Wild, Wild Saturday...

Saturdays. Best day of the week. Sleeping in late, football, football, and more football. And this Saturday included a little bit of basketball, too.

The day started off with UNC-P football's 57-0 rout of Concord to help the Braves stay perfect at home this season. Fourty-three first half points against now 0-10 Concord gave the starters time off in the second half. The Braves host North Greenville, losers today, next Saturday to finish the regular season.

Then back across the street to the English Jones Center to meet the Braves men's and women's basketball teams. The Lady Braves proceeded to intersquad srimmage, and the White team narrowly defeated the Gold team.

A few minutes worth of break before the men played host to Athletes in Action, a traveling team full of college basketball graduates. In an exciting game, the Braves were defeated by a score of 70-67 in their final game 'tune-up' before traveling to visit the Tar Heels of North Carolina in the Dean Dome next Saturday.

Before the basketball games, I was with Christian Fenlkl, editor of the campus newspaper, The Pine Needle, who was able to grab hold of a press pass to cover the UNC-P - Carolina game. Anyway, we spoke with Athletic Director Dan Kenney, who said that ESPN is holding up next Saturday's sports scheduling in Chapel Hill.

Pembroke was advised that ESPN/ABC would likely televise the Georgia Tech at Carolina football game if Georgia Tech beat Florida St., which they did. In that situation, the football game would probably be played on national tv with an 8 o'clock start time, which would put the basketball game start time around 2 o'clock. The other situation would basically be the opposite, with the football game in the afternoon, and the basketball game to follow. I guess we'll have to wait until the football start time is released sometime Sunday afternoon.

Also in speaking with AD Kenney, we learned that the Dean Dome is "sold out." Notice that this is in qoutations, as I am highly doubtful that there will be people filled to the rafters. With this game being Carolina's only exhabition game, many people must have finally realized that they needed to grab a ticket to this game. Others are probably looking to make a profit off the $10 tickets, as a search of both StubHub and eBay tonight found tickets being sold.

So, if you need 32 tickets, now you know where to go. (ha ha ha!)

With all of the events I just said, I wasn't able to see that much college football action. But i was able to see #1 Texas at #7 Texas Tech. Two words - instant classic!

What a game, back and forth throughout the second half, until Texas Tech scored on a touchdown pass with one second remaining. The fans proceeded to storm the field with that second on the clock...only to get off as the play was reviewed...only to storm again when the play was upheld...only to get off again to see Texas' attempt at the famous Cal-Stanford re-enactment (THE BAND IS OUT ON THE FIELD!!!..yeah, you know which one...) fail. The fans proceeded to rush the turf again, but this time no one was getting them off. I'm sure so are still some on the field as you read this...

Also, saw that Michigan collapsed, AGAIN. A Purdue hook-and-lateral touchdown with under a minute remaining sealed the deal. With the loss to Purdue, Michigan assures itself of not having to go bowling this December. Their 33 straight years with a bowl appearence will be snapped, and for the first time since 1974, recruiting will take center stage a little earlier in Ann Arbor.

----

Let me go back to high school action for a minute.

Rocky Mount was tested again, slightly, before pulling away from Nash Central in the 4th quarter. I believe that these last few weeks have ultimatly helped the Gryphons prepare for the playoffs, where they will surely encounter a challange or two along the way.

Also, congrats to senior Whit Barnes, who was selected to the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas earlier this week. Whit has been a hard worker for the Gryphons program, and will take his abilities to Wake Forest next season.

One more regular season game, senior night at home against Wilson Fike, before the playoffs begin.