2010 All-Big East Football Teams released

WILSON - To the winner goes the spoils. The old adage really held true when the Big East Conference All-Conference football team was released this week. Co-champions Northern Nash and Wilson Hunt got the lion's share of the honorees.

Eleven Knights received first place notices from the league as did 11 Wilson Hunt players. In Nash County, Southern Nash was voted eight spots on the team, while Nash Central also got eight. Rocky Mount, which won just one league game, was awarded six.

Wilson Fike, which did not win a conference contest for the second straight season and recently saw its second-year head coach Kim Brown relieved of his duties, got four positions.

For the first time in recent memory, three brothers on the same team were selected. The Marshall siblings from Northern Nash all received first-team nods - fullback T.J on offense, and defensive standouts Travonne and Tevin on defense. Travonne was also voted as one of three players who shared Defensive Player of the Year honors with Southern Nash's Brandon Jones and Wilson Hunt's Spencer Miller.

The league's Offensive Player of the Year award went to Wilson Hunt's do-everything player Tyrell Vinson.

Conference Coach of the Year was given to Northern Nash's Mickey Crouch and Hunt's Randy Raper.


ALL-BIG EAST FOOTBALL TEAM

OFFENSE

Northern Nash - T.J. Marshall, Rashad Hedgepeth, Mitchell Wells, Rob Richwalski, Tavis Richardson

Wilson Hunt - Caleb Driver, Tyrell Vinson, Brandon Cambra, Jacob Page, Gilbert Niez, Qwenterrius Ballard
Southern Nash - Tracey Coppedge, Trendell Lynch, Terron Huffman, Tony Williams
Nash Central - Jalen Hendricks, Keiffer Griffin, Greg Arrington, Dequan Battle

Rocky Mount - Rodquez Greene, Damien Strickland, Connor Daughtridge

Wilson Fike - Chris Phillips, Danzell Liles

DEFENSE

Northern Nash - Travonne Marshall, Tevin Marshall, Brandon Dawes, Quan Silver, Donovan Cooper, Tay Payton

Wilson Hunt - Josh Bullock, Tim Applewhite, Lewis Neal, Spencer Miller, Brice Parker

Southern Nash - Brandon Jones, Aaron McFarland, Alkeem Thomas, Josh Sessoms

Nash Central - Jeffrey Lucas, Mason Wallace, Letovis Davis, Chris Bullock

Rocky Mount - Nah'jerrelle Graves, Miguel Valdez, Darryn Lewis

Wilson Fike - Adonte Anderson, Tyler Newman

HONORABLE MENTION

Northern Nash - Jamaal Boddie

Wilson Hunt - Phillip Collier

Southern Nash - Jacob Jones

Nash Central - Marquis Thomas

Rocky Mount - Mason Hines

Wilson Fike - Cameron Avery

PLAYER of the YEAR

Offense - Tyrell Vinson, Wilson Hunt

Defense - Spencer Miller, Wilson Hunt; Travonne Marshall, Northern Nash; Brandon Jones, Southern Nash

CONFERENCE COACH of the YEAR

Mickey Crouch, Northern Nash; Randy Raper, Wilson Hunt

Rocky Mount leads Wachovia Conference Cup race after fall season

League titles in volleyball and men’s soccer as well as second-place finishes in men’s and women’s cross country have Rocky Mount atop the Big East  Conference in Wachovia Conference Cup points at the end of the 2010 fall sports season.

Wilson Fike is in second with a championship in women’s cross country and a runner-up finish in women’s tennis. Third place belongs to Nash Central, thanks to first-place finishes in men’s cross country and women’s tennis.

Here are the current standings:

Rocky Mount -------- 65 pts.
Wilson Fike ----------- 62 pts.
Nash Central -------- 60 pts.
Wilson Hunt ----------56.5 pts.
Southern Nash ----- 44.5 pts.
Northern Nash ------ 43 pts.

Wilson Fike head football coach fired

Kim Brown

Kim Brown, the head football coach at Wilson Fike the last two seasons, has been let go according to a release from Fike principal Steve Ellis late Tuesday.

'Fike High School will make a head coaching change in varsity football for the 2011 season. As principal, I've evaluated the program and determined that Fike football must have a new direction. The search for the next head coach will begin in the near future. Because Fike has a long and storied football history, I expect the search to produce a top candidate to lead the Golden Demons back to championship-caliber play.

