SportsTalk: Vipers Football gets ready for Rocky Mount
UPDATE – FINAL SCORE
Rocky Mount 41
Vance County 14
RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK
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As long as your team’s racking up wins, the little mistakes on the field don’t amount to much. That’s what Vance County Vipers Head Coach Aaron Elliott said he and his coaching staff talked about this week – those little mistakes take on greater significance when there are more L’s than W’s.
The 1-2 Vipers host the Rocky Mount Griffons tonight at 7 p.m., and Elliott said practice this week has been good. “The spirit of the guys has been good,” he said. “These kids that we have now, they’re not really used to losing. “
After a tough loss last week to Jordan, Elliott said the team has worked hard in practice to get ready for tonight’s game.
“They’ve done a good job fighting through the adversity and wanting to get better, and wanting to be coachable every day,” he said.
“We just need to clean up the mistakes that we made the last three weeks,” Elliott said. If the team focuses on getting better each week and minimizing the mistakes – like the three turnovers in last week’ game – Elliott is confident that the Vipers will be in good shape tonight.
One player is in a concussion protocol from last week’s game, and Elliott reports that he’s doing well. Other than a sprained ankle, “we kinda got out of there fairly healthy – minus that one scare,” Elliott said, referring to the player who sustained the concussion.
Zion Thornton, who was injured in a pre-season scrimmage, is returning to play.
“He has had a heckuva week of practice,” Elliott said, but his specific role in this week’s game is unclear. Elliott said he wants to limit Thornton’s play just so he can have time to fully heal.
In reviewing film of their next opponent, Elliott said the Rocky Mount roster is loaded with returning starters, which means they’ll be “bigger, faster, stronger.”
The Vipers’ practice included working on keeping the edges contained and playing forced football.
Elliott predicts the Griffons to continue to be a run-heavy team. “I think we did a good job preparing for the run and having an answer for the passes if we need to,” he said of this week’s practice sessions.
Rocky Mount Head Coach Jason Battle is no stranger to Elliott. “I’ve known Coach Battle for a long time,” he explained, adding that they talk over the summer and during football clinics. “Rocky Mount is going to come in well coached, so we’re definitely prepared for that.”
Vance County hosts Rocky Mount for Week 4 of the 2025 season on Friday, September 12th and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff thereafter at 7:00 p.m.
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