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May 2008
More Gryphons on the way
8 p.m. The game and the series and the season are in the past, but the Telegram will continue to provide coverage of the Rocky Mount High baseball team, the NCHSAA 3-A state champions.
Click online at www.rockymounttelegram.com later tonight to read more about the Gryphons, then pick up a special championship edition of the Telegram on Sunday morning.
— Jessie H. Nunery breaks down a long and exhausting and exhilarating day for the Gryphons — a day that culminated with the fifth crown in team history and the first since 1980.
— Matt LaWell highlights a down-and-up day for Chris Berry, who struggled and picked up the loss in game two, but sparked the Gryphons at the plate and on the mound in game three.
— H. Williams Kellenberger, in his last column for the Telegram, takes a look at center fielder Brian Goodwin, a junior who committed to North Carolina more than a year ago and a rising star who some are calling the best player in Rocky Mount history.
— And Alan Campbell shares dozens of photographs from an historic day for Rocky Mount, both in the Telegram and in a slideshow online at www.rockymounttelegram.com
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CHAMPIONS
7 p.m. After more than a quarter of a century of disappointment and shattered dreams, the Rocky Mount High baseball team is on top of the state.
The Gryphons jumped out to an early, then held on for one of the bigger wins in the history of the program early Saturday night, an 8-6 win over the East Rowan Mustangs in game three of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series at Five County Stadium in Zebulon.
The Gryphons scored all eight of their runs in the first four innings, then pushed away the Mustangs. Brian Goodwin batted 1-for-2 with a triple and three runs scored, and received the series MVP award. Chris Berry batted 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI, and picked up the save with a 1-2-3 seventh inning. And Benton Moss, a freshman and all of 15 years old, earned another win, his seventh this season against no losses.
The state championship is the fifth for Rocky Mount. The team previously won 4-A state crowns in 1963, 1967, 1973 and 1980.
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Rocky Mount baseball three outs from state crown
6:50 p.m. The Rocky Mount Gryphons are three outs from a state championship. But the East Rowan Mustangs are closing the gap.
East Rowan scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday night to close within 8-6 of Rocky Mount in game three of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series at Five County Stadium in Zebulon. Starter Benton Moss allowed the first run. Reliever Nick Hahula gave up two more in relief.
Even going into the seventh inning, this game is far from over.
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Gryphons closing in on state championship
6:30 p.m. Six more outs. Only six more outs.
The Rocky Mount Gryphons lead the East Rowan Mustangs, 8-3, after five innings on Saturday night in game three of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship and are now two innings, or six outs, away from the fifth title in program history.
Neither the Gryphons nor the Mustangs scored in the fifth inning.
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Gryphons stretch lead just a little more
6:20 p.m. The Rocky Mount Gryphons are closer and closer to their fifth state championship. The Gryphons scored two more runs in the top of the fourth inning early Saturday night to take an 8-3 lead over the East Rowan Mustangs in the third game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series
Brian Goodwin tripled off the center-field wall with one out, then scored his third run of the game five pitches later after Chris Berry singled down the left-field line. Berry rounded the bases and scored thanks to hit batter, a fielder’s choice out and a wild pitch that caromed to the backstop.
Rocky Mount starter Benton Moss worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the inning without giving up a run.
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East Rowans chips away at Rocky Mount lead
5:55 p.m. Rocky Mount was unable to score again in the top of the third inning Saturday afternoon, but East Rowan scored two runs, both thanks to sacrifice flies, to cut the Gryphons’ lead to 6-3 after three innings.
Rocky Mount starter Benton Moss walked Ben Decelle to open the inning. Then Justin Roland doubled to left, Zach Smith hit a sac fly to right to score Decelle, and Micah Jarrett hit a sac fly to center to score Roland.
The Gryphons still lead, 6-3 after three, but the lead is shrinking.
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Rocky Mount busts out big inning, big lead
5:40 p.m. If the Gryphons continue to hit like they have early during this third game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series, there will be little drama and little doubt about who will take home a title.
Rocky Mount scored four more runs in the top of the second to build a 6-1 lead and chase East Rowan starter Cody Laws.
Dillon Cockrell doubled and Gabe Brown singled him home to start the inning. After two straight ground outs, new pitcher Kent Basinger intentionally walked Brian Goodwin (the intentional walk was the second for Goodwin in as many at-bats and his fourth in 10 plate appearances this series). Then Chris Berry ripped a two-run double to left and Ben Fish followed with an RBI double to deep center.
Benton Moss retired the Mustangs in order in the bottom of the inning.
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Gryphons strike first, Mustangs strike back
5:20 p.m. Rocky Mount scored first Saturday afternoon in game three of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship, but East Rowan wasted little time in responding.