"Kim Brown, who recently completed his second season as head coach, has fulfilled his coaching contract. Coach Brown remains a Wilson County Schools employee and a member of the Fike faculty."

Brown, who has suffered a number of health problems this past season including having a toe amputated, was 2-9 each of his seasons and never won a Big East Conference game during his tenure.

Listen to and watch the Tarboro Vikings on the Internet Saturday

Many folks have been known to listen to a sports contest on the radio while watching it on TV.

I've done so for years - listening to Woody Durham with the UNC Tar Heels while watching them on ESPN, ABC, CBS or wherever they could be found on my remote.

How about listening to a contest on one website and watching it on another?

You will be able to do that Saturday afternoon when Tarboro takes on Winston-Salem Carver for the NCHSAA 2-A state championship at BB&T Field at Groves Stadium at Wake Forest University.

Starting at 2:30 p.m. (pregame show, game time is 3 p.m.), listen to Paul Andre and Bob Maloney from WZAX 99.3 FM either on the radio or online at http://www.jammin993.com/ and watch the broadcast at http://www.news14.com/. Mute the sound on the video and turn it up on Andre, who will bring you the play-by-play and Maloney, who will handle the color duties.

There is another slight connection to the Rocky Mount area with the matchup. Brent David, who served several seasons as an assistant to B.W. Holt at Rocky Mount, spent the 2008 and 2008 seasons as Carver's head coach. He unexpectedly resigned from the post last spring after posting a sparkling 19-5 record with the Yellowjackets.

Ironically, should Tarboro lose and Carver win the matchup, both Holt and David would have resigned from a school one season before that same team won a state title the next. Starmount won the 1998 1-A title, ironically over North Edgecombe, the year after Holt left for Tennessee High in Bristol, Tenn.

That was two stops before Holt landed for his six-year stay as the Gryphons' head coach.

First Annual Coleman-Pitt Post 58 American Legion Baseball Camp set for Dec. 28, 29

First Annual Coleman-Pitt Post 58 American Legion Baseball Camp is set for Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 28 and 29 at Nash Central High School.

It will be open to students in 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 and outfield play. 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 $75 if registered and paid by Dec. 20. Walk-ins will be allowed for $100.

The cost of the camp includes instruction, beverages, and a t-shirt. Participants need to bring 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.

Here is the schedule:

Tuesday, Dec. 28

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Walk-in 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. - Pick up and departure

Wednesday, 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. - Pick up and departure

Camp instructors will be:

Pat Smith – Pitching - Head Coach, Rocky Mount High School – retired

Tony Guzzo – Catching - Head Coach, Nash Central Middle School. Previous experience at NCWC, VCU, Old Dominion, N.C State University and Louisburg.

Neil Avent – Infield play - scout for the Oakland Athletics. Played collegiately at Wake Forest.

Billy Best – Outfield play - scout for the Atlanta Braves

Billy Godwin – Hitting - Head Coach, East Carolina University

Hank Jones  - Head Coach, Coleman-Pitt Post 58 American Legion Baseball Team.

For more information, contact Hank Jones at 252-904-4995 or by email at hankjones@suddenlink.net

Gainey goes for No. 300 Friday night

RMHS girls coach Pam Gainey

Two area basketball coaches have won 300 games or more - SouthWest Edgecombe girls coach Sandra Langley and Northern Nash girls coach Grover Battle.

Rocky Mount girls coach Pam Gainey may join that club Friday eveving. Her squad will face Langley's team at SouthWest at approximately 6 p.m.

How much pressure is that? To get No. 300, her squad has to beat a team coached by a woman who has won over 600 games and four state titles. And they will be playing in a gym that was recently named after her (Sandra Shelton Langley Gym). 

Now that's pressure!

The Rocky Mount girls will be concluding a week that will have seen them play three contests on the road (and five straight games away from home). RMHS lost at South Central 58-48 Tuesday and it took a buzzer-beating 15-footer by junior Tia Hudgins Wednesday to beat Wilson Beddingfield 45-44 to go to 4-1 on the season.

