Gryphon Hilliard makes HSOT.com Holiday Invitational All-Tourney team

RALEIGH - Rocky Mount senior Terrill Hilliard was named to the Shavlik Randolph bracket All-Tournament team at the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational Friday evening at Broughton High's Holliday Gym. 

Though Rocky Mount played its games on Tuesday and Wednesday, the All-Tournament team was announced following the bracket 's championship game. Chapel Hill remained undefeated (13-0) after beating homestanding Broughton 75-71 in overtime.

Hilliard, the Gryphons' leading scorer and rebounder, had 25 points in each of its two losses in the tournament (68-56 to Broughton, 62-60 in overtime to Clayton).

Chapel Hill's Denzel Ingram, who had 43 points - 33 in the second half against the Caps in the title contest, was named MVP of the tournament. 

Joining Hilliard and Ingram on the honorary squad were Clayton's Gary Clark, Broughton's James Hemphill and Chapel Hill's Anthony Vanhook.


HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational Tournament
Shavlik Randolph Bracket
All-Tournament Team

Denzel Ingram, Chapel Hill - MVP 

Terrill Hilliard, Rocky Mount

James Hemphill, Broughton
Anthony Vanhook, Chapel Hill
Gary Clark, Clayton

Tournament Notes

On Tuesday evening, former Rocky Mount greats Phil Ford and Buck Williams were named as two of 11 Legends of the Tournament for the 40-year-old event.

Ford and Williams joined players Cedric Maxwell (Kinston), Nate McMillan (Enloe), Rodney Monroe (St. Maria Goretti, Md.), Rodney Rogers (Durham Hillside), Jerry Stackhouse (Kinston), Billy Williams (Broughton), Donald Williams (Garner), Danny Young (Enloe) and prep journalist Tim Stevens (Raleigh News and Observer).

Each legend was given a special plaque recognizing their achievements. The plaque was made from sections of the Holliday Gym floor was that was saved after the gym was totally remodeled a few years ago. The first ever-tournament in 1971 was played on that floor.

A teammate of Ford's was on the floor at the Shavlik Randolph title game. RMSH Class of 1975 member and reserve guard Don Johnson was a member of the three-man officiating crew Friday evening.

The Barnes Report - from Nashville, Tn.

Whit Barnes, WFU's backup long snapper, warms up before the game.

(Editor's note: Wake Forest played Mississippi State in the Franklin American Mortgage Company Music City Bowl Friday evening at Nashville's LP Field. And the result did not go the Deacons' way!

Wake Forest fell to the Bulldogs 23-17 to fall to 6-7 for the season. We hope to have some final comments from Deacon offensive lineman and former RMHS Gryphon Whit Barnes sometime this weekend on the defeat and his  whole Bowl experience.)

The Barnes Report - from Nashville, Tn.

(Editor's note: Wake Forest played Mississippi State in the Franklin American Mortgage Company Music City Bowl Friday evening. Wake Forest offensive lineman and former RMHS Gryphon Whit Barnes is blogging from Nashville, Tn. each day on his exploits. Here is entry No. 3)

We went to the head coaches' luncheon at the Wild Horse Saloon to see Coach (Jim) Grobe and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen on stage answering questions from fans on Facebook and Twitter.

On the menu was barbecue, fried chicken and lots of banana pudding. 

Then we had practice this afternoon (Thursday). 

My family got into town tonight and I spent some time with my brother and cousins after all the activities were over. It's not the first time in Nashville for some of them. My parents and brother came to the Vanderbilt game last year and my grandparents have been to Nashville a few times. I think it's the second time for the rest of the family.

The Bowl committee gives all the players a goodie bag (up to $500 in value.). I gave the bowl watch (Reactor) to my dad for Christmas I also got a Sony surround sound system and a fender guitar with the bowl logo on it. 

- Whit Barnes, Wake Forest offensive lineman, RMHS '09

The Barnes Report - from Nashville, Tn.

Nashville Predators mascot GNASH shares hot dogs with Wake Forest players Whit Barnes and Matt Muncy.

(Editor's note: Wake Forest plays Mississippi State in the Franklin American Mortgage Company Music City Bowl Friday evening. Wake Forest offensive lineman and former RMHS Gryphon Whit Barnes is blogging from Nashville, Tn. each day on his exploits. Here is entry No. 2)

Today we had an early practice. I think we are looking pretty good for the bowl game. 

