NOT Again

The Jacksonville Cardinals have been a great power in soccer for many years.  Anyone remember several years ago the Jacksonville boys playing Rocky Mount and the game was played at then the new fields at the sports complex and both teams went tooth and nail inside of two minutes a header  or a accidental bounce off the head of a Cardinal player went in for a 1-0 win.

Ever since then Rocky Mount always plays the Cardinal and seems always get the short end.  Tonight the Gryphons come up on the short end again after having several break-away shots early either missed or great goalie play by the Cardinals.  The Cards a shot hit the goal post and themselves denied by goal tending go 0-0 at the half.

It took one minute in the second half for a defensive lapse and the Cardinals were in the net for a 1-0 lead.  The Gryphons offense had multiple chances but nothing found the net. Then halfway home in the second   half a midfield kick found the net and it seemed to take the air out of the Gryphons.

Seems the Gryphons found their second wind but nothing could find the net including a scramble around the net with about two minutes left that the goal keeper nearly in order to save a shot almost ran into the net for the save that's how close it was.

So the road ends again at the hands of Jacksonville 2-0

This Friday May 19th tryouts for  the 2017 Coleman Pitt  Post 58 American Legion baseball will take place at 4pm at Legion field on  805 Howell Street in Rocky Mount. This will be a pro style workout.  Catchers should bring their own gear.   Questions need to be answered by Hank Jones at 252-904-4995.  Several members of the Faith Christian baseball will be missing since they will be in High Point for the NCISAA 2A state championship series.

If you are wondering how has Northwood done since beating Rocky Mount baseball last week in the second round of the state playoffs.  Tuesday night they beat Eastern Alamance 1-0 to advance to round four against the top seed in the east Northern Guilford.  The Northwood pitcher Davis Palmero pitched a no hitter.

Not All Rocky Mount Final

There is no doubt when quality teams meet up in the most important game of the year and the game is not decided until the last batter then you have a game to remember forever. Especially when the winning run scores in a way you can say you have never seen before.

Faith Christian met  Westchester Country Day  in a pitchers duel where the first run did not cross the plate until the bottom sixth and a sac fly by the Patriots gave them a 1-0 lead.

Landen Roupp carried a shutout into the 7th only to be rocked by a solo homerun to tie the score heading to the bottom of the 7th.  The Patriots loaded the bases with less than two outs when a pop up was ruled an infield fly rule which means the batter is out and runners advance at their own risk.   Since the batter is out there is no force play so no runner has to run.  The ball is dropped allowing the runner on third to score when the batter was already out and no need to catch the ball.

Faith earns the right to play in in the championship series starting Friday oddly enough being hosted by Westchester Country Day of High Point the team they Beat today.

There was hope for an all Rocky Mount final as Rocky Mount Academy made a long ride to Charlotte to play North side  Christian  and the results will leave the Eagles short of their 2nd state finals in four years.  The Eagles lose 15-6.  It will be a long ride home for RMA.

Faith will face North side Christian starting Friday at 4pm in High Point.  Game Two is set at noon Saturday and if needed game three will follow at 3:30.

The Rocky Mount Gryphons girls soccer team will host A third round 3A soccer match at 5pm Wednesday hosting Jacksonville.

The ACC baseball race  has reached the final weekend of the season with Louisville and North Carolina clinching top seeds in two of the four pods that the tournament is taking on this year.  Even if both teams lost all three games this weekend the Tar Heels and Cardinals are far enough ahead in their division to stay top seed.

Next Tuesday when the tournament gets underway in Louisville the teams will be bracketed with three teams in a bracket so this year the number of teams in the tournament will be 12 and as it stands now Boston College and Pittsburgh will not head to Louisville.  Neither is totally out but probably.

So the three teams in each pod will play round robin in their pod with the winner of each pod moving on the  Semi's on Saturday.  Starting Tuesday you will play two games in four days, if you advance to Saturday Semi final is your third game and the championship game on Sunday.  The biggest idea playing only two games to reach the semi is how do you go with your pitching rotation.  Some where your so call mid week starter will have to get a start if you get all the way to Sunday.  Even with this format the team with the best four starting pitchers will win.

