Rocky Mount High has had a steady diet of talent come through its girls’ soccer program in recent years, but the Gryphons haven’t always been able to keep those players on the field.

Injuries have played a major role in hindering some of the program’s success, but this season, coach Drew Nick’s squad has come through relatively unscathed.

The lack of season-ending injuries helped Rocky Mount claim the Big East Conference regular-season title, and the Gryphons will look to grab the league’s tournament title when play opens this week.

“Our health is definitely a good sign,” Nick said. “We’ve been resting before the tournament. There’s a bunch of positives for us, but it still comes down to the fact that you have to play the game.”

The Gryphons hold the No. 1 seed, and they’ll open play at 5 p.m. Tuesday at home against the winner of the No. 4 Northern Nash/No. 5 Southern Nash contest.

The Knights have had their share of injuries during the past few seasons, too. This season, there hasn’t been any more than the normal bumps and bruises, but coach Joe McCarthy’s team only has 13 players.

Northern Nash literally couldn’t afford any setbacks in that regard.

“With only 13 girls, staying healthy is a big factor in our ability to continue playing,” McCarthy said. “We just go into every game trying to prepare for every team. We’ve been very fortunate that we haven’t had any serious injuries.”

Jessie H. Nunery can be reached at 407-9959 or jhnunery@rmtelegram.com