of Rocky Mount even being a deep playoff threat.

I was in Tarboro Friday night and rode by the football  Stadium and as expected looked like a Viking football game going on as they hosted a jamboree with a big crowd on hand.  Yes the folks in Tarboro  feel like this is the best football team they have had since Todd Gurley graduated.

Milestones We All Are A Part

It is amazing this world we live in.  We can talk  while driving, use that phone to call anywhere in the world.  Look up any question you might have about anything and get an answer as soon as snapping your finger. I missed Brian Goodwin's first major league hit  live as I had a family obligation to take care of.  Wednesday night I could go on the Washington National's website and  highlights of the game and of course any player getting his first hit ever in the major leagues is a highlight so there is a 30 second clip of the hit.

Major League baseball players and any team sport anywhere teammates have a bond  in the case of the major leagues every player knows what it took him to get to the big stage and anytime a teammate has one of those milestones everyone knows what it means to get there.  After the sharp single Davey Lopes the National's first base coach asked for the ball and rolled it over to the NATS dugout.  Catcher Pedro Severino leaned over the dugout protection scooped it up and jumped up in down celebrating with the ball.  Pitcher Max Scherzer took the ball from Severino and already had another ball in his opposite hand  and nonchalantly tossed the other ball in the stands as if it was no big deal.

Milesstones are important to all of us.  That 16th birthday and getting those driver's license,  your first child and for Brian Goodwin being able to say I'm a big leaguer.  All his teammates understood the moment and for someone like me who doesn't get to see him much anymore but who had the pleasure to call games on the radio when he played it is a big moment for me too.  I still remember the Babe Ruth State Championship game at Stith Park.   Brian led off and hit the first pitch over the right field wall an I think it is still floating in the Tar River. 

It is easy to understand  the excitement from his teammates as they had to go through the same efforts to make it to the big stage.  But back here in Rocky Mount he had teammates who went through the sweat with Brian to win Two state titles in Babe Ruth, Southeast Regional titles and a state title in 3-A baseball.  Teammates Ben Fish, Gabe Brown, Collins Cuthrell, Grant Johnson, Chris Berry, William Barringer, Jim Leggett, Benton Moss, Dillion Cockrell, Nick Hahula, the Berry twins Matthew and Thomas and so many more who have played with or watched Brian through the years.

Can you even process the thought of how coach Pat Smith feels watching Brian perform?  There is no doubt Brian Goodwin has God given talents that through the years coaches have helped develop.  Jason Battle, Kent Cox, Travis Ward, Jammie Mitchell and so many more.  Each just bust out with a smile any time I have contact with any of them about Brian's progress.  Almost on a daily basis Bernie Capps will ask me what did Brian do last night.  Can you imagine how many times Bernie Capps has taped Brian Goodwin's ankles?  His success means lots to all of us.

Every day for the rest of his professional life all of us who call Rocky Mount and Nash County home will pull for Brian Goodwin to excel.  None of us know what his limits will be.  There will be many who live and die with every swing of the bat because he belongs to us.  He is one of us.  He represents us all. He will always now be known as a major leaguer from Rocky Mount North Carolina.

For Two Weeks Sports Dominates The World

I noticed something during the opening ceremonies  of the 2016 Olympic Games.  When all the countries march out there was no country called ISIS.  Each day we hear in the world of some person willing to blow themselves up in the name of ISIS.  At least for the 16 days while the Olympics go on   the rest of the world takes a vacation from war and sends their sports troops to the field of battle in the Olympics.

When we all are hit with a disaster like a hurricane or tornado we as a country called the USA will ride a motorcycle from Illinois to Rocky Mount to help with recovery from flooding like I saw here in 1999 as I worked at one of those food supply pickup areas in the Mall after Hurricane Floyd.  Americans in times of need rally to help each other.  Once the disaster is taken care of we fall back in our little hole of self  indulgence.

Every four years when we send our athletes to the Olympics all of a sudden it is as if a disaster is about to hit if we don't win a basketball game and we as Americans go ape crazy over winning.  You may not know this but the Olympic village  for the athletes is not big enough or has any other Olympics been big enough for an athlete to stay in the village all 16 days.  The swimmers and track and field have so many people taking part that you much leave the village by the end of two days after your last event.  Now that swimming is about over Track and Field athletes are taking over their rooms.

