Battle celebrates her 1,000th point

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Rocky Mount senior forward Dyonna Battle (center) received a commemorative basketball from Rocky Mount girls coach Pam Gainey (background, right) before a game with Hertford County on Jan. 7 to honor her 1,000th career point scored.

She scored that special point in a game at Kinston on Jan. 3 - the fourth female Rocky Mount player ever to top the 1,000-point mark. She joins the late Kim Taylor (RMSH Class of 1983), Danielle Powell ('92) and Latoya Armstrong ('03) on that special list.

Battle is flanked by her parents Donnell and Gail Battle.

(Photo/David Hahula)

RMHS football stats submitted to NCHSAA record book

The NCHSAA recently updated its online record book and after going through the 18 pages of stats, Rocky Mount's program has notable stats that fit right into some of the categories.

Leading the way was senior Nick Hahula, who will have four entries in the record book: his total games played (53), extra points in a season (72), career extra points (207) and his career kicking points (277).

Here are the entries I submitted and will be added to the book in the coming days:

COACHING

Career wins: B.W. Holt (Rocky Mount, West Montgomery, Tennessee High [Va.], Starmount, Franklinton, SW Randolph) 321-113-2 in 39 years (includes 2008)

POINTS

Points Scored by a Kicker, Career: 277, Nick Hahula (Rocky Mount), 24 field goals, 205 extra points, 2005-08

EXTRA POINTS

Career: 205, Nick Hahula (Rocky Mount), 2005-08

Season: 72, Nick Hahula (Rocky Mount), 2008

YARDS PER TOUCHDOWN CARRY

Season: 37.5, Jordan Ford (Rocky Mount), 2008 (10 TDs, 375 yards)

MOST GAMES PLAYED

53, Nick Hahula, Rocky Mount, 2005-08

53, Darrius Dubose, Rocky Mount, 2003-06

TOTAL RETURNS FOR TOUCHDOWNS

Career: 7, Brian Goodwin (Rocky Mount), 2006-08 (three kickoffs, four punts)

Awards dinner planned for Gryphon football team

A special awards dinner has been planned to honor the 2008 Rocky Mount High School football team.

Team members will be guests at the event - set for Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Rocky Mount Shrine Club, 320 Airport Rd. The menu, tentatively, will include chicken, barbecue and all the fixings. All parents, fans and supporters are encouraged to come out and support this record-setting team.

The dinner will be $10 per person. For more information, please contact Rocky Mount head coach B.W. Holt during school hours at 977-3085 or 977-3164.

The four football awards (Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Billy Smith Lineman Award, Team MVP) that were to have been given out at RMHS' fall athletic award ceremony back on Dec. 8 will be awarded that evening.

Also, the team's All-Conference and All-State players will be recognized. It will also be a send-off for the squad's 25 seniors, who compiled an impressive 27-3 record the past two seasons.

Mabry probable for Friday at Northern Nash; Sharpe on the edge of 1,000

Junior Tashawn Mabry has been hurting lately where the sun doesn't shine.

The 6-5 forward was going in for a dunk in the first half of the Kinston game Saturday night when he was fouled by a Viking player and fell three feet straight down on the court - on his tailbone.

I felt his pain when he hit the floor.

A few minutes later, Mabry attempted to take a charge from a Kinston player and got knocked to the floor on said backside.

He went straight to dressing room for the rest of the half.

He was of little help to his team in the second half and he was in obvious pain.

That pain apparently lingered through the weekend and into this week's play as he missed the game at Wilson Beddingfield Tuesday and at home Wednesday against Hertford County.

Head coach Mike Gainey feels he'll play Friday at Northern Nash provided he can keep loose during play.

The Knights have the best record in the Twin Counties at 12-2 and they will be a tough challenge for the Gryphons (7-6) in their NEW 6 opener.

Two milestones are in reach for Rocky Mount Friday. Mabry needs five points to reach the 1,500-mark in career scoring, while senior guard Alonzo Sharpe (pictured) needs six points to become the school's fifth 1,000-point male scorer.

The last time Rocky Mount had two 1,000-point scorers on the same team - 1978, in center Buck Williams and forward Jeff Battle.

(Photo/Britt Johnson)

Rocky Mount-North Mecklenburg press conference

If you would like to view the GlaxoSmithKline Tournament press conference after Rocky Mount downed No. 1-ranked North Mecklenburg earlier this week, click here!

