N.C. Wesleyan picked to win USA South

I can remember it like it was yesterday.

N.C. Wesleyan head football coach Jack Ginn, his wife Sherri and I, after attending the press conference that introduced him as the school's first-ever football coach, rode together over to what is now the Battling Bishops' practice field and surveyed an untamed field and started wondering how things were going to be for the future of Battling Bishops football.

We are wondering no longer!

Tuesday in Fayetteville, NCWC, in a vote of the USA South Athletic Conference's coaches, made the Battling Bishops the preseason favorite to win the league.

But just three short seasons into the program Ginn has methodically built a winner - and the NCWC braintrust has to be patting itself on the back for picking the right man for the job.

Here is the press release of the polling results from NCWC's website:

North Carolina Wesleyan College, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Jack Ginn (pictured), was picked in the preseason coaches' poll to win the USA South Athletic Conference football title in 2007. The Battling Bishops have yet to claim a USA South title but placed third in the standings last fall, which was the best finish in school history. Wesleyan posted a 6-4 record in 2006, including a 5-2 mark in USA South play.

The Blue & Gold hope for even more success in 2008 as they return the last year’s Offensive Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year in quarterback Cedric Townsend and tailback Teron Bush, along with approximately 60 letterwinners overall. Entering his fourth season with the Bishops, 2008 will also mark the first senior class for Ginn, who began the program in 2004.

"This could be a very special year for our seniors," said Ginn at Tuesday's USA South Football Media Day press conference. "We started this program with over 140 guys, and these 26 young men have stuck with us. They will be our leaders both on and off the field."

For the first time in conference history, the preseason poll was released at the annual event, which was held this year at Methodist University. The Bishops received six of eight first place votes (48 points) as head coaches do not vote for their own teams in the balloting.

Christopher Newport University, the five-time USA South co-champions, finished second in the balloting with 44 points and the remaining two first place votes. Methodist University placed third in the poll with 33 points while Averett University, which claimed a share of the USA South title last season, was fourth with 31 points. The bottom half of the preseason poll featured Maryville College with 27 points, Ferrum College with 17 points, Greensboro College with 15 points and Shenandoah University with nine points.

The 2007 USA South football schedule kicks off on Saturday, Sept.1 as six teams begin their seasons with non-conference action. Wesleyan will travel to Dover, De. to take on perennial power Wesley College at 1 p.m.

Gryphons, new coaches, hit the practice field!

- New RMHS assistant coaches Ed Hiatt, Gerald Costen, Donovan Jackson

Over 100 kids turned out for Rocky Mount's first football practice Monday evening.

Fifth-year head coach B.W. Holt said it was the best-conditioned group he's had since he's been here. He was pleased with the turnout and he was pleased with the first day of practice.

There have been some changes on his staff, however.

Defensive coordinator Brent David, who came with Holt to Rocky Mount in 2003, has resigned and has taken a job closer to his native High Point. He will be a defensive coach at Winston-Salem Carver this season.

Holt, despite the lateness of David's departure, would like to fill his coaching spot before the start of the school year, if possible.

Holt, however, has added a coach to fill Chad Smith's (now new Norhthern Nash head coach) position.

Donovan Jackson has joined the staff as an offensive line coach. Jackson, playing on the offensive line, helped lead Winston-Salem Parkland to a 3-A state championship in 2001. He was a four-year starter on the O-line at Norfolk State and he played on the AFL 2's Laredo Lobos football team this summer. He will teach world history at RMHS.

"I am very excited to be here," said Jackson, 22. "I have heard a lot about the program and I am delighted to start my coaching career here. Rocky Mount has had a great amount talent over the years. I hope I can bring some desire and intensity to add to that talent. That's the recipe for winning a championship. Talent mixed in with intensity and desire."

A former RMHS assistant football and head basketball coach has returned as a volunteer coach. Gerald Costen, a former Gryphon player himself (Class of '72) will be helping out the Rocky Mount secondary. Costen has to feel like an empty-nester now. The last of his two children, a former cheerleader Shirleyse, graduated from RMHS in June and is a freshman at the University of Georgia.

This group will join Jason Battle (offensive coordinator), Kent Cox (secondary), Chris Lee (backs, quarterbacks), Curtis Rushing (special teams, defense), J.J. Jones (defense) and new addition Ed Hiatt (defense), who was featured in an earlier blog entry.

Battle, incidently, has been on an emotional ride of late. On Monday, he and his wife celebrated the birth of their first child - a girl. But at the same time, his thoughts were with his father, who is in the Burn Center at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. The elder Battle suffered severe burns to his body in an accident in Wilson County a few weeks ago.

Our sincere prayers go out to the Battle family and we wish him a speedy recovery!