Ok, Saturday was the third straight day of ho hum playoff Football. Just like last weekend Saturday was another double digit losses in games over by the middle of the third.
New England clips Houston 34-16 while Atlanta whipped Seattle 34-20. Those scores were in line with last weeks unexciting scores. Then Sunday rolls around and weather pushes the 1pm game to 8:30 because of a ice storm. The opening game of the day is Green Bay @ Dallas.
Somehow during the Jerry Jones era after Jimmy Johnson left and the year after Super Bowl the Cowboys have become America's average team having only one playoff win in 20 some years.
I hate the spike. I don't see too many reasons to ever spike the ball. Once you snap the ball after a spike runs the clock any way. Dallas spiking the ball gave Aaron Rogers one extra play go win the game when They got it back but it also took one play away from Dallas. That could have led to winning touchdown over a tying field goal.
Kansas city cannot win a home playoff game. They did not give up a touchdown and yet lost. I have no problem with the last holding call on the two point conversion. Probably really did not need to hold any way. Harrison's rush he had gone too deep and wasn't even close to a sack.
Pittsburgh At New England: I see no reason that the Steeler defense can't give the Patriots offense trouble. The weakest point of the Pats defense is against the run. I'll take the Steelers 27-23
Green Bay at Atlanta. First to forty wins this game. Don't think either defense has any thing to write home about. I think the trend over the past several years in the Super Bowl is that the hot team wins not necessarily the team with best record.
Both Atlanta and Green Bay are hot. Throw Pittsburgh in that pile too. I think the Falcons and Packers are about even on offense and the the Falcons a better defense. I'll take the Birds 41-36
Got both games right Saturday and missed both games Sunday to go 2-2 and 5-3 during the playoffs.
Tonight I was on PA at NC Wesleyan men's basketball. I don't know any better place that you could have been last night other than maybe church. It doesn't matter what age group there are those nights when games are played that both teams give a supreme effort.
Last night Greensboro College who was 3-0 in conference play went up against the Battling Bishops who have lost their first two conference matches. The first half was a fast paced run up and down game with the Pride leading 51-38 at the half.
It was one of those games that it felt like they should have been ahead by 30.
The Pride increased the lead to 18 when the Bishops caught fire. Just under ten minutes the Bishops took the lead 67-66 and lead 69-66 before Greensboro scored 17 straight points to jump up by 14 with under five minutes to play.
The Bishops fought back again and tied the score at 88-88 holding for the last shot. The shot was a good chance and there was a clear foul but no call. Overtime!
Back and forth the Bishops made a couple of stops and scored and come home with a 102-96 win. The Bishops entire starting line up hit double figures. Adrian Moore 23, AJ Frye 20, Justin Tamkelwitz 19, Robert Wilson 15 and Chris Braswell 13.
You can see the Bishops back in action Saturday afternoon hosting Ferrum at 2pm while the Lady Bishops take the court at 4.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
A Thing Of Beauty
There was a time during the NFL football season that comments were being made about Aaron Rogers whether he had finally hit the age barrier and his career was on the down slide. The Packers looked awful while Minnesota and Detroit were leaving the Packers in their dust. The playoffs continue with a revved up Packer team and Minnesota and Detroit watching on TV.
There was a point in the season that Pittsburgh looked as a 3rd place team in the AFC North behind Cincinnati and Baltimore. This weekend is the AFC title game and Pittsburgh is playing and the rest watching on TV.
The Wolfpack of N C State have a top ten recruiting class in basketball. Their record at this moment is 13-6 but a dismal 2-4 in the ACC. They were picked 6th in a 15 team league but today tied for 12th. When you watch them play you can see all kinds of offensive explosion in almost every player they have.
They have one of the top guards in freshman Dennis Smith. He has become the second player in N C State history to have a triple double. Points 27 rebounds 11 and assists 11. They have players that can put the ball in the hole and score and yet each players has played good defense against his man. Their problem they play poor team defense. Don't help out when others let their man get by them.
