Is this Rocky Mount or Smoky Mount(ain)?

Interesting pictures, aren't they? Click on each shot to enlarge them!

David Hahula sent me these shots of the early moments of the Southern Wayne-Rocky Mount game Friday.

The smoke that is dispersed when the team comes onto the field during the pregame normally disappears before kickoff.

Not Friday night!

It hung around for at least 10 minutes while the two teams dueled it out in the first period.

Hahula also sent me the lyrics to a song that is perfect for moments like these - The Platters' big 50's hit "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes!"

I guess everyone noticed the new gold jerseys the Gryphons wore Friday night. I personally loved them. They gave them a Cal Bears-type look and I had no trouble catching players' numbers. Love those SOLID navy blue numbers!

But did you like them? I hear RMHS may wear them for three straight games - beginning with Southern Wayne.

Send me your comments on the new jerseys - right here! We'd love to hear from you!

Gryphons honor fallen Rampant

By Nick Phillips

iHigh.com correspondent

J.H. Rose football player Jaquan Waller took the field Friday night a week ago just like usual. He left the field in a very different way.

Waller was taken to the hospital by ambulance during the Rampants’ game. After carrying the ball and fumbling, the running back came off the field and took a knee before collapsing.

Waller was revived at the hospital. His family made the sad decision to take Jaquan off life support Saturday afternoon.

The Gryphons and Rampants, former Big East 4-A foes, are still bitter rivals, and probably won’t be swapping Christmas cards. But we must tip our hats to Rocky Mount head coach B.W. Holt and his staff - in particular assistant coach Hank Jones, as both of the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex’s end zones had Waller’s No. 23 painted in Rose blue.

Fans observed a moment of silence for Waller and his family twice during Friday night’s Gryphon victory.

Although rivals on the field, this tragedy hits close to home. Just two weeks ago, Waller lined up in the backfield against the Gryphons. This could happen to any player on the Gryphon sideline on any given play. The same situation is literally just a single play away.

As we go on throughout the next few weeks, we should keep the Greenville Rose family, and more importantly, the family of Jaquan Waller in our thoughts.

Thoughts on Gryphons’ Homecoming

The Rocky Mount football squad is now holding a record of 4-1, 5-0 on the field, after Friday night’s convincing victory, 63-6, over the Southern Wayne Saints on Homecoming night.

More convincing was the Gryphons' offense in the first quarter. Going right after the Saints on both offense and defense, Rocky Mount had four touchdowns and a turnover, in the opening minutes of the game. As Gryphon radioman Tony Doughtie wrote on his blog, "From The Press Box", earlier this week, the Gryphons would have to bring the same level of intensity into this game as games against Greenville Rose and Hertford County.

I believe that it can be stated that the Gryphons did bring that intensity, as seen in Friday’s first quarter. Friday’s Homecoming festivities included Gryphons senior cheerleader Dominique Battle being crowned Homecoming Queen.

Also of note, former Rocky Mount placekicker Andrew Hening’s brother Sam was an escort for senior Devon Ebby. As a recent Rocky Mount alum, I can truly say that Sam, a special needs student, is one of the nicest guys that you could ever meet. Good job Devon!!

By the way, Andrew Hening is on the roster at Elizabeth City State as a placekicker and was dressed for the Vikings' 24-13 win over St. Augustine's Saturday in the Down East Viking Classic at the RMAC. He is playing a backup role as kicker. Having his team play on the field he played high school football on must have been a thrill for him.

(Note: Phillips is a freshman at UNC-Pembroke.)

Record night for the Gryphons!

Man, am I glad I decided to compile a Rocky Mount High School football record book some five years ago.

Once B.W. Holt and his crew are finished, I would have re-written it - twice!

Even more pieces of information got typed into the record book after the Gryphons dismantled visiting Southern Wayne on Homecoming night.

Here goes!

