Get Rocky Mount-SouthWest Edgecombe football tickets in advance

Get your tickets in advance for $6!

If you don't want to wait in line to buy tickets at the gate at Friday night's Rocky Mount at SouthWest Edgecombe varsity football game, then get them in advance!



Rocky Mount will sell advance tickets to the game both Wednesday and Thursday during school hours at the athletic office in the Rocky Mount High student commons. Tickets are $6 each.

See athletic director Mike Gainey.

Other items available for sale in the athletic office include:

• Athletic Season passes - $100.00

• Letterman Jackets - $160.00

• State Basketball Champions T-shirts - $10.00

• Assorted Booster Club items

• State Basketball Championship watches - $50 (limited supply)



FRIDAY NIGHT PREVIEW: Hertford Co. vs. Rocky Mount

Here is a capsulized look at the Hertford County Bears, Rocky Mount's football opponent Friday evening!

HERTFORD COUNTY

LOCATION: Ahoskie
HEAD COACH: Scott Privott (second season)
CONFERENCE: Northeastern Coastal
CLASS: 3A
COLORS: Navy/Gold/White
MASCOT: Bears
2010 RECORD: 3-0, 0-0
2009 RECORD: 13-1; 6-0
SERIES with ROCKY MOUNT: RM leads 5-1
LETTERMEN RET: 25
OFF. STARTERS: 3
DEF. STARTERS: 4
OFF. FORM: Spread
DEF. FORM: 4-3

STRENGTHS: "We have a very strong junior class. We will be extremely good on the offensive and defensive lines."

WEAKNESSES: "Our skill people will be very young."

2010 OUTLOOK: "We hope to contend for a conference championship."

2010 SCHEDULE

Aug. 20 - GATES COUNTY (E) (won 21-20)
Aug. 27 - BERTIE (won 25-12)
Sep. 3 - NASH CENTRAL (won 21-20)
Sep. 10 @ Rocky Mount
Sep. 17 - TERRY SANFORD
Sep. 24 - NORTHEASTERN*
Oct. 1 - @ Edenton Holmes*
Oct. 8 - @ Currituck*
Oct. 15 - PASQUOTANK*
Oct. 22 - open
Oct. 29 - FIRST FLIGHT*
Nov. 5 - @ Bertie*

*Northeastern/Coastal 3-A/2-A Conference games

UNUSUAL STAT: Hertford Co. has allowed over 231 yds. per game, but only has gathered 206 yards per game itself.

KEY SENIORS:

DONTEZ TYLER (DE, 6-4, 225) He had 5 fumble recoveries returning one for a score in 2009. College prospect.

D'ISAAC JORDAN (DE, 6-1, 220) He had 5 fumble recoveries returning one for a score. College prospect.

PETEY BOONE (QB, 6-2, 180) - 9-22-2 178 yds, 4 TDs; 197 yards rushing on 34 carries 3 TD's

BRANDON WARREN (K/P, 6-3, 220) College prospect.

JUSTIN WATSON (WR/S, 6-1, 170) College prospect.

TIM LASSITER (DT, 6-0, 270).

KEY JUNIORS:

BLADEN GATLING (OT, 6-5, 300).

KENDALL SCOTT (OG, 6-0, 260).

First AP polls of the high school football season

Three Twin Counties teams are ranked in the first Associated Press high school football polls of the 2010 season.

In the 3-A ranks, undefeated Southern Nash (3-0) received 44 points to land in the No. 8 spot. West Rowan holds down the No. 1 position.

In the 2-A poll, Edgecombe County can bost having two of the top three teams in the state. SouthWest Edgecombe (3-0) received two first place votes (I would hope from the Rocky Mount Telegram and the Wilson Times) and 100 total points - good enough for the No. 2 spot. Reidsville, the team that knocked the Cougars out of last year's 2-AA state playoffs, is No. 1.

Defending 2-A state champion Tarboro, which survived its trip to Death Valley last week, is in the No. 3 spot with 80 points. The Vikings did get one first place vote.

North Edgecombe was an honorable mention vote getter in the 1-A poll (No.13) after a 22-14 defeat to SouthWest Edgecombe for its first loss of the season.