We the Joe average people who at one point in our life tried certain sports and for the most part were never much good at it admire those who excel.  Michael Phelps at age 31 racking up metals after only  about two years ago his life was in shambles because he had no life without swimming.  He has come back and all Americans love people who come back from the grave.  Those watching the swimming has anybody noticed a fat winner yet.  Swimming uses about all your muscles while in the water.  That must  be why I feel tire just when I go stand in the shallow end of the pool.

TV makes people seem taller Simone Biles is less than five feet tall.  When she is vaulting, walking on that ledge called a beam, flying through the air on the bars or running and flipping and landing on two feet see looks six feet tall.  Standing beside an average TV announcer she is a squirt.  How can anybody that small jump that high, flip and flop and not be broken into pieces.  There is such beauty  in what they can do.

There is no doubt Americans look for  hero's.   The expression on Simone Manuel's face  when she looked back at the clock hoping to get on the metal stand only to see her name first was priceless.  She becomes the first African American Female to ever win an individual gold metal in any swimming event.  Then you watch the tears of joy when that moment when you know I made it.

The final week will be outside when track and field takes over and there will be new hero's to cheer for and metals to be won.  TV glorifies winning but for every event  there is someone who always finishes fourth and there is no metal to be won.  We hear this term all the  time PB. Personal best.  I have never run faster in my life and I finished fourth.  Every person when ever they get out of their body something never before obtained they won whether they got a metal or not.

Hitting Somebody Else

Thursday night at Rocky Mount High school the Gryphon's hosted three other schools varsity and JV programs.  4-A West Johnston had the longest ride traveling their mailing address says Benson but they are near Willow Springs.  2A Goldsboro and Nash County and conference foe the  Firebirds of Southern Nash rounded out the fourth team.

The night started off with referee Shannon Davis led the group of refs who were also there for their preseason workouts.  Davis talked of the points of emphasis by all crews this season.  Points were   Clear and white mouth pieces are acceptable this year.  All pads must be covered.  There will be no exposed pads on any player at any time.  There will no clipping on any play.  In the past lineman could clip along the line of scrimmage but no more.  The final point of emphasis is a rule that I am glad to see.  There will be no cussing of any kind on the sidelines by players, coaches and anyone along the sidelines.

Now for the action.  Southern Nash varsity went 14 minutes on offense and 14 minutes on defense against Goldsboro.  The second segment Rocky Mount went against West Johnston.  Both Rocky Mount and Southern switched teams with  Goldsboro facing Rocky Mount and West Johnston squaring off against the Firebirds.  The third segment Rocky Mount went back against against Goldsboro.  The last half hour each team got four downs to make a first down or continue a drive until a score.  Then two more teams intermingled.

The results:  West Johnston has the best quarterback of the four.  They were big across the front and the qb could throw or take off and run very effectively.  Their front line on D was also big and hard to move.

Goldsboro: Considering they were the 2A school of the bunch they scored twice again Rocky Mount and once on Southern.  Their Defense not as good.

Southern Nash:  Big  on the offensive and defensive line.  Had several big plays on both sides of the ball.  Looks as their big question is replacing their quarterback.

Rocky Mount:  Moved the ball well while running but several pass plays were jail breaks by the defense.  Not only does Rocky Mount  need to find a replacement at quarterback but they need to find protection for the new one.

It is very hard in scrimmages to evaluate the progress of and offensive team or defensive unit  because there is so much switching in and out of players on each play.  There are several players who if they have not got enough practices in so they could not play either.

Impressions:  I thought West Johnston was very good.  Southern Nash is loaded with good athletes and Rocky Mount's defense popped some leather.

Didn't pay all that much attention to the jv's but Rocky Mount  scored a lot.

Rocky Mount will travel to Cardinal Gibbons on Saturday to play South Johnston in the
 highschoolot .com jamboree at 5:40 pm. We are now one week away from the first game of the season when they open up hosting South Granville.  Please note game time next Friday is 7pm.