The Gryphons scored two runs in the top of the first inning after William Barringer and Brian Goodwin both walked, and Chris Berry and Jim Leggett each knocked singles just inside third base and down the right-field line.
The Mustangs scored one run in the bottom of the innning after Justin Roland tripled to right to lead off the inning and sprinted home a couple pitches later thanks to a wild pitch by Rocky Mount starter Benton Moss.
An inning in, and we might be in for a wild one. Gryphons lead, 2-1.
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Rocky Mount-East Rowan starting lineups, game three
Rocky Mount High (26-6)
16 William Barringer LF —- 1 Grant Johnson 1B —- 15 Brian Goodwin CF —- 14 Chris Berry RF —- 7 Ben Fish C —- 5 Jim Leggett DH —- 6 Collins Cuthrell 3B —- 10 Dillon Cockrell SS —- 2 Gabe Brown 2B
East Rowan (29-4)
10 Justin Roland SS —- 6 Zach Smith RF —- 2 Micah Jarrett CF —- 9 Trey Holmes 1B —- 11 Corbin Shive DH —- 16 Noah Holmes 3B —- 1 Ethan Fisher 2B —- 14 Austin Shull C —- 4 Ben Decelle LF
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Game three — here we go
4:55 p.m. The umpires, wonderful or horrible depending on your point of view, are walking toward home plate. So are Rocky Mount coach Pat Smith and East Rowan coach Brian Hightower. Lineup cards are being passed from hand to hand. Game three of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series in on deck, scheduled to start in about five minutes.
And the winner will take home the trophy.
Rocky Mount won game one, of course, 7-4, on Friday night. East Rowan leveled the series with a 6-2 win in game two Saturday afternoon. And now this.
In other news, Greenville Rose won another 4-A state crown. The Rampants swept Ardrey Kell with a 5-3 win Friday night in eight innings, then scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday afternoon for a 4-3 win and their fifth title in 12 seasons.
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White the new man in charge at Duke
1:15 p.m. After a two-month search across the nation and a year of strategic planning, Duke officials turned to a man with ties to another strong academic university to take the top spot in the athletics department in Durham.
University officials introduced Kevin White on Saturday afternoon as the seventh athletics director in school history. White worked for eight years as the athletics director at Notre Dame.
White will replace Joe Alleva, who moved from Duke to the top spot in the athletics department at Louisiana State in April.
The move is the second major hire for the Blue Devils in a little less than six months. David Cutcliffe was hired in December as the new Blue Devils football coach to replace Ted Roof.
The official Duke University news release follows.
DURHAM, N.C. — Kevin White, the director of athletics at the University of Notre Dame since 2001, will become Duke University’s vice president and director of athletics, President Richard H. Brodhead announced Saturday. The appointment is subject to approval of the university’s board of trustees.
“Kevin White is in the first rank of athletics directors nationally and will make a perfect fit for Duke,” Brodhead said. “He has led coaches and players to the highest levels of athletic attainment while always remembering the larger goals of education. He is a superb communicator and a famous developer of the talent of others. He knows the business of intercollegiate athletics. And the quality of experience of student athletes is his highest priority. He is a passionate, inspiring leader. I am delighted to welcome him to Duke.”
White succeeds Joe Alleva, who resigned in April to accept the athletics director position at LSU.
White, 57, has led Notre Dame’s athletics program to success both on the playing fields and in the classroom, He also has held a number of prominent national leadership roles within intercollegiate athletics, including his service in 2006-07 as president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and in 2005-06 as president of the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association.
His appointment follows a year-long strategic planning process for Duke Athletics.
“Simply stated, I am thrilled to be coming to Duke University,” said White. “I have the highest regard for this institution and am excited about the opportunities in front of us. I look forward to building great relationships with President Brodhead and the University leadership, the faculty, our student-athletes, coaches and staff, and the wider Durham community.”
Roy Bostock, a Duke alumnus and former trustee, chaired the 12-person search committee that carried out a national search for candidates and unanimously recommended White to Brodhead.
In his charge to the search committee, Brodhead had outlined a number of qualities he wanted the director of athletics to possess, including a commitment to “Duke’s special tradition of athletic and academic excellence.” Duke teams have won five national championships since 2000 and the university regularly is among the nation’s leaders in overall athletic and academic performance. Duke’s graduation rates for its student-athletes have ranked among the best in the nation, with its most recent Federal Graduation Rate at 91 percent.
Duke has been the top-ranked Division I school in the nation each of the last three years in the National Collegiate Scouting Association Power Rankings, which combine a school’s Directors’ Cup finish, athletic graduation rates and academic ranking in U.S. News and World Report. The Blue Devils also have finished among the top dozen schools and among the top five private universities in the last three Division I Directors’ Cup, which rates athletics departments nationwide based on the performance of its teams.