Class 3-A

1. West Rowan (11) (3-0) 134 1
2. Fayetteville Byrd (2) (3-0) 82
3. Asheville (1-0) 79 4
4. Charlotte Catholic (1) (3-0) 68
5. Marvin Ridge (3-0) 65
6. Eastern Alamance (3-0) 53 5
7. Lenoir Hibriten (3-0) 51 2
8. Southern Nash (3-0) 44
9. Shelby Crest (2-0) 43
10. Northern Guilford (2-1) 40 6

Others receiving votes: Belmont South Point 28, Hertford County 15, Havelock 9, South Johnston 8, Northeast Guilford 8, Weddington 6, Charlotte Latin 5, Charlotte Country Day 4, South Brunswick 4, Kannapolis Brown 4, Asheboro 4, Wilson Hunt 4, Western Alamance 4, Anson County 3, Lawndale Burns 2, Franklin 2, Waynesville Tuscola 1.

Class 2-A

1. Reidsville (10) (3-0) 128 1
2. SouthWest Edgecombe (3) (3-0) 100 2
3. Tarboro (1) (3-0) 80 4
4. Lincolnton (3-0) 76
5. Shelby (2-0) 52 8
6. Polk County (3-0) 40
(tie) Kinston (3-0) 40 9
(tie) Newton-Conover (2-0) 40 4
9. East Duplin (2-0) 35 3
10. Boonville Starmount (3-0) 32

Others receiving votes: Thomasville 32, East Bladen 28, Burnsville Mountain Heritage 17, Canton Pisgah 16, Salisbury 12, Jacksonville Northside 10, Catawba Bandys 6, Winston-Salem Carver 6, East Lincoln 4, Whiteville 3, Charlotte Berry Tech 3, Siler City Jordan-Matthews 3, Roanoke Rapids 3, South Iredell 2, Black Mountain Owen 1, North Brunswick 1.

Class 1-A

1. Albemarle (7) (3-0) 128 4
2. Wallace-Rose Hill (6) (2-0) 103 8
3. Southwest Onslow (1) (3-0) 97 2
4. Pender County (2-0) 67 6
5. Plymouth (3-0) 62
6. Avery County (3-0) 61
7. Hendersonville (2-0) 57 10
8. Swain County (2-1) 40
9. Manteo (2-0) 29 5
10. Mt. Airy (1-2) 16 1

Others receiving votes: Hobbton 15, Murphy 13, North Edgecombe 13, Kernersville McGuinness 12, Williamston Riverside 12, Warsaw Kenan 10, East Surry 9, West Montgomery 9, Monroe 6, Chocowinity Southside 6, Robbinsville 5.

The Trip to Beulaville

Except for an occasional trip down I-40, I had never made a stop in Duplin County before last Friday night.

But there I was - standing at the home of East Duplin football - Charles R. Powers Stadium, the site of the first-ever meeting of the Gryphons and the Panthers.

And immediately, I had feelings that I was in Pinetops.

East Duplin's colors are navy blue, light blue and white - the same as SouthWest Edgecombe's. A huge light blue panther paw was painted at midfield, with smaller versions placed around the periphery of the field. As you may know, a panther and a cougar are pretty much one in the same.

Fans of East Duplin arrive early at their home games. They were filing in an hour before the game.


And the Panther fans have an unusual tradition.


Like doting parents seated behing the backstop at their kids' Little League baseball games, fans actually plop down their canvas folding chairs and sit two yards behind each end zone.

Yes, a line of seated patrons the width of the football field at both ends of the gridiron.

A two-foot barrier drawn on the field beyond the end line defines this unusual seating arrangement. Several of these fans are kinda up in age. I'm sure many of them are someone's grandparents.

I'd be scared to death to run a fade route through the end zone and run into these guys!

And fans are close to action even from the stands.

For as long as I have been attending Rocky Mount games, this is the fifth different road venue I can remember that had no track surrounding the playing field. The old version of Durham County Stadium (where the Gryphons have played Northern Durham, Hillside and defunct Durham Senior High), and fields at Goldsboro and Southern Wayne.

And I know you old time RMHS fans remember playing Greenville Rose at ECU's then-called Ficklen Stadium.

East Duplin has been a 2-A powerhouse for years led by head coach Brian Aldridge. Aldridge has head coached a combined 25 years at East Duplin and Whiteville — at East Duplin from 1985 to 1989 and 1993 to the present, and at Whiteville from 1990 to 1993 (he was replaced there by current Roanoke Rapids head coach Russell Weinstein who left the head job at Tarboro to coach the Wolfpack). Aldridge has a career coaching record of 223-81-1.

