Things Will Sort Themselves Out

Last week at this time the four ACC basketball schools from North Carolina all sat stunned that they had all lost their opening  conference basketball games and sat tied for last.  It maybe was not so much a surprise that they lost but State, Duke and Carolina all lost by double digits.

Some sanity has been restored as Duke has two conference victories at home this week and both State and Carolina one each.  One of
the two will add their second win by dark this afternoon when they will  collide in Chapel Hill.

I see no way the Deacons of Wake Forest will by the end of the ACC Tournament play will have enough wins to make the NCAA's.  The rest do so lets look over how good the other three really are

North Carolina State roared back after their loss in Miami last weekend and by the way there are ten or more teams in the ACC they could be good enough to qualify for the Tournament but the numbers just do not add up ten or more can make it.  It is imperative that every team has to win their 9 home games and win what you can on the road.

All three State,Duke and Carolina all lost on the road last week and Duke and State all three games at home they have won big. Is that a sign that none are really powerhouse teams?

State has 7 players who are playing their first year. They looked it at Miami. They showed against Virginia Tech what they could be.  I think they will be a load for  anybody by March.  They need to win enough to stay in the NCAA hunt.  They must intensify their defense.

During the Kentucky game all the shots made by the Tar Heels, the Wildcats shots could be marked as a great game but Clemson's ability to drive all night to the basket has to be a Roy Williams concern.  The good news is the Tar Heels did get a road win.

Duke bounces back with two wins  this week both  at home.  Grayson Allen timely returns at the start of conference play.  Big question I have is who is the leader of this team.  Allen showed last year with his antics and he is doing it again this year that he is not a leader any team needs to. have.

It is amazing how great every team looks when shots go in.  There's 9 more weeks to go and there will be nights when nothing falls but somebody will prevail anyway in the ACC.  The big question this year will it be a team from the Triangle.

IS NFL Still King

The most exciting two weekends of every NFL season are here and yet TV ratings show that the NFL has tumbled from it once proud perch as king of TV viewing on all of TV. Let's make our picks and then discuss the NFL's decline.

Saturday:

Oakland at Houston:  Both teams have quarterback misery to worry about .  I think if  you both were playing anybody else they would both lose but one has to win.  Oakland defense is better.  Raiders 17 Houston 10

Detroit at Seattle:  Detroit has trouble beating good teams.  Seahawks never know which team is showing up.  I would hate to have to travel to  play in Seattle..  Hawks 26 Detroit 22

Sunday:

Miami at Pittsburgh:    I find it hard to see the Dolphins winning in Pittsburgh.  33 -24 Steelers

Giants at Green Bay:  Giants have their Super Bowl formula in tact.  Defense with very little offense.  Seems that Packers are rolling.  Will be hard to beat Packers in tundra.  Pack 36 Giants 27

Why are ratings down?

Injuries keeping best players out of games?

Unappreciative players.  Not standing for national anthem when they make millions?

Fantasy football has become more important than who won?

When the ball is in the air who can tell who committed the penalty there by putting too many outcomes of games in official's hands?

Since latest contract hitting during practice has eliminated practicing  fundamentals lacking and players are soft and fragile when games are played?

40 seconds too long between plays.  need to cut it to no more than 25 seconds.  Hate watching especially in college  quarterbacks start calling signals then stop look at bench for a different call according to defense set up.

This is some of my guesses what are yours?

Knights Back Up non-conference Record

The Knights of Northern Nash who started their season with a 12-2 non conference slate continued their hot start to their season defending their home court and knocking off Hunt 64-50.  The Knights now 13-2. 1-0 while Hunt falls to 3-11 0-1

Girls Big East basketball the Hunt Lady Warriors backed  up Their only loss to date by falling behind early at Northern Nash but powered their way to their 13th victory in 14 starts and now 1-0 in conference play after a 48-37 victory over Northern Nash 0-1 5-8.

The Lady Gryphons opened conference play at home with a 61-52  victory over Nash Central.  The Lady Gryphons win their 8th in 10 tries while the Lady Bulldogs start conference play 0-1 and 5-7 overall.

The Bulldogs of Nash Central win on the road at Rocky Mount pulling off victory number 8 winning 60-55 now 8-3 1-0 while the Gryphons lose at home dropping to 3-5 0-1.


