Northern's The Boss

The top two boys team in the Big East squared off tonight at Northern Nash as they hosted Fike.. Both teams came in 2-0 and The Knights jumped to a 12 point first quarter lead.  Fike closed the half cutting the lead to 7 but the Knights took control in the second and leave no doubt who's the top team winning  84-65.  Northern is now 3-0 with three games in conference next week while Fike drops to 2-1.

The Lady Gryphons never gave the Lady Birds of Southern Nash a chance to breathe tonight as there was never any indication of having a chance.  Once the final horn sounded the Lady Gryphons are set for their showdown Monday with Hunt after a 54-9 victory. Rocky Mount wins their tenth game in twelve tries 3-0 in thd Big East. Southern Nash has lost 11 of 14 and 0-3 in Big East Play.

The Fike Lady Golden Demons stay in the upper  echelon of the Big East after a victory over Northern Nash 44-26.  Fike 12-4  2-1 while Northern Falls to 6-11 0-3.

There was a very important game played in Rocky Mount tonight as  the two teams that could least afford a loss squared off when the Gryphons hosted the Firebirds both 0-2 in conference in the big East.  These teams played a close one and Rocky Mount wins 63-59. Rocky Mount trailer by one entering the fourth quarter.  Joseph Blue led the Gryphons scoring 26. Rocky Mount gets one foot out of the grave going to 1-2 while Southern has to figure out where to go from here.

Nash Central paid a visit to Hunt and the Bulldogs survive a long desperate three at the buzzer to beat the Warriors 58-55.  The Bulldogs go to 2-1 in conference and win their 10th game overall while Hunt falls to 1-2 and lose their 12th overall.

The shocker of the night is the Lady Bulldogs of Nash Central go into unbeaten Hunt's house and destroy the Warriors. 61-45.

There will be a doubleheader basketball action Saturday at NC Wesleyan. Men play at 2pm Saturday and women at 4.

Post Exam

Another week gone and at this point the Big East  basketball has sat silent  as Nash County schools held exams.  Friday night the bounce of the ball returns and unless weather decides to influence us later before the end of the season everyone will get at least two conference games for the rest of the season.  Next week three making up that Tuesday game lost during the ice.

Should be a full house at Northern Nash as the Knights of Northern Nash 14-2 2-0 will host Fike 12-3 2-0 collide with first place on the line when they take to the court about 8:30 tonight.  Fike averaging 64 points a game is led in scoring by Samson Strickland 18.1 points per game. Northern winners of 4 in a row are led by Darius Spragley at 16.1.  Should be rocking in Red Oak.

Nash Central 9-4 1-1 pays a visit to Hunt 4-11 1-1.  These two are in the middle of the standings with the winner tying for second. Montre' Cash leads the conference in scoring leads the Bulldogs at 21 points per game out of 64 scored by the Bulldogs.  Hunts leader is KJ Jones coming every game at 10.5 points per contest.

Southern Nash and Rocky Mount meet at Rocky Mount at stake last place for  the loser.  The Firebirds 5-11 0-2 are led by Darius Endmonson 11.5 per game while Rocky Mount counters with J Cherry-Blue 16.1.

The girls agenda has no unbeaten against unbeaten lined up for tonight.  The prime game is Nash Central 7-6 1-1 at Hunt 14-1 2-0.  Michaela Nelms has taken over the scoring leadership for the Lady Dogs after the injury to Robbi Allen.  Hunt has 7 players averaging over 4 points per game and Tatiana Smith 10.5.

Fike 11-4 1-1 visits Northern 6-10 0-2: Northern has no double digit scorers with Markela Avent averaging 9 points per game.  The Golden Demons are led by Jada Lee at 13.7.

Southern Nash 3-10 0-2 will be in Rocky Mount facing the Gryphons 9-2 2-0.  Southern's conference losing streak go's all the way back to the end of the 2014 season.  Jessy Lucas scores 10.4 points which is right at half of the points scored by the Lady Birds.  Senior Keyanna Spivey leads the Gryphons at 21.3.  Her average is about the same as the entire Lady Bird team scores.

The upcoming 2017/2018 school year is realignment year in the North Carolina High school Athletic Association.  The last 12 years all of the Nash county schools have been in the same conference.  The first four years their conference was called the NEW because of the combination of SouthWest Edgecombe from Edgecombe County, Fike from Wilson County and the four Nash county schools.

Eight years ago Hunt joined the conference and it's name was changed to the Big East.  Four years ago SouthWest dropped to 2A but the conference kept the conference name the Big East.  Nash Central will be dropping to 2A next year and Franklinton joins and the conference will keep the name Big East.

The NCHSAA is waiting for all the conferences for next year to send in their new conference names if they are going to change.  Right now Nash Central will be joining what was called the Eastern Plains 2A.  They have yet submitted to the NCHSAA whether the conference name will change or not.  Neither has the Two Rivers with North Edgecombe and Tarboro.  I don't see where there has been any changes with the teams already in the conference and the new ones joining not to leave their conference names the same as the Big  East  has done.

FINALLY Exciting NFL Playoffs

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.

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?

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!

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.

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.