1. Rocky Mount's 49 points in the first half was the most points a RM team has ever scored in one half of football. The most had been the 48 it put up against Wilson Fike in 1978. The Gryphons led 48-0 at Fike at intermission. In the record-setting 75-0 victory over Norfolk Catholic (most points ever scored by a RM team) in 1960, RM scored 47 points in the second half (27, third period; 20, fourth) after leading 28-0 at halftime.

2. The 35 points scored in the first period were the most points ever scored in one period for a RM team.

3. Senior kicker Nick Hahula went 9-for-9 on his PATs - tying his school record for most PATs made in a game (set vs. Gray's Creek in 2006). Hahula's nine points Friday gives him exactly 300 total points scored - pushing his all-time scoring record even higher!

4. Southern Wayne was not flagged with a penalty the entire evening. From my research, no RM opponent has ever done that. Rocky Mount hasn't kept a hankie off the field since 2001 in a 29-28 win over Tarboro.

5. Rocky Mount's winning margin of 57 points was the fourth biggest in school history.

I have no records on how fast RM has scored touchdowns, but perhaps the Gryphons created one when they got in the end zone three times in one minute, six seconds!

1st period

5:59 - Keith Strickland 53 pass from Collins Cuthrell
5:06 - Marquavis Alston 19 run
4:53 - Keith Strickland 10 pass from Collins Cuthrell

See what I mean? Imagine if there hadn't been a running clock the entire second half!

6. No Rocky Mount team, five games into the season, has ever been this prolific on the scoreboard. The 2004 RMHS squad had scored 207 points (41.4 ppg) after five contests. This 2008 team has surpassed it - scoring 228 - 45.6 points a game! The total yards per game are on a record pace, too.

And let's give the defense some attention, too. The "D' block has allowed just 40 points - basically a touchdown a game.

NOTE: Southern Wayne, for the second straight week, scored just one TD - and the Saints' defense provided both.

Against Goldsboro (a 21-6 SW loss), it scored on a 41-yard interception return. It took a 58-yard fumble return Friday to ruin the Gryphons' possible shutout.

Former Gryphon Edwards returns to EKU to coach baseball

From Eastern Kentucky Sports Information

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University head baseball coach Jason Stein named Jerry Edwards his new assistant/pitching coach on Aug. 25.

Edwards served as the pitching coach at EKU from 1999-2001 under former skipper Jim Ward, and was the interim head coach of the Colonels in between the tenures of Ward and Elvis Dominguez.

“Jerry brings 10-plus years experience as a pitching coach at the college level,” Stein said. “As a recruiter, he is a tireless worker, and he has many connections throughout the country.”

Edwards comes to Richmond from Louisburg College in Louisburg, N.C., where he has been the pitching coach since 2005.

While coaching at the two-year college, Edwards saw nine of his pitchers signed by Division I schools, and two of his pitchers drafted and signed in the top 12 rounds of the MLB Draft.

Before Louisburg, Edwards served as the head coach at Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tenn. While at Hiwassee, Edwards saw two of his players taken in the MLB Draft.

In between his stints at EKU and Hiwassee, Edwards was an Associate Scout for three years with the Atlanta Braves under the guidance of Area Scouting Supervisor Billy Best.

While serving under Ward at EKU, Edwards helped lead the Colonels to their most recent OVC regular season championship in 2000.

Before coaching at EKU, Edwards spent two year at North Carolina Wesleyan College as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator. During those two years, he helped lead North Carolina Wesleyan to the 1999 Division III National Championship.

Edwards earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from North Carolina Wesleyan College in 1999, and he earned a master’s degree in physical education/sports administration from EKU in 2001.

He lives in Richmond with his wife, Amy, and their two children Jacob (8) and Claire (6).

(Note: Edwards, a former Gryphon football and baseball player, is a 1986 graduate of Rocky Mount Senior High School.)