2010 RMHS Gryphons Baseball Team Video Tribute

This video, sent to me by Joe Bell, is a tribute to the 2010 Rocky Mount High School Gryphons baseball team which won the Big East Conference championship with a 10-0 league record, advanced to the second round of the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs and ended the season with a record of 22-3.

Hudgins signs with AFL's Chicago Rush

Darius Hudgins, father of former Rocky Mount and Elon University great Terrell Hudgins, told me last week that Terrell has signed to play wide receiver with the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League.

The Rush, which plays its home game in the 17,000-seat Allstate Arena (formerly called the Rosemont Horizon), will open play on Monday, March 14 at Milwaukee in the Bradley Center.

The Rush have qualified for the playoffs every season of their existence, and won ArenaBowl XX in 2006 - its only losing season, but it went to the playoffs that season as a wildcard and ended up winning the championship.

Below is the Rush's 18-game schedule.

Though the NFL Network will broadcast the Rush twice this coming season (vs. Philadelphia, March 18; vs. Kansas City, April 22), you can listen to every Rush game. Just click here !

2011 Chicago Rush Schedule

Day, Date, Opponent, Time, Site

Monday, March 14 - @ Milwaukee, 7:30 p.m. - Bradley Center

Friday, March 18 - Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. - Allstate Arena
Friday, March 25 - San Jose, 7:30 p.m. - Allstate Arena
Saturday, April 2 - @ Cleveland, 3 p.m. - Quicken Loans Arena
Saturday, April 9 - BYE
Saturday, April 16 - @ Iowa,  7 p.m. - Wells Fargo Arena
Friday, April 22 - Kansas City, 7 p.m. - Allstate Arena
Saturday, April 30 - New Orleans, 7 p.m. - Allstate Arena
Saturday, May 7 - @ Tulsa, 7 p.m. - BOK Center
Saturday, May 14 @ Arizona, 7:30 p.m. - US Airways Center
Sunday, May 22 - Dallas, 3 p.m. - Allstate Arena

Sunday, May 29 - Tulsa, 3 p.m. - Allstate Arena

Saturday, June 4 - @ Kansas City, 1 p.m. - Sprint Center

Saturday, June 11 - BYE

Saturday, June 18 - @ Spokane, 9 p.m. - Spokane Center

Sunday, June 26 - Iowa, 3 p.m. - Allstate Arena

Friday, July 1 - Utah, 7:30 p.m. - Allstate Arena

Saturday, July 9 - @ Georgia, 6:35 p.m. - Gwinnett Center

Saturday, July 16 - @ Dallas, 7:30 p.m. - American Airlines Center

Saturday, July 23 - Milwaukee, 7 p.m. - Allstate Arena

* All times are Central Standard Time, home games in bold

Gryphon fans may remember Wolfpack killer!

All N.C. State had to do was to beat Maryland Saturday to make it to the ACC Championship Game and a rematch with Virginia Tech.

But the player who gunned down the Wolfpack to a 38-31 loss Saturday played before the home folks at the Rocky Mount Athletic Facility three short seasons ago.

With perhaps Rocky Mount's best-ever offense and defense taking the field to start the 2008 season, now Terrapin quarterback Danny O'Brien brought his East Forsyth team to Rocky Mount for that season's opening endowment game.

Ask the then 6-foot-3, 198-pound O'Brien how that Friday night went.

He was bothered and bewildered in a 43-14 loss to the Gryphons. O'Brien, who had verbally committed to Maryland the summer before, had a rough time dealing with a Rocky Mount defense that ended the season allowing just nine points a contest. RMHS had a 43-0 lead before O'Brien, who finished with just 76 yards passing, scored twice on scoring tosses against some second-string Gryphons.

But the redshirt freshman from Kernersville, whose dad played football at Notre Dame (who would think that with a name like O'Brien), went wild on the Pack Saturday. It's hard to believe he only got scholarship offers from the Terrapins, East Carolina and Duke.

Against one of the worst secondaries in the ACC, O'Brien, who has bulked up to 215 pounds, went 37-for-47 for 417 yards and four touchdowns. He's the first Terp signal caller to throw for 400 yards or more since 1993.

State came into the contest tied for last in the league in interceptions (eight) and ninth in touchdown passes allowed (16). The Pack was also in the bottom of the league in completion percentage allowed and total passing yards allowed. So getting toasted by anybody shouldn't come as a surprise.

