TARBORO —
With the beginning of the 2012 high school football starting tonight and all three local teams opening up the season at home, all three coaches are looking for certain things from their team, which they hope have improved since the jamboree a week ago.
Tarboro Vikings
The Vikings will be hosting the Nash Central Bulldogs. Last year, the Bulldogs surprised the Vikings in a high scoring 38-28 affair that Tarboro lost.
That loss may have turned the Vikings into the championship caliber team that they finished up as, because head coach Jeff Craddock figured out that his team wasn't in the physical condition shape that he thought his guys were in.
This year is different, Craddock has made sure that his team will be ready for any type of challenge that is thrown their way.
With Tarboro being the three time defending state champion, they have a bulls eye on their back and every team on their schedule will be coming after them.
Tarboro does have a few weapons that they can use against the Bulldogs tonight.
They have retuning quarterback Aaron Moore back under center and Quentin Roberson in the back field. The Vikings have also added two studs to their back field, Radja Bobbitt and transfer Travonne Marshall.
Craddock is hoping with Bobbitt being the unknown, he will be able to step up early in the season and gain some big yards for the Vikings.
The Vikings have a young offensive line that will be blocking for the backs, but Craddock said the junior linemen have been working hard and getting where they need to be.
During the jamboree Craddock said his team preformed average at the beginning, but picked it up later on in the scrimmage.
SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars
In Pinetops, the SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars are hoping for a better start to the season then they had last year after starting off 0-4.
Head coach Raymond Cobb, said he didn't even recognize the team he had on the field last year when the Cougars traveled to play the Southern Nash Firebirds.
This year, the Cougars are hoping to get revenge against the Firebirds. The Cougars have the advantage when it comes to depth and experience in the back field, because they have their horse Gerald Hinton, who gained over 1,200 yards last year, back. They also get Rekese Davis back who missed the entire season last year after he went down with a torn ACL on the fifth play of the game against the Firebirds. The Cougars have six or seven players in the back field that could start for Cobb at any given time.
Cobb also has an experienced QB, Quay Wooten and four offensive linemen, who know how to open up holes for the Cougar running backs to grind out a lot of yards.
The only worry Cobb has is his end positions. He is looking for someone to step in and fill the defensive and tight end spots. Those two positions are important in Cobb's schemes offensively and defensively.
Cobb said he saw some good things in the jamboree, but his team had a lot more work to do to get better.
North Edgecombe warriors
The North Edgecombe Warriors will begin their season at home against South Creek. The Warriors defeated South Creek handily last to open the season up with a win.
First year head coach Keith Parisher is hoping his team gets off to a good start.
"I just want my players to work hard," Parisher said. "I want them to go out and give me everything they have."
For the Warriors to win, they will have to do it without senior fullback Darius Phillips. He went down last week before the jamboree with a fractured foot after a teammate feel on his foot after a tackle.
The Warriors are young in a lot of positions. They will have sophomore Clifton Dickens leading the offensive charge at quarterback. Last week during the jamboree Dickens was having trouble under center with the exchange from his center. He wasn't getting far enough under the center to take the snap, but the Warriors have worked on the miscommunication this week in practice and are feeling better about the situation.
Sports
Related Photos
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SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars junior quarterback, Quay Wooten looks to hand the football off to running back Milton Ransome during the jamboree.
High school football starts tonight
- Sports
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14-Under softball tryout
The Tarboro Parks and Recreation Department and Edgecombe County Girls Softball League will be having tryouts for 14-under girls fast-pitch softball Wednesday, May 29 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Farmington Park in Rocky Mount. The is located at 319 Wellington Dr. There will also be a tryout Thursday, May 30 at Indian Lake Sports Complex on field 1 in Tarboro from 6 - 7:30 p.m. There is a $10 fee for Tarboro residents and a $35 fee for non-residents. For more information call the sports complex at 641-4202, Kathy Webb 252-813-4697 or Jamie Lindsey 252-883-0883 or sftbllgrlunc@hotmail.com.
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Thorne tabbed Regional Player of the Year
Tarboro Lady Vikings forward Shayla Thorne is still learning about the game of soccer. She has turned into one of the best female soccer players in school history. Every time she takes the field she gets better and better, because of her hard work and the help of her teammates. Her hard work paid off for her during her junior year as she led the Vikings with a winning record, co-confoerence championship and into the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
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Cobb, Rhodes inducted in Cougars Hall of Fame
PINETOPS – The SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars athletic department inducted two legendary coaches into their Hall of Fame Monday night. Former football coach Raymond Cobb and former baseball coach Bruce Rhodes were the recipients of the awards.
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SWE Athletes of the Year
SouthWest Edgecombe Cougar Dawson Gould was named Female Athlete of the Year and Kenneth Plummer was named Male Athlete of the Year Monday night at the Cougars annual athletic awards banquet. Gould played volleyball, basketball and softball. Plummer played football, ran indoor and outdoor track.
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Pinetops 300
PINETOPS – With the threat of rain during the weekend, it put a little damper on the Pinetops 300 Tractor and Truck Pull attendance. Friday night there was a large crowd in attendance, but not the amount it has been the last several years. There was 500 less people in attendance Friday then there was a year ago, but it didn't stop the pullers from slinging mud everywhere. The fans in one section even had a chance to see what it looked like when a belt breaks on a fine tuned machine. During the Mini Modified run, Thomas Coleman, of Stoneville, had a belt break on his KB 526 Pure Hell ride and the belt slung into the crowd. No one was injured.
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Vikings, Cougars compete in 2-A state meet
The Tarboro Vikings and SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars had six girls apiece competing in the NCHSAA 2-A state track meet in Greensboro Friday at North Carolina A&T State University.
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Six Tarboro girls to compete in track finals
Motivation is a big part of the Tarboro Viking girl's track team's success this season. They enjoy working hard during practice for their coach Rickie Dozier and get fulfillment when they compete in events. Friday will be no different for the six girls that are headed to Greensboro to compete in the NCHSAA 2-A state championship meet at North Carolina A&T State University. They will compete in three relay events and the long jump.
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BIG FISH
Camden Grant and her boyfriend Ricky Davis, Jr. caught a 10 pound carp at a state wildlife pond Wednesday morning off of Highway 33 just outside of Tarboro. Grant said she caught the fish on a piece of shrimp around 10:30 a.m.
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Vikings ousted from playoffs by Jaguars
CARRBORO – After defeating the No. 1 seed in the playoffs Friday, the Tarboro Vikings forgot one thing, they had to hit the ball again Tuesday against the Carrboro Jaguars or their season would be over.
Tarboro failed to be productive at the plate and were eliminated from the NCHSAA 2-A playoffs after losing 8-0 in the second round. Tarboro never gave in after getting down early, but they just couldn't catch a break offensively and get anything going after trailing by five runs after the second inning. -
Cougars finish 7th in state golf match
The SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars went through the regionals and won by four strokes. They just couldn't get it going in the state golf championships Monday or Tuesday at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines. The Cougars finished seventh as a team after shooting 658 over the two day period.
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