The Gryphons won 66-62 in overtime!

Rocky Mount connections at Holliday Gym

A SHARPE DRIVE - Rocky Mount's Alonzo Sharpe drives to the basket for one of his 13 points Monday in the Gryphons' 66-62 overtime win over North Mecklenburg in a consolation bracket game of the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational Tournament at Raleigh Broughton's Holliday Gym. (Photo/Britt Johnson)
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Rocky Mount's return to the Glaxo has been one of nostalgia for me. People with ties to Rocky Mount have been popping up all over the place. In some ways, it's been like a reunion of sorts.

It started last Friday night before the Gryphons' much-anticipated tourney opener with nationally ranked Raleigh Word of God.

Who do I run into but Jerome Garrett, starting forward for the Gryphons' 1982 4-A state championship team. Now a resident of Raleigh, Garrett is attending the event to watch his son, Jerome Jr., play as a starter for Raleigh Enloe. I hadn't seen Garrett, Sr. since he and his teammates hoisted that championship trophy up as a team that great evening in March at the Greensboro Coliseum 26 years ago.

Yes, we turned the clock back for a few minutes, you might say!.

When I walked into the gym Monday, I was greeted by my old high school classmate Paul Thomas (RMSH '76). Thomas, uncle of recently graduated RMHS athlete Ashley Pearsall and a former Gryphon football player himself, is an accountant in the Raleigh area and a former Triangle area high school football official until knee problems ended that phase of his life.

He informed me that he was going to be the incoming president of Broughton's Booster Club. Considering how successful the Caps' athletic program usually is, that should be a pie job for him.

To top the day off, I had about a 15-minute conversation with recently "retired" WRAL-TV5 sports anchor and Rocky Mount native Tom Suiter.

He and a friend of his dropped in to check out the Christ School-Kinston game - something he normally wouldn't have time for during his old working schedule. Christ School, located just south of Asheville near the town of Arden, is where Suiter attended school from age 13 through graduation.

He told me that wouldn't miss the grind of making the day-to-day telecasts, and contrary to popular belief, he has not confirmed to WRAL as of yet whether he will host the "Football Friday" program next fall.

Suiter, now 60, looked a bit weary and very ready for a nice long break from everything. He complained of arthritis in both his hands. Shaking hands with people can be painful for him, so he prefers an elbow bump, not unlike the fist bump made famous by misophobe (fear of germs)/comedian/game show host Howie Mandell.

I told him fall football without him would not be the same unless he came back. He feels that without that daily grind he's been making, doing the show after all that time off the air might not be pretty.

Tom, it's like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never forget. If anything, the time off should give you time to recharge your batteries.

We all hope that you will make your return next August. High school football in this area just won't be the same without you!

Word of God has final word in Gryphon loss

Raleigh Word of God's Stephon Drane (23) attempts to block the shot of Rocky Mount's Tashawn Mabry (43) during Friday's opening round game of the 37th Annual GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational Tournament at Raleigh Broughton's Holliday Gym. (Click on picture to enlarge)

A sellout crowd of over 3,000 witnessed the Gryphons fall 67-41 to the nationally-ranked Holy Rams. Mabry led all Gryphon scorers with 17 points.

The Gryphons will next face North Mecklenburg Monday at 2:20 p.m.

(Photo/David Hahula)

Barnes, Hahula voted to AP First-Team All-State Squad

RALEIGH - Rocky Mount's Whit Barnes and Nick Hahula got one Christmas present a day early Wednesday.

The two Rocky Mount seniors were voted to the 2008 Associated Press North Carolina All-State prep football team. Both were first-team selections - the first time in recent history two Rocky Mount football players on the same team have been accorded first-team honors.

A group of 20 statewide media members voted on the squad.

Barnes, who last week was the 42nd Rocky Mount player ever to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, was tied with Jack Britt's Xavier Nixon and East Forsyth's David Collins for the most votes with 18 out of 20. Ironically, all three are offensive linemen. Barnes, at center, led a senior Gryphon front line that helped Rocky Mount set a school record for total offense with 5,743 yards. It's the sixth straight season RMHS has broken that record.

Hahula was voted as the placekicker on the first team. He has set 18 school records, including scoring 393 total points in his career. He tallied 72 PATs and eight field goals in scoring 96 total kicking points this past season - second-highest in the state. His 205 career PATs ranks second highest all-time in the state of N.C.

