Rocky Mount High School | Archive | September, 2017

Caroline Broderick’s expression didn’t change much during her No. 1 singles win over Northern Nash’s Grayson Tanner on Tuesday. Her win helped Rocky Mount High to a 9-0 victory, keeping pace with 3-A Big East Conference leader Wilson Fike.

Whether the Gryphons sophomore scored a point or allowed a point, Broderick’s attitude didn’t waver.

That wasn’t always the case. Broderick remembers a match last season where things got out of control. She lost a No. 4 singles in a tie-breaker, and she didn’t handle the outcome well.

“I was pretty emotional,” Broderick said. “It was a tough match and I lost control. I tried my hardest, and it didn’t work out. I had to compose myself enough to play doubles right after, and that’s when it hit me that I can’t do things this way.”

Broderick made an effort to eliminate outbursts like the one last season from her game. Add in a summer spent honing her craft on the courts, and Broderick has the makings of an emerging star as the Gryphons No. 1 singles player.

The sophomore worked on volleys and perfecting various shots almost daily with her older sister and teammate Mary Katherine Broderick, as well as her mother, who was a state doubles champion as a high schooler in Texas.

“Caroline is everything you expect a No. 1 singles player to be,” Gryphons coach Wayne Holloman said. “She is a very calm influence, and has elevated her game. She has turned into a more complete player, which is something you have to be when you play at No. 1.”

Broderick has lost just one match this season, a narrow 5-4 loss against Fike. The 11-0 Demons are the only team to beat the Gryphons this season. The teams meet for a key rematch in Wilson on Sept. 28. with conference implications.

But the Gryphons find themselves as a conference power, winning all but one match by 9-0 margins. This comes on the heels after losing the top two singles players to graduation in Sarah Bland and Grace Warner. With those two at the top of the lineup, RMH posted a 14-3 record last season.

Holloman, who is in his first season guiding the Gryphons after taking over for longtime coach Barry Nethercutt, has big plans for the season. As a former player for Nethercutt, Holloman knows the game well and has implemented big ideas to keep the RMH tennis factory churning.

He spotted Broderick’s rise almost right away and knew that the former No. 4 had the guile and physical skills to make the jump to No. 1. One of her bigger strengths is being able to keep volleys alive long enough to find a crack in her opponent’s game before delivering the **** shot.

“I had to be much more of a consistent player,” Broderick said. “I never thought I’d be at No. 1 so quickly. I just wanted to play, so it wasn’t hard for me to want to work on things.”

Another of Holloman’s mark can be found on the doubles courts, where Lauryn Clark plays with Broderick. Clark, a senior who plays No. 4 singles, is an asset on the top doubles pairing. Her game is based around power, which complements Broderick’s methodical style.

The pair owns a 5-1 record this season, with the latest coming against the Knights’ Tanner and Nisaja Thomas, Northern’s No. 2 singles player.

And Clark hasn’t been overwhelmed by the jump from No. 4 to No. 1. While most top players also play together in doubles, Clark generally plays against a new opponent.

Broderick’s ability to sustain volleys helps Clark figure on an opponent on the fly, and by the time the match is several points old, the Gryphons’ pair has a plan in place.

“Right away we fit together,” Clark said. “Caroline’s a good player, and it’s nice to be able to rely on a teammate during matches instead of by yourself in singles. I can figure some things out in warmups, and others as we get going.”

The pair still has the ability to tap into some new strategies, which would make for an exciting finish in the Big East.

“All of these girls bought in to what we’re going,” Holloman said. “We really work hard, and I think that any of these girls out here has a legitimate chance to win on any given day against anybody.”

DeQuan Neal noticed one big difference in the way his team played on Saturday against Fayetteville State University compared with what he had seen all season. And it all happened right in front of the Elizabeth City State University quarterback.

“They moved their feet,” Neal, a quarterback, said of his offensive line. “They moved their feet big time, got out and gave us some real good blocks. The whole offense fed off that. We needed that.”

Neal and the Vikings needed two halves of football to figure out a way to attack the Broncos defense in the second half. And with a little help from the Vikings defense with a timely stop, ECSU went on to earn a 45-42 win in the 20th annual Down East Classic at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex.

Both offenses shined, but it was the Broncos (1-2) who displayed their quick-score ability right away. Fayetteville State scored four touchdowns before halftime, with all four scores needing no more than three minutes. The Broncos’ rushing attack ran with ease, while their defense pummeled rushes and defended the pass well to the tune of two interceptions.

The Vikings (2-1) trailed 28-19 at halftime and were left searching for a different way to move the ball. The deep ball wasn’t working, and runs between the tackles didn’t go far. Then came the screen game. Neal didn’t bother throwing downfield too often in the second half, and instead passed to his check-downs and looked to his receivers coming out of the backfield.

Finally, some movement.

“We’re a really versatile line,” said Vikings offensive lineman Delasio Bartley, a Rocky Mount High graduate. “We’re so good at blocking screens. I think we just have a good group of guys who understand what to do and where to be.”

The Vikings moved the ball effectively, which led to five consecutive drives ending in points, including three straight touchdowns. But even with the new success on offense, the defense was in a bind trying to defend the Broncos’ run game and special teams. Broncos return man Brandon Smith gained 253 return yards, including a 90-yard return touchdown to tie the score at 42-42 midway through the fourth quarter.

ECSU didn’t have an answer for Fayetteville State running back Stevie Green, either. The sophomore torched the Vikings defense for 255 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries. It was a career high for Green, who carried the Broncos offense.

Green compiled a handful of impressive games last season and was named the 2016 CIAA offensive rookie of the year. He turned in six 100-yard rushing performances, including a 234-yard game.

But he found another level on Saturday, and it took a herculean effort from a tattered Vikings’ defense to keep him from doing even more damage. ECSU allowed 66 points in a loss to UNC Pembroke last week and looked just as vulnerable early.

“We had to be ready,” Neal said. “They had some quick scores, and we had to come out and answer. There’s some extra pressure on you when that happens, but there comes a time when you have to step up and do your job.”

With the score tied, Neal led a drive to set up what would be the game-winning field goal, a 29-yard kick from Joshua Laverty to send the Vikings home with a win.