Position switch a right fit for Gryphons' Battle

Rocky Mount High’s TyRick Roberts, left, and Marcus Braswell tackle Hertford County’s Zion Riddick during the game Friday night at Rocky Mount High School.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / ALLISON LEE ISL

Thomas Battle had just changed out of his practice gear and into a shirt and shorts, and was one of the last players to leave the locker room. Battle wore a backpack with straps over both shoulders, and fiddled with his 2015 state championship ring on his right hand.

The Rocky Mount High senior defensive tackle is trying to lead the Gryphons through what has proved to be a tough playoffs road. The Gryphons needed a first-round escape from a Southern Lee team that was up two touchdowns in the second half, before Rocky Mount turned in one of its better games of the season to beat then-undefeated Southern Nash in Round 2.

For Battle, his role as a space-eating defensive tackle isn’t as glorious as those racking up sacks, or those finishing games with tackle numbers in double figures. But he is the source of all that production, now that he has found an outlet for his anger.

“He’s a guy we need on defense all the time,” Gryphons coach Jason Battle said. “He’s a good, strong kid who’s not going to be moved, and thats how we use him. He’s a tough kid inside to deal with.

“He’s been a good football player for us, and the last two years he has really started to blossom.”

Thomas Battle has been the man in the middle of the Gryphons’ defense for the past two seasons, and has been a handful for opposing offenses. The position naturally caters to his aggressive approach on the field. He can bowl over blockers, can hit runners and pressure the quarterback. But that wasn’t always the case. Battle was promoted to the varisty squad his freshman season to block on the offensive line. His talents were obvious, and he plays fast for a guy with a big body at 6 feet, 310 pounds.

The coaching staff didn’t know how to use him effectively at the start of his career. But after blocking for quarterbacks and running backs for a full season, he got his first taste at chasing them his sophomore year. He earned a look and played both ways his sophmore season, before he moved to the defensive side of the ball full-time his junior season.

“We needed him on defense,” Jason Battle said. “When he played both ways, he would be tired, playing at 70 percent. And we saw what he could do when he’s playing at 100 percent, and that’s what we wanted out of him on defense.”

And Thomas Battle is grateful for the switch. He commands at least two blockers on every play, which allows pass rushers Artavious Richardson and Rod’quon White to get into the backfield. The two enjoy the singular attention they receive when Battle is on the field, as Richardson has a team-high eight sacks, while White has four.

And while Battle receives more attention from opposing teams, he also finds himself under scrutiny from his coaches. Assistant coach Jermaine Jones realized Thomas Battle could be a dynamic player early in his career, and made sure to never let him off easy. Every drill had to be done at full speed, or Battle would be pounced on.

“The coaches stay on me,” Thomas Battle said. “I really feed off that. They’re hard on me, pushing me, but I know that’s because they rely on me. I live for that stuff. I love the expectations they have for me.”

Battle brings and attitude with him when he steps onto the field, an attitude that is fueled by being on the attack. When he played on offense, he hated being that same wall that he is now trying to break through as a defender.

“It suits me well,” Thomas Battle said. “It helps me let out all that anger. I like to hit people, and that’s what I’m able to do now.”

The Gryphons will need him to be a standout player tonight when they face Southern Guilford in the third round. The Storm knocked the Gryphons out of the playoffs in 2014. This Storm team’s strength lies in the offensive and defensive lines. It could be another game where Battle will have to make plays.

“Last year at this point we could kind of feel something special was happening,” Jason Battle said. “That hasn’t been the case this year. We’re a different team, but I think the guys’ eyes lit up, and realized it’s now or never.”

By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram

Friday, December 2, 2016