But this will be the last season on the sidelines for Aldridge, or should I say, in the press box.

Unusually, Aldridge, 54, calls his offense from the press box on a headset - the only coach from his staff stationed up top. He announced that this would be his last season and he will retire from teaching at the end of the school year.

But this is not the first time Aldridge has announced his retirement. The Aldridge family was hit with tragedy in late 2006 when its youngest daughter was killed in an automobile accident.

After the 2007 season, he decided to call it quits. But after a six-week period over Christmas, he, with the support of his family, decided to come back to the program.

East Duplin went 8-6 in 2008 and 12-1 in 2009, but he has decided to call it quits for good after this season.

A member of N.C. football coaching royalty is waiting in the wings to be his replacement.
Battle Holley, son of the state's winningiest coach Jack Holley (Wallace-Rose Hill, South Columbus, Tabor City), brought Kinston back to prominence in football the last few seasons.

But the younger Holley's wife is an East Duplin alum and has always wanted to return her home town area. Holley resigned as head coach at Kinston this summer and took an assistant position with the Panthers.

You want to bet Holley won't be East Duplin's next head coach?

And there is a connection between the elder Holley and Rocky Mount. Former Rocky Mount head coach and AD Walt Wiggins played college football with Holley in the early 60s at Guilford College.

Noble, Spartans open on ESPN3 tonight

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The 70th season of Norfolk State football kicks off tonight as the Spartans will travel to face Division I FBS power Rutgers. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. from Rutgers Stadium, and the game will be carried on ESPN3 (formerly ESPN360).

The Spartans enter the 2010 season with 14 starters returning from last year’s 7-4 team, which gave the Spartans their second winning season in three years. Included among the 14 returning starters are seven All-MEAC performers from 2009.

Former Rocky Mount High School offensive lineman Kendall Noble (No. 78) will be one of those returning starters. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound redshirt junior is back after starting all 11 games last season at left tackle. Noble (RMHS Class of '07) has started NSU's last 22 games. He was a second-team All-MEAC selection last season.

Rutgers welcomes back 14 starters from last season’s 9-4 team which won its fourth straight bowl game. Despite losing two first-round NFL draft picks, the Scarlet Knights have high hopes for the 2010 season with six starters back on both sides of the ball as well as both kickers.

MEDIA COVERAGE
• TV: ESPN3.Com (Play-by-Play: Dave Popkin; Color: Drew Henson)
• Radio: NSU Sports Network, WNSB Hot 91.1 FM, WXTG 1490 AM The Game (Play-by-Play: Chris Park; Color: Ross Gordon)
• Audio Stream: Click here (or click “Live Audio” link under Inside Athletics tab)
• Live Stats: www.scarletknights.com

THE SERIES
• The teams have played once before, with the No. 13 ranked Scarlet Knights winning 59-0 on Sept. 15, 2007 at Rutgers Stadium.
• After a competitive first quarter, Rutgers scored 42 points in the second quarter to take a 45-0 lead into halftime. Rutgers scored once each in both the third and fourth quarters to wrap up the win.
• Despite the loss, head coach Pete Adrian pointed to the Rutgers game as a key in propelling the Spartans to an 8-3 finish - their first-ever winning record in Division I play - which included a runner-up finish in the MEAC.

QUICK HITS
• NSU was given the No. 25 preseason ranking in Lindy’s College Football Preview magazine, marking the first time NSU has achieved a preseason national ranking of any kind.
• NSU is 33-35-1 in season openers.
• The Spartans are 4-1 in season-openers under Pete Adrian.
• This marks the fi rst time since 1990 since NSU has not opened the year at home in the traditional Labor Day Classic against Virginia State. The LDC will resume in 2011.
• NSU is 3-6 all-time in ESPN-televised games, including a 1-1 mark on Thursday nights.
• This will be NSU’s third game against a Division I FBS opponent. The Spartans lost at Rutgers in 2007, and dropped a 38-3 decision at Kentucky in 2008.

NOTE

Noble had a brother, Wayne Jr., who also started for the Gryphons (defensive back) and played his college ball at Winston-Salem State with current Ram and Gryphon alum Nazir Levine. There had been talk that Levine and Kendall Noble would reunite on the offensive line as Levine, a Shrine Bowl participant after his fine career at RMHS, considered transferring to NSU. But Levine decided to finish out his career at WSSU.