We had the afternoon off to relax and then we went to a Nashville Predators NHL game with the Minnesota Wild at the Bridgestone Arena tonight (Site of the recent CMA Awards).

The Predators won in a shootout 2-1, so it was another exciting night in Nashville!

- Whit Barnes, Wake Forest offensive lineman, RMHS '09

Barnes to make reports from the Music City Bowl

Whit Barnes

I decided to make Whit Barnes into a reporter ... well, sort of!

The former Gryphon All-State standout football player graciously agreed to blog on my blog. 

Yes, the redshirt-sophomore offensive lineman for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will be sharing his thoughts and observations with the world as Wake prepares for the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tennessee's LP Field on Friday. WFU will be facing Mississippi State on ESPN at 6:40 p.m. 

Whit and his teammates left N.C. Tuesday afternoon and about 15 members of his family will be making the trip down I-40 to watch the Deacs play. 

So with his first entry, hereeeee's Whit!

The Barnes Report

 
Tuesday morning was rough with a cold and rainy morning practice. 

But after we got some Chick-Fil-A into us, we jumped on the bus to go to Greensboro. Once we arrived at the Piedmont Triad International Airport, we loaded up a 250-passenger charter plane with players, coaches and boosters to head to Nashville. 

We arrived at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel with a great greeting from the WFU fans who were already there. Then we had a team meeting shortly after. 

When that was over, we went to dinner on a riverboat based on the Cumberland River and had a rib-eating contest and a rock band contest with Mississippi State. It was very entertaining. Plus, we ended up winning, so that made it much better. 

After that we had some free time to go check out downtown Nashville and listened to some good live country music.

Fox, Godwin, Lancaster, Simmons to head up Wilson Hot Stove Banquet

The Wilson Hot Stove Banquet will hold its 37th annual event on Monday, Jan. 23.

The banquet, which will be held at Recreation Park Community Center, will feature four college baseball head coaches as speakers. Set to speak will be North Carolina’s Mike Fox, East Carolina’s Billy Godwin, Mount Olive’s Carl Lancaster and Barton’s Joshua Simmons. 

Tickets for the banquet are $25 each and proceeds will benefit the N.C. Baseball Museum.

Fox, who will begin his 13th season as Tar Heels' head coach, will speak about a typical day at the College World Series, where he has had plenty of experience. Fox has either played or coached in all 14 of UNC’s CWS wins. Fox also spent 15 years as head baseball coach at N.C. Wesleyan where he led the Battling Bishops to the 1989 NCAA Division III national championship.

Godwin, an Atlantic Christian (now Barton) College and Northern Nash graduate entering his seventh season at the Pirates' helm, will discuss the gamut of NCAA regulations, “the good, the bad and the ugly,” Ferrell described.

Lancaster, who led the Trojans to the NCAA Division II national championship in 2008, will talk about recruiting, especially in-state players, and the affects of the MLB Draft on it.

Simmons was named as the replacement for longtime Bulldogs head coach Todd Wilkinson in May. The former Barton assistant will describe the transition he’s making from six years beside Wilkinson to running the program.

Second Annual Coleman-Pitt Post 58 Baseball Camp set for next week

ROCKY MOUNT - The Second Annual Coleman-Pitt Post 58 American Legion Baseball Camp will be held Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 28 and 29 at Rocky Mount Academy. The camp is open to kids grades 6-12. 

The purpose of this camp is to provide quality instruction from a highly experienced staff in the areas of hitting, pitching, catching, infield play, outfield play and strength and conditioning. 

This camp is also a fundraiser to support the Coleman-Pitt Post 58 American Legion baseball program. 

The cost of the two-day camp is $100. The fee will cover instruction, beverages and a T-shirt. Participants need to bring a glove, bat and protective equipment. Catchers need to bring full catcher’s gear. 

Participants should also bring sneakers in case of inclement weather. The camp will take place, rain or shine. 

The camp instructors will be: Billy Godwin – Hitting: Head Coach, East Carolina University; Pat Smith – Defense/Pitching: Head Coach, Rocky Mount Academy; Josh Simmons – Pitching: Head Coach, Barton College; Ben Fish – Catching: Collegiate player, Campbell University; Neil Avent – Infield Play: Scout, Oakland Athletics; Billy Best – Outfield Play: Scout, Atlanta Braves; Buck Edmundson – Strength and Conditioning: Asst. Coach, Nash Central HS; Greg Clifton - Head Coach, Faith Christian School; Hank Jones - Head Coach, Coleman-Pitt Post 58 American Legion Baseball. 