They have just played in the preseason polls two of the worse teams and lost. They look like Green Bay and Pittsburgh and are floundering. All this talent that they have you can see that they could win ten in a row if they figure things out like. When teams figure it out there is nothing in sports any better than a team that is playing the way they are suppose to play.
The Steelers and Packers figured it out and it is exciting as a fan to see a team improve. Can the Pack improve enough?
The question for the Wolfpack are they selfish individual players who don't care about others only their best interest in their future? Seems to me team success breeds more notice for your future than
playing on a team that looks like there is no hustle by any body. Can the Pack put it together to Make the NCAA and then a good run once they get in?
Coach K is on the sidelines with a surgery like that occurred in 1995. Just so happened that year is the last losing year in Duke basketball. This years squad jumped out to a 14-2 start and for the life of me I don't know how they did it.
They have in their first five ACC games a record of 2-3. That is good for a tie for ninth place. Is this team heading in 1995 direction with out K. I don't see a very good defensive team. Injuries may take their leader off the court for the rest of the year. Is there anyone on the floor that can be a true leader? At this point they don't have a take charge type guy leader on the floor. They have 14 victories which is more than 1995 finished with after they were 9-3 when K went down in 1995.
Who do you think is the front runner to replace coach K when he finally retires ? Jeff Capel.. He has lots of pressure on him to win more than they lose while K is out. They don't need to lose six out of seven while K is out. So far they have lost two of three
Can State or Duke find the pieces to put on runs that everyone expects. Right at this point I don't see it happening for either one. If somehow it happens there is no more beautiful thing than to watch a team struggling to get it right that finally gets it.
Carolina is right where everyone thought they should be. They at this point look like a team that could go right back to the final four. Injuries could alter that formula. They need to stay healthy and not hit the skids and lose two or more in a row. Roy won number 800 this week. Can by the end of the season run it up to about 820?
There was a point in the season that Pittsburgh looked as a 3rd place team in the AFC North behind Cincinnati and Baltimore. This weekend is the AFC title game and Pittsburgh is playing and the rest watching on TV.
The Wolfpack of N C State have a top ten recruiting class in basketball. Their record at this moment is 13-6 but a dismal 2-4 in the ACC. They were picked 6th in a 15 team league but today tied for 12th. When you watch them play you can see all kinds of offensive explosion in almost every player they have.
They have one of the top guards in freshman Dennis Smith. He has become the second player in N C State history to have a triple double. Points 27 rebounds 11 and assists 11. They have players that can put the ball in the hole and score and yet each players has played good defense against his man. Their problem they play poor team defense. Don't help out when others let their man get by them.
They have just played in the preseason polls two of the worse teams and lost. They look like Green Bay and Pittsburgh and are floundering. All this talent that they have you can see that they could win ten in a row if they figure things out like. When teams figure it out there is nothing in sports any better than a team that is playing the way they are suppose to play.
The Steelers and Packers figured it out and it is exciting as a fan to see a team improve. Can the Pack improve enough?
The question for the Wolfpack are they selfish individual players who don't care about others only their best interest in their future? Seems to me team success breeds more notice for your future than
playing on a team that looks like there is no hustle by any body. Can the Pack put it together to Make the NCAA and then a good run once they get in?
Coach K is on the sidelines with a surgery like that occurred in 1995. Just so happened that year is the last losing year in Duke basketball. This years squad jumped out to a 14-2 start and for the life of me I don't know how they did it.
They have in their first five ACC games a record of 2-3. That is good for a tie for ninth place. Is this team heading in 1995 direction with out K. I don't see a very good defensive team. Injuries may take their leader off the court for the rest of the year. Is there anyone on the floor that can be a true leader? At this point they don't have a take charge type guy leader on the floor. They have 14 victories which is more than 1995 finished with after they were 9-3 when K went down in 1995.