Rocky Mount, Jack Britt, Greensboro Dudley and West Rowan were only schools to place two players on the team.

Here are the complete first team selections:

2008 North Carolina AP First-Team All-State Football Squad

OFFENSE

QB — Ricky Lewis, Greensboro Dudley (6)
RB — Kevin Parks, West Rowan (16)
RB — Jonathan Hinson-Braddy, Thomasville (9)
WR — Erik Highsmith, West Craven (13)
WR — Jheranie Boyd, Gastonia Ashbrook (7)
WR — Georgie Kerber, Murphy (7)
TE — Tucker Windle, Charlotte Catholic (13)
OL — Whit Barnes, Rocky Mount (18)
OL — David Collins, East Forsyth (18)
OL — Xavier Nixon, Jack Britt (18)
OL—Ty Howle, Bunn (11)
OL—Tim Pangburn, West Rowan (10)

DEFENSE

DL — Jared McAdoo, Chapel Hill (14)
DL — Donte Moss, Jacksonville Northside (14)
DL — Michael Brooks, Bartlett Yancey (12)
DL — Chris Neal, Greensboro Dudley (11)
DL — Chris Smith, West Rowan (11)
LB — Hawatha Bell, Matthews Butler (13)
LB — Jonathan Buffkin, South Columbus (12)
LB — Justin Jackson, Richmond County (10)
DB — Quin Smith, Lenoir Hibriten (15)
DB — Kewitt Koonce, Kinston (13)
DB — Tray Sanders, East Mecklenburg (10)
DB — Xavier Watson, Kannapolis Brown (9)

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK — Nick Hahula, Rocky Mount (7)
P — Marcus Lee, Wilmington Hoggard (10)
P — Matt Milisor, Greensboro Page (10)
KR — P.J. Clyburn, West Iredell (11)
ATH — Everett Proctor, Jack Britt (4)
ATH — Maurice Williams, North Pitt (4)

Phil Ford may see another record fall this time next year!

- Tashawn Mabry

Former North Carolina All-American Phil Ford started his scoring parade right here on Nash St. in Rocky Mount's gym. But he took his talents to UNC and Carmichael Auditorium and the rest is history.

Thursday, he passed his Carolina scoring baton to Tyler Hansbrough. His 2,290 points, the UNC scoring record, stood for over 30 years.

But another Ford scoring record is in danger and it's been around for 35 seasons!

Ford is Rocky Mount's all-time leading scorer at 2,093 points. Current Gryphon junior forward Tashawn Mabry is on pace to break that record in about a year.

The talented 6-foot-5 southpaw took care of another All-American Thursday evening with his 35-point effort in an 89-87 loss to Goldsboro High.

Mabry passed former All-American center Buck Williams (1,402) to become the No. 2 scorer all-time in RMHS history. Mabry has now scored 1,407 points and needs 687 more to pass Ford.

Mabry is currently averaging a little over 26 points a game and the Gryphons have at least 17 more games this season. If he stays healthy and keeps up this same pace in his scoring, we might have Phil Ford in the house about this time next year to congratulate Mabry for getting his high school scoring mark, too!

Shrine Bowl practice for RMHS' Barnes

Rocky Mount offensive lineman Whit Barnes (right) bangs against a North Carolina teammate during Day 1 of practices Monday for the Shrine Bowl of North Carolina game set for Saturday afternoon at Wofford College. The South Carolina and North Carolina squads are holding practice at Dorman High School in Spartanburg, S.C.

The Wake Forest recruit, who wore No. 50 during his 48-game career at RMHS, will wear No. 51 in Saturday's contest. (Click on picture to enlarge)

To see some action footage of Barnes practicing this week, click here!

(Photo/GoUpstate.com)

Richwalski will not be a candidate for the NN football job

Northern Nash athletic director Dan Richwalski stated Monday that he will not be a candidate for the head football coaching position at the school. He said he was informed by the Nash-Rocky Mount Schools central office that he could hold both positions at the school.

Currently, no head football coach in the N-RM system is an athletic director. Incidently, no head football coach in the current NEW 6 3-A Conference, which Northern Nash is a member, is an athletic director.

That pattern will continue next year when SouthWest Edgecombe leaves the league and Wilson Hunt joins it. Hunt's AD Stevie Hinnant is an assistant coach with Warriors' football team.

Chad Smith resigned as the Knights' head football coach on Nov. 10.

One Busy Holt!