In May, Duke’s Board of Trustees approved the school’s first Strategic Plan for Athletics, a broad vision for bolstering the experience and development of Duke’s student-athletes while enhancing recreational opportunities for members of the entire university community. The plan calls for significant facilities development, strengthening of athletic scholarships and expanded programs for both intercollegiate teams and student recreation. It anticipates considerable resource development to ensure that Duke maintains and enhances its national leadership in both athletics and academics. The plan is available at: http://news.duke.edu/reports/athleticsstrategyfinal.pdf.
Notre Dame traditionally has been a leader in the priority areas identified in Duke’s plan. During White’s eight years at Notre Dame, the Irish claimed four national championships — women’s basketball (2001); fencing (2003 and 2005) and women’s soccer (2004).
On the academic front, all of Notre Dame’s 26 athletic programs achieved at least a 3.0 grade-point average in 2005-06, the first time this occurred in school history. The university received a 2002 USA Today/NCAA Academic Achievement Award for graduating 90 percent of its student-athletes within a certain time frame, and also received the 2003 award for highest overall student-athlete graduation rate (92 percent).
White added a number of varsity scholarships and commissioned a facilities master plan that has guided Notre Dame’s subsequent upgrading or opening of several athletics facilities. He also administered a comprehensive intramural, club sport and campus recreation program, with 95 percent of the student body participating. Sports Illustrated On Campus rated the Irish intramural program tops in the nation in 2004.
White, who holds a Ph.D. in education, has taught graduate-level classes since 1982 and currently teaches a sports business course in the management department of the Mendoza College of Business as part of Notre Dame’s MBA program.
In August 2003, SI.com (the Sports Illustrated web site) listed White third in its rankings of the most powerful people in college football. In January 2004, The Sporting News listed him in its Power 100 as third among five names in the “front office” category (and the lone college athletics director among the 100).
White currently is a representative with the football Bowl Championship Series. He previously served on numerous NCAA committees, including the NCAA Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) that deals with academics, fiscal reform and student-athlete well-being. He also was an ex-officio member of the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance and a member of its Penalty and Rewards subcommittee.
Prior to joining Notre Dame in 2000, White served as athletic director at Arizona State University, Tulane University, the University of Maine and Loras College in Iowa, where he originated the National Catholic Basketball Tournament.
Before becoming an administrator, White served as head track and field coach at Southeast Missouri State (1981-82) and assistant cross country and track and field coach at Central Michigan (1976-80). He began his coaching career at Gulf High School in New Port Richey, Fla., coaching cross country and track and assisting in football and wrestling.
White earned his Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University in 1983 with an emphasis on higher education administration. In 1985, he completed postdoctoral work at Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management. He earned his master’s degree in athletics administration from Central Michigan University in 1976 and his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1972 from St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., where he also competed as a sprinter.
White and his wife, Jane, a former college track and field coach who is now an instructor with Notre Dame’s physical education department, have five children.
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East Rowan beats Rocky Mount, game three up at 5 p.m.
1 p.m. East Rowan jumped out to an early lead Saturday morning against Rocky Mount High, then held on late for a 6-2 win in the second game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series at Five County Stadium in Zebulon. That means the teams will play game three, winner takes all and everything in between, at 5 p.m. today.
With that in mind, take a look at the breakdown of state championship series since the format switched from one game to a best-of-three series in all classes in 1966.
In the 4-A classification, the team that picked up a win in game one turned in a sweep in 20 of 39 series (.513), and won 15 of the 19 remaining series (.789) in three games. Four teams (.103) have come back from a 1-0 hole to win games two and three.
In 3-A, the game one winner rolled to a sweep in 26 of 40 series (.650), and won eight of the 14 remaining series (.571). Six teams rallied from 1-0 deficits (.150).
In 2-A, the game one winner swept 26 of 41 series (.634), and won seven of the 15 remaining series (.467). Eight teams came back from early holes to win the crown (.195).
And in 1-A, the game one winner swept 24 of 41 series (.584), and won seven of the remaining 17 series (.412). Ten teams rallied to win games two and three (.244).
Add up those numbers, and teams that won game one swept 96 of 161 series (.596), and won 37 of the 65 remaining series (.569). There have been 28 come-from behind rallies (.174).
All of which means, well, the odds remain in favor of the Gryphons, but not nearly as much as they were Friday night. Only six teams have ever rallied to win games two and three in the 3-A classification in 42 years. Will the East Rowan Mustangs be the seventh? Or will the Gryphons hang on for their fifth state crown in school history? Check back at 5 p.m. for game three.
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Welcome to Rocky Mount High vs. East Rowan II
10:37 — Overcast skies and boys in the outfield. We are certainly close to gametime now.
