Fish signs with Campbell University

Rocky Mount senior catcher Ben Fish signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Campbell University Thursday evening after the school's winter/spring sports banquet.

Pictured above (l-r) on the front row are father Don Fish, Fish and mother Ashley Fish. On the back row are RMHS assistant baseball coach Kent Cox, head baseball coach Pat Smith, assistant coaches Tom Jones and Hank Jones and RMHS athletic director Mike Gainey.

Fish finished the 2009 season as the team's leading hitter with a .427 average (32/75) and tops on the list in runs batted in with 28. He also had six doubles, three home runs and scored 20 times.

He completed his three-year varsity career with a school record 81 RBI, to go along with his 71 runs scored, 18 doubles and 11 home runs. He finished his career with 95 hits (fourth highest in school history) and a batting aveage of .380.

Bulldogs ease in through the back door

I was totally shocked, but extremely happy that Nash Central's varsity baseball team made the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs. The pairings were released by the NCHSAA Wednesday.

But how happy should I be?

The Bulldogs, who closed out the regular season with a 7-13 record, received a wild card entry into the postseason and will travel to face Coastal No. 1 seed D.H. Conley (14-9) in Hollywood Friday evening.

Three years ago, Nash Central made the playoffs as a wild card, but it had a whopping15 victories and a decent chance of making some headway in the playoffs. However, things must have been pretty bad in the eastern 3-A ranks this season for a wild card to get in with seven wins.

SouthWest Edgecombe must be really kicking itself. It had eight wins, but needed just one more win in NEW 6 play last week to head to the diamond party.

Who could've seen this coming? Early reports to me suggested either Eastern or Western Alamance had the wild cards spots sewn up.

But when Northern Guilford had to forfeit all its baseball wins Wednesday (as well as its boys 3-A basketball state title) as part of the school's messy multi-sport ineligibility scandal that is still ongoing, the door for the Bulldogs may have opened.

I wish the 'Dogs luck. They will need it!

The rest of the NEW 6: Rocky Mount will get the postseason party started Thursday when it hosts Eastern Carolina No. 4 seed Southern Wayne (12-14). Game time is 7 p.m.

Friday, weather permitting (my guess is that no one will get a game in around here Friday), NEW 6 No. 2 seed Northern Nash (14-7) will host Bartlett Yancey at 7 p.m. Early notice on the Knights' opponent was off, too.

At first, some thought Dudley would be coming to Red Oak, then it changed to Northern Guilford. But things can change in a couple of days, so the school that produced WTVD11's Larry Stogner will be headed to Nash County.

Southern Nash (8-13), the NEW 6 No. 4 seed, will travel to Erwin to face Cape Fear Valley No. 2 Triton (18-5) Friday. NEW 6 No. 3 Wilson Fike (12-8) will visit ECC No. 2 seed C.B. Aycock (18-6) and play each other for the third time this season come Friday.

Really early start: Two teams in the east got the playoffs going even earlier than Rocky Mount and Southern Wayne.

West Carteret and Currituck played their 3-A east opener in Barco Wednesday, with the Patriots winning on the road 10-1. They now await the winner of the Eastern Wayne-Northeast Guilford contest next Tuesday.

RMHS baseball stat leaders

Now that the regular season is technically over, you might want a gander at the Gryphons' team stat leaders - after 20 games. Here is the top five in each category. The NEW 6 Conference leader in each field will be in parenthesis at the bottom of the category.

