Gryphons win conference opener against Bulldogs

Rocky Mount High’s Tyler Brice hits the ball against Nash Central’s Chandler Johnson on Tuesday at Nash Central High School.

Rocky Mount High’s George Shannon serves the ball against Nash Central’s Austin Luper on Tuesday at Nash Central High School.

A veteran coach like Barry Nethercutt knows when he needs to add a little extra motivation to his team.

With Rocky Mount High facing Nash Central, projected to finish last in the conference, on Tuesday, Nethercutt offered a simple proposition to his team — first singles player to win his match would earn the game ball.

It was a close call for the distinction, but sophomore George Shannon blitzed through his match in about 30 minutes to claim the prize. It was the first of many for the Gryphons, who easily beat the Bulldogs, 9-0, in the Big East opener for both schools.

“That was a motivational thing,” Nethercutt said. ”I figured if I could get the guys focused on coming out, getting a quick start and an early lead, building on it, that would keep them into the match as opposed to just coming out here and (going through the motions). It was a motivational thing to try and get them to come out and work hard.”

Nethercutt’s goal worked well for singles play with the first four matches over within 40 minutes, but its effects began to wear off for doubles play. At one point, the coach had to scold his No. 3 doubles team for being too lackadaisical on the court and not playing hard every point.

With such a young team, Nethercutt said it is important his players learn to focus in these blowouts so they can build up their stamina for the more difficult matches.

“We’ve played matches that we won comfortably, and they need to understand, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing, I want the same amount of effort and intensity,” Nethercutt said. ”They just need to learn to do it. I think a little bit of it is a lot of freshmen … but I’m trying to convince them that we take everything seriously and we play as hard as we can on every point no matter what the score is.”

Shannon used his singles match to work on his forehand, a shot that he had been struggling with in recent matches. He said he was pleased with how well he hit that shot to the crosscourt and ended points earlier with his aggressiveness.

His goal is ultimately to try and unseat classmate Tyler Brice, the Gryphons’ No. 1 singles player and Shannon’s doubles partner. The two don’t have a contentious relationship and Shannon said their constant battles in practice have been beneficial for both players this year.

“Tyler plays at such a high pace and a high level, it just makes me a better player,” Shannon said. ”I really don’t think it’s a rivalry though because we’re doubles partners and we have to stay together as a team.”

Nash Central’s best chance at a win came at No. 3 where Landen Norwood struggled in the second set before capturing the final three games to polish off a 6-3, 7-5 victory. The Bulldogs won at least three games in a set only once in the other five matches.

It was a stark improvement for the Gryphons, who are aiming to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2010.

“Based on last year, any winning is good,” Nethercutt said. ”We only won four times last year, and we’ve already surpassed that this year thanks to how hard the guys have worked over the summer. Feeling like we’re headed in the right direction.”

by Josh Walfish
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram

Tuesday, March 15, 2016