But the only time area fans got to see O'Brien, he spent more time flat on his back.

NOTE: O'Brien has been named the ACC’s offensive and overall rookie of the year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. He wound up starting nine games for the 8-4 Terrapins and has passed for 2,257 yards and 21 touchdowns while throwing six interceptions.

Rocky Mount girls win Triangle Tip-off Tournament Saturday

Triangle Tip-off Tournament, Knightdale HS, Knightdale

GIRLS

Championship (Saturday)


Rocky Mount 62, Knightdale 55  (overtime)


RMH 8 - 11 - 15 - 13 - 15 -- 62
KHS 14 - 7 - 17 - 9 - 8 -- 55


RMH - Marquita Hines 19, J'Kyra Brown 15, Tia Hudgins 11, Timisha Walker 10 (10 reb), Seabreeze 7,

Records: RMH 3-0.

Semifinals (Friday)

Rocky Mount 68, Wake Forest-Rolesville 45

RMH - 21 - 23 - 16 - 8 -- 68

WF-R - 5 - 17 - 7 - 16 -- 45

RMH - Timisha Walker 11, Tia Hudgins 11, Marquita Hines 11, Kushunn Seabreeze 10, Brown 8, Richardson 7, Cooper 6.

BOYS


(Saturday)


Rocky Mount 44, Athens Drive 43


RMH - 12 - 8 - 17 - 7 -- 44
AD - 5 - 12 - 7 - 19 -- 43


RMH - Dante Battle 10, Brutus 9, Hines 8, Taylor 5, Cooper 3, Gainey 3, Applewhite 3, Bullock 2, Bailey 1.


Records: RMH 2-1

(Friday)

Millbrook 65, Rocky Mount 64

RMH - 16- 26 - 6 - 16 -- 64

MHS - 15 - 22 - 2 - 26 - 65

RMH - Tevin Taylor 22, Tecoby Hines 12, Cooper 7, Battle 6, Applewhite 5, Peoples 4, Bullock 3, Te. Hilliard 2, Ta. Hilliard 2, Jenkins 1.

Day 1 schedule - Triangle Tip-off Tournament

@ Knightdale High School,  Knightdale

Friday's schedule

Knightdale girls vs. Wilson Fike, 11 a.m.
Wake Forest-Rolesville boys vs. Wilson Fike, 12:30 p.m.
Rocky Mount girls vs. Wake Forest-Rolesville, 2 p.m
Millbrook boys vs. Rocky Mount, 3:30 p.m.
East Chapel Hill boys vs. Athens Drive, 5 p.m.
Knightdale boys vs. Sanderson, 6:30 p.m.

A record six Gryphons make All-Big East boys soccer team

A record six Gryphons have been named to the 2010 Big East All-Conference boys soccer team. As you might guess, seniors (four) dominate this lineup for Rocky Mount.

The Gryphons, conference regular season champions, finished the season with a school record 22 wins (22-2-2) but fell in the third round of the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs.

A Rocky Mount player was selected Defensive Player of the Year - goalie Drew Gorham. Three Gryphons were named to the Region 3 All-region team, including Gorham.

All-Big East Boys Soccer Team

First Team


• Andrew Morales, Rocky Mount
• Matt Williams, Rocky Mount
• Drew Gorham, Rocky Mount
• Paul Lilley, Rocky Mount
• Mark Gray, Rocky Mount
• Robert Chambless, Rocky Mount
• Eric O’Brien, Wilson Hunt
• Will Jacobs, Wilson Hunt
• Linwood White, Wilson Hunt
• Raul Hernandez, Wilson Hunt
• Matthew Westbrook, Wilson Hunt
• Philip Packard, Wilson Fike
• Rob Brown, Wilson Fike
• Kyle Lewis, Wilson Fike
• Nick James, Wilson Fike
• Josh Barnes, Southern Nash
• Moises Gonzalez, Southern Nash
• Adam Hatchel, Southern Nash
• Isai Gonzales, Northern Nash
• Dylan Hendricks, Northern Nash
• Zach Connor, Nash Central
• Turner Votipka, Nash Central