Who do you think is the front runner to replace coach K when he finally retires ? Jeff Capel.. He has lots of pressure on him to win more than they lose while K is out. They don't need to lose six out of seven while K is out. So far they have lost two of three
Can State or Duke find the pieces to put on runs that everyone expects. Right at this point I don't see it happening for either one. If somehow it happens there is no more beautiful thing than to watch a team struggling to get it right that finally gets it.
Carolina is right where everyone thought they should be. They at this point look like a team that could go right back to the final four. Injuries could alter that formula. They need to stay healthy and not hit the skids and lose two or more in a row. Roy won number 800 this week. Can by the end of the season run it up to about 820?
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
A New Star In Town
The Carolina Hurricanes gave the state of North Carolina a world championship way back in 2006. Since then the Hurricanes have made the playoffs once.
When your team does not win it is hard to get fannies in the seats to help pay for the talent needed to compete in any professional sport. It really doesn't have to be a professional sport you go to any high school team in any sport and how many are there to watch if they are not winning.
During the last decade without making the playoffs the Hurricane faithful has stay with the team averaging about 13,000 per season. That kind attendance does not allow the Canes to bring in high impact veterans but they mostly sign highly regarded rookies who's wages are high but compared to an aging veteran bargain basement prices.
So the Hurricane method of getting young talent and find aging veterans to supplement the young stars work when the Canes had a young superstar in Eric Staal and the midseason trades of 2006 just happened to create magic and a title.
Eric was a star but most of the high price veterans found more money somewhere else and the Canes have struggled since. Fast forward five years and Staal injured a fractured knee during the World games and Staal was no longer a productive Super star but the Canes are paying super star prices for a player a shell of himself. It was time to move on.
Lacking a super star to fill the seats still about 13,000 are showing up each home game. I don't know whether you like hockey or not. Back in the early 80's when ESPN used the NHL as a program filler I saw a player come along that had it. His name was Wayne Gretsky.
This season the Hurricanes have a group of young talent who to this point have blended together and this years team is still in the hunt for the playoffs. They have the eighth spot in the east right now. Many of the last few years they have been marred so deep in last the season had no purpose by this time of year.
I see on the roster of the Hurricanes a player that reminds me of the Great One Wayne Gretsky. He is 19 year old Sebastian Aho from Rauma Finland. He wears number 20. He plays right wing . He is smooth, seems to be at the right place at the right time. He makes bullet passes, has skating speed. He blends nicely with his teammates.
This year that blend that the Canes had in 2006 is developing as the Canes are winning almost everything at home. If you haven't seen them this year you need to catch them on tv or at the PNC. You might see something to get excited about. They are no longer the team hoping to score one goal and hoping Cam Ward pitches a shutout.
Cam Ward in net is playing 2006 level. Jeff Skinner is coming of age. Jordan Staal no longer in big brothers shadow. Names like Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, Ton Hainsey, Elias Lindholm, Brett Pescue are just some of the names that might lead you to get excited about the Hurricanes again.
They are playing and exciting aggressive brand of hockey. When they score they are becoming sharks smelling the blood and they go into a scoring frenzy. This team is not the Carolina Hurricanes of the last ten years. 2006's team was exciting because they were winning. This team is getting it together much as 2006 did but they are a more exciting team scoring and winning. They are well worth your attention!
When your team does not win it is hard to get fannies in the seats to help pay for the talent needed to compete in any professional sport. It really doesn't have to be a professional sport you go to any high school team in any sport and how many are there to watch if they are not winning.
During the last decade without making the playoffs the Hurricane faithful has stay with the team averaging about 13,000 per season. That kind attendance does not allow the Canes to bring in high impact veterans but they mostly sign highly regarded rookies who's wages are high but compared to an aging veteran bargain basement prices.
So the Hurricane method of getting young talent and find aging veterans to supplement the young stars work when the Canes had a young superstar in Eric Staal and the midseason trades of 2006 just happened to create magic and a title.
Eric was a star but most of the high price veterans found more money somewhere else and the Canes have struggled since. Fast forward five years and Staal injured a fractured knee during the World games and Staal was no longer a productive Super star but the Canes are paying super star prices for a player a shell of himself. It was time to move on.
