NFL to hold free football camp at Rocky Mount High

If you are a Twin County resident, a rising sixth through ninth grader and you want to learn all you can about the game of football, then Rocky Mount High's practice field will be the place for you next week.

For the second time this summer, RMHS will host an National Football League-sponsored camp - this time it will be a Junior Player Development football camp for younger kids who want to be introduced to the basics of the game. And like the previous camp, it is free to all comers - thanks to the NFL and the Carolina Panthers.

The camp will take place Monday through Thursday, July 14-17 (6-8:30 p.m.), while there will be a registration and equipment fitting this week - Thursday and Friday in RMHS' auxiliary gym from 5-7 p.m. All campers are required to bring a completed physical form, or a parent or guardian must sign a waiver form in lieu of the physical.

A nationally known football equipment company will provide campers with fitted helmets and shoulder pads for the duration of the camp.

With the diminishing number of middle school football programs across the country, JPD programs are rebuilding youth tackle football as an effective feeder system for high school programs. According to the NFLJPD website, the JPD programs ensure that all participants receive the full experience of instructional and developmental youth tackle football training in a readapted manner.

Coaches at the camp will stress the fundamentals and playing techniques of every position on the field as well as incorporate life skills into each practice. There will be continuous interaction with all campers while coaches try to impart a fun and entertaining curriculum to the participants.

For more information on the camp and all its activities, contact Rocky Mount head coach B.W. Holt during the day at 252-977-3164.

Pairings set for first-ever Rocky Mount Football Jamboree

Here are the pairings for the first-ever Rocky Mount Football Jamboree set for the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex on Friday, Aug. 15 starting at 4 p.m.

East team will scrimmage three times for 40 minutes each - playing from the 40-yard line out. There will be a five-minute break between each session. There is no structured competition. Each sessions' coaches may use whatever competition format they may want to use, i.e., 10 min. offense, 10 defense; 30 plays offense, 30 plays defense, etc.

The RMHS Booster Club is planning to make this a festive event - including selling barbecue chicken dinners during the evening.

Also, during the final session of the night, there will be a reunion of sorts. All four teams will have one person in common - Rocky Mount head coach B.W. Holt. Three of his former assistants will be coaching the other teams: Elbert Thomas at West Montgomery, Chad Smith at Northern Nash and Dickie Schock at Hillsborough Orange.

4:00 p.m.

West Montgomery vs. Northern Nash
South Central vs. Hillsborough Orange

4:45 p.m.

West Montgomery vs. Hillsborough Orange
South Central vs. Northern Nash

5:30 p.m.

Wilson Fike vs. Oxford Webb
Rocky Mount vs. Durham Riverside

6:15 p.m.

Wilson Fike vs. Durham Riverside
Rocky Mount vs. Oxford Webb

7:00 p.m.

South Central vs. Wilson Fike
Oxford Webb vs. Durham Riverside

7:45 p.m.

Hillsborough Orange vs. Northern Nash
West Montgomery vs. Rocky Mount

Farrow to become RMHS' new principal

- Leon Farrow

By now, I'm sure everyone knows that Leon Farrow will become the new principal at Rocky Mount High School starting July 1.

We know very little about Mr. Farrow, but here are some links down below to three sources so you can get an idea who he is.

We will dearly miss Judy Bradshaw, but we welcome Mr. Farrow to the Gryphon family and we hope he has a very productive career here!

West Craven principal leaving for post at Rocky Mount

West Craven's Leon Farrow is principal of the year

Leon Farrow bio

(New Bern Sun Journal photo)

Thomas tapped into Atkins HS Hall of Fame

WINSTON-SALEM - Former Edwards Middle School athletic director and coach Donald Thomas was recently inducted into the Atkins High School Hall of Fame during a formal ceremony and banquet held at the Benton Convention Center.

Thomas, a 1960 graduate of Atkins, played quarterback and cornerback for the Camels. As a senior and team captain, he was All-City, All-Western District and All-State. He also lettered in baseball, basketball and track.

Thomas went on to play football for N.C. Central University and has been inducted into NCCU's Sports Hall of Fame. He has also been honored with an induction into the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Thomas, who holds a master's degree from Lynchburg College, retired from teaching in 2006.

Thomas' son Sean, who played football at Rocky Mount, is currently the head trainer at N.C. Central.

Nick selected as RMHS' new soccer coach

When Wilson Hunt joins the NEW 6 Conference the fall of 2009, Rocky Mount's new head soccer coach will have an inside track on that school's talent.

Why?

Because its former soccer coach is now the new head boys and girls soccer coach at RMHS.

Andrew Nick has been hired by Rocky Mount replacing Patrick Sensiba, who left for a position in his native Tidewater Virginia.

"I believe Mr. Nick can continue building this program," said Rocky Mount athletic director Michael Gainey. "His records at Hunt High speaks for itself. I look forward to working with him.

"Losing Patrick and Michelle (Huffman, head softball coach) was a surprise," he added. "I wasn't aware that they were looking at the time. Things happen and we deal with them. Patrick's knowledge of the game will be missed. Michelle's knowledge and fire power will be missed. She came in a worked really hard to gain the trust of the players. She made some big accomplishments this season.