BA

.453 - Ben Fish
.397 - Collins Cuthrell
.388 - Brian Goodwin
.327 - Thomas Berry
.316 - Dillon Cockrell

(.440 - Cuthrell)

RUNS

24 - Collins Cuthrell
20 - Brian Goodwin
19 - Ben Fish
16 - Michael Whitehead
14 - Carter Varnell

(12 - Cuthrell, Goodwin)

RBI

25 - Ben Fish
16 - Brian Goodwin
16 - Dillon Cockrell
13 - Thomas Berry
12 - Collins Cuthrell

(16 - Fish)

DOUBLES

7 - Brian Goodwin
6 - Thomas Berry
5 - Ben Fish
5 - Dillon Cockrell
4 - Collins Cuthrell

(4 - Berry, Fish)

TRIPLES

1 - Brian Goodwin
1 - Collins Cuthrell
1 - Thomas Berry

(1 - Cuthrell)

HRs

3 - Ben Fish
3 - Brian Goodwin
2 - Carter Varnell
2 - Chris Pittman
2 - Collins Cuthrell

(3 - Goodwin)

STOLEN BASES

15 - Brian Goodwin
10 - Collins Cuthrell
5 - Hobbs Johnson
4 - Michael Whitehead
3 - Parker Helms

(6 - Goodwin)

PITCHING WINS

7 - Benton Moss
7 - Hobbs Johnson
3 - Nick Hahula
1 - Dillon Cockrell

(5 - Moss)

ERA

0.00 - Dillon Cockrell
0.97 - Benton Moss
1.04 - Hobbs Johnson
1.82 - Nick Hahula

(0.28 - Moss)

STRIKEOUTS

95 - Hobbs Johnson
50 - Benton Moss
19 - Nick Hahula
5 - Dillon Cockrell
2 - Parker Helms

(44 - Johnson)

• RMHS is averaging seven runs a game and allowing 1.5.
• The team's batting average is .319.
• The squad's team ERA is 1.32.
• RMHS has hit 13 home runs in 20 games. The 2008 team only 12 in 33 games.

Coach 'Diggs' says goodbye

(Click on picture to enlarge) Rocky Mount's seniors (l-r: Nick Hahula, Gabe Brown, Chris Pittman, Cameron Ramsey, Ben Fish, Brian Goodwin, Dillon Cockrell) huddle around Coach Diggs (aka. Jammy Mitchell) after the Wilson Fike game on Senior Night. (Photo/Don Fish)

It's so hard to believe its been four years since would-be ninth graders Ben Fish, Cameron Ramsey, Brian Goodwin, Dillon Cockrell and Gabe Brown played on that Nash County Babe Ruth 14-Year-Old All-Stars baseball team that made it to the World Series championship game.

All those memories came flowing back when I ran into Jammy Mitchell, the assistant coach on that great team, in the press box before Wednesday's Senior Night game with Wilson Fike. Of course. RMHS PA announcer Wes Bradshaw, who Jammy was talking with before my arrival, had the pleasure of broadcasting those games back to the area on WRMT 1490 AM.

Where has the time gone!

Mitchell came out to honor his boys. Their head coach Travis Ward would have also been in attendance too, but he was celebrating his first anniversary with his wife with a trip to New York City. But I know he was thinking of them when they hit the field for their last regular season home game.

More that likely, Mitchell will take in Northern Nash's home finale with Nash Central Friday to send off their seniors from his squad: Tyler Clark, Mike Williams and Tyler Joyner. Clark's dad Greg was an assistant with Mitchell on the team.

Fike's Flowers to be inducted into Barton's Athletic Hall of Fame

Barton College announced the 2009 induction class to its Athletic Hall of Fame Friday. Among the honorees will be Wilson Fike head baseball coach Will Flowers.

A member of Barton's Class of 1976, Flowers, a baseball standout at the school, is in his 28th season as the Golden Demons' head coach.

Flowers, who led Fike to the 1999 NCHSAA 3-A state championship, has a career record of 372-264 going into the last week of the 2009 baseball regular season.

The College's Bulldog Club and Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held as part of Homecoming Week on Friday, Oct. 23. This event will also feature a celebration of 100 years of intercollegiate athletics at the institution and a memorabilia display.

Congrats, coach!

2009 NEW 6 Boys/Girls Track and Field Results

Here are the complete results from Wednesday's NEW 6 Conference Boys/Girls Track and Field Meet held at Nash Central High School. RMHS' results are in bold:

GIRLS

Rocky Mount (RM) 204, Nash Central (NC) 99, Fike (F) 85, SouthWest Edgecombe (SWE) 61, Southern Nash (SN) 51, Northern Nash (NN) 45.