RMHS stays at No. 2 in AP poll

Rocky Mount stayed in the No. 2 position in the Associated Press high school football poll released Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 23). The Gryphons downed then-No.4 Hertford County 42-14 last Friday.

The Bears fell to the No. 8 spot with their loss.

Next up for Rocky Mount is a Homecoming meeting with non-conference opponent Southern Wayne. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

3A

School Total LW
1. Greensboro Dudley (8) 5-0 134 1
2. Rocky Mount (6) 3-1 129 2
3. Eastern Alamance 4-0 99 4
4. Jamestown Ragsdale 5-0 83 7
5. Belmont South Point 4-1 76 6
6. West Craven 4-0 55 10
7. Winston-Salem Carver 4-1 53 8
8. Hertford County 4-1 38 3
9. Waynesville Tuscola 4-0 32 —
10. Oxford Webb 4-1 19 5

Others receiving votes: Harnett Central 15, Asheville Roberson 8, High Point Andrews 7, Newton Foard 4, West Rowan 4, Monroe Sun Valley 3, South Granville 3, SW Edgecombe 3, Kinston 1, Anson County 1, Hickory St. Stephens 1, Kannapolis Brown 1, Wilson Fike 1.

Championship rings to be awarded Friday, Oct. 10

- The Brothers Johnson: Britt and Will flank Grant holding the state championship trophy (click on picture to enlarge)

To the winners go the spoils.

Rocky Mount's 2008 NCHSAA 3-A state championship baseball team will receive its championship rings in a ceremony to be held at halftime of the Rocky Mount-Northern Nash football game on Friday, Oct. 10. The contest is also the Gryphons' NEW 6 Conference opener.
Expected to attend are the five seniors on that squad who are now all college freshmen: William Barringer, N.C. State; Chris Berry, UNC-Chapel Hill; Grant Johnson, East Carolina; Jim Leggett, Belmont Abbey; and Nick Phillips, UNC-Pembroke.

They will join seniors Nick Hahula, Ben Fish, Brian Goodwin, Chris Pittman, Gabe Brown and Dillon Cockrell; juniors Carter Varnell, Collins Cuthrell, Gus Demilio and Cameron Ramsey; and sophomores Benton Moss and Thomas Berry on the field - along with head coach Pat Smith and his assistants Kent Cox, Jason Battle and Hank Jones.

Hahula, Cuthrell, Varnell, Pittman and Goodwin, of course, are all on the varsity football team and will miss part of coach B.W. Holt's halftime speech. But if RMHS has a big lead at the half, will it matter?

I was tempted to show pictures of the rings on the blog, but the players should be the first ones to see them, and so they shall. I will display some shots of the rings the weekend after they are awarded.

ANOTHER HUDGINS: Tanika Hudgins, oldest sister of former RMHS quarterback Terrell Hudgins, is now in the coaching ranks.

Tanika, an All-Big East volleyball and basketball player for RMHS in the early 2000s, is now a P.E. teacher and head girls basketball coach at Southampton High School in Courtland, Va.

Tanika played both volleyball and basketball at Mt. Olive, and then transferred to Elizabeth City State where she played both sports. She was an All-CIAA performer in volleyball and she helped lead the women's basketball team to the NCAA Div. II playoffs.

But there is another Hudgins about to emerge - youngest sister Tia. She's a freshman at RMHS and is playing on the varsity volleyball team. She is expected to contribute to Pam Gainey's basketball squad this winter. She will help on Gainey's front line as returning senior forward Arkenisha Melton will be ineligible until the second semester.

Gryphons fall to No. 2 in AP poll

Despite a record 36-0 shutout win over the No. 9 4-A school in the state (Greenville Rose), Rocky Mount dropped a spot in the Associated Press poll of the top N.C. 3-A high school football teams released Tuesday.

The AP did catch up to RMHS' forfeit this week, which might have caused some voters to change their minds about the Gryphons. Rocky Mount had nine first place votes last week, but just five this week.