If the tournament started today the pods would be. A Louisville, Florida State and Virginia Tech.  Pod B  North Carolina, Miami and Georgia Tech.  Pod C  Wake Forest, NC State and Notre Dame.  Pod D Virginia, Clemson and Duke.  Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Duke need to win two out of three this weekend to keep Pitt and BC sitting home next week.

Now the funny business:  What happens if your bracket all three teams go 1-1.  It would take 12 Philadelphia lawyers to say keep Carolina out of the semi finals  With their overall record compared to others in their Pod.  Just hope the teams that are suppose to win do or lose both to take all the what if's out of play.

More Soccer To Be Played

The Lady Gryphons are heading to the third round in the Eastern bracket of the state soccer playoffs..  Southern Lee  proved to be an equal to  the Lady Gryphons in the first half scoring three times while the Gryphons got their share of three goals.

The second half the high octane Gryphons offense got rolling scoring four times while Southern Lee failed to net any shots in the second half. So far in the two playoff games the Gryphons have scored 11 goals or 5.5 scores per game while their four goals against averages two per game while on the season averaged 1.7 scores against.  The offense is right on average through the first two playoff games.

They will be meeting a team that it seems every year they play and they have been a great thorn in the side of the Gryphons. The Jacksonville Cardinals 15-5-3 who were a 5-4 winners  over Chapel Hill last week before the rains came.  Rocky Mount will host Wednesday now stands at 16-4-1.

On the other side of campus the Rocky Mount boys tennis team lost their first match all year and it brings to a close a year of high expectation for next year as the Gryphons lose only one player of this squad who made it to the third Round.  Chapel Hill advances to meet Terry Sanford on Wednesday. Terry Sanford is the second seed in the east.

Final score was 5-1.  The lone point was won by the Gryphons  #2 singles George Shannon.

The only baseball game still being played in Rocky Mount on Tuesday will be at Faith Christian.  The 21-1 Patriots are averaging just a pinch short of 7 runs a game while allowing a taste more than one.  Hard to beat a team with pitching like that.

Rocky Mount Academy might as well take a holiday from school Tuesday as the 13-8 Eagles have a trip to Charlotte to North side Christian Academy. North side is 19-3.

I know you haven't heard much about Legion Baseball so far this spring.  Joe Bell tells me try outs are on hold waiting on Faith and RMA finishing up baseball playoffs.  If you have ridden by Legion Field in the last couple of weeks it has looked like an abandon ball yard.  A lawn mower and other equipment will get the field ready this week.

Find This Interesting

Did anybody notice but I did for the first time Friday when checking to see how the Wesleyan men's tennis team was doing in the DIII playoffs.  High school plays all six singles first and if needed play the doubles to secure a win for any team.  I don't know if this is the way colleges do it all  the time but in the playoffs Wesleyan won all three doubles then all six singles matches started.  Once the first two singles matches were won by the Battling Bishops all four singles matches stop right where they were in their matches.  It takes five points to win a team match and after the two singles that finished first secured the 5th point everyone else stopped.  I would hate to be on the verge of a win and not get credit for it.

All four matches the Bishops were ahead in  so they could have won 9-0.  I thought that odd that a match would stop with a 5-2 in the second set after the Bishops singles player had already won the first set.  I guess I don't pay real good attention to tennis until the playoffs.

Saturday the Bishops lost to Emory University 5-1 to end their tennis season.

Rocky Mount girls soccer 15-4-1 plays their 2nd round Round  match Monday 5pm against Southern Lee 15-5-1   The rain over the weekend has forced the winner of this match into a third round match Wednesday with Jacksonville 15--5-3.  Should Gryphons win they host the Cardinals.

Another big day on campus today as the boys tennis 13-0 the top seed team in the east host Chapel Hill 14-1 fifth seed in East.  The winner Wednesday plays for the east region title and if the Gryphons win Monday they will host.  The two teams in the other bracket Terry Sanford 11-0 the 2nd seed in the east will host Northern Guilford 12-3

Both Rocky Mount Academy and Faith Christian have private school 2A playoff baseball games Tuesday. Faith 21-1 will be home to Westchester Country Day.

RMA. 13-8 has a long ride  to Northside Christian Academy in Charlotte.  The team will be leaving at 11am and no telling what time they will get home.

I Need some help can anybody with Rocky Mount Academy tell me what Pat Smith's record was while at RMA baseball from 2012 through 2015?

