Alley-OOP!

This is a great shot taken of Rocky Mount's Tashawn Mabry on a alley-oop pass from Antoine Williams for a dunk against SouthWest Edgecombe in the NEW 6 Conference Tournament finals last Friday evening.

With the game tied at 59-all, Mabry's basket allowed the Gryphons to pull away for the win!

(Photo/David Hahula)

The Jason Bishop Show at NCWC's Dunn Center

Being a North Carolina Wesleyan graduate, I wish to give some publicity to an event slated to take place at the Dunn Center. Here's one you don't want to miss!

The Jason Bishop Show

It might be 60 degrees outside in Rocky Mount, N.C. on March 1, but it will be snowing inside.

Jason Bishop, an award-winning illusionist, will be performing at the Dunn Center at N.C. Wesleyan College on March 1 at 8 p.m. and -- hold onto your hat -- snow will magically come flying down from the rafters, literally showering the audience.

But that's not all. Interacting with members of the audience, Bishop will turn some lucky person's one dollar bill into $100.

Believing that you have to bring magic into the future, Bishop combines cutting edge technology, LCD and Plasma screens, an iPod Touch, state-of-the-art lighting, and a rocking contemporary soundtrack as the backdrop for his stunning magical displays. Like David Copperfield and Criss Angel, Bishop is one of the country's most versatile illusionists.

Don't miss the Jason Bishop Show performing live at the Dunn Center for Performing Arts at N.C. Wesleyan College on March 1 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $15 to $20 and can be purchased at www.ncwc.edu/arts/DunnCenter. To see clips from Bishop's performances visit http://www.thejasonbishopshow.com/.

Twin Counties hoop teams ready to start playoffs

The Twin Counties will see six girls teams and four boys teams hit the hardwood for the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association state basketball playoffs.

For the girls, Rocky Mount, SouthWest Edgecombe, Southern Nash, Tarboro and North Edgecombe knew they were in before this past weekend. Northern Nash was the last one asked to the dance as the Lady Knights were issued a wild card berth into the party Saturday afternoon.

The reward for Grover Battle and his girls ... they get to go to 25-0 South Central. YIKES!!!!

RMHS, Southern Nash and Tarboro will have the home-court advantage for the first round.

As for the boys, Rocky Mount, SouthWest Edgecombe, Nash Central and North Edgecombe are ready to go dancing. RMHS, SouthWest and North Edgecombe all get to stay home for round 1.

The girls start sectional play Monday, while the boys begin on Tuesday. All games will start at 7 p.m.

Here is the first-round schedule for all the area teams:


GIRLS --- MONDAY, 7 p.m.

3-A - Burlington Williams (13-11) @ Rocky Mount (22-1)
3-A - Northern Nash (11-14) @ South Central (25-0)
3-A - Rockingham County (22-5) @ Southern Nash (14-9)
3-A - SouthWest Edgecombe (12-11) @ Oxford Webb (21-4)
2-A - Bunn (10-15) @ Tarboro (19-6)
1-A - North Edgecombe (9-17) @ Camden (16-10)

BOYS --- TUESDAY, 7 p.m.

3-A - Eastern Alamance (12-10) @ Rocky Mount (17-6)
3-A - Northeast Guilford (18-9) @ SouthWest Edgecombe (16-8)
3-A - Nash Central (19-7) @ Oxford Webb (18-6)
1-A - Camden (17-8) @ North Edgecombe (24-1)

# - Since North Edgecombe plays Camden in both boys and girls, both games may be played on the same evening!

2008 NEW 6 All-Tournament Basketball Teams

Here are the 2008 NEW 6 Conference All-Tournament Teams as announced Friday at the conclusion of the league's tournaments at Wilson Fike:

GIRLS

Alyse Hall, Southern Nash
Monique Williams, SouthWest Edgecombe
Jasmine Sessoms, Nash Central
Jessica Harrison, Nash Central
Dyonna Battle, Rocky Mount
Deaudra Brown, Rocky Mount
Arkeneisha Melton, Rocky Mount - MVP

BOYS

A.J. Hines, Wilson Fike
Trey Sumler, Nash Central
Eugene Jenkins, SouthWest Edgecombe
Detrail Jenkins, SouthWest Edgecombe
Nick Hutcheson, Rocky Mount
Alonzo Sharpe, Rocky Mount
Tashawn Mabry, Rocky Mount - MVP