Back later with lineups.
10:57 a.m. — Lineups.
EAST ROWAN
No. 10 Justin Roland, 1
No. 6 Zach Smith, 8
No. 2 Micah Jarrett, 6
No. 9 Trey Holmes, 3
No. 11 Corbin Shive, DH
No. 16 Noah Holmes, 5
No. 1 Ethan Fisher, 4
No. 14 Austin Shull, 2
No. 4 Ben Decelle, 7
ROCKY MOUNT HIGH
No. 16 William Barringer, 7
No. 1 Grant Johnson, 3
No. 15 Brian Goodwin, 8
No. 14 Chris Berry, 1
No. 7 Ben Fish, 2
No. 5 Jim Leggett, DH
No. 6 Collins Cuthrell, 5
No. 10 Dillon Cockrell, 6
No. 2 Gabe Brown, 4
11:10 a.m. — Strange start of the game. Roland got a double that was just out of reach of Gryphons left fielder William Barringer. Barringer’s throw to the infield sailed, and ended up at the first-base side dugout. Roland ended up at third base.
Berry walked Smith. Man on first and third.
Jarrett ended up at third, scoring two runs. He hit a single down the left field line that Barringer misplayed. 1b, E 7. 2-0, East Rowan
Holmes flew out to CF, Jarrett scores. 3-0, East Rowan
Shive to pitcher. Two outs.
Holmes to 2b. Three outs.
Mid first.
11:15 a.m. — Barringer flew out to right.
Two outs. Goodwin fielder’s choice. On first.
Berry infield pop. Three outs.
Top second.
Shull got caught stealing. Decelle walked. Decelle stole second.
Roland pops out to Johnson in foul territory.
Mid second.
11:28 a.m. -- Ben Fish flies to center.
Four pitch walk to Leggett.
Cuthrell grounds into a double play.
Top third.
Towering ball to the warning track in center field by Smith. Goodwin makes impressive, over-the-shoulder catch. One out.
Jarrett squibs one in front of the catcher. Toss to first. Two gone.
Holmes’ screaming shot just past shortstop. Single.
Shive singles to left.
Holmes lines to third.
Bottom third. 11:43 a.m. — Great stop by second baseman Fisher of Cockrell’s grounder. To first, one out.
Brown struck out.
Barringer singles.
Johnson grounds to short.
Top fourth.
11:50 a.m. — One out.
Shull pops to center. Two gone.
Can to Johnson. First one-two-three inning for the Gryphons.
Mid fourth.
Ground rule double by Goodwin. He hit a shot to the corner down the left-field line. Bounced over the foul line wall.
Berry moves the runner to third with a grounder to second. One out.
Dribbler to the pitcher. Two out.
The Gryphons are on the board. Leggett — with an 0-2 count — singles to right field. Goodwin scores.
3-1, East Rowan
Cuthrell strikes out.
Top fifth.
12:03 p.m. — Roland strikes out. One out.
Smith grounder to short. Two outs.
Triple by Jarrett. Nice shot down the right-field line. Tough hop for Carter Varnell, Rocky Mount’s right fielder.
Back to back triples for East Rowan. Holmes’ shot landed in the right-field gap. He’s standing on third base now.
4-1, East Rowan.
Shive strikes out.
Mid fifth.
12:10 p.m. — Cockrell grounds to third. One out.
Brown grounds to the pitcher. Two out.
Barringer on second after a high pop to short center. Short had called for it. Couldn’t get it.
Johnson doubles to left field down the line. Barringer scores.
4-2, East Rowan.
Goodwin intentional walks. Gryphons on first and second, two outs.
Berry grounds to first, Holmes tags first.
Top sixth.
12:20 p.m. — Berry’s throw hits Holmes. Man on first.
Coach Pat Smith visits the mound. Nick Hahula warming.
Shull walks.
12:26 p.m. — NEW PITCHER: Nick Hahula.
Decelle bunts to Hahula. Two outs. Runners move up to second and third.
Roland grounds to third. Cuthrell misthrows the ball. Two-base error. Roland on second.
Two runs score.
6-2, East Rowan.
Smith flies to center.
12:32 p.m. — Mid sixth.
Berry’s final 5 1-3, 7 hits, 6 runs, 4 earned, 3 walks, 4 ks.
Fish flies to center. One out.
Leggett grounds to short. Two out.
Kent Basinger warming for East Rowan.
Cuthrell grounds to short.
Top seventh.
12:38 p.m. — Jarrett singles a shot up the middle.
Holmes grounds to short. Cockrell steps on second and throws out Holmes at first.
Two outs.
Shive grounds to third.
Mid seventh.
Cockrell strikes out.
Brown chops to short. Two out.