Lacking a super star to fill the seats still about 13,000 are showing up each home game. I don't know whether you like hockey or not. Back in the early 80's when ESPN used the NHL as a program filler I saw a player come along that had it. His name was Wayne Gretsky.
This season the Hurricanes have a group of young talent who to this point have blended together and this years team is still in the hunt for the playoffs. They have the eighth spot in the east right now. Many of the last few years they have been marred so deep in last the season had no purpose by this time of year.
I see on the roster of the Hurricanes a player that reminds me of the Great One Wayne Gretsky. He is 19 year old Sebastian Aho from Rauma Finland. He wears number 20. He plays right wing . He is smooth, seems to be at the right place at the right time. He makes bullet passes, has skating speed. He blends nicely with his teammates.
This year that blend that the Canes had in 2006 is developing as the Canes are winning almost everything at home. If you haven't seen them this year you need to catch them on tv or at the PNC. You might see something to get excited about. They are no longer the team hoping to score one goal and hoping Cam Ward pitches a shutout.
Cam Ward in net is playing 2006 level. Jeff Skinner is coming of age. Jordan Staal no longer in big brothers shadow. Names like Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, Ton Hainsey, Elias Lindholm, Brett Pescue are just some of the names that might lead you to get excited about the Hurricanes again.
They are playing and exciting aggressive brand of hockey. When they score they are becoming sharks smelling the blood and they go into a scoring frenzy. This team is not the Carolina Hurricanes of the last ten years. 2006's team was exciting because they were winning. This team is getting it together much as 2006 did but they are a more exciting team scoring and winning. They are well worth your attention!
Monday, January 16, 2017
Mickey Linberger Retires
If you are a fan of the Rocky Mount Gryphon football team the name of Mickey Linberger has become a very familiar name. The last two years the Gryphons have played Linberger and the South Point Raiders the last game of the year in the 3A state title game.
Linberger has announced at the age of 62 that he was retiring as head football coach at South Point. Linberger 1972 graduate of South Point returned back to South Point high school in 1983 serving as a teacher from 1983 to 2006. He coached the baseball team from 1984-2005 winning 370 games losing 214.
He joined the coaching staff in football in 1984 serving as an assistant coach. He became offensive coordinator from 2003-2110. 2011 was named head coach in 2011 and had a coaching record of 70-15 in his six years as head coach.
During his South Point career he has been a part of four state football titles starting in 1972 as a player,then as an offensive coordinator with titles in 2003 and 2009. Now he walks away after a title over Rocky Mount in 2016.
Trying to catch up on all those postpone games while football was playing almost to Christmas the Gryphons played a home game Saturday afternoon against Smithfield Selma and the Gryphons head into exam week with a win 75-55 over the Spartans.
I hope you got a chance to view the sports section of the Rocky Mount Telegram Sunday and saw the article on the Southern Nash Foster family who endured this fall during football season what no family wants to ever have to go through.
To review during the week out of school while eastern North Carolina recovered from Hurricane Matthew the Fosters decided to spent a weekend at the beach. The car that oldest son Zack was driving with his mother Kim in the car ran into mechanical trouble swerved into the median on I-40 jump the guard rail and hit head on into a tractor trailer. Both were air lifted to a Wilmington hospital where both had major injuries.
Father Brian head coach of the Firebird's stepped away from coaching for two weeks to be with the two as they struggled to survive. Little brother Matt in order to keep up in school lived with other coaches while dad looked after Kim and Zack.
What impresses me about their ordeal is their faith in God shines through loud and clear. Have you ever wondered for those of you that don't believe why it seems that people of faith endure during troubled times much better than those that don't believe. The reason those that don't believe try to make themselves happy while those that look to God try to make God Happy. Those that believe in themselves can never be satisfied. There is always something else needed to keep them happier.
Ethan Joyce did a great job on the article. He is rather new at the Telegram but he showed us all what he is capable of doing. You need to read it if you haven't.
