More Runs Than Hits

• It was cold, windy.  The Thermometer read 45 degrees but felt like 35.  Got a call from Pat Smith around 11am that today's game had been moved up to 3:30 trying to beat the impending rain due near 6pm.

So a raw day like today the ball doesn't fly very well for the pitcher his curve ball may not break like it would under normal weather so today if you were Pat Smith who would you throw today. The fastest best pitcher you have David Harrison.

Harrison goes the distance giving up five hits three fail to get out of the infield.  He walked two batters and struck out nine Trojans of South Johnston.   His only true hard inning was the 7th and the Gryphons defense made it suspenseful making two errors by putting the tying runs on base.  Harrison ended the threat with a strikeout.

The Gryphons scored their first run after Jake Philbeck was hit by a pitch.  Then Isaiah Stewart, Ben Seracki and Lane Butler walked and Butler got and rbi for his walk.  One run on no hits.

Run number two came in the fourth when Zack Keeter walked advance to second on a ground out.  Advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly by Ben Seracki to center field.  2-0 Rocky Mount after four innings and the Gryphons have no hits yet.

They would get their only hit in the fifth on a ground ball infield single and it will be their only hit in the game.  GRYPHONS win 2-0 over South Johnston to win their third game in five tries.

Friday will be the last  warm-up before conference play next week.   The Gryphons travel to 4-A  Cleveland in Clayton.  The Gryphons have shown to date they have the pitching to hang in during conference play but as of yet have not shown capable of scoring enough runs to be a threat for the conference crown.

Final Week Of Preparation

One thing about all high school sports when you can play two or more games a week it doesn't take long before it's conference time.  Next week Big East Baseball kicks into high gear so this is the last week to figure who your starters will be.

So far this spring the Firebirds of Southern Nash have been the most impressive as they have won five of six contest.  They have three games on tap this week as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They have home games today with Cleveland, another home game Wednesday and they hit the road Friday at Farmville.

Rocky Mount 2-2 has played the least games to date and only have two more on the schedule this week.  Today they host South Johnston 4pm. They  finish off the week Friday at Cleveland.  So far the strong point for the Gryphons has been pitching and the weak point defense and clutch hitting.

Nash Central 2-3 is off to a somewhat slow start.  They too have a three game week and They are home today to Smithfield Selma. A road trip to SouthWest Edgecombe Tuesday  and back home on Friday with Southwest Edgecombe.

The biggest struggle so far this season is Northern Nash.  They have lost four of their first five.  They have three games scheduled this week.  Still plenty of time to turn things around.  They are on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday week.  They start it off today hosting Corinths Holders.  The Cougars of SouthWest Edgecombe Wednesday and finish the week on the road at Tarboro.

Carolina earned a top seed in the South region of the NCAA basketball tournament and will play Friday in Greenville SC.  They will meet Texas Southern.  Duke jumps to a second seed in the east region but they also start in Greenville SC Friday meeting Troy.

Wake Forest making the tournament for the first time since 2010 has a play in meeting with Kansas St. In Dayton Ohio on Wednesday.  They will be joined in Dayton by North Carolina Central who gets a shot at University of California-Davis.

The final North Carolina team in the Big Dance is UNC Wilmington and they will meet the Virginia Cavaliers.  Fill out those brackets as the games begin Tuesday.

The Pride Of Southern Nash Returning Home

He just might be the greatest athlete in the history of Southern Nash High school.  Julius Peppers is returning to the Carolina Panthers seven year after he left over money.  There is no doubt the greatest sacker in the history of the Carolina Panthers 81 left  the home state organization because of money.  Money is the down fall of the world.  The Panthers offered 54 Million  for four years Peppers wanted 60.  Neither side budged so Peppers parted company, parted town and parted his home state. A few years in Chicago and a few in Green Bay Julius Peppers come back home to finish out his career where it all started.