Weather is  also effecting at this point the women's basketball game Saturday at home for the Lady Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan?  They are suppose to play Ferrum in their home opener in conference play at 2pm Saturday.  It has been bumped up to 3pm Friday in order that Ferrum can head home to the mountains of Virginia by dark Friday. Their 2pm game at  home Sunday against Mary Baldwin  is still on pending weather conditions Saturday of whether Mary Baldwin can get here or not.

Under the Heading Am I that blind?  Thanks to many of you who gave me notice that I failed to include Detrelle Revis from Rocky Mount on the NCPREPS.COM all state team.  Sorry to Detrelle for me making such a miss since my little rant about who and why people got on a website list I had Detrelle in mind why he wasn't on the list.  He is, so congratulations to Detrelle Revis for also being named to the NCPREPS.COM all state defensive back.

Weather At It Again

The first night of conference basketball games is scheduled for this Friday night.  The weatherman and their computers are sending out conflicting information about this possible snow coming in Friday night and maybe all day Saturday.  20% of the computers say less than 2 inches of snow while 35%  say from 2-6 inches.  Hardly any are saying nothing at all.

With that being said the Big East is going into their hurry up offense this week and are moving all games up to Thursday night so basketball is on tap tonight.  Southern Nash will visit Fike.  Hunt at Northern Nash and Nash Central at Rocky Mount.

Rocky Mount basketball boys made up a game with Hertford County.  Both girls teams played each other in November so there was only a single game tonight and for the third straight year Hertford County has come to Rocky Mount and win 64-63.


The cold weather we have today just might keep the ground cold enough that what ever falls whenever it starts every drop probably will stick  and most of the time when that formula happens we get big snows.  One other factor that creates big snows for our area when the system pushes up the Atlantic coast missing the mountains.  It is best to make sure you are prepared regardless.

The NCPREPS.COM has released their All State Teams in football and two players from our area have made it. Defensive lineman Isaiah Guy from Northern Nash and linebacker Sherrod Green from Rocky Mount are on the team.   Don't be upset of players you think should make such a team just remember this,  that this  website just like me has no more idea who should be on a All State team no more than I do.  They probably haven't seen 15 of the players in the state play in a game this year so they have no more idea who should be on the team than I do. 

They go by stats and who has been offered free rides as much as any thing.  Any thing beyond the all conference team when the coaches are voting on players they had to compete against during the season and have seen all the players play would know.  That goes for college all American  teams too.  Who people saw on TV.  Despite all the games on TV each week a person who watches football 24 hours a day might see 5% of all the players playing college football.

Havelock is looking for a new football coach as the one the Gryphons played in the Regional finals has moved on to Freedom High School.  Jim Bob Bryant is heading to Morganton to take over the 3-A team.  Not sure whether he is heading home or not but Freedom has in the past had a good football program going 6-6 this past season and 11-2 on 2015.

Girls Big East Play Starts This Week Too

Yesterday we looked at the Big East boys and today the girls of the Big East take center stage.  By week's end Big East basketball will be full steam ahead.

Hunt: 10-1 Exacted revenge last night on their only loss of  the season beating  Kinston.  By Friday they will host Northern Nash to open conference play.

Rocky Mount 7-2 Lost championship game in Cleveland tournament last week and will not play again until they host Nash Central Friday

Fike 9-3. Have a midweek game with Beddingfield 5-5 before they host Southern Nash on Friday.

Nash Central 6-5.  Not the team that they could be with the loss if player of the year last season in Robbie Allen to injury.  Open conference play Friday at Rocky Mount

Northern Nash 5-7 Open up conference play traveling to Hunt Friday.  They get maybe the hardest assignment of opening night playing at Hunt.

Southern Nash 2-8. No longer haunted with no wins in two years but still struggling to score points.  Have a Wednesday date with Smithfield Selma 1-10.  Have real shot at victory number three. Catch Fike in Wilson on Friday.

So far this hockey season have not said much about the Carolina Hurricanes.  This may be the best team they have had since 2007 the last time they made the playoffs. Saturday night with Clemson handling Ohio State I flipped back and forth watching the hockey as well as the Football game.