Contact Hank Jones at 252-904-4995 or hankjones@suddenlink.net for more details. 

Here is each day's schedule: 

Wednesday, Dec. 28 

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Walk-up registration
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Check-in for pre-registered
participants
12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Warm Up
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Hitting Camp
4:00 p.m.
Pickup and departure 

Thursday, Dec. 29 

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Warm Up
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Defensive Instruction
4:00 p.m.
Pickup and departure

Gurley joins list of AP Players of the Year

Tarboro's Todd Gurley II was named as the Associated Press' Player of the Year in football this week. You have to admit, he put on a show this past season - especially toward the end

But he is not the first area player to win the award. 

North Edgecombe's Milton Shaw received the honor in 1991 - a rare feat for a player from a 1-A school.

I had the honor of presenting Shaw with a plaque, in the shape of the state of North Carolina, from AP that was sent to the sports desk during my days with the then-called Rocky Mount Evening Telegram. As I was scheduled to cover a home North Edgecombe basketball game days later, I took the plaque to the game and presented it to him at midcourt during a halftime ceremony.

Now my friend, Tarboro Daily Southerner sports editor Calvin Adkins, will have the honor of doing the same for Gurley sometime in January.

As I glanced at the list of former winners of the award (started in 1983), I can't believe that I got to see 15 of them play at least once - and one of them at Rocky Mount's home field. Wonder if you can guess who "that player" was?

Associated Press Football Player of the Year 

2011—Todd Gurley II, RB, Tarboro

2010—Vad Lee, QB, Durham Hillside

2009—K.P. Parks, RB, West Rowan

2008—Xavier Nixon, OT, Fayetteville Britt

2007—Darius Thomas, QB, West Charlotte

2006—Quan Warley, RB, Thomasville

2005—Quan Warley, RB, Thomasville

2004—Joe Cox, QB, Charlotte Independence

2003—Andre Brown, RB, Greenville Rose

2002—Chris Leak, QB, Charlotte Independence

2001—T.A. McLendon, RB, Albemarle

2000—Chris Leak, QB, Charlotte Independence

1999—Manny Deshauteurs, RB, Brevard

1998—Nick Maddox, RB, Kannapolis Brown

1997—Nick Maddox, RB, Kannapolis Brown

1996—Montrell Coley, RB, Goldsboro

1995—Marcus Reaves, RB, Fayetteville Byrd

1994—Terence Stokes, RB, Bunn

1993—Ernest Tinnin, QB, Burlington Cummings

1992—(tie) Antoine Ikard, RB, Maiden; Maurice Mebane, WR, Burlington Cummings

1991—Milton Shaw, RB, North Edgecombe

1990—Donnie Davis, QB, Burlington Cummings

1989—Mike Thomas, QB-P, Richmond County

1988—Chuckie Burnette, QB, Burlington Cummings

1987—Anthony Barbour, RB, Garner

1986—Robert Siler, RB, Siler City Jordan-Matthews

1985—Alvin Baker, RB, Claremont Bunker Hill

1984—Todd Ellis, QB, Greensboro Page

1983—Darryl McGill, RB, Southern Durham

2011 Nash County Christmas Basketball Tournament - All-Tournament Team

BOYS

Lavon Brutus, Rocky Mount - MVP

Dante Battle, Rocky Mount

Terrill Hilliard, Rocky Mount

Nathaniel Pittman, Nash Central

Josh Sessoms, Southern Nash

Darryl Prunty, Northern Nash

GIRLS

Alexus Hill, Northern Nash - MVP

Khadijrah Richardson, Northern Nash

Ni'ya Styles, Nash Central

Timyra Staton, Nash Central

J'Kyra Brown, Rocky Mount

Khadijah Manning, Southern Nash

Nash County Christmas Basketball Tournament final results - 2011 edition

Monday, Dec. 19

• Girls semis - Northern Nash 53, Rocky Mount 40
• Girls semis - Nash Central 72, Southern Nash 63, OT
• Boys semis - Nash Central 53, Southern Nash 52

Tuesday, Dec. 20

• Girls Consolation - Rocky Mount 70, Southern Nash 41
• Boys semis - Rocky Mount 71, Northern Nash 47

Wednesday, Dec. 21

• Boys Consolation Game - Southern Nash 61, Northern Nash 32
• Girls Championship Game - Northern Nash 56, Nash Central 34
• Boys Championship Game - Rocky Mount 73, Nash Central 67

Nash County Christmas Basketball Tournament gets underway Monday

Southern Nash will serve as the host for the annual Nash County Christmas Basketball Tournament, which will be held Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 19-21 at the SNHS Gymnasium. 