Results

SHOT PUT -- Denise Harrison (SWE), 34 ft., 8 in; Whitaker (RM), Alzer (NN), Harper (F), Battle (NC), Hinton (NC).

DISCUS -- Denise Harrison (SWE), 106-11; Johnson (SN), Whitaker (RM), Ward (RM), van Bree (F), Pittman (SWE).

LONG JUMP -- Jessica Barnes (SWE), 16-7 1/2; Applewhite (RM), Cofield (NC), Farmer (RM), Blizzard (F), Davis (RM).

TRIPLE JUMP -- Domonica Coleman (SN), 35- 1/2; Applewhite (RM), Brown (RM), Farmer (RM), Washington (NC), Mills (SN).

HIGH JUMP -- Jasmine Williams (NC), 5-8; Battle (RM), Flinn (F), Pitchford (NC), Bass (NC), Batten (NN).

POLE VAULT -- Rachel Boykin (SN), 8-0; Thai (RM), Worley (RM), Pitchford (NC), Emig (SN), Davis (RM).

4 X 800 RELAY -- Rocky Mount (Michaela Thorne, Marquita Hines, Nancy Thai, Erika Wesonga), 10:31; Fike, Northern Nash, Nash Central.

100-METER HURDLES -- Xaviera Bass (NC), 16.81; Sledge (RM), Thompson (RM), Barnes (RM), Williams (SN), Pitt (F).

100 -- Jessica Barnes (SWE), 13.25; James (F), Cofield (NC), Brown (RM), Harper (F), Tyner (RM).

4 X 200 -- Nash Central (Garbielle Foster, Jennifer Cofield, Jasmine Williams, Tyrqua Washington), 1:52.80; Rocky Mount, Northern Nash, SouthWest Edgecombe.

1,600 -- Jentzen Jones (F), 5:47; Hanson (F), C. Warren (NC), Wesonga (RM), Thorne (RM), K. Warren (NC).

4 X 100 -- Fike (Shaa Locus, Jaleesa Harper, Tramicka James, Talaya Hall), 52.87; Rocky Mount, SouthWest Edgecombe, Nash Central, Northern Nash, Southern Nash.

400 -- Jasmine Williams (NC), 1:01.18; Applewhite (RM), Farmer (RM), Hines (RM), Whitehead (SWE), Cooper (NC).

300 HURDLES -- Domonica Coleman (SN), 51.96; Thompson (RM), Sledge (RM), Barnes (RM), Clark (NN), Springer (NN).

800 -- Erika Wesonga (RM), 2:30.31; Jones (F), Thorne (RM), Hines (RM), Batten (NN), Ross (NN).

200 -- Jennifer Cofield (NC), 27.49; Euwell (SWE), Brown (RM), Tyner (RM), Bullock (NN), Foster (NC).

3,200 -- Hanson (F), 12:45; McKenney (NN), C. Warren (NC), Reaves (F), Davis (F), Thai (RM).

4 X 400 -- Rocky Mount (Erika Wesonga, Marquita Hines, Micheala Thorne, Latoya Applewhite), 4:24.82; Northern Nash, Southern Nash, Nash Central.

BOYS

Nash Central (NC) 184.3; Northern Nash (NN) 126.5; Fike (F) 115.4; Southern Nash (SN) 47.5; Rocky Mount (RM) 46.9; SouthWest Edgecombe (SWE) 36.4.

Results

SHOT PUT -- Keith Thomas (NN), 46 ft.; Jordan Crudup (NC), C.J. Baines (F), Howard (SN), Evans (NC), Young (NN).

DISCUS -- Jordan Crudup (NC), 134-02; Baines (SN), Pittman (NC), Thomas (NN), Williams (SN ), Evans (NC).

