Third Round Twin County Playoffs

One of the biggest problems coming from Hurricane Matthew and having to delay the state championships one week was securing the legal rights the following week to the stadiums..  The paper work has now been secured and if Rocky Mount can win two more playoff games they would play at 11:05 am on Saturday December 17th at BB&T Stadium in Winston Salem in the 3A championship game.

Two more Vikings victories by Tarboro and they play on Friday night December 16th at 7:30 in Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill for the 1AA title.  If North Edgecombe is still alive they play in Chapel Hill at 11:05 Saturday the 17th for the 1-A crown.

Week three of the state football playoffs moves into December and North Edgecombe, Tarboro and Rocky Mount still remain in the state playoffs.  Got all three games right last week and after two weeks of playoff picks stand 9-1 and 80-26 on the season.  If all three of our locals lose then it will be time to concentrate on basketball.  Will this be the last week?

North Edgecombe 11-1 @ Plymouth 10-3:  Recent history the Vikings had had great success in basketball and football on the state wide stage.  The Vikings have scored 468 points while the Warriors 469 but the Warriors have played one less game.  Plymouth is averaging 36 while North Edgecombe 39.

Plymouth has held their 13 game opponents to 17 points per game.  The boys of Leggett are holding their foes to 15.  They have played two common games Riverside from Williamston Plymouth lost 27-47 while North Edgecombe won 74-56.  Columbia played both losing 52-0 to Plymouth and 44-0 to the Warriors.

We have reached the point in every game that there will be no clear favorite but home field can be the most advantadious factor.  I do like that in the two common games that North Edgecombe has a slight advantage.   I have every reason to pick the Warriors but I think Plymouth at home is big in this one Plymouth 36 North Edgecombe 32

Tarboro 11-2 @ East Carteret 12-1:  The Mariners are winners of 11 in a row while Tarboro 8. East Carteret is rushing for 202 yards per game while the Vikings 302.  The Mariners are sending it through the air for 199 yards per game while the Vikings you might as well say they don't pass getting just 23 per game.  Every time the Mariners run they get 9.5 yards while the Vikings 9.4

The Mariners have completed 70% of their passes and get 9.8 per every pass attempt.  So that means on every play the Mariners get 9.6 yards every time they touch it.  Plymouth scores 47 per game while the Vikings have held they 13 games to just a tad over 6 points per game.  The Vikings average nearly 40 while the Mariners give up 10.  A big question in this game have the Vikings seen any body pass the way the Mariners do?

If you go by stats this game falls to the home team East Carteret with their offensive numbers.  I do however have to think back where did those two losses come from that the Vikings suffered.  They lost to Northern Nash on a Monday and Southern Nash on Friday.  I see nobody on the schedule that matches up well for East Carteret as those two..  Tarboro 26 East Carteret  22

Rocky Mount 11-2 @ Southern Guilford 11-2:  We have already talked earlier in the week about this match up and there is every indication this could be a great game.  The storm has lost to Eastern Guilford 3A 13-0 still while one of the Gryphon losses was to 4A Middle Creek 13-0.  The Storm second loss was to 3A SE Guilford 7-5 while the second Gryphon failure occurred to Southern Nash 12-1.

I think this game comes down to the turnovers.  If Rocky Mount is the team that puts it on the ground twice and lose both that is potential points that will  never be given a chance to get back and that will be hard to catch up.  Have the Storm been hit like they are going to be hit in this one and do they put the ball on the ground? Can the Storm match the Gryphon team speed?  2014 they could.

I think the Gryphons live to play another week  Rocky Mount 24 South Guilford 21

Good Picks NFL Turkey Weekend

Had a 12-4 week and adding up the numbers for the year now stand at 119-57.  Five weeks to go until end of NFL season.  About half the teams are already eliminated but the other half all those teams want to win enough game to qualify. Let's see who still has a shot.

Cowboys @  Vikings Right now Cowboys are safe.  Vikes need more wins to qualify either as divisions champs or wild cards.  Losses are not good for Minnesota.  Who needs it more?  The Vikings. Vikes 27 Cowboys 24

Chiefs @ Falcons.  If playoffs started today both are in.  The loser of this game just might fall to outside looking in.  Falcons win at home over a good defense poor offensive team.  Birds 26 Chiefs 19

Rams @ Patriots:  Rams srtruggling to put points on the board.  The Patriots are having issues with injuries including Tom Brady.  I think I could start at QB for Pats and score enough to win.   Pat's 27 Rams 16

Broncos @ Jaguars:  Bronc's have a hard time winning not being able to score points.  Their defense is so good teams have a hard time scoring on them so they are in playoff hunt.  Mathematically 5-6 are still alive for playoffs.  Those teams need Denver to lose.  I think they have a chance in Jax of going down.  Jaxsinville 21 Denver 16

Texans @ Packers:  Texans play in weak division Packers have weak defense.  Somebody this  week has to win this game.  Packers 30 Texans 20.