Barringer singles to the gap in right field.
Johnson singles to right field. Barringer stops at second.
The umpire said Goodwin went on an inside pitch.
Final score: East Rowan wins, 6-2.
Game three will be at 5 p.m. It will determine the state champion.
Back with more then.
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Day two, game two coming up soon
10:30 a.m. Fat, white clouds fill the sky and the experts forecast rain and isolated thunderstorms, but don’t bother telling that to the hundreds of Rocky Mount High fans who already starting pour into Five County Stadium in Zebulon.
The Gryphons are a little more than a half hour away from game two of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series against the East Rowan Mustangs — and one win away from the fifth baseball state crown in school history. The Gryphons will be the home team this morning, and Chris Berry will be on the mound for the team.
The Gryphons (26-5) are on the field, stretching and warming up. The Mustangs (28-4), dressed even better today than they were Friday — their road uniforms are cream with red-and-navy blue piping, with high red socks with horizontal navy blue stripes and six-panel red, white and blue caps — are sitting around their dugout. Classic rock is blasting out of the p.a. speakers. The stadium is starting to fill up.
Game two is on the way.
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More Gryphons on the way
7:30 p.m. Want to read more about the mighty Rocky Mount High baseball team? Click online at www.rockymounttelegram.com and pick up a Telegram in the morning on your way back to Five County Stadium in Zebulon.
The Gryphons beat the East Rowan Mustangs, 7-4, on Friday night in the first game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series and the Telegram will provide full coverage of the win.
H. Williams Kellenberger breaks down what worked for the Gryphons in the definitive game story.
Jessie H. Nunery highlights Collins Cuthrell, Dillon Cockrell and Gabe Brown, the ferocious 7-8-9 hitters who drove in plenty of early runs and helped the Gryphons build their lead.
And Matt LaWell provides a scene to remember from the win — and perspective from a handful of big-name Gryphons — in a column.
The Telegram sports blog will also return at 11 a.m. Saturday for game two of the championship series.
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Gryphons win game one, now one win from crown
6:48 p.m. Rocky Mount is one win away from a state championship.
The Gryphons beat the East Rowan Mustangs, 7-4, early Friday night at Five County Stadium in Zebulon in the first game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series.
The Gryphons did not score in the seventh inning, but neither did the Mustangs. Gryphons starter Jim Leggett retired the side, in order, in the inning, each out receiving a louder ovation from a crowd of Rocky Mount fans stretched up and down the seats along the first-base line.
And now, before dinner and prime-time television and the Friday night movie surge, the Gryphons are up 1-0 in the biggest series for the program in more than a quarter-century. Game two will start in a little more than 16 hours. Another big win might not be far behind that.
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Gryphons close in on first win
6:35 p.m. Rocky Mount scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning of the first game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series to build a comfortable 7-4 lead going into the seventh. Now the Gryphons are within three outs of a 1-0 series lead and 24 outs from a state crown.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, second baseman Gabe Brown reached on a fielder’s error and, five pitches later, scored after left fielder William Barringer hit a high and long triple to deep left field. First baseman Grant Johnson hustled out an infield single on the next pitch to drive in Barringer.
The Gryphons scored two unearned runs and had wrapped up an important two-run rally.
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East Rowan cuts into lead
6:20 p.m. With innings and outs in increasingly short supply, East Rowan scored two bigs in the bottom of the fifth inning of the first game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series. The Gryphons lead, 5-4, after five.
East Rowan second baseman Ethan Fisher doubled to lead off the inning, but appeared as if he would remain stranded at second base after Austin Shull struck out and Ben Decelle grounded out to second base. But Rocky Mount starter Jim Leggett walked Justin Roland, and Zach Smith doubled to drive in two runs.
The game is close again, at least for now.
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Gryphons grab lead, open up game
5:55 p.m. The Gryphons already turned in their second big rally of these early innings during the first game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship.
Rocky Mount scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning to grab a 5-2 lead and, with starter Jim Leggett pitching well on the mound, grab control, too.
Catcher Ben Fish started the inning with a five-pitch walk, Leggett received a fastball in the back and third baseman Collins Cuthrell singled up the middle to score Fish. After shortstop Dillon Cockrell dropped a sacrifice bunt, second baseman Gabe Brown singled up the middle to score courtesy runner Nick Phillips and Cuthrell.
Now more than halfway through, the Gryphons are closing in on a 1-0 series lead.
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Rocky Mount settles in after three
5:40 p.m. Rocky Mount starter Jim Leggett is starting to settle in and settle down after a shaky first inning. So are the Gryphons.
Rocky Mount and East Rowan are tied, 2-2, after three innings, and Leggett has retired nine straight batters after allowing the first two batters of the game to reach and score.
