Ginn up for Grand Valley State head job

Former N.C. Wesleyan head football coach Jack Ginn is a candidate for the head football job at Grand Valley State (Allendale, Mi.).

Ginn, who has been an associate head coach/wide receivers coach at the Div. II powerhouse the last two seasons, is reported to be one of three current assistants up for the job.

The opening came about when new Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly hired Grand Valley State head man Chuck Martin to be his defensive coordinator earlier this week. Kelly is also a former head coach of the Lakers.

Ginn started the football program at N.C. Wesleyan six years ago and was a candidate for the Rocky Mount head football job last summer. Ginn was having trouble selling his home here and was commuting back and forth from Michigan. He was considering moving back to Rocky Mount. With that possibility, he was interested the Gryphon football job opening.

But when his home finally sold early this past summer, he withdrew his application for the RMHS job and moved his family to Michigan with him.

In his four years at NCWC, Ginn compiled a 23-17 overall record and an 18-9 USA South mark, having produced the first-ever undefeated conference champion with a 7-0 league record in 2007. Additionally, Ginn produced 42 All-Conference players, two Defensive Rookies of the Year, two Offensive Rookies of the Year, and two Offensive Players of the Year.

Prior to coming to NCWC, Ginn served two years as an assistant coach at Shepherd College, an NCAA Division II school in Shepherdstown, WV. During his tenure, Shepherd compiled a two-year record of 15-5, and set 16 offensive school records. From 1997-2000, Ginn was the Offensive Coordinator at Wartburg College, a NCAA Division III school in Waverly, IA . His offense averaged 35 points per game over the four-year period, setting 19 school records and helping Wartburg achieve a 35-6 record.

Virgil's college career is over

Former Rocky Mount Gryphon Stephan Virgil has seen his college career at Virginia Tech come to a premature end.

The senior defensive back has been ruled academically eligible under NCAA guidelines for the Hokies' match-up against Tennessee Thursday in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. So for a second straight season, Virginia Tech's football team will be missing a starter for its bowl game because of academic issues.

Virgil has had his problems with injuries this season. After playing in VT's 34-24 loss to Alabama in the season opener - also in Atlanta, he injured his left knee making a tackle on the game's final play. The injury kept him out of the lineup for the Hokies' next two games.

Hudgins finishes second in Payton Award voting

Terrell Hudgins' mom Leslie took this picture of Terrell and his competitors Deji Karim of Southern Illinois' and Armanti Edwards (Appalachian State) at the NCAA's Div. I banquet in Chattanooga, Tenn. last Thursday evening. Edwards, who has led App. State to two national titles, won the Walter Payton Award that evening.

Vote for Hudgins - TWICE!

The News and Observer needs help finding their Triangle Area Athlete of the Deacde - for high school, college and the pros - male or female.

In my mind, former Rocky Mount High star athlete Terrell Hudgins could possibly win this thing in two categories. He was the N&O's Male HS Athlete of the Year in 2005, and he was the NCHSAA's Male Athlete of the Year the same year.

And unless you have been under a rock, you have to know about Hudgins' record-breaking pass catching exploits in his four years at Elon.

So if you go to http://share.triangle.com/node/30000 and put his name in the high school and college fields, perhaps he will have a better chance of winning these votes! Vote as much as you like for Terrell Hudgins! Deadline is Dec. 11 for the nominees, then after that, should Hudgins make the list - vote for him until the end of the year.

Below is the text of their request for voting from the N&O's website:

The possibilities range from Dustin Ackley to Brian Zoubek, but The News&Observer sports department needs your help to find the one and only area athlete of the decade. Your choice can be male or female and from any sport at any level of competition. The only limitations are time and area.

We're looking for someone who participated from 2000 through 2009 and competed in the general Triangle area, which we can expand to include East Carolina and Wake Forest candidates.

Obviously, this is a big-tent project. The winner could come from high school, college or the pros and from sports that cover the gamut from land, water or ice.

We'll do the counting and announce the results, but the most important part of the process is up to you the reader. Give the matter some thought and then enter your choices below. We'll accept submissions until December 11.

