High School Notebook: Fike loses flip with Gryphons
October 13, 2009 Rocky Mount High School
By Paul Durham
Wilson Times
The 3-A Big East Conference girls tennis season ended with Fike and Rocky Mount tied for first, just as in 2007. But unlike two years ago, the rivals opted to settle the seeding for the state dual-team playoffs with a coin flip instead of a one-match showdown.
Fike head coach Lee Matthews, whose team lost the flip, explained the decision reached by Rocky Mount head coach Barry Nethercutt and him.
"Honestly, I think, if we played for a third time, he and I wanted it to mean something," Matthews said.
Thus, Fike, as the No. 2 seed will play next Wednesday, Oct. 21, at South Brunswick while Rocky Mount hosts Charles B. Aycock. Matthews noted that South Brunswick No. 2 singles player Tori Hall, was a Fike reserve the past two seasons.
The Golden Demons and Gryphons split their regular-season meetings, each winning on the other's court. The past two years, Fike and Rocky Mount have faced each other in the third round of the state 3-A playoffs with the Demons winning last year and Gryphons victorious in 2007.
Should each win its first two matches, Fike and Rocky Mount will meet in the third round again.
The Big East tournament starts today at Barton College Tennis Complex but with rain in the forecast Wednesday, the semifinals and finals might not be played.
"We need to get to four qualifiers in singles and doubles for the regional," Matthews said. "Now we want to play it out to recognize a conference champion."
Matthews said the latest the final rounds could be played is Monday with the dual-team playoffs starting Tuesday. Fike senior Mary-Katherine Prince is the top singles seed as she seeks to add the Big East title to the three NEW 6 Conference championships she has. Nash Central's Randi Price is the No. 2 seed and Connor Allegood of Fike is No. 3.
In doubles, Fike's Mallory Short-Meredith Pruden, the defending 3-A East Regional queens, are the top seed with Rocky Mount's Lindsay Thomas-Kate Gray at No. 2.
SOCCER RAINED OUT
Boys soccer games for Hunt and Fike in Nash County were washed out Monday.
The Golden Demons' match at Nash Central was moved to Thursday at 5 p.m. The state-ranked No. 5 Warriors' test at Rocky Mount -- in which a win would have given the top seed for the 3-A Big East Conference -- will now be played Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Warriors (13-1-1) handed the No. 11 Gryphons (14-1-2) their only loss in a 3-1 decision at Hunt on Sept. 23.
BIG EAST VOLLEYBALL TODAY
The Big East begins its inaugural volleyball tournament today with first-round matches at Southern Nash. The host Ladybirds, the No. 3 seed, meet No. 6 Fike at 5 p.m. while No. 4 Northern Nash takes on No. 5 Nash Central at 7.
The Southern Nash-Fike winner gets No. 2 Hunt at 5 p.m. Thursday with the other first-round winner taking on regular-season queen Rocky Mount at 7. The championship match, also at Southern Nash, will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. |
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