Linberger has announced at the age of 62 that he was retiring as head football coach at South Point. Linberger 1972 graduate of South Point returned back to South Point high school in 1983 serving as a teacher from 1983 to 2006. He coached the baseball team from 1984-2005 winning 370 games losing 214.
He joined the coaching staff in football in 1984 serving as an assistant coach. He became offensive coordinator from 2003-2110. 2011 was named head coach in 2011 and had a coaching record of 70-15 in his six years as head coach.
During his South Point career he has been a part of four state football titles starting in 1972 as a player,then as an offensive coordinator with titles in 2003 and 2009. Now he walks away after a title over Rocky Mount in 2016.
Trying to catch up on all those postpone games while football was playing almost to Christmas the Gryphons played a home game Saturday afternoon against Smithfield Selma and the Gryphons head into exam week with a win 75-55 over the Spartans.
I hope you got a chance to view the sports section of the Rocky Mount Telegram Sunday and saw the article on the Southern Nash Foster family who endured this fall during football season what no family wants to ever have to go through.
To review during the week out of school while eastern North Carolina recovered from Hurricane Matthew the Fosters decided to spent a weekend at the beach. The car that oldest son Zack was driving with his mother Kim in the car ran into mechanical trouble swerved into the median on I-40 jump the guard rail and hit head on into a tractor trailer. Both were air lifted to a Wilmington hospital where both had major injuries.
Father Brian head coach of the Firebird's stepped away from coaching for two weeks to be with the two as they struggled to survive. Little brother Matt in order to keep up in school lived with other coaches while dad looked after Kim and Zack.
What impresses me about their ordeal is their faith in God shines through loud and clear. Have you ever wondered for those of you that don't believe why it seems that people of faith endure during troubled times much better than those that don't believe. The reason those that don't believe try to make themselves happy while those that look to God try to make God Happy. Those that believe in themselves can never be satisfied. There is always something else needed to keep them happier.
Ethan Joyce did a great job on the article. He is rather new at the Telegram but he showed us all what he is capable of doing. You need to read it if you haven't.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Archie Was Right
This May will be 13 years since the 2004 NFL draft. Let us review what went down. If there has ever been a quarterback that is over rated throughout his life it is Eli Manning's quarterbacking career. He is the son of Archie Manning who quarterback for 11 years for the New Orleans Saints when the Saints were the Aint's. He was a very good quarterback who was known as a survivor scrambling every Sunday just to stay alive playing for the hapless Saints.
Peyton graduated from Tennessee and went number two in the draft to the Colts in 1997. No time during his college career did Eli have any kind of stats to make you think he was any where close to being the quarterback his brother was in college and there was nothing to make you think he could be as good as Peyton had done so far as a pro.
So many professional teams in all of sports look at potential and many NFL executives looked at Eli as a horse with a famous football father and brother so may be he will be like one or both of them.
Eli's senior season in college he may have been the 20th best quarterback but that pedigree Eli is being looked at as the number one quarterback in the draft. The team with The number one pick the San Diego Chargers.
Leading up to draft day and all indications that San Diego was planning on drafting a quarterback to replace to that point a disappointing Drew Brees who had replace a disgrace in Ryan Leif.
Knowing that since 1983 that the Chargers had only four winning seasons Archie and Eli didn't want Eli saddled with another New Orleans.
One of the most wierd photos in the history of the NFL is the picture of Eli Manning holding a Charger number one jersey standing beside NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue with Archie and his wife Eli's mother. Twenty minutes later a trade Eli for Philip Rivers.
Eli goes to the Giants and a stable organization who are still owned by the same people as then. Rivers goes to a team that fires their coach after a 14-2 season. Now they desert the City that had been their home for 55 years to go play second fiddle to a team called the Rams. So for the next two years they will play in a stadium that seats 30,000. Why couldn't they just announce that they would stay in San Diego two more years.
There are plenty of people in this world who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Having money doesn't mean you are smart enough to keep it.
Archie Manning through his experience with a poor organization as the Saints back in the 70's could see that the Chargers just like the Saints back then and now he didn't want any of his sons to have to experience in their professional lives what he had to endure.