Just to remind you even as a freshman for the Firebirds he stood 6 feet five inches.  His four years as a running back Peppers produced 3,501 yard rushing scoring 46 touchdowns.  He made all conference is basketball all four years in high school.   He even won a 4x400 relay in the state championships of track and field the first state championship ever for the Firebirds. He was a Parade High school All American.  He was named the NCHSAA Male athlete of the year in 1998.  Need any more proof of how gifted Julius Peppers was and still is.

Off to Carolina where in 1999 he led the nation in sacks (15).  Won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top Defensive player in the country.  He took home the Lombardi Award Best lineman in the country and Bill Willis Award as best defensive lineman in the country.  He walked on the Carolina basketball team his first two years and was on the Tar Heel team that went to the final four and scored 21 in an NCAA game.

Drafted by the home state team who's owner happens to be from Spring Hope, Peppers first seven years were  a dream come true  for the Nash Country native son.  During his seven years as a Panther he recorded 81 sacks the  Panthers all time leader.  Won the NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2002.  How good was his seven years in Charlotte.  He made the NFL all decade team in 2010.

The numbers kept piling up at Chicago and Green Bay as his sack total has climbed to 143.5 fifth all time in NFL history seven sacks short of fourth while that can be obtained this season.  His role with the Panther more than likely will be a third down pass rusher.

When you look back at Julius Peppers football career there are those who say he took time off while on the field and didn't give everything he had on every play.  There are players  who play whatever sport they play that make the game look easy.  To us that watch it seems so simply to hit a slow curveball that takes forever to get to the plate, but  until you are that person being blocked by a three hundred pounder that you are lined up with we have no idea what it takes to make one sack.

One year, two years who knows how much Julius Peppers still has in his tank at 37 years old.  I'm glad he's back home because five years after the end of his NFL career Julius Pepper will be in the NFL Hall Of Fame.  He will go in as a Carolina Panther, A Southern Nash Firebird and a Nash County Hero.

Tobacco Roads Over Takes New York

There has not been much excitement in the City of New York about the ACC tournament.  News papers it is on the back pages all week but not Friday as Duke and North Carolina meeting for the third time this year has become front page news in Gotham City.  That traditional return to Friday night semi finals is back and every TV set in North Carolina is tuned in to see the Devils meet the Heels just like it use to be when the ACC was the ACC.  Frenzy has over taken New York mostly because all of those Duke Graduates now live in the New York/New Jersey area.  This is not the first meeting between these two in New York.  They met each other in the semi finals of the NIT in 1971. Do you remember why they were there?

North Carolina was the regular season champion of the ACC with an 11-3 record.  South Carolina in their last ACC season was second at 10-4 and Duke finished third at 9-5.   NC State upset Duke in the first round at Greensboro 68-61 while South Carolina beat Maryland 71-68.  The Gamecocks beat the Pack 69-56 while Carolina breezed through Clemson 76-41 and Virginia 78-68.

 Then in the championship game the Tar Heels met South Carolina in one of the strangest endings in ACC history.  I can't find any box score on the internet but from my semi not so good memory The Tar Heels led 51-50  and a jump ball was called in the foul circle in front of the Gamecocks basket with just a few seconds left.  Lee Dedmon The Tar Heels center was jumping for North Carolina  against John Roach a Gamecock guard who stood 6 feet one while Demon nine inches taller.  No way right that South Carolina will win this jump or the game right?

Dedmon tapped the ball toward the South Carolina basket where a Gamecock player caught it and laid it in the basket as time expired.  South Carolina stole the ACC title from the Tar Heels. South Carolina now goes to the NCAA as the only ACC Team the champion could go back then. The NCAA only had 24 team field back then so South Carolina got a bye in the opening round and then met Penn who destroyed the Gamecocks  69-54.  How did we ever let them represent us?

North Carolina and Duke were both invited to the NIT.  Carolina had gone in 1970 and lost in the opening round and the ACC excuse was "It was hard to get up for the NIT after not winning the ACC Tournament.  So Carolina had to make up for the year before embarrassment.  Duke was going for the first time which made it the first time the ACC had ever sent two teams to the NIT.