2008 NEW 6 Conference Basketball Tournament slate - updated

@ Fike High School, Wilson

First round

MONDAY

Boys
#3 SW Edgecombe 57, #6 Northern Nash 44
#4 Nash Central 62, #5 Southern Nash 27

TUESDAY

Girls
#6 Nash Central 47, #3 Fike 39
#4 SW Edgecombe 38, #5 Northern Nash 24

Semifinals

WEDNESDAY

Boys
#1 Rocky Mount 74, #4 Nash Central 71
#3 SW Edgecombe 52, #2 Fike 48

THURSDAY

Girls
#1 Rocky Mount 71, #4 SW Edgecombe 48
#6 Nash Central 43, #2 Southern Nash 38 - OT

Finals

FRIDAY

Boys

Consolation (to break tie for the No. 3 playoff spot)

#4 Nash Central 55, #2 Wilson Fike 45

Girls

Championship

#1 Rocky Mount 74, #6 Nash Central 55

Boys
Championship

#1 Rocky Mount 75, #3 SW Edgecombe 68

Good news on Fike's Flowers

I talked to Wilson Fike athletic director John Gay after the Fike-Rocky Mount basketball game Tuesday evening about the condition of Golden Demons' head baseball coach Will Flowers.

As reported here, Flowers suffered a stroke in January and was hospitalized at Pitt Memorial Hospital.

I am glad to report that Flowers did return home after a few weeks in the hospital and is feeling well enough to attend Fike's baseball practices. But he's not back coaching quite yet, nor is he is back teaching at Fike.

His speech, which was affected by the stroke, is returning back to normal, but he hasn't regained the strength he had before his incident. Fike's assistant coaches are conducting the practices, which officially started this past Monday.

Let's pray that Will continues to improve. I'd love to see him coaching in the dugout at Gryphon Stadium when Fike comes calling on the Gryphons on April 3.

We won't have a long wait for the next 1,000-point scorer

As most of you know, Rocky Mount sophomore Tashawn Mabry topped the 1,000-point scoring mark last week. Gryphon fans had to wait 26 years to see a boys basketball player reach that feat.

And the last female to reach that milestone was guard Latoya Armstrong back in 2003. Armstrong is No. 3 on the girls all-time scoring list with 1,127 points.

It won't be another 26 to see a male hit that mark, and it won't be long before Kim Taylor, Danielle Powell and Armstrong will have company in the 1,000-point club.

For the boys, current Rocky Mount point guard Alonzo Sharpe could quite possibly make it by the end of next season. Sharpe, coming off a career-high 28 points Friday against SouthWest Edgecombe, topped the 700-point level and is at 703 - with the rest of this season and all of the 2008-09 campaign ahead of him.

Also, should junior forward Montrell Battle be eligible to play next season and remains so for the whole season, he could reached the mark, too. At this juncture, he has 718 points as a Gryphon.

Now for the girls.

Junior forward Dyonna Battle may be the first of the bunch to get there, however.

Battle, brother of former RMHS sports standout Jemonte Battle (Class of 2000), has scored 758 points. She should top 800 before the season ends, so she should hit the 1,000-point mark near or just after Christmas next season.

The reason all these players are making a bid for 1,000 points is that all three had productive scoring seasons as freshmen, and they have steadily built on their point production each of the ensuing seasons.

So it's very conceivable that three RMHS hoopsters could well join the 1,000-point club in the same season.

The Holt "300" Plaque

Above is a picture of the plaque that Rocky Mount alum Gene Taylor and myself came up with to give to Rocky Mount football coach B.W. Holt to commemorate his 300th career win back in September.

Due to production delays, we weren't able to give it to Coach Holt until just before the Christmas holidays, despite the fact that we wanted to present it to Holt in a public forum.

So to the many people who helped fund this project, thank you.

And since most of you never had a chance to see the final product, click on the picture to see a bigger version of the project.

Coach Holt now has it proudly hanging in his home in Bristol, Tn.