Honorable Mention

• Lee McAvoy, Rocky Mount
• Jose Rojas, Wilson Hunt
• Keith Higgs, Wilson Fike
• Cody Joyner, Southern Nash
• Jeff Powell, Northern Nash
• Alex Whitehead, Nash Central

• Big East Conference Champion Coach: Drew Nick, Rocky Mount
• Big East Offensive Player of the Year: Eric O’Brien, Wilson Hunt
• Big East Defensive Player of the Year: Drew Gorham, Rocky Mount


All-Region Team

First Team

• Josh Barnes, Southern Nash
• Rob Brown, Wilson Fike
• Daniel Goff, Erwin Triton
• Isai Gonzales, Northern Nash
• Drew Gorham, Rocky Mount
• Will Jacobs, Wilson Hunt
• Kyle Lewis, Wilson Fike
• Andrew Morales, Rocky Mount
• Eric O’Brien, Wilson Hunt
• Philip Packard, Wilson Fike
• Logan Rash, Currituck
• Linwood White, Wilson Hunt
• Matt Williams, Rocky Mount

• Regional Coach of the Year: John Matthews, Southern Nash

Moss signs with North Carolina

Senior Benton Moss signs last week with UNC. (Photo/Ashley Moss)

 Rocky Mount senior pitcher Benton Moss has signed a national letter-of-intent to play baseball at the University of North Carolina. Moss signed on the dotted line last Thursday.

I am hoping he will not need the scholarship should he win the coveted Morehead-Cain Scholarship, for which he has been nominated. Former East Bladen standout and one-time Washington National Tyrell Godwin (UNC '01) was the last UNC baseball player to win the prestigious honor.

Moss, who is just six wins away from becoming Rocky Mount High School's all-time winningest pitcher, as a freshman (7-0 record) helped the Gryphons win a state title in 2008. He verbally committed to the Tar Heels the summer before his junior season after turning down offers from East Carolina, N.C. State and South Carolina.

He needs just five strikeouts to become the Gryphons' all-time leader (record held by Jeremy Ward of 216) and has compiled an eye-catching 23-2 career mark on the hill for the Gryphons.

Moss was also named last week to Baseball America's list of the top 100 high school baseball seniors in the country. He made the list at No. 85. To see the complete list, click here!

Goodwin suspended from UNC baseball squad

Former Rocky Mount High School standout and 2009 N.C. Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year Brian Goodwin has been suspended from the University of North Carolina baseball team (Photo/David Hahula)

 CHAPEL HILL - University of North Carolina sophomore outfielder Brian Goodwin has been suspended for the 2011 spring semester for violating University policy. He plans to return to North Carolina for the 2011-12 academic year.

Goodwin, a native of Rocky Mount, started all 60 games last year, batted .291 and was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America. He led the Tar Heels last season in games started (60), RBI (63), triples (8) and walks (45).

This case is not related to the University and NCAA’s investigation into the North Carolina football program.

Rocky Mount 2010-11 Basketball Schedules

I have gotten several requests to run the Rocky Mount varsity boys/girls basketball schedules for the 2010-11 season, so here it is below.

A plus to the schedule - the Gryphons will not only host the annual Nash County Christmas Basketball Tournament (before Christmas for the first time in years and will be played over three days instead of two), but they will also entertain the Big East Conference for its cage tournament in mid-February.

Yes, it will be nice to stay home for once during the winter cage season!

ROCKY MOUNT 2010-11 VARSITY BOYS/GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
(Start times: Girls, 6 p.m.; Boys, 7:30 p.m.)

Nov. 23 - GREENVILLE ROSE
Nov. 26 - Triangle Tip-off Tournament, Knightdale HS; Girls 2 p.m./Boys 5 p.m.
Nov. 27 - Triangle Tip-off Tournament, Knightdale HS ; TBA
Nov. 30 - @ South Central
Dec. 1 - @ Wilson Beddingfield
Dec. 2 - @ SouthWest Edgecombe
Dec. 7 - WILSON BEDDINGFIELD
Dec. 8 - SOUTHWEST EDGECOMBE
Dec. 10 - SOUTH CENTRAL
Dec. 15 - @ Hertford County
Dec. 17 - @ Greenville Rose
Dec. 20 - NASH COUNTY CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT @ RMHS
Dec. 21 - NASH COUNTY CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT @ RMHS
Dec. 22 - NASH COUNTY CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT @ RMHS