RMHS to host Big East Basketball hoop tournament

After five years on the road, Rocky Mount won't have to travel anywhere this winter for the 2010-11 Big East Conference Basketball Tournament.

After trips to Nash Central, SouthWest Edgecombe, Wilson Fike and Wilson Hunt, the league's sixth tournament, with both girls and boys teams participating, will be held at Rocky Mount beginning Monday, Feb. 14. The boys will open play that evening in the quarterfinals, while the girls will start up the following night.

Wilson Fike is the defending boys and girls tournament champion.

Big East (NEW 6) 3-A Conference Basketball Tournament venues

2011 - Rocky Mount
2010 - WIlson Hunt
2009 - SouthWest Edgecombe
2008 - Wilson Fike
2007 - Nash Central
2006 - Rocky Mount

Shots of new RMHS under construction

A lot has gone on since the March groundbreaking at the Bethlehem Road site of the new Rocky Mount High School campus.

David Hahula recently took these pictures of the progress on the campus. They are moving right along to the July 2012 completion date.

Click on each shot to enlarge!

Wards hosting golf tournament to help fight Lupus

The disease Lupus first affected me and my family when my mom was diagnosed with it in 1968. She was told she might live three more years - tops.

With improving research with medication, she beat those odds and lived another 23 years before the side affects of treating the disease took their toll on her body and she passed in 1994.

I was saddened to hear recently that Jackie Ward, mom of former area athletes Jeremy Ward (RMHS baseball, Wake Forest/Long Beach State, MLB signee) and Travis Ward (NN baseball, Nash Co. Babe Ruth baseball coach), had been diagnosed with the disease as well.

In tribute to her and the millions who suffer from the still very obscure disease. the Wards' family business, Rocky Mount Recyclers, is hosting a golf tournament this fall to help raise funds to help fight this disease.

It will be hosting the 1st Annual Reaching for the Green Golf Tournament on Oct. 23. It will be held at Rocky Mount's Donald Ross-designed Benvenue Country Club and will benefit the Piedmont Chapter of the Lupus Foundation.

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that is often debilitating and can affect any part of the body. This disease attacks the immune system and causes the body to produce autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue versus producing antibodies that protect the body from viruses, bacteria and germs.

One out of 185 Americans is affected by Lupus, mostly women between the ages of 15-44. More than 16,000 new cases of Lupus are reported annually across the country.

But, there are advances being made every day in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

This year brings the possible approval of the first FDA-approved drug for Lupus in more than 51 years. The tournament's goal is that this golf event will only be the beginning in our fight to help find a cure for this disease.

There are a limited number of player reservations and sponsorship packages. Listed below are the ways you can help in this fight against Lupus:

• Contributing a financial gift to the Lupus Foundation of America
• Donating a raffle prize
• Donating items for our golfer goody bags

The Wards wish to thank you for your consideration and support of the Lupus Foundation of America.

Sponsorship Packages:

Platinum (1 sponsor) $5,000

• 2 teams of 4 players
• Your company logo and name on tournament t-shirt and event banner
• Exclusive sponsorship of putting green with a 4’x8’ sign
• Exclusive hole sponsorship (hole of choice)
• Opportunity to display corporate banner on site

Gold (1 sponsor) $3,000

• 1 team of 4 players
• Your company logo and name on tournament t-shirt and event banner
• Exclusive hole sponsorship (hole of choice other than one chosen by Platinum sponsor)
• Exclusive sponsorship of driving range with a 4’ x 8’ sign

Silver (3 sponsors) $2,000

• 1 team of 4 players
• Your company logo and name on tournament t-shirt and event banner
• 2 Non-exclusive hole sponsorships

Bronze (unlimited) $750

• 2 player reservations
• Your company name on t-shirt and event banner
• Non-exclusive hole sponsorship

Additional Opportunities:

Individual Player - $125
Foursome - $475
Hole sponsorships (non-exclusive) - $125
Donation of prizes for raffle
Mulligans, red tee busters, etc. sold day of tournament

Tournament Highlights:

All players will receive:

• A fried chicken and barbeque lunch
• A tournament t-shirt
• Beverages during play and awards ceremony
• A goody bag
• Each player will be entered into a raffle for various prizes

There will be prizes awarded for 1st and 2nd place as well as contests for closest to the pin and longest drive. A putting contest will also be held prior to the tournament.