LONG JUMP -- Darrus Parker (F), 21-8; Brake (NC), Dunican (F), Jenkins (SWE), Wiggins (NN), Rogers (NC).

TRIPLE JUMP -- Jory Stephens (F), 42-8; Powell (SN), Brake (NC), Alston (RM), Bovia (F), Copeland (NC).

HIGH JUMP -- Martez Finch (F), 6-2; Bovia (F), Hicks (SN), (tie) Richardson (NC), J. Dupree (SWE), Copeland (NC), Simmons (RM), Stephens (F).

POLE VAULT -- Devin Williams (NN), 12 ft.; Chambless (RM), Bowers (RM), Taylor (NC), (tie) Barrett (SN), Lara (NC).

4 X 800 RELAY -- Fike (Joseph Speight, Calvin Dorvilier, Jonathon Bennett, Cody Jones), 8 min., 20 sec.; Nash Central, Northern Nash, Southern Nash, Rocky Mount.

10-METER HURDLES -- Danny Allen (NC), 14.86; Leonard (NC), Banks (NN), Wiggins (NN), Jones (RM), Thomas (SN).

100 -- Michael Farr (F), 11.46; R. Parker (F), Michael (NC), Wiggins (SWE), Howard (SN), J. Dupree (SWE).

4 X 200 -- Northern Nash (Devin Williams, Danny Fretz, Tavis Richardson, Travon Banks), 1:31.02; Fike, SouthWest Edgecombe, Nash Central, Rocky Mount, Southern Nash.

1,600 -- Dillon Hawley (NC), 4:30.15; White (NC), Williams (NN), Hannon (RM), Frazier (F), Judd (NC).

4 X 100 -- Fike (Michael Farr, Zamese Braswell, Rashad Parker, Melvin Howard), 43.79; Nash Central, SouthWest Edgecombe, Southern Nash, Rocky Mount, Northern Nash.

400 -- Devin Williams (NN), 50.09; D. Jenkins (SWE), Felix (NC), Deans (RM), (tie) Simmons (RM), Williams (NN).

300 HURDLES -- Travon Banks (NN), 39.82; Allen (NC), Leonard (NC), Thomas (SN), Brake (NC), Wiggins (NN).

800 -- Danny Fretz (NN), 2:01.2; McLaughlin (NN), Richardson (NC), Jones (F), Bennett (F), Alfaro (RM).

200 -- Devin Williams (NN), 22.82; T. Michael (NC), C. Michael (NC), Mosley (NC), D. Dupree (SWE), Coppedge (SN).

3,200 -- Dillon Hawley (NC), 9:43; White (NC), Williams (NN), Hannon (RM), Frazier (F), Warren (NC).

4 X 400 -- Northern Nash (Travon Banks, J.J. McLaughlin, Tavis Richardson, Danny Fretz), 3:30.7; Nash Central, Fike, SouthWest Edgecombe, Southern Nash, Rocky Mount.

NN's Joyner has milestones vs. Gryphons

Gryphons baseball fans may not want to see this, but here you go.

As many who attended the first Rocky Mount-Northern Nash baseball game a few weeks ago saw, Northern senior pitcher Tyler Joyner recorded 15 strikeouts. Among those Ks was his 300th career strikeout. But Joyner and the Knights lost the contest, 2-0.

Well, when Tyler and his boys faced the Gryphons last week in their 2-0 victory, the win was Tyler's 25th of his career. After beating Wilson Fike in the first of two games in Northern's historic doubleheader (never had a league doubleheader been played) Tuesday, Joyner, who has signed with East Carolina, moved to 26-8 for his four-year career.

And his draft stock has also picked up in the last few weeks - going by the number scouts seen at his recent games. Even his future head coach Billy Godwin checked in on his lefty signee at the most recent RN-NN war.

We may see him and Brian Goodwin drafted on June 9.

B-Good makes run at RMHS record book

Rocky Mount senior Brian Goodwin has already set some school baseball records, but even more are in reach of the talented, 6-1, 180-pound Gryphon.

