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Last week, I didn’t say too much about Thomas Jefferson football since Jerry Cash and I didn’t catch up with each other until after the column was done. Cash, who was the former East Rutherford football coach, felt good to be back on the sideline again as we talked.
While they had 36 kids on varsity, he was impressed with the athletes so far in Avondale.
We are in work in progress, but they work, they listen and this is just a great group of kids,” Cash said. “Don’t get me wrong, I liked playing golf while I was away, but I missed the kids, the competition and football has just been my hobby for a long time now.”
As for what style we should see at TJCA, my theory of last week seems to be correct. Cash wants the Gryphons to value the football, which means that we should see more of the run game than in the previous years. Thomas Jefferson will head to McCormick, SC for a football jamboree on Saturday, August 11.
We should learn a little more about the other high school teams in the county this Friday, August 10th in the Rutherford County Jamboree at East Rutherford High, which starts at 6pm.
On the NASCAR scene, some luck finally went Jeff Gordon’s way this season. After being in the hunt for multiple wins this season, he notched his first of 2012 at Pocono. Although, I am not really surprised, since he now has two Pocono victories by way of a rain-shortened event.
This one was a bit different though, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth led the field down to the unbeknown final restart, but Johnson had a tire go flat in turn one, sending four cars up the hill and allowing Gordon to get by all of them unscathed. The rain came shortly thereafter and Gordon makes “The Chase” bubble more interesting.
With the win, Gordon holds the last playoff spot for now. As strange as it may seem, there are still seven drivers fighting for the last two postseason spots and separated by just 47 markers. Kahne is in the best position with two wins, while Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano have one victory each. Carl Edwards and Paul Menard don’t have a win yet at all.
I have been saying it all year, if a driver/team want to make the postseason, you have to win and Kahne and Gordon have stepped up to the challenge lately. Should both win another time in the coming weeks, the postseason will likely be set in stone.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. also found some luck as Matt Kenseth was involved in the last caution on Sunday after Junior suffered transmission woes. Kenseth, who looked like he was going to make up 30 points or more, but came away with an eight point swing and sits five points behind Junior in the standings. There are five races left before the postseason and the road course this Sunday in Watkins Glen is the next venue.
Locally in baseball, Tyler White was named Hitter of the week in the Coastal Plain League. The former Chase Trojan and current Western Carolina player clubbed 14 hits in seven games this past week and will finish among the top three hitters in the league for the year.
The Forest City Owls ended the regular season as the #3 seed in the Pettit Cup playoffs and barely escaped the first round of a three game postseason series Monday night. The Owls lost game one to Asheboro, but hung on for a win in game two and then two late miscues by the visitors aided Forest City during game three. The Owls will face #2 seed, Fayetteville in a three game semifinal series on Wednesday at home and Thursday/Friday away, if necessary. Should the Owls win the series, they go to the championship round from August 12th to the 14th.
And for those who are keeping up the Olympics, Michael Phelps will go down as possibly the best Olympic athlete in history. I am sure we are all still interested in other sports, but Phelps has won 18 gold medals (11 individual gold’s) and 22 overall medals in three Olympics.
Four others are tied for second having won nine gold medals including the United States’ Carl Lewis and Mark Spitz, but Phelps record may never be broken.
Next week, I will preview all four county football games and give you a good idea as to what to look for come August 17th.