Five County Stadium is starting to fill up with more and more Rocky Mount students and parents. Guess the work day, and the traditional work week, is over for most folks.
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Rocky Mount strikes back
5:30 p.m. Rocky Mount wasted little time in matching East Rowan and knotting up this first game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship at 2-2 in the top of the second inning.
Designated hitter Chris Berry opened the inning with a sharp single up the middle, catcher Ben Fish walked on four pitches, pitcher Jim Leggett dropped a bunt down the third-base line that trickled far enough for a single and, on 11 pitches, the Gryphons loaded the bases against East Rowan starter Corbin Shive. Then third baseman Collins Cuthrell grounded into a double play to score one run, and shortstop Dillon Cockrell singled up the middle to drive in another.
Two innings down, and this game is tied at 2-2.
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East Rowan scores first
5:15 p.m. East Rowan scored first, and in a hurry, in the bottom of the first inning of the first game of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship series.
The Mustangs scored two runs in the inning after Justin Roland reached on a fielding error, Zach Smith tripled to the gap in right-center field and Micah Jarrett grounded out to score Smith.
The Gryphons were retired, in order, in the top of the first inning on five pitches.
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Rocky Mount High-East Rowan starting lineups
ROCKY MOUNT HIGH 16 William Barringer LF 1 Grant Johnson 1B 15 Brian Goodwin CF 14 Chris Berry DH 7 Ben Fish C 5 Jim Leggett P 6 Collins Cuthrell 3B 10 Dillon Cockrell SS 2 Gabe Brown 2B
EAST ROWAN 10 Justin Roland SS 6 Zach Smith RF 2 Micah Jarrett CF 9 Trey Holmes 1B 11 Corbin Shive P 16 Noah Holmes 3B 1 Ethan Fisher 2B 14 Austin Shull C 4 Ben Decelle LF
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Rocky Mount High baseball on the field
4:25 p.m. The parking lot at Five County Stadium is starting to fill up with cars and, yes, the famous Rocky Mount High wood shed. Blue and gold T-shirts are starting to pepper the seats. And the Gryphons are on the diamond, warming up.
Yes, the Gryphons and the East Rowan Mustangs are on the brink of the first pitches of the NCHSAA 3-A state championship. The first game of the series is scheduled to start in a little more than a half hour. Assistant coach Jason Battle is hitting fungoes all over the field and players are fielding grounders.
The Gryphons will be the road team in the first game, which, of course, means they will have the first shot at a run on the scoreboard. Check back the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening for updates on the game and more news from the stadium.
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Welcome to the Coca-Cola 600
Well, it’s early, but there are already people in the seats at Lowe’s Motor Speedway — seven hours before the race.
The weather is beautiful — not too warm, no cloud cover — and it should make for a very good race.
Back with more later.
2:10 p.m. — Just watched Houston Rocket Yao Ming play basketball with Jeff Burton, Michael Waltrip, Kyle Petty, David Ragan and Bobby Labonte (who just watched, really). Not that interesting, but very surreal. Ming is 7-foot-6. Waltrip is tall — a giant in NASCAR terms — but he was dwarfed by the Chinese giant.
Ming then took part in changing a tire on a Petty show car. He was mesmerized by how fast the real crew could do it.
3:50 p.m. — Driver’s meeting isn’t very interesting, but watching the sport’s celebs pile out of the makeshift meeting room — normally the garage for the Nationwide Series race — is interesting. They all jump on suped up golf carts. I’m talking hardcore golf carts. Envision mud tires, chrome rims, etc. You could take them in a swamp easily.
I walked out in time to also see the NHRA score some giant publicity among the fans. One of its drivers (sorry, don’t know which one — not John Force) drove a car down pit lane at a high rate of speed. A tremendous ovation.
4:40 p.m. — Scott Dixon just won the Indianapolis 500. All you auto racing fans watching that race can now switch over to the 600 pre-race coverage. Wait — watch Dixon drink his milk first.
Anyway, the pomp and circumstance has started here. The National Guard just blew up a couple of rigged shacks on the frontstretch. It was all staged, but pretty neat as the LMS people want to honor the military. There are tons of Army soldiers here. Lots of Navy folks here last night at the Nationwide race.
4:45 p.m. — For those keeping score, the race actually begins at 5:48 p.m. The national anthem, sung by Darryl Worley, will be at 5:33.15, exactly.
The flyover is four F-15s from the 71st FS at Langley AFB. It will be at 5:34.35 p.m.
More in a bit.
7:30 p.m. — So far, so good. Two cautions, and neither were for tough wrecks. I’m guessing we’ll see more as the sun goes down. Getting close to the halfway point.
