WHAT IT MEANS TO PLAY FOR THE GRYPHONS: "It's a big privilege. If you are a Gryphon you have to work hard. All the time. Offseason, during the season, in the classroom. This is what everyone wants to be – a Rocky Mount Gryphon. A Gryphon never gives up. We always play to the end." – Senior defensive end Brandon Dennis

GRYPHONS LOVE FOOTBALL: "You have to put in a lot of hard work. You have to be dedicated. We take football seriously. I remember before the game against (Greenville) Rose last year, one of our players called everybody in, broke down, and told everybody how he felt. He started crying.

"When it comes down to it, everyone sticks together. Even the guys who don't get (playing time), they play their role. Even if it's for two seconds, they play their role. It seemed like from that game last year, everyone got tight." – Senior lineman Torey Lee

THE GRYPHONS FAMILY: "It's an honor and privilege to play for Rocky Mount. We're all close. We're like a family. We go out and give 110 percent every day on the practice field. We try and carry on a winning tradition. A Gryphon has more heart. We don't every give up until it's 0:00 on the clock. We try and give it our all on every down." – Senior linebacker Chris Pittman

COACH'S DEFINITION OF A GRYPHON: "It's a student-athlete who wants to be as good as he can possibly be – in the classroom, on the athletic field, on the streets – and be that leader that we need desperately in this day in time, in this society. That would be the perfect Gryphon. We have a bunch of good, young people. We've been really blessed. Good coaches who work awful hard. To be a Gryphon, that's a bigtime thing." – Gryphons coach B.W. Holt

Jessie H. Nunery can be reached at 407-9951 or jhnunery@coxnc.com