"I thank them both for a job well done and I wish them the best on their next journey."

Leggett undergoes surgery

Rocky Mount's all-time winningest pitcher has undergone shoulder surgery.

Jim Leggett, who helped the Gryphons to a state championship last month, underwent surgery last Friday at Pitt Memorial Hospital to repair a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder.

His father Quentin says Jim is doing well and is home. He injured his shoulder during his late-regular season performance against Northern Nash, and yet managed to finish out the season - including recording three wins in the postseason.

Jim, who left RMHS with 28 career pitching victories (28-7), will attend Belmont Abbey next season and will redshirt his first baseball season there. The Crusaders went 41-22 last season and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Div. II South Atlantic Regionals at Mount Olive College. Mount Olive, of course, went on to win the Div. II national championship.

Belmont Abbey is a member of Conference Carolinas along with Barton and Mount Olive.

RMHS faces football coaching changes ... again

For the second straight summer, head football coach B.W. Holt has a dilemma. He has four vacancies on his staff and roughly only a month to fill them.

No longer on the staff are Ed Hiatt, Curtis Rushing, Chris Moore and Donovan Jackson. So Holt has to find a defensive coordinator, a special teams coordinator, a linebacker coach and a defensive line coach, respectively.

The problem, Holt has been told that the only RMHS teaching openings are in social studies (two) and mathematics (two).

Yikes!

He says he not too worried and he thinks he will find coaches for these vacancies.

Good luck, coach!

Gryphs to face the Brothers Crudup

- Kevin Crudup

Rocky Mount High's 2008 football team will face not just one coaching Crudup, but two.

One will be new Nash Central High football coach Kevin Crudup. The Bunn native and Mars Hill graduate was named the Bulldogs' head man Friday at a press conference at the school.

But Crudup has a brother in the high school coaching ranks.

Cedric Crudup is the head coach at Northern Vance High in Henderson. Both Nash Central and Northern Vance are on the Gryphons' slate this fall - both road games for RMHS.

The Gryphons travel to Henderson on Friday, Sept. 5, and will hit the road crosstown to the Dawg Pound on Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31.

No doubt, Cedric will be giving pointers to Kevin on how to stop the Gryphons!

A look at 2008's team stats - RMHS Baseball

After taking a gander at the final team stats for the 2008 Rocky Mount baseball team, they were pretty astounding.

Take a look. They are all school records!

27 wins (27-6)

236 runs scored

.324 batting average

298 hits

195 RBI

919 at-bats

59 doubles

10 triples

71 stolen bases

Meeting of the Minds!

Rocky Mount head football coach B.W. Holt and Northern Nash head football coach Chad Smith discuss instructional plans during the NFL High School Player Development Camp held at Rocky Mount High last week. The camp was for kids going to the ninth through 12th grades.

RMHS will hold another NFL Player Development Camp July 14-17 - a junior version for the younger kids - from the sixth to ninth grade.

For more information on the Junior NFL Camp, you can reach Holt after June 30 weekdays at 252-977-3164.

(Photo/David Hahula)

A new Gryphon in the house!

Rocky Mount assistant football coach Chris Lee and his wife Lindsay welcomed new son, Christopher Winston, into the world on May 12.

Winston, as the family will call him, weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. He has a sister, Hope, who is 2 1/2 years old.

Best wishes on your new arrival!

It's been a banner year for Chris. His JV football team completed an undefeated season at 10-0 and is riding a 21-game winning streak. He assisted the varsity football team to a 14-1 campaign and he led the RMHS JV girls basketball team to an 18-1 season. Its only loss was in the season-opener!

Congrats again to the Lee family!

Former Gryphon gets principal post in Wilson Co.

Congratulations to former Gryphon athlete and former RMHS teacher Eddie Doll.

Doll, who played football and baseball for the Gryphons, was named principal at Elm City Middle School in Elm City Monday evening at a meeting of the Wilson County School Board.

Doll, a N.C. State and ECU graduate, had served the last few years as an assistant principal at Hunt High School. He taught at RMHS prior to going to Wilson County.

His father Wayne is a former RMHS principal and currently serves as the countywide athletic director for Nash-Rocky Mount Schools.

Donation for championship rings

Rocky Mount athletic director Michael Gainey (left) and Gryphon head baseball coach Pat Smith (center) accept a check for $2,000 from Donnie Tharrington of Don's Boby Shop that will go to defray the cost of championship rings for members of Rocky Mount's NCHSAA 3-A state champion baseball team.

The team was honored with a reception in the lobby of City Hall Monday before being honored by the City Council later in the evening.

(Contributed photo)

2008 NCHSAA 3-A Baseball State Champions - Rocky Mount Gryphons

Parents and friends, if you would like professional copies of these shots or any others from Game 3 of the NCHSAA 3-A State Championship series, contact David Hahula at dhahula@embarqmail.com.

Remember, click on the picture to enlarge it!

Bring the Wood - 2!