Eagles @Bengals:  Both these teams are no where near what was expected them to be at this time.   The question for the Bengals is what has happen to them they have most of their team they had last year.  Eagles new coach and system so they may have an excuse.  So who do you pick in a game like this. Cincy 30 Eagles 23

Dolphins @ Ravens:  Both these teams still holding on to playoff hopes. A loss  dims the playoff light but both need a win.  Ravens 27 Dolphins 23

49'ers @ Bears:  This is one of those games that nobody cares about the winner or loser.  I'll takes Bears 17-16.

Bills @Raiders:  Buffalo is having a good year but the Raider Nation is having a better one.  Raiders 26 Bills 20

Giants @Steelers:  New York trying to stay up with the Cowboys while Steelers trying to stay in playoff contention.  The Steel curtain is tough to beat in Pittsburgh.  Steelers 33 Giants 27

Redskins @ Cardinals:  Both these teams are still in the playoff picture.  Skins not a half bad team but  Phoenix hard place to play for for half bad teams.  Cardinals 27 Skins 23

Tampa @ San Diego:  If you watch all the TV experts most will tell that San Diego is very good.  As badly as they gave away games the first six weeks they are still in the playoff picture.  Right now is there a more improved Team than Tampa?  A must win game got both.  Chargers win at home 33 Tampa 26

Panthers @Seattle: No playoffs this year for the Panthers but Seattle is a different team at home Seattle 26 Panthers 17

Colts @ Jets:  Colts right in the middle of their division playoff but Jets right in middle of being out of playoffs.  Jets 22 Colts 17

Been Here Before

Last word about the Southern Nash Rocky Mount game.  I felt that during the regular season match up with the schedule being moved around because of the hurricane that it being senior night but most of all the family situation going on with coach Brian Foster's family and coach Foster not being on the sidelines the Firebirds had everything to play for with an undefeated season riding, a first place in the conference and yet Rocky Mount had pretty much controlled the game until the two roughing the passer penalties. Update on Foster family.  Understand both wife Kim and son Zack did make the game Friday but have much rehab still in front of them.  We need to all pray for their full recoveries which may take at least another six months if not more.

I have no dispute at all with the penalties as both were bone head plays totally unneeded and it gave the  Firebirds new life and any team as good as the Firebirds didn't need much help anyway but the Gryphons beat themselves.

Here we are in a second round game and now the Firebirds are the hunted, the team favored to win the game.  Coach Foster's family no longer in intensive care and out of the Wilmington hospital.  All of the things helping the Firebirds the first time were not there in this match up.  I thought Rocky  Mount had something to prove in this match up.

The one thing that I saw was the on the field change made by Rocky Mount after giving up three scores in one quarter to Southern Lee in the first round and falling behind by 14 in the third quarter.  The Gryphons quit being a the going through the motions team and started playing ball the way they are capable.  I thought I could see even in the first Southern Nash game a take for granted play that even only up 10-7 they thought they had the game.  Up 7-0 to Southern Lee and now down 14 the Gryphons finally woke up to the fact they had to work to win.  It carried over into the Second round Firebird matchup.

Rocky Mount's last lost in the playoffs was a second round defeat in 2014 to Southern Guilford at SG.  That thing that had been a bug-a-boo this season fumbles, they had two in the first half in 2014.  The Storm also had a special running back in Reggie Gallespy who now plays at NC State.  The final score was 36-18.

Who's Up Next

Yesterday I Mentioned that the 28 points the Gryphons scored on Southern Nash was the most scored on the Firebirds all year.  Looking at Middle Creek the Gryphons scored 25 on the 4A school which stands at 13-0 on the season and have not given up more than 14 points in any other game.

There is one big problem any running team has whenever they get behind by more than a touchdown.  The Firebirds first score of the second half took almost eight minutes of the clock.  The next two trips by Rocky Mount produced field goals and each drive lasted over four minutes.  Running teams cannot afford to get behind more than one score.  Just too much time comes off when they grind it down the field.

So far this year the Gryphons have not shown that if they are trailing in the fourth quarter and the running game is not working they have the ability to move the length of the field.  If you recall the state championship game last year the Gryphons only rushed for 120 yards the entire game and needed a passing game to stay in the game.

This week the Gryphons head down that I-85 corridor which during this century has been a familiar territory have played in Mebane, Gibbonsonville, and now back to South Greensboro in the playoffs They will be playing a coach who had a heartache against the Gryphons just last season as the head coach Earl Bates was the coach of Eden Morehead who the Gryphons beat on the last play of the game in the third round.  Either Bates saw the well running dry in Eden or it shows you how great a coach he is as Eden Morehead did not win a game this season.   They scored only 88 points while giving up 488.