Check out his records and the records that may be in reach by the player, many say, will be drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft on June 9.

As the season progresses - after each game, I will update these numbers!


RECORDS (updated - 5-25-09)

Game (this record is still in research)

Most hits: 4 (4-4) Collins Cuthrell vs. Northern Nash, 2009; 4 (4-4) Brian Goodwin vs. Tarboro, 2009; 4 (4-5) Brian Goodwin vs. Southern Nash, 2007; 4, (4-4) Gabe Brown vs. Franklin, 2007; 4 (4-5) Carter Harrell vs. Durham Jordan, 2001; 4 (4-4), Ben Hedgepeth vs. New Bern, 1999; 4 (4-4), Ben Hedgepeth vs. Northern Nash, 1999; 4 (4-4), Ben Hedgepeth vs. Northern Vance, 1999; 4 (4-4), Jason Battle vs. Terry Sanford, 1998; 4 (4-4), David Ange vs. Conley, 1997; 4 (4-5), Jeremy Ward vs. Northern Nash, 1995

Most doubles: 4, Brian Goodwin vs. Tarboro, 2009;

Season

Most hits: 44, Brian Goodwin, 2008;
Most runs: 45, Brian Goodwin, 2008;
Most doubles: 15, Brian Goodwin, 2008;

Career

Most hits: 126, Brian Goodwin (2006-09)
Most runs: 109, Brian Goodwin (2006-09);
Most doubles: 35, Brian Goodwin (2006-09);
Most walks: 65, Brian Goodwin (2006-09); 65, Jeremy Ward (1993-96)

RECORDS BEING CHASED!

Career

Most at-bats (min. 200 at-bats): 331, Adam Weaver (1999-2002); 323, Brian Goodwin (2006-09);

Most triples: 12, Adam Weaver (1999-2002); 10, Brian Goodwin (2006-09);

Most RBI: 81, Ben Fish (2007-09); 66, Chris Berry (2006-08); 66, Jeremy Ward (1993-96); 62, Brian Goodwin (2006-09)

Most stolen bases: 60 (60/66), Adam Weaver (1999-2002); 53 (53/58), Brian Goodwin (2006-09)

Highest BA: .399 (83-203), Tommy Crocker, (1973-75); .390 (126-323), Brian Goodwin (2006-09);

Games played: 106, Dillon Cockrell (2006-09); 104, Brian Goodwin (2006-09); 99, Jeremy Ward (1993-96); 97, Hank Jones (1983-86); 92, Adam Weaver (1999-02)

Games won: 86, Dillon Cockrell (86-20 - 2006-09); 84, Brian Goodwin (84-20 - 2006-09); 82, Jim Leggett (82-26, 2005-08); 71, Jeremy Ward (71-28 - 1993-96); 68, Ben Fish (68-15 - 2006-09); 68, Hank Jones (68-28-1 - 1983-86); 66, Grant Johnson, Wiliam Barringer, Chris Berry (66-18 - 2006-08); 63, Adam Weaver (63-29 - 1999-02)

Donation to Relay for Life

(click on picture to enlarge)

Mike Gainey (far left) of Rocky Mount High School and Henry Drake (far right) of Northern Nash High School turned over a check for $950.90 to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event held at the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex Friday and Saturday. Amanda Bell and Sherry Harris, co-chairpersons of Relay for Life, accepted the donation for the American Cancer Society.

Proceeds from the Rocky Mount-Northern Nash Faculty Basketball Challenge last Tuesday at Rocky Mount's gym made the donation possible. Incidently, Rocky Mount beat the Knights 49-31.

(Contributed photo)

Jenkins shines in ECU's Purple-Gold Game

Former Rocky Mount star athlete Jacobi Jenkins showed some of his speed and pass catching talent in East Carolina's annual Purple-Gold football game at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Jenkins, the NCHSAA 3-A state champion in the 110 hurdles in 2008, signed with the Pirates in February last year and was redshirted this past fall. But it looks as though he is in the Pirates' offensive plans for the 2009 season.