Jan. 5 - HERTFORD COUNTY

Jan. 7 - NASH CENTRAL*
Jan. 14 - WILSON HUNT*
Jan. 18 - @ Wilson Fike*
Jan. 21 - SOUTHERN NASH*

Jan. 25 - @ Northern Nash*

Jan. 28 - @ Nash Central*

Feb. 1 - @ Wilson Hunt*

Feb. 4 - WILSON FIKE*

Feb. 8 - @ Southern Nash*

Feb. 11 - NORTHERN NASH*

Feb. 14-18 - BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ RMHS

* Big East Conference games

Gryphon cagers to play in Triangle Tip-off Tournament Thanksgiving weekend

KNIGHTDALE - Like last season, both of Rocky Mount's varsity basketball teams will play in the Triangle Tip-off Tournament at Knightdale High School next Friday and Saturday. HighSchoolOT.com is the title sponsor of the event.

Jamborees open Rocky Mount's cage season

Basketball will take centerstage in Rocky Mount athletics starting Thursday with the girls' team hitting the courts for a Jamboree beginning at 2 p.m.

Squads from Bertie, North Edgecombe, Northern Nash, Rocky Mount Prep and Southen Nash will be attending.

Saturday, it will be the boys' turn as several teams will join the Gryphons on the hardwood in a Jamboree in their two gyms beginning at 9 a.m.

The Gryphons will face such schools as Wilson Beddingfield, Bertie, Eastern Wayne, Goldsboro, Greenville Rose, Wilson Hunt, North Lenior and Rocky Mount Prep. 

Also of note, after scrimmages with South Central (girls, Sat., Nov. 13, away) and Westover (boys, Tues., Nov. 16, home), both RM varisty teams will open the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 23 at home against Greenville Rose.

Girls' head coach Pam Gainey, who will start her 18th season at the helm, needs just five wins to reach the 300-career win plateau.

Can the Gryphon boys repeat as 3-A state champions? They are going to give it a run!

PAM GAINEY - girls basketball

2009-10 - 17-6, Big East champ, playoffs

2008-09 - 22-5, NEW 6 champ, tourney champ, playoffs
2007-08 - 23-2, NEW 6 champ, tourney champ, playoffs
2006-07 - 16-11, playoffs
2005-06 - 8-18, playoffs
2004-05 - 17-8, Big East champs, playoffs
2003-04 - 23-5, Big East champs, tourney champs, playoffs
2002-03 - 22-3, Big East champs, tourney champs, playoffs
2001-02 - 20-3, Big East champs, tourney champs, playoffs
2000-01 - 24-3, Big East champs, tourney champs, playoffs
1999-00 - 20-5, Big East champs, tourney champs, playoffs
1998-99 - 20-6, playoffs
1997-98 - 12-12, playoffs
1996-97 - 12-13, playoffs
1995-96 - 14-10, playoffs
1994-95 - 15-10, playoffs
1993-94 - 10-14

Career - 295-134, .688 winning percentage (start of 18th season)

(Nine conference titles, seven conference tournament crowns, eight 20-win seasons, one sectional title, 16 straight playoff appearances)
)

MIKE GAINEY - boys basketball

2009-10 - 24-3, Big East champ, playoffs, sectional champs, 3-A state championship
2008-09 - 17-11, NEW 6 tourney champ, playoffs
2007-08 - 19-7, NEW 6 champs, tourney champs, playoffs
2006-07 - 14-14, playoffs
2005-06 - 16-12, NEW 6 champs, tourney champs, sectional champs
2004-05 - 17-9, playoffs
2003-04 - 22-7, playoffs
2002-03 - 25-2, Big East champs, tourney champs, sectional champs
2001-02 - 19-2, Big East champs, tourney champs, playoffs
2000-01 - 13-11, playoffs

1999-00 - 12-12, playoffs

1998-99 - 16-10, Big East tourney champs, playoffs

1997-98 - 17-6, playoffs

Career - 231-106, .685 winning percentage (start of 14th season)

(Five conference titles, six conference tournament crowns, three 20-win seasons, three sectional titles, one NCHSAA state title, made playoffs all 13 seasons)

Bell awarded Babe Ruth Baseball scholarship

TRENTON, N.J. – Spencer Bell, a 2010 International Baccalaureate graduate of Rocky Mount High School, has been selected to receive a scholarship from Babe Ruth League, Inc.

