After ten years as the Rocky Mount JV head coach, Kent Cox got the call from the bullpen and has become the new varsity head coach of the Gryphons.
Cox compiled a 121-61 record in JV play, including winning the last 3 NEW 6 Conference titles. He has had eight winning seasons, including seven with 12 over more victories. He was an assistant on the Gryphons 2008 State Championship team.
The longtime assistant football coach has also coached Jr. Legion as well as the 14-year old Babe Ruth World Series team that won the state title and finished third overall.
This will not even be the biggest announcement of the week for Cox, whose second child, a son, is due Friday. Cox and his wife Emily, also have a 3-year old daughter, Kenly.
Good Luck to Coach Cox, and Congratulations!!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Holt's Prediction Comes True....
This article was first published on this blog on October 18, 2008. With the retirement of Coach B.W. Holt, here it is re-posted in its entirety -
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Sitting here today, a freshman in college and away from home for the first extended period of time, I look around and see many reminders of home and Rocky Mount High School. A baseball hat, a Gryphons mini football and basketball (thanks to cheerleading coach Lou Buck), and walls adorned with newspaper clippings of the Gryphons baseball team’s state championship run. As one of the team’s biggest fans, Wes Bradshaw, says, we were the Boys of Spring, capping off a season like no other, and for us five seniors, going out on top to finish our high school careers.
But this story is not as much about the baseball team winning or the great stories that everyone has from those few weeks, it’s about Rocky Mount head football coach B.W Holt. As my eyes wander to the framed picture of the exuberant dog pile in Five County Stadium’s infield, I hear Coach Holt’s voice saying ‘I told you so.’
You see, this story goes way back. Back beyond the beginnings of this past year’s graduating class’ high school endeavors. This story has its roots in the Edwards Middle School gym.
The year was 2004, and Rocky Mount football had just experienced its first year under Coach Holt. I remember that spring there was a meeting for anyone who had thoughts about playing any sport at Rocky Mount. I vaguely remember Coach Donald Thomas talking about reminders about physicals and the sort, but remembered this man standing off to the side.
As a naïve middle school student, I didn’t attend any of the Gryphons football games the previous fall in Coach Holt’s first campaign. But it soon became apparent what Coach Holt’s visions were for athletics at Rocky Mount High School.
Only a few words into his talk, mainly introducing himself and a word or two about football tryouts, when he came out and said “By the time your class graduates, you will have won a State Championship in some sport, I don’t know which one, but we will have won one somewhere.”
I’m pretty sure we all thought Coach Holt’s words were crazy, words trying to get us excited about high school and high school athletics. Who was this man to say what would happen in the future?
We were quickly turned into believers as we saw Holt’s football teams quickly began to turn into state contenders, and now have become powerhouses.
In 2007, the Gryphons’ Chalonda Silver brought home an individual championship in indoor track. But it was not the fruits of our class’ efforts.
As the weeks wound down towards graduation, it appeared Coach Holt’s words would not be fulfilled. Then a magical run began, both literally and figuratively.
First, Jacobi Jenkins outran the competition in the Eastern Finals to earn a spot in the state Championships. There, he captured the Championship in the 110 meter hurdles and brought the Class of 2008 its first champion. But again, the championship was an individual one.
At the same time the Gryphons’ baseball team was beginning its run through the playoffs. I remember Bradshaw announcing Jacobi’s results and the applause he received. Inside, I believed that he helped push the baseball team that much harder, because we wanted to have that same feeling.
After a run through the playoffs, and a hard-fought Championship Series, the Gryphons baseball team was finally able to celebrate.
Now there was no question – Holt’s promise was complete, both individually and as a team. He was in the stands in Zebulon, along with many of Rocky Mount’s other athletes.
Seeing the celebration, will it now push those athletes in the other sports to want it that much more? What will Coach Holt’s next speech be, now that the Gryphons are serious contenders?
As I look at the celebratory pictures again, and the ring that represents all of the hard work that was put into it, I remember taking time out of that late afternoon in May from celebrating to think back to those words so many years ago.
Call me crazy, or random, or whatever, but along with the memories and feelings from those magical weeks, I will forever remember Coach Holt’s words. Thanks Coach, for instilling the dream and pushing us along the way, even if you didn’t always realize it.
(photo Rocky Mount ihigh.com)
Former Coach B.W. Holt addresses the crowd at Starmount High School, one of his former stops, as the school paid tribute to him. Holt had his Rocky Mount team along with bus loads of RM fans there to celebrate the moment with him and his family.
--------------
Sitting here today, a freshman in college and away from home for the first extended period of time, I look around and see many reminders of home and Rocky Mount High School. A baseball hat, a Gryphons mini football and basketball (thanks to cheerleading coach Lou Buck), and walls adorned with newspaper clippings of the Gryphons baseball team’s state championship run. As one of the team’s biggest fans, Wes Bradshaw, says, we were the Boys of Spring, capping off a season like no other, and for us five seniors, going out on top to finish our high school careers.