Carolina wins their opener 90-49 over U Mass.  Duke takes down the Dayton Flyers 68-60.  Round two Carolina slipped past Providence 86-79 while Duke beat Tennessee 78-64.  Then it happened the only time in the history of the world that Duke and North Carolina played each other in a playoff game not called the ACC Tournament.  Carolina won 73-67.  They would then beat Georgia Tech 84-66 to win the 1971 NIT while Duke lost the 3rd place game to St Bonaventure 92-88.

  North Carolina forgot once Berry got four fouls that they had controlled the game on the inside all night.  I would like to see the stats Carolina's outside shooting totals the last 14 minutes.   They didn't make many.  They put on a show for 37 minutes these two from Tobacco Roads.  It will not go down as a classic but this game felt like Greensboro and the way the ACC Tournament ought to feel.  Just goes to prove. Checkers, badminton, State, Duke or Carolina when they play each other it is life or death regardless of where they play.

All Conference Wrestling Team

Southern Nash's Kendrick Watson who was the conference heavy weight champion was named Player of the year in Big East Wrestling.  Coach of the year is Fike's Mike Wickham who had two wrestlers to finish in the top five in the state meet.  The top Wrestlers per weight class is listed below.

(106)  Blake Edwards- Fike .....Finished 4th in Regional

(113) Rashun Lawrence- Rocky Mount ...Regional champ

(120)  Josiah Watterbarger- Hunt

(126)  Daniel Martinez- Fike

(132)  Rae Sae Settles- Fike  Finished 2nd in state tournament earning All State Honors

(138)  Linton Holmes -Fike...place 2nd in regional

(145)  Aaron Bancroft- Fike finished 5th in state tournament

(152)  Joshua Brice- Nash Central

(160)  Isiah Proctor-  Fike...finished 4th in regional

(170) Emanuel Williams- Nash Central

(182) Vyshaun Richardson- Southern Nash....4th in regional

(195) Alex Nobles- Nash Central

(220) Dillon Joyner- Northern Nash

(285) Kendrick Watson- Southern Nash...  placed 2nd in regional

The ACC Tournament is heading for the old fashion Friday night semi finals and quite frankly the crowds have been better in the meaningless games than expected.  The state game at 12 noon on Tuesday looked to have 12,000  in the arena.  Of course Barlay's Center only holds a little under 18,000 so it is not like Greensboro when 12,000 looks empty.

I think one reason for the early game  attendance is that this is the first time ever in New York for the tournament and everyone is using it as a vacation week to stay in New York.  If that is the case people who stay for the whole week are outlaying big bucks.  Since the conference went doubled in expansion  those early games like every regional site the 12 noon game only have the people involved from those teams. 

I love the fact that the one coach to claim New York is the capitol of basketball and not Greensboro Jim Boeheim was one and done.  So goes the home court advantage.

Defense Lacking

Every now and then you go to a baseball game that has no flow.  The Bunn Rocky Mount baseball game had no flow what so ever.  The game took almost two and half hours and only went seven innings.

Between the two Rocky Mount walked three batters and hit two more while Bunn walked four and hit two others.  Between the two  teams Rocky Mount committed three errors and those three brought home four Wildcat Runs.  The Wildcats made two errors themselves and Rocky Mount's lone run scored off their error.  Plain  and simple this was hard game to watch.

The Wildcats got a double from David Morgan and scored on what should have been a groundout to end the inning but it went through the legs.  Bunn was gracious by returning the favor in the first.  Two outs Jamar Ellis scorched a ball down the line for a triple and scored on an error at short.

So we can start all over tied at one after one.Two outs with a runner on first with a walk Bunn had back to back singles and the second after centerfield miss played the ball with two  runs scoring.