Let't look at what the Gryphons face In the Storm on Friday.  They are 11-2 on the season with 10 wins in a row. They have scored 340 points which is a 26.4 points per game.  They have allowed only 148 points or just a little over 11 per game.

They average 211 yards rushing per game and their leading rushing attempt guy only carries the ball 10 times per game. They play a lot of running backs combining for their 2534 yards rushing on the season.  They average 5.9 yards per attempt.  Throwing they have completed 51-102 for 670 yards or 55 yards a game.

The Gryphons come into game 14 averaging 280 yards per game rushing.  The passing game has added 68 per game. BJ Sanders went over 1000 yards rushing on the season against the Firebirds.  He missed the first conference game because of illness and then the week off for the hurricane it seemed as if he had lost his speed.  It definitely looks as his speed is back in the two playoff games. DeAngelo  Collins has rushed for 850 and another 650 from Charlie Williams.

The Gryphons are scoring at a 32 points per game pace on 402 points.  They have allowed 221 points on the season but 78 came against Middle Creek 37 and Rose 41.  They did hold Rose under their season average of 46.  The other 11 games they are yielding 13 per contest.

We are to the point in the season where every win from here on out will have to be earned.  The 5-7, 6-6 teams are now wrestling and playing basketball.  This is a tough travel game due to the fact in order to be there on time you have to fight the Raleigh traffic and catch parts of the Greensboro jams in order to get to Southern Guilford.

I will not be able to be in attendance Friday night and help coach the Gryphons to victory from the stands.  Will be behind the mic at the Roger Taylor Invitational at North Carolina Wesleyan.  Same thing happened last year against East Alamance.  The Gryphons did rather well without me  in that one.  Expect the same type results from the Gryphons in Greensboro in order to return to coaching in Vanceboro or Havelock with all the other Rocky Mount fans/coaches who sit in the stands.

48 Is Enough

High school basketball season is underway in most quarters but at this point the high school playoffs have over shadowed the beginning of the season.  There is one game played so far that over shadows football talk for just a moment.

The Lady Firebirds of Southern Nash have not won a basketball game since the end of January of 2013.  There have been times when they struggled to even score in a quarter and getting 20 in a game has been a big offensive output.  Jordan Bass in his second year endured through a winless season as a rookie coach.

The Lady Birds opened the season playing Bunn and their 48 game losing streak is over after they beat Bunn.  31-29,  Their chance to make it two wins in a row could happen Tuesday when they have a trip to Corinth Holders.

Rocky Mount's 28 points Friday night was the most that Southern Nash football team  gave up all year.  They gave up 18 to Nash Central which had been the highest all season.

What a difference a week makes.  After six fumbles losing four last week against Southern Lee the Gryphons did not put it on the ground against the unbeaten Firebirds.  When the Gryphons hold on to the ball they are really good but when they put it on the ground multiple times average at best.

Last year had to miss the East Alamance Eastern Finals game having PA duty for NC Wesleyan.  Friday and Saturday at Wesleyan is the Roger Taylor Invitational and I'm stuck in Rocky Mount again.  The Gryphons need to play as well on 1-85 as they did last year.

Three teams remain alive from the Twin Counties.  This week Rocky Mount 11-2 is on the road to Southern Guilford.  The other bracket is West Craven 13-0  hosting Havelock 12-1 from the same conference.
Tarboro 11-2 travels to East Carteret  12-0 unbeaten while the other bracket has Lakewood hosting Wallace Rose Hill.  North Edgecombe hits the road playing Plymouth.  Win or lose there will be no more high school football played in the twin counties this year.

If you were in Chapel Hill Friday during the State Carolina football game you might have heard the loudest cheer of the day was the Carolina Basketball team making an appearance at the football stadium having just arrived back from Hawaii  after winning the Maui Classic with three convincing wins.


I realize the football team had a bad start Friday against the Pack and the crowd had little to cheer about as the basketball team made their appearance.  It only proves that basketball is still king on campus and most Carolina fans could care less if Fedora leaves Chapel Hill to go any where else.

12-1

Before we begin talking about this game it is a shame the top two teams from any conference have to meet in the second round.  Especially when the combined record of the two going into the game is 22-2.  I maybe could see it if the second place team was 6-6.

They expected 3,500 hundred and I think they got it as both stands were full on the Southern side on the hill by the entrance has several hundred and the Gryphon side had four and five deep from about the 20 yard line towards the concession stand in the field house.

The Firebirds took the opening kickoff and did what they did the first time these two met going 71 yards in seven plays and took the lead after a five yard run up the middle by Kendrick Bell.  The Gryphon first series was a first down and punt but starting on the Firebird second pocession the Gryphons defense took over for rest of the half.