Registration - 11:00 am
Lunch - 11:30 am
Putting contest - 12:15 pm
Shotgun start - 1:00 pm

WZAX Jammin 99.3 FM changes "Game of the Week" schedule

The high school football broadcast schedule for WZAX Jammin 99.3 FM's Game of the Week" has been modified. The station has changed five games on its 12-game schedule which features teams from Nash, Edgecombe and Wilson counties.

The station has now added a trio of games involving Rocky Mount. There were no Gryphon football games on the original schedule released earlier this month. The station opened the 2010 season last Friday by airing Northern Nash at Wilson Beddingfield.

On Sept. 3, the station will carry the Tarboro-Northern Nash game from Red Oak instead of Southern Nash at Wilson Beddingfield, which had been previously scheduled.

Rocky Mount's Sept. 17 trip to SouthWest Edgecombe will now be broadcasted instead of the C.B. Aycock at Wilson Fike contest.

Nash Central at Wilson Fike on Oct. 8 has been added supplanting Wilson Beddingfield at Farmville Central. Also added will be Wilson Fike at Rocky Mount the following week (Oct. 22). Now gone is SouthWest Edgecombe at Tarboro.

On the last week of the regular season (Nov. 5), the featured game will be Northern Nash at Rocky Mount instead of Tarboro at Wilson Beddingfield.

Paul Andre will handle the play-by-play for Jammin 99.3 FM. He will be joined by Bob Maloney who will provide color commentary.

The games in red represent the new games that have been added.

For those of you out of range of the station, listen to the games on the Intenet by clicking here.


WZAX JAMMIN 99.3 FM "GAME OF THE WEEK" SCHEDULE

Aug. 27 - Wilson Hunt @ Wilson Fike
Sept. 3 - Tarboro @ Northern Nash
Sept. 10 - Wilson Hunt @ SW Edgecombe
Sept. 17 - Rocky Mount @ SW Edgecombe
Sept. 24 - Wilson Beddingfield @ Greene Central
Oct. 1 - Kinston @ Wilson Beddingfield
Oct. 8 - Southern Nash @ Wilson Fike
Oct. 15 - Nash Central @ Wilson Fike
Oct. 22 - Wilson Fike @ Rocky Mount
Oct. 29 - Northern Nash @ Wilson Fike
Nov. 5 - Northern Nash @ Rocky Mount
Nov. 12 - NCHSAA playoffs - TBA

KFC to be scoreboard sponsor

Kentucky Fried Chicken, thanks to RMHS alum James Westcott, has agreed to be the scoreboard sponsor for Rocky Mount's home football games for 2010.

KFC, which is celebrating its 70th year of doing business, is aboard for the fourth straight season and we appreciate their support.

They are so G-OO-D to our program and we can't thank them enough!

RMHS-Bertie football series

The last time Rocky Mount played Bertie in football, the Falcons got their only win in their short-lived series, 27-21.

Now, the Gryphons have avenged that loss of 30 years ago!

Here is the series lineup between Rocky Mount and Bertie which the Gryphons now lead 6-1!

2010 - Rocky Mount 26, Bertie 7
1980 - Bertie 27, Rocky Mount 21
1979 - Rocky Mount 43, Bertie 22
1978 - Rocky Mount 19, Bertie 0
1977 - Rocky Mount 26, Bertie 6
1976 - Rocky Mount 47, Bertie 26
1975 - Rocky Mount 20, Bertie 8

But give the Bertie program great credit. It has won two state titles (1995 3-A, 2000 3-A) since the two teams last played and the Roy L. Bond Stadium, named after the late coach who led those Falcons teams to those championships, is 100 times better looking than it was the last time I traveled to Windsor for a football game.

New bleachers, a re-sodded field (thanks to baseball and assistant football coach Randy Whitaker), new scoreboard and new concession stand - all make the Falcons' refurbishhed home so inviting for visiting teams.

And there is a Gryphon walking the Bertie sideline now. Head trainer Billy McCallop, who has had several stops on the football training express (more recently Hertford County), is a Gryphon alum and learned his trade at the hands of Hall of Fame Rocky Mount head trainer Bernie Capps.

Ironically, there have been some other RMHS connections to Bertie over the years.