So Eli who at best is an average NFL has won two titles. Philip Rivers who if he had two titles would be considered one of the best NFL quarterbacks ever.
Fast forward 13 years and Philip Rivers had become the Archie Manning of the 21st century. Just think if Philip Rivers had the defense that Eli had all those years in New York how many titles could the Giants have won. Instead Philip Rivers will finish his career with 30,000 people watching. Archie knew what he saw Back then and he was right.
Peyton graduated from Tennessee and went number two in the draft to the Colts in 1997. No time during his college career did Eli have any kind of stats to make you think he was any where close to being the quarterback his brother was in college and there was nothing to make you think he could be as good as Peyton had done so far as a pro.
So many professional teams in all of sports look at potential and many NFL executives looked at Eli as a horse with a famous football father and brother so may be he will be like one or both of them.
Eli's senior season in college he may have been the 20th best quarterback but that pedigree Eli is being looked at as the number one quarterback in the draft. The team with The number one pick the San Diego Chargers.
Leading up to draft day and all indications that San Diego was planning on drafting a quarterback to replace to that point a disappointing Drew Brees who had replace a disgrace in Ryan Leif.
Knowing that since 1983 that the Chargers had only four winning seasons Archie and Eli didn't want Eli saddled with another New Orleans.
One of the most wierd photos in the history of the NFL is the picture of Eli Manning holding a Charger number one jersey standing beside NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue with Archie and his wife Eli's mother. Twenty minutes later a trade Eli for Philip Rivers.
Eli goes to the Giants and a stable organization who are still owned by the same people as then. Rivers goes to a team that fires their coach after a 14-2 season. Now they desert the City that had been their home for 55 years to go play second fiddle to a team called the Rams. So for the next two years they will play in a stadium that seats 30,000. Why couldn't they just announce that they would stay in San Diego two more years.
There are plenty of people in this world who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Having money doesn't mean you are smart enough to keep it.
Archie Manning through his experience with a poor organization as the Saints back in the 70's could see that the Chargers just like the Saints back then and now he didn't want any of his sons to have to experience in their professional lives what he had to endure.
So Eli who at best is an average NFL has won two titles. Philip Rivers who if he had two titles would be considered one of the best NFL quarterbacks ever.
Fast forward 13 years and Philip Rivers had become the Archie Manning of the 21st century. Just think if Philip Rivers had the defense that Eli had all those years in New York how many titles could the Giants have won. Instead Philip Rivers will finish his career with 30,000 people watching. Archie knew what he saw Back then and he was right.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Too Much Gryphon Defense
The Lady Gryphons of Rocky Mount met The Golden Demons of Fike tonight in what was suppose to be the high light game of the night in Big East Girls play. Rocky Mount 8-2 and Fike 11-3 was suppose to be the clash of two of the three 1-0 records and two of the best overall records in the league. It was not to be.
Between the Gryphons defense smothering the Fike offense and Fike having no defensive answer for senior Keyanna Spivey the Lady Gryphons led by 27 at the half 45-18 cruise with ease to a 75-48 victory over the Golden Demons. Rocky Mount 2-0 in the Big East are tied with Hunt for first. The Hunt game was the game missed this past week when the Tuesday night league game was iced out.
High school sports teams are to a certain degree are at the mercy of the players that live in their district and injuries. There is no red shirts for lost games lost from injury. Those games lost forever. The Lady Knights of Northern Nash just a year ago had a 33 game conference winning streak snapped and this year they are struggling to be able to score.
Tonight Nash Central a team with a tremendous injury allows Northern Nash 7 points only in the first quarter and it will be the biggest quarter of the night for the Lady Knights at The Lady Bulldogs roll Northern Nash 48-18.
Opposite of the Lady Knights a team that has suffered the last few years have been the Knight boys. They are on the upswing and tonight over at Nash Central where they took on the Bulldogs one of the teams that had the 1-0 record after the first night of the conference play last week.