Rocky Mount is the defending girls champion, while Northern Nash took the boys' title last year.

Tickets are $6 for the first two days and $8 for the final day.

Pairings for the event are as follows:

Monday, Dec. 19

• Rocky Mount Girls vs. Northern Nash Girls, 5 p.m.
• Nash Central Girls vs. Southern Nash Girls, 6:30 p.m.
• Nash Central Boys vs. Southern Nash Boys, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 20

• Girls Consolation Game, 6 p.m.
• Rocky Mount Boys vs. Northern Nash Boys, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 21

• Boys Consolation Game, 5 p.m.
• Girls Championship Game, 6:30 p.m.
• Boys Championship Game, 8 p.m.

Brush with greatness from the sidelines

Robert Griffin III

When Baylor's Robert Griffin III was announced as the Heisman Trophy winner last Saturday evening, my thoughts went to another college player - former Rocky Mount offensive lineman Whit Barnes.

Back in 2009, his redshirt year at Wake Forest, Barnes watched from the sidelines when the Bears came to WInston-Salem to open that season. Thanks to Griffin III's abilities, the Bears were able to leave Forsyth County with a victory.

The next week, Stanford and then-redshirt freshman and two-time Heisman runner-up Andrew Luck came to town and the Demon Deacons were able to get the victory.

Andrew Luck

The following season, Barnes and his Wake teammates went west to Palo Alto and Luck did a number on this bunch of Baptist boys.

I asked Whit recently of his thoughts of these two great quarterbacks, who ironically, both call Houston, Tx home.

"When I saw RG III play, I didn't know just how outstanding of a player he was," said Barnes, whose team will be playing in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville later this month, "but I did know that he was dangerous and that it was going to be tough containing his dynamic style of play.

"As for Luck, there was one play that really stood out in my mind," he said.

"I think it was early in the second quarter, before Stanford began to pull away from us. Luck was standing in the pocket going through all of his progressions and he decided to tuck the ball and take it down field himself. I remember thinking to myself that he looked way too big to be running that fast and juking our defensive backs. 

"But needless to say, Stanford gave us some payback the year after Luck and the Cardinal lost to us in Winston."

I know Barnes is very glad he plays on the same side of the ball as these guys!

Hunt leads Big East in Wells Fargo Cup standings after fall season

Thanks to league titles in football and men’s soccer, Wilson Hunt has the lead in the Wells Fargo Cup standings for the Big East 3-A Conference at the conclusion of the 2011 fall sports season.

The Warriors, with 65.5 points, currently hold a three-point edge over second place Nash Central as Hunt finished in a tie for second with Rocky Mount in women’s tennis.

A championship in women’s tennis and second-place ledgers in football and men’s and women’s cross-country bolstered Nash Central to 62.5 points.

Rocky Mount, with a championship in boys cross country and a second-place finish in volleyball, is in third place with 59.5, followed by Wilson Fike (58.5), Southern Nash (56) and Northern Nash (50).

At long last, All-Big East football team released

This gets to be quite old each year - the release of the Big East All-Conference Football Team comes later and later each season.

This year, 17 days after the last Big East team is knocked out of the playoffs and almost 10 days after the state championships have been completed, the area media finally gets a peek at this year's honored high school football players. 

This announcement has been as drawn out as MLB's season-ending awards - Cy Young, MVP, etc.

Despite finishing in last place, Rocky Mount placed four players on the team (Mason Hines
Nah'jerelle Graves, Rodquez Greene, Darryn Lewis), and two Nash County players took the top individual honors, although Wilson Hunt won the league title.