But this story is not as much about the baseball team winning or the great stories that everyone has from those few weeks, it’s about Rocky Mount head football coach B.W Holt. As my eyes wander to the framed picture of the exuberant dog pile in Five County Stadium’s infield, I hear Coach Holt’s voice saying ‘I told you so.’
You see, this story goes way back. Back beyond the beginnings of this past year’s graduating class’ high school endeavors. This story has its roots in the Edwards Middle School gym.
The year was 2004, and Rocky Mount football had just experienced its first year under Coach Holt. I remember that spring there was a meeting for anyone who had thoughts about playing any sport at Rocky Mount. I vaguely remember Coach Donald Thomas talking about reminders about physicals and the sort, but remembered this man standing off to the side.
As a naïve middle school student, I didn’t attend any of the Gryphons football games the previous fall in Coach Holt’s first campaign. But it soon became apparent what Coach Holt’s visions were for athletics at Rocky Mount High School.
Only a few words into his talk, mainly introducing himself and a word or two about football tryouts, when he came out and said “By the time your class graduates, you will have won a State Championship in some sport, I don’t know which one, but we will have won one somewhere.”
I’m pretty sure we all thought Coach Holt’s words were crazy, words trying to get us excited about high school and high school athletics. Who was this man to say what would happen in the future?
We were quickly turned into believers as we saw Holt’s football teams quickly began to turn into state contenders, and now have become powerhouses.
In 2007, the Gryphons’ Chalonda Silver brought home an individual championship in indoor track. But it was not the fruits of our class’ efforts.
As the weeks wound down towards graduation, it appeared Coach Holt’s words would not be fulfilled. Then a magical run began, both literally and figuratively.
First, Jacobi Jenkins outran the competition in the Eastern Finals to earn a spot in the state Championships. There, he captured the Championship in the 110 meter hurdles and brought the Class of 2008 its first champion. But again, the championship was an individual one.
At the same time the Gryphons’ baseball team was beginning its run through the playoffs. I remember Bradshaw announcing Jacobi’s results and the applause he received. Inside, I believed that he helped push the baseball team that much harder, because we wanted to have that same feeling.
After a run through the playoffs, and a hard-fought Championship Series, the Gryphons baseball team was finally able to celebrate.
Now there was no question – Holt’s promise was complete, both individually and as a team. He was in the stands in Zebulon, along with many of Rocky Mount’s other athletes.
Seeing the celebration, will it now push those athletes in the other sports to want it that much more? What will Coach Holt’s next speech be, now that the Gryphons are serious contenders?
As I look at the celebratory pictures again, and the ring that represents all of the hard work that was put into it, I remember taking time out of that late afternoon in May from celebrating to think back to those words so many years ago.
Call me crazy, or random, or whatever, but along with the memories and feelings from those magical weeks, I will forever remember Coach Holt’s words. Thanks Coach, for instilling the dream and pushing us along the way, even if you didn’t always realize it.
(photo Rocky Mount ihigh.com)
Former Coach B.W. Holt addresses the crowd at Starmount High School, one of his former stops, as the school paid tribute to him. Holt had his Rocky Mount team along with bus loads of RM fans there to celebrate the moment with him and his family.
The Holt Era is Complete
With the school year complete, Rocky Mount High School and the Rocky Mount community say goodbye to Coach B.W. Holt. The man who was responsible for bringing Rocky Mount’s football program back to dominance retired and he and wife Barbara, who was also a teacher at RM, are on their way back home to Tennessee.
After a run of six great years at the helm, in which the Gryphons went undefeated in the final year of the Big East 4-A, and reigned supreme in the four years of the NEW 6 3-A, Holt compiled a 71-12 record with four conference titles.
In thirty-nine years as a head coach, Holt compiled a career record of 321-112-2. His teams won 20 conference titles and earned 21 playoff appearances. He has had more than 60 players go one to play college football.
Holt was not only a great coach, but just as much so a person. He demanded that his players perform to the best of their abilities - on the field, in the weightroom, and in the classroom. He was not one for mediocrity, and he would let you know if he felt you were slacking off in any of the three aspects I just mentioned.
In the coming weeks I will have a special article on Holt. Check back in a few weeks.
Charles Alston has posted on the Gryphon Grapevine some of the possible candidates for the Rocky Mount job.
Whoever takes the reigns will have one of the state's all-time greats shoes to fill.
Thank you, Coach Holt, from all of us in the Rocky Mount family.
(photo - Rocky Mount ihigh.com)
After 39 years as a high school head coach, B.W. Holt has called it quits.
After a run of six great years at the helm, in which the Gryphons went undefeated in the final year of the Big East 4-A, and reigned supreme in the four years of the NEW 6 3-A, Holt compiled a 71-12 record with four conference titles.
In thirty-nine years as a head coach, Holt compiled a career record of 321-112-2. His teams won 20 conference titles and earned 21 playoff appearances. He has had more than 60 players go one to play college football.