8:08 p.m. — Well, we just had a real wreck. I just talked with Brian Vickers, who is OK and smiling after visiting the on-site medical center. I hope I can say the same for the fans that were in the way of the renegade tire that came off Vickers’ car. That thing took several high bounces and into the RV parking area. Ouch.
8:20 p.m. — RACE UPDATE: At Lap 200 — Leaders (9); Lead Changes (17); Cautions (6 for 27 laps)
Here’s some comments from Robby Gordon, who left the race with motor trouble:
“It looks like we dropped a valve in the motor. … It’s going to hurt us in the point standings big time. It’s disappointing because I really like how (the car) was running most of the race. We were able to pass some cars and get up into 16th on the first run. And then there on the last run I was going back by guys, so it’s disappointing to have a racecar so good and out of the race this early.”
10:05 p.m. — Been outside for awhile. Just talked with Jimmie Johnson, who was obviously disappointed after his engine blew up late in this race. He was in the lead shortly before it blew.
Kasey Kahne is looking strong.
Tony Stewart isn’t too bad, either.
15 to go.
10:09 p.m. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. just asked crew chief Tony Eury Jr. if he should conserve fuel or gun it. Eury said save it. Earnhardt rhetorically asked if they were going for the win or a top 10. Eury said yes.
10:14 p.m. — Earnhardt: Turn it loose now? Eury: Go for it.
Three to go.
10:15 p.m. — Tony Stewart hit the wall.
Two to go. Kasey Kahne in the lead.
10:16 p.m. — Kahne wins.
10:45 p.m. — Kahne is happy:
“Nice to be here. We were one of the best cars all night long. We’ve really stepped it up in the last couple of weeks. … Now if we can just keep it going.”
Here’s your top 10: 1. Kasey Kahne 2. Greg Biffle 3. Kyle Busch 4. Jeff Gordon 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 6. Jeff Burton 7. Matt Kenseth 8. Elliott Sadler 9. Carl Edwards 10. David Reutimann
11:01 p.m. — Facts on Kahne:
This win is his eighth career victory in 156 Sprint Cup Series races.
He became the sixth driver to win both the NASCAR All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same season. The last to do so was Jimmie Johnson in 2003.
This win is Kahne’s first top five and sixth top 10 of the season.
11:45 p.m. — From some other drivers after the race:
First, apparently Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon had an after-race talk that didn’t go so well.
Jeff Gordon:
“I guess (Busch) doesn’t like people to race him. You know, Kyle and I never had any issues. But I raced him hard tonight just like I did everybody. And when track position is as important as it is here, you’ve got to race every single car for every single position. He’s got an issue because he gave me the finger, and you know what? That’s not necessary for a guy he just didn’t like racing him the why I did.”
Kyle Busch chose to not comment about the issue.
Greg Biffle:
“It is really, really hard because it is frustrating. You feel like when the car is pushing, you’ve got one arm tied behind your back. And then if it’s too loose, you’re about ready to bust your butt every lap and you’re holding your breath and you can’t drive around other cars. It’s so hard to get it right and you get it right for about eight laps and you’re thinking, ‘Man, this is great. Look out, here I come.’ And then you about spin out and wreck and then you’re loose and then it starts tightening up because you start closing your corner up, so it is hard to get it balanced for a whole fuel run, and really you can’t because the fuel cell is in the back of the car. It holds 18 gallons of fuel and it burns it off and it gets harder on the front bump stops. It’s just that simple. And then the thing is hanging behind the rear axle when it’s full of gas on new tires, so it’s hard to get the car to drive reasonable the entire fuel run. Some guys are better at the end. Some guys are better at the beginning.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr:
“We got lucky at the end. Got gas and made it last. They beat us real bad last year. Casey (Mears) won in kind of sort of the same way. I don’t know what happened getting in Turn 3. I think we blew a right rear tire. I hate it for my guys. We were running really strong. I sure want to get me a win here. … Had a fun night.”
Jimmie Johnson:
“About three or four laps before I came to pit road, it dropped a cylinder and we were just running around on seven cylinders. I knew it was just a matter of time before it went and sure enough it went.”
Jeff Burton:
“We had a great run tonight. Finishing sixth in a 600-mile event just says a lot about the AT&T team. Everyone from the fab shop to the engine shop to the crew guys here at the track came together and put together a great car. I knew fuel strategy would play a hand in tonight’s race so I have to thank Scott (Miller, crew chief) for the great calls in the pit box tonight.”
11:59 p.m. — Someone just said loudly in the Media Center that I got sunburnt today. A large contingent of the press corps turned to look.
A public service announcement: Wear sunscreen.
12:12 a.m. — Let’s talk money. What do these drivers/teams make from tonight?