Rocky Mount's Jenkins signs with East Carolina

Rocky Mount senior defensive back Jacobi Jenkins prepares to sign a letter-of-intent to play football for East Carolina Wednesday. Looking on are his parents Erma and Carl Jenkins and Rocky Mount head coach B.W. Holt.

(Photo/David Hahula)

Mabry goes for 1,000 tonight

Rocky Mount sophomore forward Tashawn Mabry will join a pretty exclusive club tonight in the Gryphons' NEW 6 Conference contest against Southern Nash.

With seven points scored, Mabry will join the 1,000-point club for boys basketball at Rocky Mount High School (1953-2008) - joining former All-Americas Phil Ford (Class of 1974 - 2,093 pts.) and Buck Williams (Class of 1978 -1,402) and former All-Staters George McClain (Class of 1982) and Jeff Battle (Class of 1978).

Only Ford will have made the club quicker. Mabry, who is averaging nearly 24 points a game, will have reached the milestone in just 45 games.

It's been over 25 years since anyone has reached the mark, although several have gotten close - including - Larry Lucas, Terrell Hudgins and Shelton Whitaker.

Gryphons claim NEW 6 wrestling crown

From staff reports
Wilson Daily Times

RED OAK -- Rocky Mount claimed the 3-A NEW 6 Conference wrestling championship Saturday at Northern Nash but wrestlers from Southern Nash and SouthWest Edgecombe earned individual titles.

The Firebirds boasted NEW 6 champions in Buddy Tom at 119 pounds, and senior Matt Watson at 189, while the Cougars had Landon Lucas at 103.

Southern Nash finished fourth in the team standings with 151 points behind Rocky Mount (201), Nash Central (166) and Northern Nash (157.5).

Fike was fifth with 62 points, one head of SouthWest Edgecombe. The Golden Demons' best showings were third-place finishes by Vincent Webb at 112, Hunter Myers at 152 and Cameron Jernigan at 215.

Southern Nash's Matt Swanson was the runner-up at 125 while Firebirds teammate Darryl Emig was second at 130.

Lucas ran his record to 12-0 with a pin of Nash Central's Miles Pringle at 3:47. Ken Mooring at 189 and Adrian Smith at 285 finished third for the Cougars.

Watson clipped Northern Nash's Nelson Pierce to escape with the championship while Tom handed Nash Central's Lane Parker a major decision at 14-4.

Rocky Mount and Nash Central each had four individual champions. The Gryphons and the Bulldogs move onto the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A dual-team playoffs, beginning today.

The 3-A East Regional tournament will be held at Winterville's South Central High on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15-16. Individual regional assignments will be announced at the conclusion of the dual-team playoffs this weekend.

NEW 6 Conference Championship

(Saturday @ Northern Nash High School)

TEAM SCORES

Rocky Mount 201, Nash Central 166, Northern Nash 157.50, Southern Nash 151, Fike 62, SouthWest Edgecombe 61

INDIVIDUAL FINALS RESULTS

103 pounds -- Landon Lucas (SWE) pin Miles Pringle (NC), 3:47.

112 -- Ahmir Scott (RM) dec. Jacob Robinson (NC), 3-0.

119 -- Buddy Tom (SN) maj. dec. Lance Parker (NC), 14-4.

125 -- Chandler Phillips (RM) pin Matt Swanson (SN), 2:58.

130 -- Francisco Alfaro (RM) pin Daryl Emig (SN), 1:16.

135 -- Tavis Richardson (NN) pin Charles Wooten, 3:18.

140 -- Steven Luper (NC) pin Dominique McCallop (NN), 3:33.

145 -- Jasmine Cooper (NC) pin Bryan Sweet (NN), 2:52.

152 -- Ryan Kitchen (NC) maj. dec. Justin Atkinson (RM), 11-1.

160 -- Donny Wacenske (NC) pin Anthony Miller (RM), 1:45.

171 -- Dedrick Silver (RM) by inj. default Marquez Arnold (NN).

189 -- Matt Watson (SN) dec. Nelson Pierce (NN), 6-5.

215 -- Joe Young (NN) pin Guy Williamson (RM), 2:20.

285 -- Terrance Holland (NN) dec. Quintin Jeffries (NC), 2-1, 2 OT.

Editor's note - This is RMHS' fifth conference title of the 2007-08 sports season.