The weather was perfect for a baseball game on Wednesday and we saw a solid early season matchup at Northeast Guilford HS in McLeansville when the Rams hosted Northwest Guilford. The Vikings connected for the long ball and NWG defeated NEG 7-4. The area’s top baseball scout and local Palomino baseball legandary coach Johnny Smith was in attendance and he was able to break down the talent and let us in on the strengths of both ballclubs.
Northwest was led by a player that Coach Smith says is one of the area’s #1 all-around talents. Michael Wright had caught the eye of several fans and the Coach told me Wright had the right stuff and that he and a number of the Vikings would be on his Guilford Patriots roster this upcoming summer. Coach Smith also said watch out for big things from Nick Rodgers and John Neese. Northwest can hit the ball hard and the Vikings will surely give Grimsley a run for their money this season in the METRO 4-A. Basketball player turned baseball player Alfonso Scandrett was another player I recognized and the Coach said he is big, but let’s see what he does with the size.
Sonny Gann, son of long-time Viking coach Sandy Gann is the manager for NWG and he is being assisted by Mike Everette. Sonny Gann was the skipper at Grimsely before he returned home to Northwest. The top gun on Northeast Guilford is Nathan Cockman, who has already commited to N.C. State. Cockman is a very strong-armed catcher but Coach Smith gives the inside that Cockman won’t get many good pitches from the opposing teams, therefore he will not have the chance to drive the ball out of the parks like he did in previous years. Conclusion: Nathan Cockman- strong hitter so wer’e not gonna give him anything to hit. Coach Smith breaks it down. Tim Rich from Sprinkle Gas #1 informs me there is another Atkins kid on the Rams team, and he might be better than his brother Mitch Atkins, who pitched for NEG and is now in the Chicago Cubs organization.
With the 7-4 final for NWG over NEG, Nick Rodgers got the win and Phillips took the loss for NEG. Coach Smith had mentined Rodgers throughout the game and Rodgers not only got the win but he went 3-4 at the plate and he had a HR. Alex Thettepalce also connected for the Vikings and Battles hit one out for NEG and drove in two runs. Western Guilford topped SEG in a slugfest 14-10 as both Justin Venable and Jody Hackett hit round trippers for the Falcons
and according to the Coach, Steven Gleiter pitched extremely well for WG. Grimsley struggled on tough ground at Southwestern Randolph falling 12-4 to the Cougars. The Coach said he was caught off guard when he heard that Page had dropped their opener to the new school Reagan out Winston-Salem 14-11, back on Tuesday.
In high school hoops the Dudley girls got the win they needed 80-73 over Western Harnett Tuesday night down in Greenville. The Panthers(26-2) will now play unbeaten Wilson Beddingfield((27-0) in Saturday’s regional final at Greenville Rose HS. The Dudley boys take on Hertford County tonight at ECU and Northeast Guilford will matchup with Rocky Mount in that same 3-A boys bracket at Minges Coliseum. NEG plays at 7pm, while the Dudley contest is slated for 8:30.
Over at the LJVM in Winston, the 4-A girls are in action with South Mecklenburg vs. High Point Central at 7pm and Northwest Guilford takes on Charlotte Harding at 8:30. The ACC women will go at it all day long over at the Greensboro Coliseum, affectionately known as the Big Barn on West Lee Street by Rich Brenner of FOX 8 Sports.
In other basketball news the Gaters AAU Basketball tryouts will begin again on Saturday at the Gaters practice facility behind the Alex Spears YMCA on Horsepen Creek Road. The tryouts will take place Saturday March 4th through Thursday March 16. For the 15U/9th Grade, tryouts run Saturday-Sunday-Wednesday, March 4-8. Gaters 16U/10th Grade- March 4-8, the 17U/11th Grade- March 4-9, and the 19U/Sr. Grade- March 9 and 16. Check the website
GATERAAU.COM for the extra info and details. Call 336-856-0004….. Coaches Vic Sapp and Justin Smith will be on hand to take care of the logistics.
One other baseball score we should pass along since it was very local, the Guilford College Quakers pulled it out and topped the Pride of Greensboro College 12-11 on Wednesday. GC SID Bob Lowe we got you and the Pride listed and next time tell us about a win or we may have to put SPAZ out on the hill for the Pride. A sports note of future intrest, Coach Johnny Smith tells us that they will be naming a new football coach for the Northern Guilford Nighthawks soon but it will not be previously rumored Doug Henderson from Ledford. The Coach tells us the Nighthawks will begin play at the new NGHS in 2007.