The Knights won the first quarter by a 19-17 score but slowly added to the lead every quarter. They up the lead nine 28-19 up to 15 by the end of the third and by 18 at the final horn.. The Knights of Northern Nash up their conference record to 2-0 after a 72-54 victory over the Bulldogs. The Dogs drop to 1-1.
Any coach looks for consistency. Tonight Fike scores 20
points in the first, 22 in the second, 18 in the third and they added another 20 in the fourth. Rocky Mount scored 24 in the second, 18 in the third quarter and 20 in the final stanza.
The last three quarters the Gryphons out scored the Golden Demons 62-60 but where victory came Fike's way was the the Gryphons had a slow start scoring only 10 in the opening quarter which led to a 80-72 defeat for the Gryphons who drop to 0-2 while Fike ties for first with Northern.
Hunt hosted Southern Nash and win their first conference game 69-54 over Southern Nash and in the girls action Hunt won their 14th game in 15 tries beating Southern Nash Lady Birds 59-23
Between the Gryphons defense smothering the Fike offense and Fike having no defensive answer for senior Keyanna Spivey the Lady Gryphons led by 27 at the half 45-18 cruise with ease to a 75-48 victory over the Golden Demons. Rocky Mount 2-0 in the Big East are tied with Hunt for first. The Hunt game was the game missed this past week when the Tuesday night league game was iced out.
High school sports teams are to a certain degree are at the mercy of the players that live in their district and injuries. There is no red shirts for lost games lost from injury. Those games lost forever. The Lady Knights of Northern Nash just a year ago had a 33 game conference winning streak snapped and this year they are struggling to be able to score.
Tonight Nash Central a team with a tremendous injury allows Northern Nash 7 points only in the first quarter and it will be the biggest quarter of the night for the Lady Knights at The Lady Bulldogs roll Northern Nash 48-18.
Opposite of the Lady Knights a team that has suffered the last few years have been the Knight boys. They are on the upswing and tonight over at Nash Central where they took on the Bulldogs one of the teams that had the 1-0 record after the first night of the conference play last week.
The Knights won the first quarter by a 19-17 score but slowly added to the lead every quarter. They up the lead nine 28-19 up to 15 by the end of the third and by 18 at the final horn.. The Knights of Northern Nash up their conference record to 2-0 after a 72-54 victory over the Bulldogs. The Dogs drop to 1-1.
Any coach looks for consistency. Tonight Fike scores 20
points in the first, 22 in the second, 18 in the third and they added another 20 in the fourth. Rocky Mount scored 24 in the second, 18 in the third quarter and 20 in the final stanza.
The last three quarters the Gryphons out scored the Golden Demons 62-60 but where victory came Fike's way was the the Gryphons had a slow start scoring only 10 in the opening quarter which led to a 80-72 defeat for the Gryphons who drop to 0-2 while Fike ties for first with Northern.
Hunt hosted Southern Nash and win their first conference game 69-54 over Southern Nash and in the girls action Hunt won their 14th game in 15 tries beating Southern Nash Lady Birds 59-23
Another One Game Week
We are approaching the end of the second week of conference play in Big East basketball and to date only one game is in the books. This is not football where there should only be one game but all kinds of consequences have occurred keeping basketball off a two game a weeks schedule. The first week is always just one game because due to the fact that there is always a one game week with one game because of exams. That balances the schedule to finish the season on a Friday night. Exam weeks is always a Friday game only after Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday are exams.
Weather of course now that school has reopened has caused a second straight one game week and next week is exam week so this season starts out three straight weeks with only one per week. Look out for the week of January 23rd which the Big East will be in makeup mode having three games. This is of course is in play only if we don't have more interference with weather. Since we have pushed the games that should have been played this past Tuesday to January 23rd that puts us on game three of the master schedule tonight.
Boys:
The big game of the night will send Northern Nash 13-2 1-0 all the way across highway 64 to Nash Central 9-3 1-0. Since only one game in conference has been played to date this is the only matchup tonight of unbeaten teams in conference play. The Knights are the highest scoring team in the league burning the nets for 70 every night. The Bulldogs come in at 65. Should be a high scoring affair.