Rocky Mount head coach B.W. Holt has been pretty busy lately, despite not having to get his team ready for the state finals.

Holt was in Bowling Green, Ky. late last week visiting his grandaughter (Maggie) and her family (son Stu is running backs coach at Western Kentucky), then he flew back to North Carolina Friday night.

He drove to Winston-Salem Saturday morning to see the 3-A and 3-AA state title games, then Sunday, he and wife Barbara will be in Charlotte for the Carolina Panthers' game with the Denver Broncos (they are season ticket holders).

While Barbara will head back to Rocky Mount, Holt will travel down I-85 to check out his player Whit Barnes and the N.C. team at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas game practices. Holt and N.C. head coach Gary Fowler (Clayton) go way back, he says.

Then he will return to RM later in the week for his school duties - including a meeting of the NEW 6 football coaches to vote on the All-Conference team (look for the release of that team Friday - right here on this blog!)

Then it's back to Spartanburg Saturday for the Shrine Bowl game at Wofford College.

This man, at age 64, has more energy than I had at age 14!

Seeing the price of gas drop to sub-$1.60 a gallon levels doesn't hurt either!

West Rowan wins 3-A state title

My NCHSAA 3-A state championship poll voters were a little off, so it seems, as West Rowan claimed the NCHSAA 3-A state football title with a convincing 35-7 win over West Craven Saturday at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem.

In my poll results, only three percent of you chose West Rowan to win it all. Congrats to that small group for getting it right

Too bad the 65 percent who chose the Gryphons were wrong!

From reports I got Saturday (I saw the games in Raleigh at Carter-Finley Stadium) - mainly from WCTI TV 12 sports anchor Brian North, it may have been the setting, the overwhelming desire to get their coach a title for his retirement present or just plain nervousness that put West Craven in a hole from the very beginning of its game with West Rowan.

An 88-yard TD run on the very first play from scrimmage for West Rowan could do that!

Barnes is in S.C. practicing for Shrine Bowl

Rocky Mount senior center Whit Barnes reported to camp Saturday for the N.C. squad that will face South Carolina in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas in Spartantburg, S.C. this Saturday.

The game will be played at Wofford's Gibbs Stadium. Kick-off is at 1 p.m.

Clayton head coach Gary Fowler will guide the Tar Heel squad.

The game will not be on live TV, but it will be tape-delayed by ESPNU and can be seen on a rotating basis starting Jan. 9.

Rocky Mount-West Craven slideshow

Free-lance photographer David Hahula, father of RM athlete Nick Hahula, took about 100 shots for the Rocky Mount Telegram Friday night of the Gryphon fans, sideline action and halftime festivities during last Friday's West Craven football playoff game.

As a salute to the biggest crowd I have ever seen attend a Gryphon football game at the RMAC in its 22 seasons as Rocky Mount's home field, check out this slideshow by clicking here!

Rocky Mount takes broom out on Hertford County

AHOSKIE - Rocky Mount's varsity basketball teams made their longest road trip of the regular season Tuesday evening and came home with victories.

They traveled to Hertford County and came back with a 65-61 triumph in boys play and a 57-43 win in girls action.

The Gryphons rallied from a sluggish 24-6 deficit after the first period to end the first half up 36-30. The game was tied at 45-all starting the fourth quarter.

Junior Tashawn Mabry led all scorers with 28 points, followed by senior point guard Alonzo (Bobo) Sharpe with 22.

The Gryphons remained unbeaten on the season at 5-0.

The Lady Gryphs moved above .500 (3-2) for the first time this season after handing Hertford County a 57-43 defeat.

RMHS trailed 11-9 after the first period, but it outscored the Lady Bears 20-7 in the second quarter to take a 29-18 lead at intermission.

Dyonna Battle led Rocky Mount with 15 points. Danita Whitaker had 14 and Alexis Farmer added 10.

Lady Gryphons will play in the Nash County Christmas Tournament

While Rocky Mount's boys basketball team will be playing in the GlaxoSmithKline Invitational in Raleigh over the Christmas holidays, the Lady Gryphons will be taking the court in the annual Nash County Holiday Basketball Tournament to be held Dec. 22-23 (Monday-Tuesday) at Nash Central High School.

Rocky Mount is the defending girls champion. RMHS won the boys title last year also.