Playing for the Pirates, the 6-foot, 175-pound wide receiver caught five passes for 55 yards in a 31-10 loss to the ECU squad.

RMHS' Battle signs with Queens University

Rocky Mount senior Dyonna Battle signed a national letter-of-intent Wednesday to play basketball at D-II Queens University in Charlotte next school year.

Pictured above (click on picture to enlarge) is Battle flanked by her mother Gail and and her father Donnell. Looking on are, left, Dyonna's coach Pam Gainey and Rocky Mount athletic director Mike Gainey.

Read more about her signing on Rocky Mount's sports website rockymounthigh.ihigh.com next week. (Photo/David Hahula)

Cobb explains why he chose Arizona

I reached former Rocky Mount athlete Travis Cobb recently and he sent me an explaination as to why in February he signed to play football at the University of Arizona next fall.

Cobb, a member of the RMHS Class of 2005, played on the football team, but started at second base in baseball. He is now at Blinn Junior College in Texas. Here is what he said about his recent journeys.

"Well, I decided to go to the University of Arizona, I came to that decision around December. I have two friends out there that play on the team already from this junior college (Blinn JUCO, Tx.) last year, so I was real comfortable out there had a need. They needed a reciever with some experience to step in because their main receiver is going into the NFL Draft this year.

I wanted to come in and fill that need. I will be there in June at the begining of summer workouts.

My coming down to Blinn in Texas went like this.

I was at Louisburg College in N.C., but they weren't trying to get me a spot anywhere at the next level. So I took it upon myself to make a move. I came to a combine at Blinn and I ran a 4.35 in the 40 and the coaches just fell in love with me.

That first season I had to sit out because all my credits from Louisburg didn't transfer over.

But I had 1,000 total yards of offense the next season and that helped me a lot with getting recruited. Now all I have to do is do a minimester here, then I will be Arizona-bound."

Former Gryphon assistant gets another head job

I never thought when Mark Hoover left Rocky Mount as an assistant football coach that he'd be a head coach three times in a seven-year span.

But that's what the Pennsylvania native has done.

Hoover, an assistant under former Gryphon head coach John Hammett for two seasons in the early part of the decade, has just been hired as the head football coach at Central Davidson High in Lexington.

Hoover, who is currently an assistant coach at West Forsyth, has had head jobs at Chatham Central and West Lincoln before getting his new gig. Both those positions involved turning programs upside down to get the wins coming in - including putting an end to Chatham Central's massive 28-game losing streak.

Central Davidson hasn't been a consistent winner of late, so let's see if he will inject some wins into the 1-A program.

After all, he'll be running the Wing-T!

Website predicts Goodwin to go to the Yankees!

Rocky Mount senior centerfielder Brian Goodwin is predicted to be the 28th pick of the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft which is set for Tuesday, June 9.

The website myMLBDraft.com has Goodwin going to the New York Yankees with their first pick in their mock draft.

For a look at the site's prediction, including former Conley pitcher and current UNC hurler Alex White going in the top three picks, click here!

It would hurt my feelings to see him in pinstripes considering that I've been a Red Sox fan for over 40 years, but at least we'd see him more playing for an East coast team.

We wish him all the best when the time comes!

Twin Counties Football in 2009: NORTHERN NASH

Northern Nash, with new head coach Mickey Crouch, has relesed its 2009 varsity football schedule.

Right away, I noticed that Hertford County and Bertie have disappeared. Cary is making a return to the Knights' ledger. Also new is South Central.

So, how many wins do you see for Coach Crouch's bunch?