It's Not Official Yet

Sitting in the press box watching Rocky Mount baseball opening day beat Roanoke Rapids 2-0.  I was surprised when freshman Ben Seracki took to the hill and shutout the Yellow Jackets for four innings and David Harrison put the finishing touches on the final three innings and a shutout.  My conclusion was this was Roanoke Rapids and we were suppose to win.  I was not impressed only scoring two runs so my thoughts are the old Master Pat Smith will have a hard time winning half the games this year with this bunch.

Despite what many think of the old gruff  coach, he knows how to win baseball games.  He wins because he teaches the way to play the game and if you the player don't want to play the game the way he teaches you sit.  He does have a method of telling players the facts of their performance which many find hard to deal with in the society of today's children and that they are never told when they do something wrong by their parents.

I truly think after what I saw early the first three or four games that this was going to be a long year and yet they finished second in the regular season and tournament champs.  This team was not capable of those achievements early on until the players figure out Coach Smith's way.  Moms, dads and boys if you listen to the people that know they will lead you to a better life other than protesting  every thing that you don't like or want to do.

Just two years ago the rubber on the mound and home plate were not straight.  The right field line at first base were not straight from home to the right field wall.  He got the money to redo the field a field less than five years old but not a pretty field at all. Even during his first stint at Rocky Mount the field was his baby and worked countless hours every day to keep it in shape.

While getting Dougas Byrd's lineup during their playoff visit one of their coaches made the the comment about how beautiful the stadium was.  Pat at the time was raking around the third base bag  and I pointed to him and said there's the man right there who has made this field this way in two years.

Friday night after the game Pat Smith told the team he would not be returning  next year.  Regardless of who is the next coach those returning players will be able to say they were taught by a great coach.  Pat Smith won a state baseball title in high school in Robersonville.  He won a state title at South Johnson and of course in 2008 at Rocky Mount.

The second time around for Smith at Rocky Mount he was 13-9 last season and 17-7 this season.  He returned  the program around that had fallen on losing ways.  Last year during my last game report I stated that the Gryphons had only one pitcher and the rest were mirrors.  This years team still had one great pitcher and another future great one but the relief staff still had lots of mirrors.  Despite that he was 30-16 the last two years.

There was no doubt David Harrison was the man as he went 8-2 in the season.  His two losses can be attributed to defense lapses.  I don't think he had as good a year this year as he was somewhat wilder but even then he never let a game get away from him.  This year the pitch count rule he didn't finish  games a couple of times due to throwing 105 pitches.

The entire season the bats were soft most of the time and the Gryphons only scored five or more runs 8 times.  Twice during the season pitching gave up three runs or less and lost.  Josh Pittman was a solid leadoff hitter all season.  Jamar Ellis became a solid hitter as the season progressed.  I think the biggest surprise after Ben Seracki 6-4 season was Spencer Ramsey. His junior year missed baseball until well after baseball had started because of the basketball playoffs.  This year basketball finished the same week baseball started and two weeks into the season got his chance off the bench and performed.  His hitting helped get the improvement of the team as well as being a defensive player who could play outfield 3rd, 2nd and first.  Once he got in the lineup he help make this team better.

Pitching threw 9 shutouts in the 17 wins.  There was one game that pitching gave up only one run.  Two games only two and 4 games three. Of those 15 games were 13-2.  Lost two games when the Gryphons score two runs and zero runs.  Yes pitching was better than expected but the defense improved as the season moved forward.  Logan Pearce has cover shortstop for the last two years and his bat came alive down the stretch.

Only six pitchers toed the rubber all year for the Gryphons.  Zack Keeter came from behind the plate and had a couple of saves.  Joernest Petway got two wins and Josh Pittman had one.  I expected this season to unfold with the Gryphons winning one game a week and taking it on the chin in the other.  It happened that way in the playoffs winning the opener and running into a team loaded with power bats.

Yes, this team over achieved.  Sports is all about taking the God given talents that you have and compete against other teams.  There are years when expectations are not very high  but when players zoom past that and wind up 17-7 there is no doubt that the 2017 version of Rocky Mount baseball has a great year!