Rocky Mount started the bottom of second with two walks wiped out on a double play.  Zack Keeter who started on the mound for the Gryphons gave up two hits in the third was relieved by David Harrison who gave up a wild pitch scoring one and another run scored on a squeeze play when the Gryphons had the runner on third dead to right but a wild throw plated another run.

Rocky Mount  had two runners on in the third and came up with a goose egg.  Twice more two runners were on or at least one runner on second but no cigar.  Davie Morgan knocked in Bunn's sixth runner in the fourth which was only the second earned run of the game.

Bunn out hit the Gryphons eight to five, Jamar  Ellis and Logan Pearce had two hits and Ben Seracki the  other.  Bunn had four base runners caught stealing.  Bunn beats Rocky Mount 6-1

The umpires were not the best for either teams as the ump on the bases failed to call an infield fly rule which the ball was caught. He called and out when the first baseman never touched the base and the ump behind the plate you never knew from pitch to pitch what he was going to call.  My guess is 250 pitches were thrown in this game with many batters with 3-2 counts.  This game simply is one to throw away the score book.

Next action for the Gryphons  is Monday as they host South Johnston.

Passing Thoughts

The Duke North Carolina basketball game is by far the greatest rivalry in all of sports.  During Saturday night's broadcast I enjoyed watching the cameras as they followed the teams  out onto the courts as a person who has done three state championship basketball  games in the Dean Dome (SouthWest Edgecombe Girls 2005), (Rocky Mount boys 2010-2012) and been in those very same hallways I always get excited when ever I see something on the news and I can say that I have been right there.

Yet, as hated as this rivalry is between these two schools and you can't find many people who pull for Carolina that will tell you they like Mike Krzyzewski or a Duke fan who enjoys Roy Williams.  Did anybody besides me see this the other night.  The camera was following Coach K in the tunnel leading to the court and as you arrive at the floor fans are perched in their seats  and any player or coaches from an opposing team here is where you are going to start hearing it from the fans.  As he entered the court just about every fan had their cells phones on camera and were taking his picture.  Everyone of those fans were wearing Carolina blue shirts.

Rivalries are great and despite how bad you hate the other team any fan that has any knowledge of the game recognizes greatness.  They also understand the rivalry is great because coaches like K and Williams have kept their teams near the top of the college basketball world.  When you stay on top then the world wants to watch.

This weekend's state basketball championships for the first time you can go on line and order tickets in advance.  I know there are people who enjoy going to the games just to watch the event.  There is only one advantage of ordering tickets early and that is you will not stand in line once you arrive at the event that you will be attending.  Advance tickets sold by the schools participating are $9 and at the door $10.  On line ordering are $10 plus processing fees so I would see no need to order in advance on line.

There is the old saying that what you hope happens is the team that knocked you out of the tournament wins it all.  The Lady Gryphons lost in round four to Northern Guilford and Northern Guilford is still alive and Northern Nash lost in the fourth round to Eastern Guilford and Eastern Guilford is still alive.  Both Rocky Mount and Northern just might be able to say it took the state champs to beat us.

Yesterday ended one of the more disappointing  basketball season in the history of N C State basketball.  One point they were 12-3 and ended up 15-17.  Had no major injuries after the 12-3 start but to me as a Pack fan the team quit.  I don't mind losing when the team gives effort but saw very little effort the more the losses came.  That tells me something about players hearts and coaching to let the players not giving effort stay on the court.  I would rather watch the guys on the end of the bench lose by 100 trying to win over what I have seen the whole month of February. 

Rocky Mount baseball is at home this afternoon hosting Bunn.  Rocky Mount's pitching continues to impress now having played 20 innings that have given up 2 runs and only one earned.  Those of you who like numbers that's is an ERA of  .045.  I suspect you might see David Harrison on the hill today for the Gryphons.  This past Saturday the Gryphons beat South Johnston 8-0 and you know that coach Pat Smith that had to be a joyous win beating the team which was your old stomping grounds  where you had won a state championship in baseball.