Here are more pictorial angles of Tom Jones' woodshed - in honor of the 2008 NCHSAA 3-A State Champions: The Rocky Mount Gryphons! The woodshed sat at the entrance to Five County Stadium to inspire the Gryphon players and supporters. (Photos/David Hahula)

Note: Click on any picture to enlarge!

Bring the Wood!

One of the great inspirations of Rocky Mount's quest for a 3-A state baseball title was this woodshed - built primarily by Rocky Mount alum and loyal Gryphon fan Tom Jones. You might say, he's got wood!

This shed, complimented by signatures by all the players above its front door, served as a rallying point for all the fans that turned out to support the Gryphons during its weekend stay at Five County Stadium in Zebulon.

Many had their picture taken while taking a seat inside.

Even football coach B.W. Holt took a load off in it on Friday, and lo and behold, RM baseball coach Pat Smith sat himself down in it minutes after the Gryphons broke a school 26-year title drought and the baseball program wiped away 28 years of hard-trying to get a title back to Gryphon Stadium.

There is no doubt that the Gryphons "brought the wood" this past weekend!

The five seniors: William Barringer, Chris Berry, Jim Leggett, Grant Johnson, Nick Phillips - each received a bat that adorned the front of the shed.

(Photo/Wes Bradshaw)

Rocky Mount Telegram Gryphon Slideshow

To get some glimpses of the action from Friday and Saturday's NCHSAA Games 1, 2 and 3 of 3-A state championship action with the Gryphons and East Rowan, click here to see a slideshow from the Rocky Mount Telegram!

Pictures taken by former Gryphon player Tom Jones will be forthcoming!

Leggett gets career win No. 28 as RM gets one game closer to a 3-A title

ZEBULON – A balanced Rocky Mount offensive attack banged out 10 hits and the Gryphons held off East Rowan 7-4 in the first game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A baseball championship series on Friday at Five County Stadium.

East Rowan jumped in front 2-0 in the bottom of the first, but Rocky Mount tied it in the second when a run scored on a double play and then Collins Cuthrell delivered a run-scoring single to tie the game.

The Gryphons took a 5-2 lead with three in the fourth, with Gabe Brown’s two-run single the key blow, but East battled back to slice it 5-4 on Zack Smith’s two-out, two-run double. Rocky Mount then added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth after a two-out error, a triple by William Barringer that scored a run and then an RBI single by Grant Johnson.

Chris Berry was the only Gryphon with two hits. Every RMHS starter collected at least one hit. The bottom of the Gryphons' lineup was very effective - with batters Nos. 7-9 going 3-for-9 with five RBI and two runs scored.

Senior righthander Jim Leggett (8-3) went the route on the mound for the winners, allowing just three hits and getting his 28th career victory, to extend his Rocky Mount school record, while Corbin Shive was charged with the loss (11-2).

Smith provided the offensive punch for East Rowan with two hits in three trips and three runs batted in. The Mustangs dropped to 28-4 overall while Rocky Mount improved to a school record 26-5.

Game two in the best-of-three series is set for Saturday morning at eleven o’clock as Rocky Mount seeks to close out the series and win its first NCHSAA baseball title since 1980. Game three, if necessary, would be played Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

STATE 3-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES — GAME ONE

Five County Stadium, Zebulon

Rocky Mount 0 2 0 3 0 2 0 – 7 10 1

East Rowan 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 – 4 3 1

WP—Jim Leggett (8-3)

LP—Corbin Shive (11-2)

Leading hitters: Rocky Mount - Chris Berry 2-4, R; Ben Fish 1-2, R; Jim Leggett 1-2, R; Collins Cuthrell 1-3, 2 RBI, R; Gabe Brown 1-3, 2 RBI, R; Dillon Cockrell 1-3, RBI; Brian Goodwin 1-3; William Barringer 1-4, 3B, RBI, R; Grant Johnson 1-4. East Rowan - Zach Smith 2-3, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI; Ethan Fisher 1-3, 2B.

Barnes gets offer from Wake Forest; two Gryphons get special Shrine Bowl combine invite

Rocky Mount offensive lineman Whit Barnes received a football scholarship offer from Wake Forest University this week. The rising senior also received a scholarship offer from Duke University a few weeks ago.

But there will be more schools to chose from for the hard-working lineman.

He and defensive secondary specialist-kick returner Brian Goodwin have been invited to a select Shrine Bowl football combine to be held Saturday at Burlington Williams High School. The top 130 or so players who attended earlier regional combines have been invited to this special combine to receive more scrutiny from N.C. Shrine Bowl head coach Gary Fowler (Clayton) and his staff.

Barnes will be attending the combine, but Goodwin has some more pressing issues Saturday - trying to win a state baseball championship in Zebulon.

The Championship Venue

FIVE COUNTY STADIUM, ZEBULON - site of the NCHSAA 3-A, 4-A State Baseball Championship Series

Name: Five County sits in Wake County and is in earshot of Nash, Johnston, Franklin and Wilson.
History: Five County opened on July 3, 1991. Dimensions: LF-330, CF-400, RF-330; Capacity: 6,500
Scoreboard: Made by Daktronics.
Videoboard: Made by Lighthouse