ESCAPE ACT. Ravenscroft’s Rashaad Ratliff tries to get away from Franklinton’s Chris Lewis during last Friday’s non-conference matchup at the FHS Football Field. Ravenscroft won the contest over the Red Rams by a 28-24 margin. Taking Offense FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton’s newfound big-play capability out of the spread met Ravenscroft’s always-innovative attack for what would prove to be an explosive non-league showdown last Friday at the FHS Football Field. Ravenscroft went ahead for good early in the fourth quarter, but the outcome wasn’t decided until the Red Rams were stopped on downs in Ravens’ territory with two minutes remaining.  Read More | Post Comment GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter

OUT AT LEAST ONE MORE WEEK. Veteran center Jackson Ellis, who has been trying to recover from a leg injury, is expected to be out again this Friday as the Louisburg Warriors will host Southeast Halifax at Patterson Field. Warriors stopped by CGHS RALEIGH -- Cardinal Gibbons broke open a tight game by scoring 10 points in the final 4:05 to top Louisburg by a 37-20 margin in a prep football showdown Friday on the CGHS campus. Louisburg, now 0-2 on the season, never led in the second half, but the Warriors came back to within 27-20 on a 1-yard plunge from Rommaine Gobourne with 6:15 remaining in the non-conference matchup.  Read More | Post Comment Staff Reports

Southern Claims Court Match HENDERSON -- Louisburg High School stepped out of conference action last Thursday to take on Southern Vance in girls tennis matchup at Fox Pond Park. The host Lady Raiders earned a 7-2 decision over Louisburg as the Lady Warriors were unable to claim a victory in any of the six singles matches.  Read More | Post Comment Staff Reports

Kiss Cam heroics achieved Several weeks ago, I wrote about my never-ending quest to catch a T-shirt or a baseball at a professional sporting event -- with an emphasis on my string of futilities at the Carolina Mudcats’ Five County Stadium. It’s been a career of ineptitude in that respect for me. So much so that I would probably rip myself in the newspaper if this was a sporting competition.  Read More | Post Comment Geoff Neville

BHS rolls past Panthers STEM -- Bunn collected a whopping 525 yards of total offense and went on to top host Granville Central by a 45-18 margin in a non-league football game last Friday night. BHS, now 2-1 overall, had 442 yards on the ground to go with 83 through the air.  Read More | Post Comment Staff Reports

LC opens with road victory BUFFALO, N.Y. -- With heavy winds swirling from the aftermath of Hurricane Earl, playing conditions were less-than-admirable for Louisburg College’s season-opening football game last Saturday at Erie Community College. With winds often reaching over 30 miles per hour, LC head coach John Sala figured the team that ran the ball best -- and defended the run -- would come out on top.  Read More | Post Comment Staff Reports

Annual Patrol Stroll scheduled RALEIGH -- The Fourth Annual Patrol Stroll 5-K Road Race will be held Sept. 25 beginning at 8:30 a.m. The event will start at the North Carolina State Highway Patrol Training Academy, which is located at 3318 Garner Road in Raleigh. All proceeds will benefit Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.  Read More | Post Comment Staff Reports

NC Wesleyan falls at Salisbury SALISBURY, MD. -- North Carolina Wesleyan College’s football team kicked off its 2010 season last Saturday night at Salisbury University, dropping a tough 13-7 decision to the host Sea Gulls. For Salisbury, the conquest avenged a 24-17 loss to the Battling Bishops during the 2009 season and evened the all-time series at one win apiece.  Read More | Post Comment Staff Reports

Smokies slide past Mudcats ZEBULON -- The Tennessee Smokies broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the eighth to defeat the Carolina Mudcats 3-2 in front of a crowd of 6,871 fans at Five County Stadium on Sunday night. Tennessee (43-26) broke a scoreless game in the top of fifth when Tony Thomas homered off Carolina starter, James Avery and the Smokies took a 1-0 lead.  Read More | Post Comment Staff Reports

BUSY WEEK IN THE NCC Mallori Williams and the Franklinton Lady Rams returned to their Northern Carolina Conference girls tennis schedule Tuesday with a road match at Warren County. (Times photo by Geoff Neville)   Read More | Post Comment

TAKING OFF Ravenscroft’s Lewis Stocks picks up yardage during last Friday night’s contest against the Franklinton Red Rams. The Ravens rallied to secure a 28-24 road decision over the Red Rams in non-conference gridiron action at the FHS Football Field.   Read More | Post Comment

SURROUND SOUND Franklinton High School defenders (l to r) Kendrick Teasley, Justin Puett and Ezel Rogers gather round Ravenscroft quarterback Quinn Billerman during last Friday’s non-conference gridion matchup, which was staged at the FHS Football Field.   Read More | Post Comment