Here are the pairings for the event:

Dec. 22

• 2 p.m. -- Northern Nash girls vs. Rocky Mount girls
• 4 p.m. -- Southern Nash boys vs. Nash Central boys
• 6 p.m. -- Southern Nash girls vs. Nash Central girls
• 8 p.m. -- Bunn boys vs. Northern Nash boys

Dec. 23

• 2 p.m. -- Girls consolation game
• 4 p.m. -- Boys consolation game
• 6 p.m. -- Girls championship game
• 8 p.m. -- Boys championship game

Admission to the event will be $8 each day.

Stat Crunch: West Craven vs. Rocky Mount

(14 GAMES EACH)

POINTS SCORED

553 - Rocky Mount

515 - West Craven

POINTS ALLOWED

113 - Rocky Mount

173 - West Craven

RUSHING YDS.

551-3,797 - Rocky Mount

370-1,769 - West Craven

PASSING YDS.

77-139-5 1,531 - Rocky Mount

228-381-8 3,575 - West Craven

TOTAL OFFENSE

690-5,328 - Rocky Mount

751-5,344 - West Craven

TURNOVER RATIO

+9 (13/22) - Rocky Mount

+23 (12/35) - West Craven

TOP PASSER

1,418 - Collins Cuthrell, Rocky Mount

3,546 - Brett Mooring, West Craven

TOP RUSHER

975, 16 TDs - Marquavis Alston, Rocky Mount

294, 2 TDs - Tyree Dawson, West Craven

TOP RECEIVER

48-1,129, 9 TDs - Keith Strickland, Rocky Mount

66-1,272, 12 TDs - Erik Highsmith, West Craven

TOP DEFENDER

91 tackles - Chris Pittman, Rocky Mount

109 tackles - Justin Bryant, West Craven

Rocky Mount football records at a glance

Rocky Mount's football team needs 24 more points to set the school record for points scored in a season. RMHS currently has scored 511 points. School record – 534, 2004.

Junior Marquavis Alston needs 83 yards to become the first Rocky Mount running back to record two 1,000-yard seasons in rushing (1,576 in 2007). Until Alston came around, no sophomore had recorded a 1,000-yard rushing season, and his is about to become the first junior to do so, too.

Every 1,000-yard rusher in RMHS history, astoundingly, has been a senior up to Alston's appearance in the varsity lineup in 2007. Only Linwood Silver in 1996, as a junior, got close. He had 993 yards that season - one that ended with a playoff loss at Richmond County (26-3).

Another 108 yards of total offense will give RMHS its fourth straight season of 5,000 total yards or more. The 2007 team has the school record – 5,558. The current squad has 4,892. (5.219, 2005; 5,509, 2006; 5,558, 2007). Every year B.W. Holt has been at RMHS, the team has set a school record in that category.

Rocky Mount head coach B.W. Holt, in his sixth season at RMHS, recorded Gryphon win No. 70 Friday night. He is 70-12 and his career coaching record now stands at 320-112-2 in 39 seasons.

Senior kicker Nick Hahula has made 198 PATs (198/239, .828) in his career – which ties him for second in state history with Shon Rouser (East Duplin, 1995-98). The all-time leader is Albemarle’s Tyler Lewis (2000-2003) with 350. Hahula has scored more points than any football player in RMHS history (198 PATs, 24 field goals, 17 rushing TDs, 1 receiving TD, 1 2-pt. conversion run – 380 points). This season, this is his scoring breakdown: 65 PATs, 8 field goals, 11 rushing TDs, 1 receiving TD, 1 2-pt. conversion run – 163 pts.

Rocky Mount sweeps Goldsboro in hoop openers Tuesday

GOLDSBORO - Rocky Mount basketball was successful on both varsity fronts Tuesday evening as both the boys and girls teams opened play for the 2008-09 season.

The Gryphons, playing without several players who are still on the football field, got into a track meet with the homestanding Cougars, but they left with a 94-86 win.

Junior All-American candidate Tashawn Mabry led the Gryphs with 37 points.

On the girls side, senior Dyonna Battle led all scorers with 23 points as the Lady Gryphons beat Goldsboro 66-48.

The Lady Gryphons led 13-12 after one quarter, but used a 12-3 run to start the second quarter and extended their lead to 23-15. The margin grew to 36-25 at the half and was up to 50-35 after three quarters.

The home folks will get to the see the teams for the first time this season Thursday when Southeast Raleigh makes a trip to RMHS. The varsity girls will start play around 6 p.m. followed by the boys around 7:30.