Wilson Hunt


Josh Joyner
Jacob Page
Trevor Kyle
Nick Denton
Tevin Speight
Tim Applewhite
Vernon Holman
Lamar Melvin
Phil Dickens
Cody Pittman
Luis Neal


Nash Central


Jalen Hendricks
Greg Arrrington
Jarod Richardson
Isiah Edwards
Zach Connor
Jaquan Wilkins
Khalil Macklin
Justin Scott
Tamarris Lane
Jordan Lynch


Wilson Fike


Cam Avery
Sam Ellis
Tyler Newman
Jeremy Vick
Dustin Edwards
Chris Phillips
Josh King


Southern Nash


Josh Sessoms
Tracey Coppedge
Terron Huffman
Alonte Thomas
Molik Harris
Roderick Dunston
Matt Boswell
Moses Trejo


Northern Nash


Darius Perry
Quay Mann
Tevin Marshall
Marquez Farmer
Michael Dickens


Rocky Mount

Mason Hines

Nah'jerelle Graves

Rodquez Greene

Darryn Lewis

Honorable Mention


D'metrius Dew, Wilson Hunt
Justin Williams, Nash Central
Trae Hudson, Wilson Fike
Zack Parris, Southern Nash
Travonne Marshall, Northern Nash
Ben Winstead, Rocky Mount


Big East Offensive Player of the Year - Jalen Hendricks, Nash Central
Big East Defensive Player of the Year - Josh Sessoms, Southern Nash
Big East Coach of the Year - Tom Nelson, Wilson Fike; Kevin Crudup, Nash Central

Smith doing swimmingly in S.C.

Chad Smith talks to members of his Green Wave team. 
(click on photo to enlarge)

Chad Smith, who served as an assistant coach at Rocky Mount and as head coach at Northern Nash, has turned his old rival Easley High School in Easley, S.C. into a 4-A power in the Palmetto State. 

Smith attended high school at neighboring Pickens High School.

He was recently recognized by the S.C. Football Coaches Association as the Upper State 4-A Coach of the Year. 

In his second year as head coach of the Green Wave, Smith led Easley (11-2) to its first 10-win season since 1997 and broke the single-season scoring record. Prior to Smith's tenure, Easley had won 18 games in a five-year span. Since Smith began coaching the Green Wave in 2010, Easley has won 20 games (20-6).

"I think it proves that we have an administration that gives me all the support I need, I think it proves that we have a great group of kids, and I think it proves that I have a great coaching staff," Smith told local media after receiving the award. "Easley is a special place."

Smith's Easley High School will soon have new digs. Just like Rocky Mount High, Easley will move to a brand new campus next fall complete with a spanking new football stadium. The $36 million campus can accommodate 1,800 students.

Gryphon alum Britt Johnson, who coaches baseball at nearby Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., has been able to see Smith's teams the last two seasons and he likes what he sees.

Sadly, it was Greenwood High School that handed Smith his only two losses this past season, including the one that knocked Easley out of the S.C. state playoffs.

Will Corinth Holders High join the Big East?

By Geoff Neville, Nashville Graphic

Judging by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s latest findings, the Class 3-A Big East Conference will be around in its current at least through 2017.

That’s what the league member schools want -- and those plans should be finalized next spring by the NCHSAA.

Last week, the NCHSAA released its first preliminary conference makeup for its next realignment, which will begin in the fall of 2013 and run for four years.

The Big East’s current roster of Northern Nash, Nash Central, Southern Nash, Rocky Mount, Wilson Fike and Wilson Hunt will remain intact.

The only change will come with the prospective addition of Corinth Holders, a second-year school in Johnston County (just monutes from the Carolina Mudcats’ Five County Stadium).

Corinth Holders is now a member of the Class 2-A Northern Carolina Conference, but the school features only freshman through junior classes.

When CH boasts a four-year class for the first time next fall, it will boost the Pirates’ enrollment into Class 3-A -- and a potential grouping with the Big East schools.

The first rough draft of the NCHSAA’s was done by computer by SAS. Georgraphy, as always, played the most important decision in the formula.

The NCHSAA has also stated a desire to move away from split-classification conferences if possible.

School athletic directors and administrators will be allowed to air their grievance with possible conference alignments during regional meetings in January.

The NCHSAA will take the questions into consideration before releasing its final update later in the spring.
 
Northern Nash Athletic Director Dan Richwalski anticipates that none of the Nash County squads will argue against the initial alliance.

“I think this is pretty much what everybody wants,’’ Richwalski said. “Except for Corinth-Holders, the conference is going to stay the same. We’re pretty happy about that -- we don’t anticipate that the travel to Corinth-Holders is going to be a big problem for anyone.’’