Former Rocky Mount principal (my principal) Elton Newbern taught there in the early sixties. Ray Durham, a former head football coach at Rocky Mount, taught and coached there before coming to RMHS in 1967 as an assistant.

Even recently-retired Rocky Mount band director Hosea Brower taught at Bertie just before coming here to lead the Gryphon Marching Band.

It just took us 30 years for us to get re-connected on the football field.


Rocky Mount 26, Bertie 7

Rocky Mount 7 6 6 7 — 26
Bertie 0 0 0 7 — 7

First Quarter
RM - Damien Richardson 1 run (Fernando Alfaro kick), 9:12

Second Quarter
RM - Miguel Valdez 67 pass from Diandre Harris (kick failed), 7:03

Third Quarter
RM - Rodquez Greene 72 fumble return (run failed), 6:24

Fourth Quarter
RM - Damien Strickland 12 pass from Tevin Taylor (Alfaro kick), 11:17
B - Pashon Cherry 66 fumble return (Johnathan Wilson kick),:47.4


RM B
First downs 10 12
Rushes-yards 30-129 49-181
Passing 3-5-0 2-2-0
Passing yards 82 14
Total yards 211 195
Fumbles lost 2 5
Penalties 6-36 5-35

Individual statistics

RUSHING – RM: Nah’jerrelle Graves 8-59, Damien Richardson 3-44, Mason King 4-29, Elijah Blount 1-5, Michael Hines 2-4, Rodquez Greene 4-(-1), Diandre Harris 2-(-4), Tevin Taylor 6-(-7). B: Corbin Rascoe 12-73, Erik Bowen 12-44, Darius Moody 9-34, Dontai Barnes 1-19, Malcolm Cherry 8-8, Dequan Perry 1-3, Johnathan Wilson 5-0.

PASSING – RM: Diandre Harris 1-3-0 67, Tevin Taylor 2-2- 15. B: Malcolm Cherry 2-2-0 14.

RECEIVING – RM: Miguel Valdez 1-67, Damien Strickland 1-12, Damien Richardson 1-3. B: Pashon Cherry 1-11, Desmon Askew 1-3.

Weekend review

Gryphon and UNC-bound senior Benton Moss got to pitch one inning of the Under Armour All-Star Baseball Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago Saturday. Playing for the East in his fifth-inning adventure, he prepares to send a pitch to home plate.

Moss, who has an astounding 23-2 career record on the mound for the Gryphons, needs just six victories to become school's career leader in wins. (Photo/Ashley Moss)


RMHS junior Nah'jerrelle Graves (32) runs through Garner's defense Saturday in the opening game of the HighSchoolOT.com Jamboree at Southeast Raleigh High School. Garner posted two late second-half scores on a 20-yard pass and a six-yard run for the Gryphons to fall 12-0.

Rocky Mount opens the regular season Friday as it renews a rivalry that's been dormant for 31 years as it travels to one-time conference foe Bertie. Game time is 7:30 p.m. (Photo/HighSchoolOT.com)

WZAX 99.3 FM High School Football "Game of the Week"

WZAX Jammin 99.3 FM will provide a high school football "Game of the Week" each Friday of the upcoming football season - beginning Friday when Northern Nash travels to Wilson Beddingfield.

The broadcast, which at last reference will include Paul Andre and Bob Maloney doing the play-by-play and color, respectively, will begin each game night's coverage at 7 p.m.

The Beddingfield faithful will happy to know that its games will be covered six times this season to lead the schools that will be aired.

Those of you who live outside the range of the station can listen online at http://jammin99.3.com

Here is the complete 2010 season's coverage. Games involving Nash County schools will be in bold.

Aug. 20 - Northern Nash @ Wilson Beddingfield
Aug. 27 - Wilson Hunt @ Wilson Fike
Sept. 3 - Southern Nash @ Wilson Beddingfield
Sept. 10 - Wilson Hunt @ SW Edgecombe
Sept. 17 - C.B. Aycock @ Wilson Fike
Sept. 24 - Wilson Beddingfield @ Greene Central
Oct. 1 - Kinston @ Wilson Beddingfield
Oct. 8 - Southern Nash @ Wilson Fike
Oct. 15 - Wilson Beddingfield @ Farmville Central
Oct. 22 - SW Edgecombe @ Tarboro
Oct. 29 - Northern Nash @ Wilson Fike
Nov. 5 - Tarboro @ Wilson Beddingfield
Nov. 12 - NCHSAA playoffs - TBA

RMHS band director retires

One faithful member of the Rocky Mount football support staff won't be on the sidelines this season.