Here’s your top five:
Kahne: $422,766; Biffle: $248,600; Kyle Busch: $240,700; Jeff Gordon: $197,011; Earnhardt: $152,925.
12:33 a.m. — That’s going to wrap it up for me. These events make long days, but at once a year, I’ll take it.
Thanks for reading.
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Southern Nash boys’ tennis falls in state title match
Well, things didn’t go as well as hoped Saturday morning in Burlington for the Southern Nash boys’ tennis team. Charlotte Catholic defeated the Firebirds, 6-0.
This was Southern Nash’s first trip to the state championship match. Charlotte Catholic has now won three of the five 3-A championships.
Daniel Tobben (CC) d. Michael Barnes 6-2, 6-4 Michael Huber (CC) d. Ethan Page 7-5, 6-1 Ryan Myrick (CC) d. Nicolas Finet 6-2, 6-0 David Anderson (CC) d. Kyle Ramsey 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) Sean Huber (CC) d. Isaac Arnold 6-4, 6-2 Jordan Klochany (CC) d. Cody Brandt 6-3, 6-2
Southern Nash finishes its season with a 26-1 record.
(Telegram sports writer Matt LaWell contributed to this report.)
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UNC adds local guard to 2008 class
Justin Watts, a senior at Jordan High School in Durham, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play men’s basketball and attend the University of North Carolina.
Watts played for Coach Kim Annas at Jordan, where he averaged 24.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 rebounds per game. Watts, a 6-3, 180-pound guard, had a season-high 34 points against Northern Durham. Also an outstanding student, Watts was the Pac-6 Conference Player of the Year, the District 6 Player of the Year, and three-time all-conference selection and Jordan Most Valuable Player. He made the all-tournament team at the GlaxoSmithKline Tournament last December.
Watts is the fourth member of Carolina’s incoming class. Ed Davis of Richmond, Va., Larry Drew of Encino, Calif., and Tyler Zeller of Washington, Ind., signed Letters of Intent with Carolina in November. - UNC Sports Information
This is a curious move for UNC, mainly because Watts is not the caliber of talent the school normally recruits. The best offers Watts had received up to this date were from George Mason and East Carolina. A few schools, like UNC and Illinois, had jumped in late.
Coach Roy Williams has done this before, bringing in Mike Copeland from Winston-Salem after Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams bolted in 2005.
But why add a player so late? It seems like Williams knows either Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington or Danny Green will not be back, opening up a scholarship.
Let’s assume all three will leave, a distinct possibility. This is what the UNC roster would look like for game one, assuming Bobby Frasor is healthy and with the knowledge that Copeland will be recovering from knee surgery.
PG - Larry Drew
SG - Frasor
SF - Marcus Ginyard
PF - Deon Thompson
C - Tyler Hansbrough
BENCH: Ed Davis (F), Tyler Zeller (F), Will Graves (G), Watts (G)
Now, let’s look at what happens if Green returns. Lawson is a likely first-round pick, and Ellington looks like he is out of the picture.
PG - Frasor
SG - Ginyard
SF - Green
PF - Thompson
C - Hansbrough
BENCH: Drew, Davis, Zeller, Graves, Watts and (eventually) Copeland
That’s not a great offensive lineup, but it would have a chance to be a very good defensive group. Can it win a national championship? Probably not. Can it win the ACC? As long as Hansbrough is in Chapel Hill, that’s a possibility.
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Reaction to Stepheson’s transfer from UNC
About 40 minutes ago, the worst-kept secret in the Triangle finally was made official. Alex Stepheson, a rising junior power forward for UNC, will transfer from the school in order to be closer to his family.
Why was this not shocking? Because Stepheson left the team midway through the season to be with his ill father, and it was unclear at one point whether or not he would be coming back.
Stepheson, a Los Angeles product, has been a reserve forward for the Tar Heels, backing up Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson this season. Not blessed with any offensive game, Stepheson did show some ability on the defensive end, especially when blocking shots.
Had he come back to UNC, his role likely would not have changed. In fact, his minutes may have decreased with five-star recruits Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis coming to Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels will miss his defensive focus to the game (an attitude shared by only one other teammate, Marcus Ginyard). This, coupled with Danny Green’s flirtation with the NBA and Mike Copeland’s knee surgery, means UNC could start next season with no experienced post players coming off the bench.
The next issue is where Stepheson transfers. UCLA would seem the most obvious destination, especially since the Bruins’ top three post players (Kevin Love, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Lorenzo Mata-Real) are all transferring. Stepheson could fill a void next season, when he becomes eligible.
Do not expect him to wind up at USC, the other L.A.-based program. With word coming out that O.J. Mayo received gifts while with the Trojans, the NCAA is probably going to start watching Tim Floyd’s program closely. Any top recruit would be wise to stay away, for now.
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