The Gryphon offense took over too as they went on a 86 yard drive capped off by two yard punch up the middle by Deangelo Collins and after the Chase Miller the Gryphons led 7-6 because the Firebirds missed their PAT and the time stood at 3:40 of the first.

The very next drive the Gryphons scored on one play as B J Sanders ran straight up the middle  60 yards and  at 49 seconds before the end of the first it was 14-6. The Gryphons  had a surprise in store for Southern Nash as Sherrod Green came in and ran at full back for the first time this year.  He started preseason with a broke hand and did not see middle linebacker play until the fourth game and then toward the end of the season he has been bother by a shoulder injury.  The Firebirds found out nothing is wrong with him now his first three carries total 42 yards and that led to a DeAngelo
Collins 22 yard jaunt with only .54 seconds in the half.

The Gryphons did nothing with their first try of the third quarter and Southern took more than seven minutes off the clock and cut the lead to 21-14 when Kendrick Bell saw the end zone from ten yards out. Bell added a two point conversion.  Once again the Gryphon went to number 44 as they march close enough to the goal line to get a 28 yard field goal an extend the lead to 24-14.

An interception by Detrelle Revis set up another scoring drive that ended in Chase Miller belting his second field goal from 22 yards out and the lead is 27-14 with 3:40 to go.  Southern Nash wasn't undefeated for no reason as they scored in just over two minutes getting the last 36 on the arm of Toonice Hampton to Nadir Thompsom and with 1:25 to go the Firebirds are an onside kick from having a shot but the Gryphons recover the onside kick and three  neil  downs sends the Gryphons to round three with a 27-21 victory over Southern Nash.

 Rocky Mount rushed 51 times for 325 yards led by BJ Sanders 20 176 also Sherrod Green 8 carries 87 and DeAngelo Collins 11-64. The Gryphons  completed only one pass in three tries losing three yards.  Bam Knight led the Firebird 13-77, Nadir Thompson 3-55 and Kendrick Brll 14-50.  Their totals 43 - 196 and passing 4-11 for 66.

For the Firebirds a perfect season ends at 12-1 while Rocky Mount advances to Southern Guilford who was a second round winner over South Johnston 29-7.

Big Night for Edgecombe County as Tarboro made the NCHSAA look like fools having to travel to a 6-6 team winning 61-0

North Edgecombe lives to play another week besting Northside Pinetown 16-14.

An End To College Football Season

Last week went 7-2 to send my  tepid football guessing record 83-31.  Only thing left after this week is playoffs and bowl games.

It is funny the N C State fans bemoaned the fact that this season's non conference slate was harder no patsies in the first four.  A surprising victory over Notre Dames sent Wolfpack fans into hysteria  only to find out the Fighting Irish is having their worse year in 20 years. Last chance to be bowl eligible  if they can get to 6-6.  Please let's end six and five win teams going to bowls. 

Friday High Noon  N C State 5-6 @ North Carolina 8-3:  I thought the Pack had a chance against the Heels this season but it has turned out that the best quarterback they have is reckless with the ball.  Tar Heels 41 Pack 17

ECU 3-8 @ Temple 8-3:  After their home victory over N C State the season has been up hill all the way for the Pirates.  It will end in an avalanche in Philadelphia.  Temple 35 ECU 24

Miami 7-4 @ Duke 4-7:  Coach Cut has proven beyond a doubt he is a great sidelines coach.  This is team probably should have only won one game.  Miami 38 Duke 24

Florida 8-2 @ Florida State 8-3:  Both teams are good but not great taking plenty of luster off this game.  Noles win 30-27

Georgia Tech 7-4 @ Georgia 7-4:  Another game that I know Georgia fans are disappointed at the records.  The hedges too much for the rambling wreck 27-24

South Carolina 6-5 @ Clemson 10-1:  A must win for the Tigers if they are to make final four.  You hear this every once in a while they are the best one loss team but I think it is on the other foot this time Clemson is the worse one loss team either the luckiest.  Clemson 35 South Carolina 24

Boston College 5-6 @ Wake Forest 6-5:  I think you could switch uniforms as both these teams are an image of themselves.  I have a feeling the Eagles get to 6-6 26-24

Virginia 2-9 @ Virginia Tech 8-3:  An ACC Championship game awaits the Hokies with a win.  I think Cavs will be glad to end this season.  Tech 28  Whoo's  16

Kentucky 6-5 @ Louisville 9-2:  A major bowl game awaits  the Cardinals with a victory while Kentucky will get a shot at any bowl game they can Louisville 45 Kentucky 28

Notre Dame 4-7 @ Southern Cal 8-3:  I bet the Irish give them a run for their money only to lose in a close one. USC 27 Notre Dame 24.