RMA football finally gets to play again
By Ethan Joyce ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Sports Writer
Friday, September 30, 2016
On a Tuesday afternoon, the Rocky Mount Academy football team is warming up on a practice field it has seen way too much of lately.
Finally, it’s game week. The players shout and bound around the field during opening stretches while coach Terrell Hudgins watches from a distance.
Thanks to two forfeits victories and a bye week, the Eagles (5-0, 1-0 Colonial Conference 2A 8-man) haven’t played a game since Sept. 6. By the time RMA travels to Arendell Parrott Academy today, 24 days will have passed since its last football game.
And as Hudgins keeps his eyes toward his players, he can’t help noticing how ridiculous the whole situation has been.
“It has been tough,” Hudgins said. “We’ve been able to get out and practice, run a little bit and hit the weight room a little bit more than we would have if we had been playing.
“But the guys are kind of getting bored hitting each other everyday. But I can’t be upset with them with that because I’m tired of just seeing them everyday.”
Coming off an extended break, the Eagles have to face the defending 2-A state champions on the road. Even more difficult is that RMA must find midseason form in the first game that might challenge them. In each of the three games RMA actually played, the Eagles scored at least 48 points. They’ve allowed 28 total in that timespan. And that makes it hard for Hudgins to evaluate his squad.
“This is the game,” Hudgins said. “I was talking to the coaches the other day, and we kind of don’t know.
“I’ve seen them on film, and I’ve seen them since then, and they (Parrott Academy) are better than they were. . . But this is the game to let us know kind of where we stand.”
When the first forfeit happened, Hudgins said the players were OK with having a little time off. But after the second, he could see the disappointment. That made the bye week, normally a welcomed break to heal and relax before conference play, another unfortunate dead period.
Starting quarterback Isaiah Thomas summed up the frustration of a forfeit pretty easily.
“It sucks,” Thomas said. “Because you have been preparing and preparing for them, and then they just call you and tell you they are forfeiting.”
The free Fridays have allowed for other positives. For one, the guys have had that night off. Thomas has used the time to compete with his travel baseball team. The coaches and some other players went to watch other games around the state.
Christopher Rabil, a wideout and cornerback, noted that the Eagles have seen many of the top 8-man teams in person, which is a luxury their opponents don’t have.
“It helps us a lot,” Rabil said. “Film doesn’t really show you everything. There is a lot of stuff you miss out on.
“When we get to go and see it firsthand, you learn a lot more.”
Parrott Academy is currently 2-2. Hudgins said that record doesn’t indicate how good the Patriots actually are. But it’s hard to overlook that Bethel Christian beat Parrott, 54-46. RMA blasted Bethel, 50-18, in the team’s season opener.
Senior linebacker Tyson Jones said the Eagles haven’t forgotten how Parrott knocked them out of the state playoffs last year. Jones was a member of the back-to-back RMA championship teams in 2013 and 2014. The rivalry with Parrott is always one of Jones’ favorite games of the season.
“It is always a big competition between us,” Jones said. “I’d love to beat them.
“I know every year that’s the team that this school wants to beat.”
The desire to beat Parrott has only grown with every off week. And now, Rabil said, the Eagles are ready to unleash the buildup on their remaining opponents.
“It has just made me more and more ready to play Parrott,” Rabil said. “Because having that much time off, I have just been thinking about it every day.”
By Ethan Joyce ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Sports Writer
Friday, September 30, 2016
On a Tuesday afternoon, the Rocky Mount Academy football team is warming up on a practice field it has seen way too much of lately.
Finally, it’s game week. The players shout and bound around the field during opening stretches while coach Terrell Hudgins watches from a distance.
Thanks to two forfeits victories and a bye week, the Eagles (5-0, 1-0 Colonial Conference 2A 8-man) haven’t played a game since Sept. 6. By the time RMA travels to Arendell Parrott Academy today, 24 days will have passed since its last football game.
And as Hudgins keeps his eyes toward his players, he can’t help noticing how ridiculous the whole situation has been.
“It has been tough,” Hudgins said. “We’ve been able to get out and practice, run a little bit and hit the weight room a little bit more than we would have if we had been playing.
“But the guys are kind of getting bored hitting each other everyday. But I can’t be upset with them with that because I’m tired of just seeing them everyday.”
Coming off an extended break, the Eagles have to face the defending 2-A state champions on the road. Even more difficult is that RMA must find midseason form in the first game that might challenge them. In each of the three games RMA actually played, the Eagles scored at least 48 points. They’ve allowed 28 total in that timespan. And that makes it hard for Hudgins to evaluate his squad.
“This is the game,” Hudgins said. “I was talking to the coaches the other day, and we kind of don’t know.
“I’ve seen them on film, and I’ve seen them since then, and they (Parrott Academy) are better than they were. . . But this is the game to let us know kind of where we stand.”
When the first forfeit happened, Hudgins said the players were OK with having a little time off. But after the second, he could see the disappointment. That made the bye week, normally a welcomed break to heal and relax before conference play, another unfortunate dead period.
Starting quarterback Isaiah Thomas summed up the frustration of a forfeit pretty easily.
“It sucks,” Thomas said. “Because you have been preparing and preparing for them, and then they just call you and tell you they are forfeiting.”
The free Fridays have allowed for other positives. For one, the guys have had that night off. Thomas has used the time to compete with his travel baseball team. The coaches and some other players went to watch other games around the state.
Christopher Rabil, a wideout and cornerback, noted that the Eagles have seen many of the top 8-man teams in person, which is a luxury their opponents don’t have.
“It helps us a lot,” Rabil said. “Film doesn’t really show you everything. There is a lot of stuff you miss out on.
“When we get to go and see it firsthand, you learn a lot more.”
Parrott Academy is currently 2-2. Hudgins said that record doesn’t indicate how good the Patriots actually are. But it’s hard to overlook that Bethel Christian beat Parrott, 54-46. RMA blasted Bethel, 50-18, in the team’s season opener.
Senior linebacker Tyson Jones said the Eagles haven’t forgotten how Parrott knocked them out of the state playoffs last year. Jones was a member of the back-to-back RMA championship teams in 2013 and 2014. The rivalry with Parrott is always one of Jones’ favorite games of the season.
“It is always a big competition between us,” Jones said. “I’d love to beat them.
“I know every year that’s the team that this school wants to beat.”
The desire to beat Parrott has only grown with every off week. And now, Rabil said, the Eagles are ready to unleash the buildup on their remaining opponents.
“It has just made me more and more ready to play Parrott,” Rabil said. “Because having that much time off, I have just been thinking about it every day.”
