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!