In 2001, Babe Ruth League, Inc. established a College Scholarship Program for players who participated in the Babe Ruth League Baseball and Softball divisions. Bell is one of 10 former Babe Ruth League players from across the United States to be awarded a scholarship in 2010.

Bell played in the Nash County, North Carolina, Babe Ruth League in 2005 and 2006. He was a starter on the 2006 Nash County 14-Year-Old Babe Ruth All-Star team which advanced to the championship game of the 2006 14-Year-Old Babe Ruth World Series held in Wilson. During the World Series, Bell was named as the Ron Tellefsen Player of the Game in Nash County’s game versus Roseburg, Ore.

Bell, the son of Joe and Amy Bell, is a freshman at N.C. State University where he is majoring in Zoology.

Congrats, Coach Loes!

Give the man credit. He knows his baseball!

In a recent Gryphon Grapevine poll of the Big East Conference's baseball coaches on how the World Series would turn out, Northern Nash head baseball coach Eddie Loesner was the only one of the six to pick the San Francisco Giants.

And he said in six!

Well, the Giants did him one better and did it in five games, 4-1.

His counterparts had Texas winning in six or seven games.

Said Loesner in a recent email, " (It's) good to be right every once in a while."

Rocky Mount vs. Northern Nash - The Series

As controversial as their 2009 matchup was, Northern Nash will be really psyched about making this year's trip to Rocky Mount.

The Gryphons have won seven meetings in a row and shutout the Knights four of their last six meetings. But with Collins Cuthell scoring a questionable touchdown with less than four seconds left in their 15-12 meeting at Death Valley last November, Northern's players and coaches have had this game in their sights since.

Will Rocky Mount's rule of the series end this season and put the Knights atop the Big East Conference? Will the Gryphons end their season on a high note?

Well, that's why they play the game - and we all will get to see it Friday starting at 7:30 p.m.

ROCKY MOUNT vs. NORTHERN NASH

RMHS leads 24-17

2009 - RM wins, 15-12
2008 - RM wins, 49-0
2007 - RM wins, 54-21
2006 - RM wins, 54-0
2005 - RM wins, 21-0
2004 - RM wins, 40-0
2003 - RM wins, 21-14
2002 - NN wins, 47-6
2001 - NN wins, 48-13
2000 - NN wins, 48-28
1999 - NN wins, 21-20
1998 - RM wins, 21-7
1997 - RM wins, 28-12
1996 - RM wins, 39-12
1995 - RM wins, 14-12
1994 - NN wins, 54-31
1993 - NN wins, 28-12
1992 - RM wins, 13-7, OT
1991 - NN wins 21-19
1990 - RM wins 35-7
1989 - NN wins 20-18
1988 - NN wins 21-6
1987 - NN wins 13-10, OT
1986 - NN wins 34-14
1985 - NN wins 14-12
1984 - RM wins 20-7
1983 - RM wins 21-14
1982 - NN wins 21-13
1981 - NN wins 21-16
1980 - RM wins 21-18
1979 - RM wins 21-14
1978 - RM wins 22-0
1977 - RM wins 23-6
1976 - NN wins 20-6
1975 - NN wins 18-6
1974 - RM wins 21-7
1973 - RM wins 28-16
1972 - RM wins 21-6
1971 - NN wins 14-8
1970 - RM wins 21-12
1969 - RM wins 20-0

SERIES TRENDS:

1. Rocky Mount has won 14 times scoring 21 points or less. Northern has done it nine times.

2. Rocky Mount has shut out Northern Nash six times - four times in the last six seasons, but the Knights have never shut out the Gryphons.

3. Until Northern's first-quarter score in the 2007 tilt, the Knights went scoreless in the series for straight 14 quarters.

4. Both teams have won a contest in overtime.

5. Rocky Mount is the first team in the series to win seven consecutive games.

6. The two teams actually played a game at Nash Central. Yes, in NCHS' first season of existence (had only a JV team - 2002), RM played all its home games at Nash Central's Dawg Pound due to terrible field conditions at Rocky Mount. That was also the last year NN beat RM (47-6).