2009 NORTHERN NASH SCHEDULE

• Aug. 21 -- BEDDINGFIELD
• Aug. 28 -- CARY
• Sept. 4 -- at Tarboro
• Sept. 11 -- SOUTH CENTRAL
• Sept. 18 -- at South Johnston
• Sept. 25 -- at Southern Vance
• Oct. 2 -- OPEN
• Oct. 9 -- WILSON HUNT*
• Oct. 16 -- at Southern Nash*
• Oct. 23 -- at Nash Central*
• Oct. 30 -- WILSON FIKE*
• Nov. 6 -- ROCKY MOUNT

Twin Counties Football in 2009: SW EDGECOMBE

About a week ago, I called SouthWest Edgecombe head coach Raymond Cobb and he revealed to me his 2009 football schedule and a look at his new Eastern Plains 2-A slate.

It has some interesting matchups on it.

First, Cobb, who hasn't played that many endowment games since moving over to SouthWest, has one next season. He'll make his first-ever trip to Elizabeth City Northeastern. Although, he has been just across the river from Elizabeth City at Camden County - where he won a fateful 8-6 playoff game there in 1998 that helped send his North Edgecombe team to Chapel Hill and a shot at the 1-A state title against Starmount. NE lost to a Rams team - one year removed from B.W. Holt's exit.

But Holt and Cobb finally did get to meet and their teams are now great rivals - albeit, Rocky Mount holds a 4-1 edge in their recent meetings. SouthWest comes calling on the Gryphons on Sept. 18.

The EPC will be one tough league - with the likes of 2008 eastern champ Tarboro, a Kinston and Beddingfield squad that dropped from the 3-A ranks, and an up-and-coming North Pitt team.

Another interesting note about SWE's schedule is that Cougars end the season with an open date. Whether that's good or bad is debatable. If you're playoff bound and you have kids with some nagging injuries, the break can be good. But it could be a momentum buster, depending on how the season is going. I hope it works out for the Cougars.

2009 SW EDGECOMBE SCHEDULE

• Aug. 21 -- at Northeastern (E)

• Aug. 28 -- CURRITUCK

• Sept. 4 -- NORTH EDGECOMBE

• Sept. 11 -- at Wilson Hunt

• Sept. 18 -- at Rocky Mount

• Sept. 25 -- KINSTON*

• Oct. 2 -- at Farmville Central*

• Oct. 9 -- BEDDINGFIELD*

• Oct. 16 -- at North Pitt*

• Oct. 23 -- TARBORO*

• Oct. 30 -- @ Greene Central*

• Nov. 6 -- OPEN

Twin Counties Football in 2009: SOUTHERN NASH

As I receive area 2009 high school football schedules, I will share them with you right here.

First up is Southern Nash's football slate, which has an interesting twist.

I guess they are taking a page out of Wilson Fike's scheduling book. For the past few years, Hunt and Fike have played twice - home and home. Because they are natural rivals, the gates for both games have been tremendous.

This coming fall, Southern Nash will be doing the same thing with Nash Central - playing once as a non-conference meeting and once as a league game.

A problem with Firebirds' slate is that they play six of their last eight games on the road!

(home games are listed in CAPS):

2009 SOUTHERN NASH SCHEDULE

• Aug. 21 -- FRANKLINTON
• Aug. 28 -- BUNN
• Sept. 4 -- WILSON BEDDINGFIELD
• Sept. 11 -- at Roanoke Rapids
• Sept. 18 -- at South Granville
• Oct. 2 -- at Nash Central
• Oct. 9 -- at Wilson Fike*
• Oct. 16 -- NORTHERN NASH*
• Oct. 23 -- at Wilson Hunt*
• Oct. 30 -- at Rocky Mount*
• Nov. 6 -- NASH CENTRAL*

Barton's Johnson on a tear!

Barton senior and former Gryphon Will Johnson is congratulated by his teammates Sunday after hitting one of his two home runs in a victory over Pfeiffer. (Photo/Tom Ham, Wilson Daily Times)

RMHS alums Don and Wanda Johnson had three sons (Britt, Will and Grant) who spent a nine-year stretch playing varsity sports at Rocky Mount High School.

But the only one who played sports collegiately on scholarship was middle son Will.

Now a senior second baseman at Barton College, Will is tearing the cover off the ball as the Bulldogs are fighting for a title in Conference Carolinas - a D-II league.

