Kevin Carver
Thursday, May 10, 2018 8:10 am

High School Playoffs

R-S Central softball (18-4, 13-2) and baseball (21-3, 14-1) should be at home for quite a while should they keep winning. Both opened at home Wednesday and will stay at home Saturday if they advanced. There is a chance that Central softball could only get one round at home though depending on how the bracket falls.

East Rutherford's softball (15-7, 11-4) and baseball teams will both likely travel if they continue to win games. Both have had ups and downs this season. East Rutherford baseball (14-9, 9-6) will have the third seed and softball the second of the SW 2A qualifiers. Softball will at least get one home game.

Meanwhile, Chase baseball will not make the playoffs, but they have played well down the stretch. They won two of their last five and lost the other three by a combined six runs.

Chase softball (16-7, 10-5) earned the third seed out of the SW 2A, but nobody will want to play them this season. They have given every team a tough time and even beat R-S Central this season at home. Central has only lost twice at home this year.

Girls Soccer

R-S Central (15-3, 9-1) and Thomas Jefferson will likely have home field advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs that happen on Wednesday and then Saturday. Central won the Southwestern 2A, shared the Southwestern 2A conference crown, and has won eight in a row. Thomas Jefferson (12-5-1, 12-3) has won eight in a row and finished second in the Southern Piedmont 1A. There is likely no way they get a home game after the second round.

East Rutherford (6-9-3) could be one of the last teams to make the 2A playoffs, but it was not certain at press time.

NFL Draft

I do like what Atlanta, New York Giants and Baltimore did in the first round. Baltimore needed a tight end and future quarterback. They ended up with both by the time the first round ended. Atlanta got Calvin Ridley, best pick up in the draft other than what the Giants ended up with and that is Sequan Barkley.

The Panthers first four picks weren't bad. D.J. Moore does fit the Carolina mold with short sure handed receptions. Moore had been handicapped with the QB situation at Maryland, so that is an interesting pick to say the least. Donte Jackson is a fast corner, but not very tall. Rashaan Gaulden has potential to be very good, but injuries have plagued him. And finally, Ian Thomas is the final one to speak about. Carolina likes tight ends and especially ones who can block. Thomas can block and catch, but if coaching can push his rawness to another level, Carolina got a complete steal in the fourth round.

However, they could have used an offensive lineman though.

NASCAR

I guess Kevin Harvick has replaced Martin Truex Jr. this season as the fighter trying to take down Kyle Busch. The two have won seven races so far this season combined and Truex came out on top as the champion last year. Busch, who had a top five car this weekend, broke a drive shaft and in a way you hardly see it come apart.

This week is Kansas on a Saturday night. I will take Martin Truex Jr. for the win, but it is hard to go against Busch or Harvick at this point.