Gryphons beat Firebirds to win first league title since 2008

Jason Battle has spent the first five years of his head coaching career trying to model Rocky Mount High’s program after what Brian Foster has built in 26 years in Bailey.

Now, Battle and the Gryphons finally have something to show for it.

Rocky Mount High withstood the Firebirds’ best shot in the first half and used two defensive touchdowns to race past Southern Nash, 35-14, on Friday night to earn the school’s first Big East championship since 2008.

The Gryphons (8-2 overall, 4-0 Big East) can wrap up a perfect conference season and an outright title next Friday with a win at Northern Nash.

“This is something we’ve been working toward for a long time,” Battle said. “The kids earned this one, not me, but to do it against Coach Foster, a man I have so much respect for, makes it special.”

Foster interrupted a celebratory postgame Rocky Mount High locker room to offer a thumbs-up and a word of encouragement. His Firebirds (7-3, 3-1) team had not been able to get out of its own way all night – a familiar, painful refrain – but Rocky Mount High did what championship teams do, and took full advantage.

“I really felt like we were in control going into halftime, but the interception changed the whole complexion of that game,” Foster said. “They made us pay for mistakes all night, so lots of credit to coach Battle’s team.”

Battle was in agreement: sophomore cornerback Charlie Williams’ interception of Zack Foster’s errant pass inside Gryphons territory with 1:13 to play before halftime turned Friday’s game on its head.

The Firebirds were driving and tried to set up a screen on 3rd-and-8, but Zack Foster threw to the other side of the field, with no teammates in the vicinity.

Forrest Bell then hit Deangelo Collins for 14 yards on first down, and with the clock under a minute, Nick Bynum caught a delayed screen pass and rumbled 42 yards down the left sideline, getting the Gryphons inside the 10.

Bynum ran for no gain on first down but powered in from six yards out for the game-tying touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in the half.

“I was hoping they wouldn’t run me down on the screen pass, but it didn’t matter,” Bynum said. “Somebody needed to make a play so we could go into halftime feeling better about ourselves.”

Sherrod Greene ensured the Gryphons’ pre-halftime momentum carried over.

Southern Nash received the opening kickoff of the second half and drove all the way to the Rocky Mount High red zone, complements of two long runs from Kendrick Bell and Jaquay Mitchell. But, on 2nd-and-7 from the Gryphons’ 20, Zack Foster took a keeper off right tackle, fumbled, and picked the ball up on the bounce. Foster never fully regained control, and defensive back Deshaquon Fate’s hard hit jarred the ball loose.

Greene, for the second week in a row, scooped up the loose ball and galloped 68 yards for a go-ahead score.

“Just in the right place at the right time, but (Deshaquon) did most of the work for me,” Greene said. “I think that play sort of took the wind out of them.”

Southern Nash could have folded much earlier – after their first offensive play from scrimmage, really – but the Firebirds kept coming.

After Rocky Mount High turned it over on downs at the Southern Nash 22 on the game’s opening possession, the Firebirds took over; after a false start, Foster handed to Dae’one Wilkins. The exchange was shaky, and Rocky Mount High jarred it loose. Rod White picked up the fumble and found the end zone from 16 yards out.

One possession later, the Mitchell fumbled the ball away, but Southern Nash’s defense stood tall and got it back by forcing BJ Sanders to cough up the ball.

Bell scored from 13 yards out, two plays after a 66-yard run from Mitchell, and the Firebirds had answered the early challenge.

Southern Nash led, briefly, after Bell’s second touchdown of the first half, and despite multiple errors, the Firebirds looked set to take a lead to the locker room, but Williams’ interception got the Gryphons going.

“Our kids are playing with so much confidence right now, and they needed something like that to happen,” Battle said. “They took it and ran with it.”

Greene said Rocky Mount High’s work is just beginning.

“It feels great to be champions of something, but this is just one step,” he said.

By Foster Lander
Sports Writer/Rocky Mount Telegram

Saturday, October 31, 2015