Over the past two weeks, Johnson has been hotter than a firecracker. And on Senior Day Sunday, he belted two home runs, back-to-back, to help the Bulldogs beat Pfeiffer.

Johnson's pair of solo shots pushed his season's total to four. In the last seven games, Johnson has batted a scorching .522 (12 for 23), scored 10 runs and knocked in seven. All four of his homers have come during the stretch - including a two-run bomb against my alma mater, N.C. Wesleyan, last week in a 7-4 Barton win at Fleming Stadium.

"His power numbers have caught everybody that knows him by surprise," Barton head coach Todd Wilkinson told the Wilson Daily Times. "However, he has worked hard in the weight room and has great timing right now. His addition at the bottom of the lineup has been a huge boost for our team."

"Everybody has been asking me the same thing and I have no idea," Johnson, an All-Conference and All-Area performer who led RMHS in pass receiving his senior season, told the WDT of a binge that earlier included hits in eight consecutive at-bats. "My swing feels good and everything is clicking and working out well."

Of his power surge, Johnson laughed and added: "If I knew, I would have been doing it all four years."

Editor's Note: As of the weekend of May 2, Barton (30-17) was waiting to see if it would get an at-large bid to the NCAA Div. II baseball regionals. If Johnson's career is through, his senior season certainly will have been a memorable one. He would have closed it with a .337 batting average, six doubles, six home runs (second on the team), 20 RBI and the team's second highest slugging percentage (.598).

Way to go out, Will!

RM's Battle to sign with Queens University

Rocky Mount senior forward Dyonna Battle will be taking her game to the next level.

On April 15, she is expected to sign a letter-of-intent to play basketball for Queens University in Charlotte. Queens, a D-II school, is a member of the Conference Carolinas Conference, which calls Barton College and Mount Olive College home.

Battle had an outstanding career at RMHS - finishing as the school's No. 3 girls' basketball scorer with 1,290 points. Only all-staters Kim Taylor and Danielle Powell finished ahead of her.

She was a four-time NEW 6 Conference All-Conference selection and was the league's MVP in 2008. She was the league's tournament MVP last month. Battle, who led the league in scoring this past season with a 16.6 avearge and hauled down 6.6 rebounds a game, helped Rocky Mount to successive NEW 6 regular season and tournament titles.

Her last two games of her career were truly memorable. Both in the NCHSAA playoffs, she scored a combined 56 points - including a career-high 31 points against Havelock in the second round. In those two contests, she was 23-for-23 at the free throw line. She finished the season shooting 81 percent from the charity stripe.

The Royals went 15-13 this past season under head coach Trudi Lacey, the former All-American player from N.C. State.

Her family and friends will get to see her play at least twice each season when Queens comes east to Wilson and Mount Olive.

Fish picks Campbell

Rocky Mount senior catcher Ben Fish has made his decision as to where he'll play his college ball. Ben has picked Campbell University.

He'll sign in the coming days with the Camels. He made his decision after a campus visit on Monday.

For the first time since 2001, at least three D-I recruits are playing on a Rocky Mount team at the same time. The 1980 team won the 4-A state title with five D-I players: David Downs, Kevin Bunn and Bill Merrifield all signed with Wake Forest, while catcher Jeff Newsome inked with UNC-W and then-junior pitcher Bill Wilkes later signed with Campbell, which may have been in the NAIA back then. Check back with me on that.

In 2001, Paul Jenkins, Carter Harrell and Adam Weaver all verbally committed to UNC, although Weaver signed one season later.

From the current team, senior Brian Goodwin has signed with UNC, while junior lefty hurler Hobbs Johnson has verbally committed to the Tar Heels.

Congrats to Ben and his family (shoutout to Ashley, Macauley and Don!). And he's only a few RBI away from becoming the top Gryphon on that list.

The record is currently held by Jeremy Ward and Chris Berry at 66. Fish entered his senior campaign with 54. He currently stands at 61.