Rocky Mount High School band director Hosea Brower has retired from Nash-Rocky Mount Schools after 20 years at RMHS and over 30-plus years of teaching music across the state.

Brower replaced the much-beloved John Sykes as the band's director in 1990 when Sykes retired and Brower came over from then-Edwards Junior High.

So the Gryphon band has had just two directors in 40 years. Too bad football coaches don't have that type tenure.

Brower will be sorely miss by the Rocky Mount faithful.

But worry not, a new man is on the job.

Dominique Reynolds, who comes to Rocky Mount High from the Richmond, Va. area, has taken over for Brower. We hope Reynolds can continue the tradition of fine marching bands at RMHS.

And one more thing.

Someone will have to teach him how "I'm so glad I go to Senior High" goes!

Hudgins watch

Former RMHS standout Terrell Hudgins had his biggest play of his short pro career with the Dallas Cowboys when he caught a 40-yard pass from reserve quarterback Matt Nichols Thursday evening.

The Cowboys (1-1), in their preseason home opener, lost to the Oakland Raiders 17-9.

Dallas will now pack its bags for a two-week stay in Oxnard, Calif. before retuning the Dallas for the start of the regular season.

If Hudgins continues to show these flashes of brilliance, how can he not make their 53-man final roster.

To watch Hudgins' catch. click here!

RMHS gridiron coaching changes

It never fails. Changes are inevitible, even in the best of high school football programs.

At Rocky Mount High, it's no different.

There have been coaching changes on second-year head coach Dickie Schock's staff. Let's look at the additions.

A.B. Whitley, the defensive coaching specialist who can sport three, count them, three state championship rings, will be helping the Gryphons stop opponents in 2010.

His influence can't hurt. After all, Rocky Mount gave up 20 points a games in 2009, almost 10 points more a contest than it did in 2008 when it allowed just 9.8 per contest.

Whitley, who helped North Edgecombe (1-A: 1994,1997), and more recently Tarboro (2-A, 2009), win state titles, has joined the Gryphon coaching staff. Whitley has also coached at Northern Nash and SouthWest Edgecombe.

How many people can claim that have had a hand in guiding five of the Twin Counties' seven high school football program?

Back in the Gryphon gridiron fold is Jason Battle, the one-time three-sport RMHS athlete who took a year break from coaching football last season.

Sadly, gone after just one season is Will Harrell. But I can't blame him for leaving. He had two motivating influences - his dad and a new school!

As mentioned in an earlier blog entry, Will will be joining his dad Clark, who is the head coach at Franklinton High School.

He will be coaching the defense for the Rams. Just like RMHS, Franklinton is also building a new campus, but it is expected to be open the next school year.

Gryphons picked to place third in Big East gridiron race

STANHOPE - Rocky Mount was voted to finish third in Big East Conference football in a vote of the league's head coaches Wednesday morning.

The vote came during the league's annual coaches' meeting held at Southern Nash High School. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

Leading the balloting was Southern Nash. The Firebirds, who return two 1,000-yard rushers in Tracy Coppedge and Terron Huffman, received four first-place votes and gathered 24 points. Southern, which finished third in the league last season, made it to the NCHSAA 3-AA eastern finals where it lost to South Johnston in the final minutes of the game.

Coming in second was Wilson Hunt with two first-place votes and 22 total points. The Warriors, the defending conference champions, fell to Southern Nash in the second round of last year's playoffs. They return the league's second-leading rusher in senior Caleb Driver.

Southern and Hunt combined to get every first- or second-place vote by the coaches.

The Gryphons, who will face the 2010 season without the school's all-time leading rusher (Marquavis Alston) and the program's third-leading passer (Collins Cuthrell), placed third in the voting with 15 points.

One conference coach voted Rocky Mount to come in last in the league. Two voted it second and two voted it to place third. RMHS was the runner-up to Hunt in the conference race last season (7-5, 4-1) and a second-round 3-AA playoff victim to South Johnston.

Northern Nash, which won just two games last season under first-year head coach Mickey Crouch, finished one point behind Rocky Mount in fourth with 14. The Knights received four third-place nods and one coach had them fourth.

Nash Central received nine points and placed fifth, Wilson Fike, which has only three starters back for the 2010 season, was sixth with six points.