Holt was not only a great coach, but just as much so a person. He demanded that his players perform to the best of their abilities - on the field, in the weightroom, and in the classroom. He was not one for mediocrity, and he would let you know if he felt you were slacking off in any of the three aspects I just mentioned.
In the coming weeks I will have a special article on Holt. Check back in a few weeks.
Charles Alston has posted on the Gryphon Grapevine some of the possible candidates for the Rocky Mount job.
Whoever takes the reigns will have one of the state's all-time greats shoes to fill.
Thank you, Coach Holt, from all of us in the Rocky Mount family.
(photo - Rocky Mount ihigh.com)
After 39 years as a high school head coach, B.W. Holt has called it quits.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Goodwin gets Selected
Soon-to-be Rocky Mount grad Brian Goodwin heard his name called in the 2009 MLB Draft on Wednesday. The 2008 3-A State Championship MVP slipped a little lower than some around here had thought, but that is the real world and the ever changing thoughts of draft people.
Every baseball fan in Nash County had at least a passing interest in seeing where Goodwin - North Carolina's 2009 Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year - and his nemisis from up-county Tyler Joyner, perhaps the state's best left handed high school pitcher, were going to go in this week's Major League Baseball Draft.
Through Wednesday's selections, Tyler Joyner had not been drafted. Brian, who seemed to be destined to go in the second or maybe third round, was selected by the Chicago White Sox at #523.
FIVE-HUNDRED, TWENTY-THREE?
Really?
Nobody saw either of those numbers coming, did they? Not at all? 523? What a disappointment, I'm guessing most folks are saying. Why did they slide so far down the list, most will ask. Maybe not as good as we all thought, some may mumble.
I don't think so.
I haven't talked with Brian or his family about the draft or it's possibilities. I'm sure there were lots of conversations with scouts and teams. Brian and his family may have told folks that he was definately going to school, no matter what. Maybe he'd consider going pro if he was high enough. . . .too many possibilities to even guess.
I'm not a major league scout, so I cannot say where their talent really is compared to others drafted before them, but let's make one thing very clear. Both are as good as advertised. Brian going to UNC and Tyler to ECU. Did anyone notice which two teams faced off in the College Super Regional last weekend in Chapel Hill?
I'm thinking Brian and his family are pretty proud to say "I was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2009".
I'm also thinking that Brian will play baseball this summer up in Ohio, then a few years at UNC, then get drafted again. In the meantime, he won't worry about that 500-something number from this week. He'll play ball. He'll get better. He'll have fun. He'll get an education, and he'll play ball some more.
In the meantime, all of us Gryphons and former Gryphons will all STILL be proud of him.
Congratulations, Brian. You are one of the very few. Knock one out of the park up in the bigs for all of us one day, will ya?
Disappointing draft? I think not.
Gryphons Senior and Chicago White Sox draftee Brian Goodwin (middle) celebrates the 2008 State Championmship with teammates. (Photo - Rocky Mount Telegram)
Every baseball fan in Nash County had at least a passing interest in seeing where Goodwin - North Carolina's 2009 Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year - and his nemisis from up-county Tyler Joyner, perhaps the state's best left handed high school pitcher, were going to go in this week's Major League Baseball Draft.
Through Wednesday's selections, Tyler Joyner had not been drafted. Brian, who seemed to be destined to go in the second or maybe third round, was selected by the Chicago White Sox at #523.
FIVE-HUNDRED, TWENTY-THREE?
Really?
Nobody saw either of those numbers coming, did they? Not at all? 523? What a disappointment, I'm guessing most folks are saying. Why did they slide so far down the list, most will ask. Maybe not as good as we all thought, some may mumble.
I don't think so.
I haven't talked with Brian or his family about the draft or it's possibilities. I'm sure there were lots of conversations with scouts and teams. Brian and his family may have told folks that he was definately going to school, no matter what. Maybe he'd consider going pro if he was high enough. . . .too many possibilities to even guess.
I'm not a major league scout, so I cannot say where their talent really is compared to others drafted before them, but let's make one thing very clear. Both are as good as advertised. Brian going to UNC and Tyler to ECU. Did anyone notice which two teams faced off in the College Super Regional last weekend in Chapel Hill?
I'm thinking Brian and his family are pretty proud to say "I was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2009".
I'm also thinking that Brian will play baseball this summer up in Ohio, then a few years at UNC, then get drafted again. In the meantime, he won't worry about that 500-something number from this week. He'll play ball. He'll get better. He'll have fun. He'll get an education, and he'll play ball some more.
In the meantime, all of us Gryphons and former Gryphons will all STILL be proud of him.
Congratulations, Brian. You are one of the very few. Knock one out of the park up in the bigs for all of us one day, will ya?
Disappointing draft? I think not.
Gryphons Senior and Chicago White Sox draftee Brian Goodwin (middle) celebrates the 2008 State Championmship with teammates. (Photo - Rocky Mount Telegram)
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