The other end of the spectrum two teams that lost their only conference games collide when Southern Nash 5-9 0-1 visits Hunt 3-11 0-1. Nobody wants to start out 0-2. The Firebirds score 58 every time out while Hunt pops in 55. If averages hold out should be a close one.
The middle game featuring a one time loser against the one time winner sends Rocky Mount 3-6 0-1 to Fike 11-3 1-0. A Fike win and they will be in a two way tie in first with either Northern or Nash Central while a Rocky Mount lost creates a two way tie in last. Rocky Mount has their work cut out for them.
Girls:
The big matchup sends Rocky Mount 8-2 1-0 over to Wilson to tangle with Fike 11-3 1-0. This is the only undefeated clash of the night on the girls side. Rocky Mount scores 56 while Fike 54 so look for this one to be close. The winner could have the outright lead after two games or tied with one other unbeaten.
The two teams that lost their openers meet as Northern Nash 5-8 0-1 takes on the Bulldogs of Nash Central 6-6 0-1. Northern has struggled to score this year getting 29 per night while Nash Central may have lost their top player but still get 42 per night. The winner is still in the race the loser a lot longer road to the top.
This game looks like the mismatch of the night. Southern Nash 3-9 0-1 at Hunt 13-1 1-0. Talk about a team that finds it hard to put points on the board but the Lady Birds get a scant 21 on any given night while Hunt is producing 51. This looks like one you need to wait to the fourth quarter if you are planning to watch the boys before you get to the game.
Saturday morning after the fog has lifted we will have a better picture in the Big East of who are the real teams.
Weather of course now that school has reopened has caused a second straight one game week and next week is exam week so this season starts out three straight weeks with only one per week. Look out for the week of January 23rd which the Big East will be in makeup mode having three games. This is of course is in play only if we don't have more interference with weather. Since we have pushed the games that should have been played this past Tuesday to January 23rd that puts us on game three of the master schedule tonight.
Boys:
The big game of the night will send Northern Nash 13-2 1-0 all the way across highway 64 to Nash Central 9-3 1-0. Since only one game in conference has been played to date this is the only matchup tonight of unbeaten teams in conference play. The Knights are the highest scoring team in the league burning the nets for 70 every night. The Bulldogs come in at 65. Should be a high scoring affair.
The other end of the spectrum two teams that lost their only conference games collide when Southern Nash 5-9 0-1 visits Hunt 3-11 0-1. Nobody wants to start out 0-2. The Firebirds score 58 every time out while Hunt pops in 55. If averages hold out should be a close one.
The middle game featuring a one time loser against the one time winner sends Rocky Mount 3-6 0-1 to Fike 11-3 1-0. A Fike win and they will be in a two way tie in first with either Northern or Nash Central while a Rocky Mount lost creates a two way tie in last. Rocky Mount has their work cut out for them.
Girls:
The big matchup sends Rocky Mount 8-2 1-0 over to Wilson to tangle with Fike 11-3 1-0. This is the only undefeated clash of the night on the girls side. Rocky Mount scores 56 while Fike 54 so look for this one to be close. The winner could have the outright lead after two games or tied with one other unbeaten.
The two teams that lost their openers meet as Northern Nash 5-8 0-1 takes on the Bulldogs of Nash Central 6-6 0-1. Northern has struggled to score this year getting 29 per night while Nash Central may have lost their top player but still get 42 per night. The winner is still in the race the loser a lot longer road to the top.
This game looks like the mismatch of the night. Southern Nash 3-9 0-1 at Hunt 13-1 1-0. Talk about a team that finds it hard to put points on the board but the Lady Birds get a scant 21 on any given night while Hunt is producing 51. This looks like one you need to wait to the fourth quarter if you are planning to watch the boys before you get to the game.
Saturday morning after the fog has lifted we will have a better picture in the Big East of who are the real teams.
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