2010 BIG EAST 3-A CONFERENCE PRESEASON FOOBALL COACHES POLL

1. Southern Nash (4) - 24 pts.
2. Wilson Hunt (2) - 22 pts.
3. Rocky Mount - 15 pts.
4. Northern Nash - 14 pts.
5. Nash Central - 9 pts.
6. Wilson Fike - 6 pts.

Southern, Northern in same event Friday

Nash County will be buzzing with prep football by this weekend.

While Rocky Mount and Nash Central will open their football preseasons in the same event, so will Northern Nash and Southern Nash, but a day earlier.

The two will be playing Friday in the annual North Johnston High School Football Jamboree in Kenly.

Along with the Knights and the Firebirds, the field will include host North Johnston, South Johnston, new Corinth-Holders' JV squad, Wilson Beddingfield, North Duplin, Dixon, Rosewood, Spring Creek and Louisburg.

It's at Louisburg where former longtime Rocky Mount assistant coach Chris Lee will begin his second season as head coach.

Play is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with the teams using a round-robin format.

Southern Nash will kick off its regular season campaign with a visit to Franklinton on Friday, Aug. 20. Northern Nash will open on the same day against Wilson Beddingfield on the road.

Speaking of Franklinton High, that's the destination of former Rocky Mount assistant coach Will Harrell. Harrell, who spent one season with the Gryphons, will join his father, Red Rams' head coach Clark Harrell, on the staff and will be coaching the defense.

Gryphons make 2010 debut in HighSchoolOT.com event Saturday

RALEIGH - Rocky Mount will open its 2010 football season Saturday by participating in the 2nd Annual HighSchoolOT.com Jamboree. It will be held at Southeast Raleigh High School and this year the field of teams has been expanded to feature 10 teams in five games.

Nash Central will also be participating in the event.
Last season was the first year that Southeast Raleigh hosted the event. The format of the scrimmage will be a bit different.

Instead of teams getting the ball for 10 plays and rotating, the entire scrimmage is played like a normal game. Teams have four downs to get a first down, score, or punt the ball away.

The only real difference will be kicking plays. They will not be live as NCHSAA rules does not allow them in a preseason scrimmage.

Like last season's scrimmage, teams from Wake County will be placed up against teams from outside of the county. A running score will be kept throughout the night. The Wake County schools won the event last year.

This year, vendors will be at the event providing additional entertainment for spectators. HighSchoolOT.com, WRAL, and 99.9 FM The Fan ESPN Radio, along with VYPE High School Sports Magazine will be on hand to provide coverage of the event.

TGI Friday's is a sponsor of this year's event.

Here is the schedule for the 2nd Annual HighSchoolOT.com Jamboree:

3:00 p.m. - Garner vs. Rocky Mount
4:15 p.m. - Broughton vs. Clayton
5:30 p.m. - Middle Creek vs. Nash Central
6:45 p.m. - Wake Forest-Rolesville vs. West Johnston
8:00 p.m.- Southeast Raleigh vs. Southeast Guilford

Busy week at Rocky Mount High

For a preseason sports week, it will be a busy one at Rocky Mount High School.

Monday (today), a Mandatory Parent and Player meeting for fall athletes will be held at 6 p.m. in the main gym. The first gathering of the season for the Rocky Mount Athletic Booster Club will take place in the gym immediately after the first meeting.

It is also the first day of tryouts for the girls tennis team. They will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. by head coach Barry Nethercutt at the Sunset Park courts.

On Tuesday, the fall sports (football, volleyball, cross country, girls tennis, boys soccer) picture day will take place at the Nash St. football practice field at 3 p.m.

Wednesday, the Big East Conference will hold its annual coaches meeting at Southern Nash High School beginning at 9:30 a.m. Also, the league's football coaches will face area media and vote on the preseason pick to win the conference.

Saturday, the Gryphon football team will hit the field in its first scrimmage - a date with Garner at the HighSchoolOT.com Jamboree at Southeast Raleigh High School.

The two will meet in the first scrimmage of the day in the event at 3 p.m.

Area football fans will also get to see the Nash Central Bulldogs in action directly after RMHS leaves the field. Here are the lineups for the rest of the event: Middle Creek vs. Nash Central; Wake Forest-Rolesville vs. West Johnston, Southeast Raleigh vs. Southeast Guilford.