TRACK And Field Regional Reults

Nash Central girls finish 3rd in the east regional while Rocky Mount girls and boys finish fourth. West Carteret girls win the team competition scoring 108 points while Nash Central scored 69,Rocky Mount 39, Southern Nash 20.

Jacksonville won the regional boys  scoring 79 Rocky Mount 40, Northern Nash 16, Nash Central 10 and Southern Nash 1.

Regional winners: Girls
400 meter dash Michaela Nelms. Nash Central
300 meter dash Cassidy Pennington Southern Nash
4 x 400 Relay Nash Central:  Michaela Nelms, Carisha Leonard, T Keyah Macklin and Teona Hill.
Girls High Jump Myia Spivey Nash Central
Girls High Jump Myia Spivey Nash Central
Girls Pole vault Myia Hedgepeth Nash Central
Girls shot put Keyanna Spivey Rocky Mount

Regional Winners: boys
Shot put Sherrod Green Rocky Mount

Today the Brice family's hearts were split.  Tyler Brice was in Greensboro where he was competing in the 3A singles championships while  Dad Albie Brice assistant tennis coach at North Carolina Wesleyan the Battling Bishops started NCAA DII playoffs today in Atlanta.

Tyler lost in the opening round while the Battling Bishops beat Thomas More 5-0 and now play Emory Saturday.  Emory is the host and they are the top seed in this regional.

Girls soccer has become a victim of the weather. The Lady Gryphons   second round match with Southern Lee has been moved to Monday at 5pm.

The season is over for Gryphons baseball.  Tonight in Pittsboro Northwood bats eliminated the Gryphons in six innings 14-4.  The Gryphons struck first in the first after Josh Pittman and Spencer Ramsey walked Logan Pearced doubled to give the Gryphons a 2-0 lead.

Northwood scored four times in the third to take the lead by games end had hit three homers.  Ben Seracki pitched the first four innings.
Left trailing 7-3 as in the fourth Josh Pittman singled and scored without another hit.

Josh Pittman pitched the 5th allowing two runs.  Joernest Petway started the sixth by the  end of the inning Josh Pittman was back on the mound when the 14th run to end the game 14-4

Northwood hit three homers as each Gryphons pitcher game up one a piece.  Northwood finished with 13 hits.  Josh Pittman had two hits, Logan Pearce a double, Spencer Ramsey and Lane Butler got the Gryphons hit.  The Gryphons finished the season 17-7.

Big East baseball season is over for everyone as Hunt has lost 3-2 tonight to Rockingham County.

Another Chance In Gryphons Sports

Tuesday was probably the greatest day ever for sports on campus at Rocky Mount High School.  Three teams all win home matches in Soccer, tennis and baseball  in the playoffs.

Friday three members the Gryphons tennis team will be in Greensboro as Tyler Brice the Gryphons number one singles player who's lone loss all year was last weekend in the regional finals will be in action Friday morning.

Brice comes from a long line of Brice sisters who have been in the state doubles before.  Sorry to see Brice has a pain in one of his hips
Because if healthy he would have a real shot at making it to the finals.

George Shannon who has teamed with Brice most of year has lost only two matches all year one in singles and once in doubles.  Shannon during the Regionals teamed with Landon Norwood and they swept the Regionals.  Both singles and doubles require two wins Friday to make it to the semi's on Saturday Morning and finals Saturday afternoon.

There are several members of the Nash Central and Rocky Mount track and field teams that have chances to win in their  events and in some cases repeat as state champions such as Michaela Nelms, Keyanna Spivey, and Sherrod Green. Today the eastern Regionals are being held in Swansboro. The first step toward the state championships.

Rocky Mount baseball travels to Pittsboro heading to Northwood high where they play their second round baseball game.  Northwood is 20-4. While the Gryphons are 17-6.

The Gryphons knew that there was a chance of winning every outing when David Harrison pitched all season.  What a surprise that freshman Ben Seracki has had the year he has had.  Harrison can't pitch again this week so Seracki carries the burden.  One thing I like about Ben is he pitches beyond his age.  Zack Keeter is out of action with and injury and he is one of the three relievers that can back up Seracki.

Two big surprises have been Josh Pittman and Joernest Petway who have given the Gryphons several innings of relief and they both might be needed Friday.

Saturday the soccer team will host their second round playoff game taking on Southern Lee.  Time is set for 5pm.