Any time a hockey team trails late in a game they will pull their goalie in order to put an extra shooter near the goal.  The Hurricanes were trailing 3-1 and pulled Cam Ward for an extra shooter.   Finally with 7.5 seconds no longer with a chance to win the Hurricanes put a goalie back in the game.

It was not Cam Ward.  The Hurricanes sent to finish the game their equipment manager.  That's right back up goalie Eddie Lack had become sick in Tampa and the Hurricanes did not have enough time to send for a goalie in Charlotte.

Desperate to have a back up goalie the Hurricanes turned to former minor league hockey goalie and now equipment manager for the Hurricanes Jorge Ilves.  There was no need to put him in that last 7.5 seconds but the Hurricanes made a dream come true for one of  their workers who truly filled a roster spot just in case Can Ward got hurt.  Nice going Canes!

High School Basketball Front And Center

Just about everybody played in Basketball tournaments last week and when school starts back this week the Big East starts conference play Friday and for some they have midweek nonconference games to finish up.

The team with the best record through December is the Knights of Northern Nash. 12-2. They have finished their 14 non conference games and only have five weeks of conference games only.  Coach Drake has the Knights primed to win the conference out right this year without sharing with anyone.  Northern is on the road Friday when they travel to Hunt right now  struggling to find any rythem.

Fike has won double digits games so far having a record of 10-2.  Fike still has a game Wednesday when they host Beddingfield 6-3 and Friday host Southern Nash.

Nash Central 8-2 is the third Big East team with a good looking record as they head into January.  They would like to  keep up the winning pace and not collapse the last week like they did last year needing just one win the last week to clinch first but lost both and lost the bye in the conference tournament.  Visit Rocky Mount Friday.

Southern Nash 5-7.  Have a non conference game Wednesday hosting Smithfield Selma 4-7 then visit Fike Friday.

Rocky Mount 3-3.  Already won three more games than they did through most of January last year.  Football playoffs have  a lot to do with that last year as they played most games despite not having a full roster.  This year Mike Gainey chose to postpone as many games as possible and that is why they have only played six games.  Get a visit from Hertford County 3-4 Wednesday.  Host Nash Central Friday.

Hunt 3-9 has a Tuesday night non conference game with Kinston 4-4 and wait for a visit from Northern Nash Friday.

Friday conference play Northern Nash @ Hunt
Nash Central @ Rocky Mount
Southern Nash @ Fike

ACC shines in Bowl Games

The Bowl season has five games to be  played and looking at at those five games the Southeastern Conference will be in four of the five games left.  They are the only conference that can out shine the ACC's bowl record this year.

So far the ACC is 8-3 with one game remaining and all they have left is win the national championship game and they are the kings.  One win over Alabama and Clemson is the national Champion of college football and the ACC will will be  9-3 and not only win  the most important  game have the best winning percentage of all the conferences. 750, if they lose the championship game they will fall to 667 which will still tie for the best percentage.

When the national election got toward midnight those folks who's job  it was to try to keep you  interested in the election kept telling you Hilliary's hope stood that she could not lose another state. The Southeastern Conference still has four games left they cannot lose one or the ACC will be declared the the winner.  The SEC stands at 5-5 right now and if the win all four of their remaining games they would go past the ACC in  total wins of 9 because Alabama would have beaten Clemson keeping the ACC from 9.  Regardless of how the remaining games play out the ACC has won the best percentage.

The Sunbelt stands  at 4-2 but the ACC would win the tie breaker having played in the most games.  The Big 12 is 3-2 and could tie the Sunbelt with one game left but the tie breakers gets them too.  Conference USA is the only other conference with a winning   record but the have no games left at 4-3.

As great as the ACC record is it will lose some steam if Alabama takes home the championship much like last year in basketball when the ACC got six teams in sweet 16 but no title.

Now the misery.  For the second time in the history of Big Four basketball all four ACC schools that call North Carolina home all lost in the same day in basketball Saturday.  I know we have all forgotten this but it happened in 2014 which was the first time it had ever happened.

Wake Forest looks as if they just don't have the horses to  be a real contender all season.  The Wolfpack looked as if they were starting all freshman.  Duke and Carolina both seemed disinterested.  Regardless the Big Four is 0-4 in the ACC.