Said Southern Nash AD Robbie Kennedy: “We’re fine with it. It would help us out with scheduling, because we would have one less non-conference date to fill. I have no issue with seven teams.’’

However, that scenario -- because of an odd number -- would mean that one team would have a bye from conference play during the league portion of the football schedule. 

Another potential problem is that Cleveland, another Johnston County school, had its numbers incorrectly recorded during the SAS program.

Cleveland High School was projected as a Class 2-A school, but will actually compete on the 3-A level. How this affects Corinth Holders’ standing -- as another Johnston school -- isn’t known.

Cleveland could also end up in the Big East -- or Corinth Holders may be moved away from the league to be in a league with Cleveland.

Two other Johnston County schools -- Smithfield-Selma and South Johnston -- are proposed to be in another different Class 3-A league.

This is a computer draft that was done strictly by geography,’’ said Corinth Holders AD Brent Walston. “We felt like we might be placed with the Wilson and Nash schools, based on where we are located.

“It’s closer for us to go to Nash County than South Johnston or Erwin Triton. And I think we would have some good rivalries with those schools -- our district borders Wilson Hunt and Southern Nash.

“We are kind of split. Some of the Johnston County schools are in different classifications, but would it be in our best interest to have all of the county 3-A schools in there together?’’

Walston expects an updated rough draft to be released soon.

“We’ll see what the NCHSAA releases and then go from there,’’ Walston said. “It’s kind of wait and see right now.’’

Here is how the first proposal looks, along with the projected enrollment number from each school: 

NCHSAA Class 3-A Big East Conference  

Corinth Holders 1394
Wilson Hunt 1317
Southern Nash 1261                                                                                             
Nash Central 1232
Northern Nash 1214
Rocky Mount 1153                                                                                             

Wilson Fike 1140

Here are the distances to Corinth Holders from each current Big East Conference member:

• 22 miles from Southern Nash
• 25 miles from Wilson Hunt
• 33 miles from Wilson Fike
• 39 miles from Northern Nash
• 40 miles from Nash Central
• 44 miles from Rocky Mount

Barnes, Deacons get bowl bid

Whit Barnes

Former Rocky Mount football standout Whit Barnes won't be sitting around watching bowl games on TV during his Christmas break. 

He'll be playing in one!

The former All-State offensive lineman, now a redshirt sophomore on the Wake Forest football team, will join his Deacon teammates in Nashville, Tn, when Wake (6-6, 5-3) takes on Mississippi State (6-6) in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. The Deacs got the invite Sunday evening.

Wake, which will be making its fifth bowl appearance in 11 years under current head coach Jim Grobe, will play on Friday, Dec; 30 at 6:40 p.m. at LP Field, the home of the Tennessee Titans. ESPN will carry the game.

The Deacons have compiled a 6-3 (.667) record in their nine previous bowl appearances and are 3-1 in bowl games under Grobe. Wake Forest and Mississippi State will be meeting for the first time in football. 

Wake is making its first bowl appearance since 2008, but enters having won five of its last six bowl appearances.

Hudgins moving close to joining 1,000-point Club

Rocky Mount senior Tia Hudgins (right) goes to the basket against Northern Nash last season. (Photo/David Hahula)

Rocky Mount High senior forward Tia Hudgins is moving ever so close to joining the school's 1,000-Point Club.

The four-year starter is coming off her best scoring season of her career last year, and she has gotten off to a solid start thus far this campaign. Hudgins, whose older brother Terrell came very close to joining the boys' version of the club when he closed out his career in 2005, needs just 61 more points this season to reach that coveted 1,000-point mark.

She would become only the fifth female to do so and the12th overall player to hit the mark. 

However, the likelihood that she will get that 1,000th point at home is somewhat doubtful. 

Rocky Mount has but eight home games on its regular season schedule this year and one of them has already been played.

With her current average of 14 points per game, she will likely hit the milestone in the first round of the Nash County Christmas Tournament which is being held at Southern Nash later this month.

RMHS' GIRLS 1,000-POINT CLUB

Kim Taylor (1981-84)..........................1,600 - played at N.C. State (deceased, 1985)

Danielle Powell (1989-1992) ..............1,472 - played at James Madison

Dyonna Battle (2006-09)......................1,290 - playing at Queens Univ.

Latoya Armstrong (1999-03)................1,127 - played at Campbell/Winston-Salem State

Tia Hudgins (2008-present)....................939