Rocky Mount's opponent this Friday Hertford County stayed in the No. 3 spot after its 62-20 win over Northern Nash.

3A

School,Total points, LW

1. Greensboro Dudley (9) 4-0 134 T1
2. Rocky Mount (5) 2-1 131 T1
3. Hertford County 4-0 97 3
4. Eastern Alamance 3-0 86 4
5. Oxford Webb 4-0 69 5
6. Belmont South Point 3-1 66 T6
7. Jamestown Ragsdale 4-0 54 9
8. Winston-Salem Carver 3-1 42 8
9. Kannapolis Brown 3-1 17 10
10. West Craven 3-0 16 —

Others receiving votes: Asheville Roberson 15, Harnett Central 15, Waynesville Tuscola 11, High Point Andrews 8, West Rowan 7, SW Edgecombe 2.

Big East Conference returning?

Had you ever wondered what the NEW 6 3-A Athletic Conference's name was going to change to next school year once SouthWest Edgecombe is gone and Wilson Hunt takes its place?

Well, the "NEW 6" wouldn't be quite appropriate, since the "E" represents Edgecombe County and its representative would be absent from the league.

It looks like the name "Big East" is returning!

Yes, the NEW 6's athletic directors have apparently submitted the name "Big East 3-A Athletic Conference" to the N.C. High School Athletic Association for approval. Should there be no conflict with the name with another conference, I expect that will be our league's new name come this spring when the ADs meet to form a constitution, make bylaws, solidify schedules, etc.

I'm glad the name is returning, although I did get one objection from a former Rocky Mount athlete, now alum who wants that name to remain unused - for historical reasons.

He wants to remember it as the great formidable 4-A league that it once was. It had a nice 25-year life (1981-2005). Rocky Mount surely left it on a great note - winning the final football league title by going undefeated (New Bern scared the crap out out of us in the process).

But I have no problem with the proposed new name!

Bring on the "Big East"!

What do you guys think? Click below on the comment link and let me know!

Assistant coach gets a nice present(s)

New Rocky Mount assistant football coach Alan Hess got a nice birthday present Friday night - or should I say, presents.

The Tell City, Ind. native, who is still getting settled in after moving to Rocky Mount in July, celebrated his birthday with his squad getting a huge streak-breaking win over J.H. Rose.

As most of you know, Rocky Mount's 36-0 shutout of Rose broke the Rampants' 148-game scoring streak - one year after the Gryphons stopped Rose's 39-game winning streak.

Hess, who coaches the special teams and was a kicker at Urbana University (Ohio), had his kicker give him a present, too - a school record. Senior Nick Hahula kicked three field goals for the Gryphons - 22, 30 and 38 yards, to set a school record for field goals made in a game.

His total could have been four, but he missed a chip-shot 22-yarder on the Gryphons' game-opening drive. Yes, it was really bad - like taking a swing with an L-wedge and looking up before you hit the ball - it goes excessively RIGHT!

But not only did Hahula make three field goals, he connected on three PATs and he scored on runs of three and five yards from his fullback position.

He piled up 24 points on the night.

And you guessed it - Hess just happened to turn 24 Friday.

Incidentally, Hess is also RMHS' new head softball coach - taking over for Michelle Huffman.

PARKER UPDATE: Former Gryphon pitcher Michael Parker, who just concluded his baseball playing career at Barton College, is now getting checks from the Wilson school.

Parker, who received his degree in sports management and business administration last spring, has been hired as an assistant baseball coach and he will be facility supervisor at the Bulldogs' Nixon Field. His coaching duties will have a special emphasis on recruiting, player skill development and scouting.

The 2003 RMHS graduate entered Barton as a pitcher, but he battled arm injuries his entire career. During his senior season last spring, he made the adjustment to starting outfielder and had a tremendous season offensively for the Bulldogs. He started 48 games, hit .359 (third best on the team) with 15 doubles, four home runs and knocked in 35 runs.