In case you need a refresher of his college and HS careers, here is some background info:

NCAA Records

• 207 - combined receptions in one season (FCS record with former teammate Michael Mayers in 2007)

• 395 - career receptions (all NCAA Division I record)

• 123 - receptions in a season (done in 2009; FCS record)

• 8.8 - career receptions per game (FCS record)

• 5,250 - career receiving yards (all NCAA Division I record)

• 116.7 - career average yards gained receiving per game (FCS record)

• 28 - career games gaining 100 or more yards receiving (all NCAA Division I record)

• 1.2 - career touchdown passes caught per game (ties FCS record)

• 34 - career games with a touchdown catch (FCS record)

• 4 - career 1,000-yard receiving seasons (all NCAA Division I record)

SoCon Records

• 10 - games in a season with 100 or more receiving yards (done in 2009)

• 5 - consecutive games with 100 or more receiving yards (done once in 2006 and twice in 2009)

• 2,538 - combined receiving yards in a season (with former teammate Michael Mayers in 2007)

• 3 - career 200 or more receiving yard games (tied)

• 52 - career receiving touchdowns

• 1,633 - receiving yards in a season (done in 2009) Elon Records

• 16 - receptions in a game (vs. Liberty and at Furman in 2007; at Furman in 2009)

• 4 - touchdown receptions in a game (vs. Liberty in 2007)

• 18 - touchdown receptions in a season (2007)

High School Resume

Played varsity football, basketball and baseball at RMHS. 2005 NCHSAA Male Athlete of the Year.

FOOTBALL

A three-year starter, Hudgins passed for 1,687 yds. (78-174) and 22 touchdowns (only five interceptions) … Rushed for 393 yds. and 14 touchdowns ... Led Rocky Mount to its first Big East 4-A Conference title since 1990. He helped the Gryphons to a 12-1 record – at the time - tied for most wins in school history. He led Rocky Mount to three straight playoff appearances – prior to 2006, it was the first such occurrence at Rocky Mount since 1977-79 … Set school records for career passing (5,524), touchdown passes (61), touchdown responsibility (77) … Helped the 2004 Rocky Mount squad set school records for scoring (534) and total yards (4,687).

2004 Big East Conference Player of the Year
2004 Rocky Mount Telegram Offensive Player of the Year
Member of NCPreps.com 2004 4-A All-State Team
Played for the East in the 2005 N.C. Oasis Shrine East-West All-Star Game

BASKETBALL

A two-year starter at forward, Hudgins led the Big East Conference in scoring (20.6) and rebounding (12.0) this past winter as Rocky Mount finished second in the Big East and recorded a 17-9 record (second-round loss to Millbrook) … Also led Gryphons in field goal percentage (.688), steals (52) and blocked shots (32)… Scored a career-high 32 points against Southeast Raleigh… Scored 944 points in just two seasons as a Gryphon for fifth place on the all-time Rocky Mount scoring list – behind Phil Ford (2,079), Tashawn Mabry (1,899), Buck Williams (1,440), George McClain (1,209) and Larry Lucas (1,056)

2005 Big East Player of the Year
Big East All-Conference performer (2004, 2005)
2005 Rocky Mount Telegram Player of the Year
Honorable mention NCPreps.com All-State 4-A Team

BASEBALL

An All-Big East Conference player in 2004, Hudgins played third base, first base and pitched. He helped Rocky Mount to a 15-6 record this season - up from a 10-14 campaign the previous spring. He batted .387 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, 21 RBI and 22 runs scored. On the mound, the right-hander was 4-3 with a 2.49 ERA.

Smith adds to his team

- Pictured, left to right, Ashton, Shepherd and Hunter Smith (click on picture to enlarge)

EASLEY, S.C. - Former Rocky Mount assistant football coach and Northern Nash head coach Chad Smith is beginning to have the makings of a pretty good offensive line - right in his very own home!

Smith and his wife and former RMHS teacher Hannah added to their roster on Nov. 18 with the birth of their third son, Shepherd Owen. He weighed eight pounds, nine ounces and was 21.25 inches long - the biggest of the three boys at birth, says Hannah.

Congrats to the Smiths and their families for their new addition!

These Smith boys, I bet, will make for some pretty good O-linemen one day. I know Chad will see that!

Noble makes MEAC All-Conference Team

NORFOLK, Va. - Redshirt sophomore Kendall Noble was named to the MEAC second-team All-Conference football team recently. The 6-foot-4, 292-pound offensive lineman played left tackle for the Spartans as they went 7-4 this past season.

He was also named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week in NSU's game against Howard.

Noble, who is majoring in kinesiotherapy, lettered and started for three years at Rocky Mount High. He was a first-team all-conference and all-county selection as a junior and senior and helped the team win the North Carolina 4-A regional championship as a junior. He played in the North Carolina East-West All-Star game his senior year and he also lettered in track and field four seasons at RMHS.

His brother Wayne Jr., also a former Gryphon football standout, was a senior defensive back this past season at Winston-Salem State.

Word has it that his former Gryphon teammate and former Shrine Bowler Nazir Levine, who was out this season with an injury at WSSU, will transfer and join his old teammate on the O-line at Norfolk State.

Chauncy Perry, a senior offensive lineman at Virginia Union University, was named to the CIAA All-Conference second team. Perry, who is 6-2 and 325 pounds, is a computer information systems major. Perry was three-year starter for the Gryphons (2003-05).