Barton went 27-28 last season.

RMHS feels NCWC's transplant pain!

Sitting in the Northern Nash's Death Valley Stadium press box during N.C. Wesleyan's football season-opener with Hampden-Sydney Sunday was quite thought-provoking.

After all, I was used to seeing the Bishops play at the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex - not at Death Valley. The Bishops played before a little over 1,000 fans in falling to the Tigers 33-23.

Despite all the fine hospitality shown by the administrators at Northern, NCWC's team and fans had to feel displaced. After four years at the RMAC, moving seven miles west to Death Valley couldn't feel the same.

And it didn't.

Now NCWC is going through what several Rocky Mount High sports teams have endured over time. At least six, to my memory, have had to pack up and leave their friendly confines to play on, what essentially, is a neutral floor or field.

The first one I could conjure up was the 1968-69 RM boys basketball team. Because of a water pipe that broke under the gym floor, the entire home schedule was played at Wesleyan's Everett Gymnasium. But back then, at least there were no girls teams to be inconvenienced.

But they were during the 1999-2000 hoop campaign.

All the Gryphon home basketball games (JVs and varsity, boys and girls) were moved to Northern Nash for that entire season due to water that had gotten under the gym's floor. It caused the floor to warp in so many places that it made it unplayable.

Going out to Northern Tuesdays and Fridays got old real quick!

Then in the fall 2002, the football field at the RMAC was deemed unplayable and it required, as it turned out, $70,000 worth of repairs. Too much soccer, JV football, middle school football - you name it.

The Gryphons had to move over to the Dawg Pound at Nash Central for all their home games that season.

I just hope the Bishops get use to their new temporary home faster than I got use to moving all over Nash County.

Gryphons in tie with Dudley for No. 1 - Week 2 of AP poll

No./School/FP votes/record/Pts./Last Week

T1. Greensboro Dudley (7);(3-0);142;2

T1. Rocky Mount (8);(2-0);142;1

3. Hertford County;(3-0);105;5

4. Eastern Alamance;(2-0);101;4

5. Oxford Webb;(3-0);56;7

T6. Belmont South Point;(2-1);50;6

T6. Asheville Roberson;(2-0);50;T10

8. Winston-Salem Carver;(2-1);41;8

9. Jamestown Ragsdale;(3-0);39;T10

10. Kannapolis Brown;(2-1);20;3

Others receiving votes: Harnett Central 17, West Craven 15, Monroe Sun Valley 14, West Rowan 8, Waynesville Tuscola 6, Asheville 6, Kinston 4, Mooresville 3, Northwest Cabarrus 3, SouthWest Edgecombe 1, Statesville 1, High Point Andrews 1.

(Note: the Associated Press has not registered Rocky Mount's forfeit to East Forsyth.)

RMHS' baseball program gets new additions; Easter tournament goes belly-up - at least for 2009

Rocky Mount's varsity baseball team, in hopes of defending its NCHSAA 3-A state title, got some help in that effort once the new school year kicked in last week.

Two players have transferred into the program - and one of them made headlines just recently.

That player is junior pitcher Hobbs Johnson, who has come to RMHS from Rocky Mount Academy. Johnson has received a scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina, though he's two years away from enrolling as a Tar Heel.

Johnson (pictured), a mainstay of Coleman-Pitt Post 58's American Legion baseball team this past summer, is a lefty and certainly will be a welcomed addition to coach Pat Smith's pitching staff. He'll join Benton Moss, Dillon Cockrell, Matthew Berry, Parker Helms and Nick Hahula on the staff.

Also moving into the varsity program will be Michael Whitehead, a junior second baseman, who has transferred from Hobgood Academy.

NO EASTER TOURNAMENT: I have received some bad news about the baseball season next spring. The school's annual Gryphons Easter Baseball Tournament, a staple of RM's spring season since 1977, will not be played next year.

With the Easter/Spring Break school playing dates getting bounced all over the place the last few years, it's become increasingly harder to get enough teams to fill out the field. Last year's event was stuck with just six teams instead of its traditional eight-team bracket.

This coming year, Smith was faced with the daunting task of getting five teams to add to Northern Nash, Southern Nash and RMHS. Nash Central has jumped ship and will play in a baseball tournament at Knightdale High next Easter. Smith had no success finding teams to fill the brackets.

I think Stacey Alston, former Bulldog head baseball coach and now assistant principal at Knightdale, may have had a little something to do with Nash Central's move westward!

Anyway, RMHS fans will see two teams on the new 2009 schedule that haven't appeared on it in a while.

The Gryphons have added a home-and-home matchup with Durham Riverside and they will play an endowment game at Tarboro.

They will also return to the Impact Baseball Challenge at Cary's USA Baseball Complex. Their opponent there is not yet known.

(Photo/David Hahula)

Gryphons on top of first AP 3-A Football poll

Class 3-A
School; (First place votes); Record;Pts

1. Rocky Mount (6); (2-0);111
2. Greensboro Dudley (4); (2-0);102
3. Kannapolis Brown (1); (2-0);75
4. Eastern Alamance;(1-0); 52
5. Hertford County;(2-0); 51
6. Belmont South Point;(1-1); 38
7. Oxford Webb;(2-0); 28
8. Winston-Salem Carver;(1-1); 27
9. Charlotte Catholic (1);(1-1) ;20
T10. West Rowan;(1-1);16
T10. Asheville Roberson;(1-0); 16
T10. Jamestown Ragsdale;(2-0); 16

A school record tied at Hunt

You rarely see 27 points scored in an opening quarter of a high school football game, but Rocky Mount's fans got a taste of some quick, methodical scoring last Friday night (a 44-6 RM victory).

Junior Jordan Ford got the night going the way of the navy and gold on the opening play of the game on a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown - tying a school record.

It's the third time in RMHS football history that it's been pulled off.

Linwood Silver, brother of recent RM grad and state champion (indoor 55 meters) Chalonda Silver, did the deed in the second half of the Gryphons' 1997 meeting at Northern Nash. Current RM assistant coach Jason Battle was the QB on that Gryphon team in a 28-12 Rocky Mount win.

And Otis Sanders, who played with current Rocky Mount assistant coach and then-Gryphon QB Hank Jones on the 1984 Gryphon squad, first did it at ECU's then-called Ficklen Stadium in a 21-0 blanking of J.H. Rose.

Strangely, as you can see, all three events took place on the road.

For another interesting connection, Sanders now works with AM 1390 Sports and Gryphon color man Tony Doughtie at his 40-hour-a-week job.

Small world, isn't it!

Another note on Ford's return, the game clock said "11:55" remaining in the first period when he crossed the goal line. Now, if Jordan could go 99 yards in five seconds, we might have seen him in Beijing the week before!

Undoubtedly, the clock operator must have started the clock late - say after Ford crossed the Hunt 40. But 11:55 still goes down as the official time of the score!

And in 55 years of Rocky Mount High School football at its current Tillery St. location, no football team has ever started a season scoring 40-plus points in its first two contests - until this past Friday.

The closest it ever got to doing that was in 1989 - and it lost one of them. RMHS beat SouthWest Edgecombe in its season opener on the road 40-7, then came home the next week and lost to Tarboro 41-39!

AP POLL: The first Associated Press high school football poll of the 2008 season will be released Tuesday evening and it should appear in newspapers Wednesday morning.

I expect the Gryphons, with the early fate of Western Alamance (two straight losses to start the season), to be an almost unanimous pick for the No. 1 spot in the 3-A poll.

But that means next to nothing to head coach B.W. Holt. And to tell you the truth, me either.

But if it gets more fans to come out to see the Gryphons' games, then I'll welcome it!