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RALEIGH - Don't back down. Don't be intimidated. And don't event think about not giving a maximum effort.
Those were among the messages new Franklinton High School football coach JeVar Bransome spoke to his team about during a pair of scrimmage events last week against higher-classification foes.
The first stop was last Wednesday as Bransome took the Red Rams to Durham to tangle with perennial Class 4-A powerhouse Hillside -- the school that Bransome served as an assistant coach at when the Hornets won a state crown in the early 2010s.

RALEIGH -- Last Saturday's HighschoolOT Jamboree at Cardinal Gibbons High School provided the antithesis of football weather.
Instead of a balmy fall day perfect for gridiron heroics, participants were welcomed with near 100-degree weather and scorching sunshine.
Bunn actually got a slight break as the Wildcats opened the event at noon -- as opposed to mid-day -- with a scrimmage against C.B. Aycock High School out of Wayne County.

LOUISBURG -- Now in his second season, Louisburg High School football coach Dontae Lassiter is still in the process of learning about his club.
That developmental curve took a big upward swing last week as the Warriors took part in scrimmages at Nash Central (Wednesday) and Southern Vance (Saturday).
Lassiter wasn't overwhelmed by his club's performance at Nash Central versus the Bulldogs and South Creek.

LOUISBURG -- Trevor Highfield's first season as Louisburg College's head coach was certainly one to remember as the Hurricanes put up huge number on both sides of the ball -- and were undefeated until falling to national powerhouse Nassau Community College in the regular season finale.
Still, the 7-1 campaign was considered a resounding success -- and Highfield is looking for bigger and better things time around around for Louisburg, which opens Aug. 27 at home against Jireh Prep out of Charlotte.

LOUISBURG -- Town and Country's Stingrays wrapped up another successful campaign on Aug. 4 with a 264-84 decision over the Franklinton Frogs.
Town and Country, which was coached by Lindsay Duncan and Rebecca Keith, featured 51 standout performers this summer.

WAKE FOREST -- Louisburg High School kicked off its much-anticipated volleyball season in style on Monday with a five-set thriller at Franklin Academy.
The Lady Warriors were able to squeeze out a victory by a score of 25-16, 20-25, 25-9, 12-25 and 15-12.
Whitney Bolton starred at the net in the decisive fifth set. She finished with nine kills overall, while Mackenzie Wood delivered six blasts.
Bolton blasted a kill on match point to preserve the decision.

Trevor Highfield hopes for a strong second campaign as the head football coach at Louisburg College. Before taking over, Highfield was a long-time assistant for the Hurricanes.

ZEBULON -- The Carolina Mudcats rallied for eight runs in the fourth and went on to earn an 8-6, losing streak snapping home win versus the Pelicans on Sunday at Five County Stadium in a Class A Carolina League baseball matchup.
Matt Withrow pitched through five scoreless and Omar Obregon was 3-for-4 with a RBI triple in the series-finale diamond decision.
The victory snapped a season high 10-game losing streak for the Mudcats (45-75, 16-34) and kept them from suffering their third straight sweep.

Franklinton's Jah Quez Davis (with ball) leans forward for extra yardage while being tackled as part of last Saturday's football scrimmage event at Southeast Raleigh High School.

FRANKLINTON -- Summer is the time for family reunions and brothers in arms, one on two legs and one on four, were reunited this past weekend.
Just more than three years ago, the Franklinton Police Department was bolstered by two K-9 officers, Maci and Toki -- Department of Defense dogs that were deployed to Afghanistan to aid with bomb detection.
As Toki neared retirement age, police were contacted by Justice for TEDDs (Tactical Explosives Detection Dogs) Handlers, a volunteer group that seeks to reunite military handlers with their K-9 partners following their service duty.

RALEIGH -- A delegation of Franklin County 4-H members attended 4-H Citizenship North Carolina Focus.
The Franklin County delegation returned home from three days in which more than 140 youth and adults representing 61 4-H programs across the state gathered to exchange ideas, gain knowledge and learn through hands-on experiences about the importance of being an active and engaged citizen.
Christine and Nathaniel Potter of Bunn represented Franklin County at the June 13-15 conference.

WARRENTON -- Area youth got a hands-on cooking experience during the Cooperative Extension's most recent Junior Chef "Pickin' & Jammin'" workshop.
They spent three days learning about making pickles, with hands-on training making watermelon rind and sweet cucumber pickles.
Blackberry jelly and Pepper jam were made also during the workshop.

CASTALIA - Carrie Ayscue Daniels, 69, of Castalia, died peacefully in her home Monday morning after a short battle with cancer.

LOUISBURG - Funeral services for Douglas "Bear" Evans, 69, who died Thursday, July 28, 2016, were held Sunday, July 31, at Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Castalia, with the Rev. Thomas Richardson officiating. Burial followed in the Hickory Grove Cemetery.

RALEIGH-Funeral services for Clecy Durham, 67, who died Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, will be held Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 1 p.m. at Gospel Unlimited Church of Christ Disciples in Castalia, with the Rev. Anthony J. Raynor officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

FRANKLINTON --Martin "Dwayne" Durham, 52, died Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. The family will receive friends at Lancaster's Franklinton Chapel, 504 E. Mason St., Franklinton, on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 2 to 3:45 p.m., where funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery, Durham, at a later date.

NASHVILLE - Funeral services for Willie "Bubba" Morris, 91, who died Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, will be held Friday, Aug. 19, at 1 p.m. at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, with the Rev. Milton V. Batts officiating. Burial will follow in Oakland Cemetery in Nashville.

LOUISBURG-Funeral services for Harry Perry Jr., 84, who died Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, were held Monday, Aug. 15, at Nelson Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg, with Pastor Micah Mason officiating. Burial followed in the Nelson Chapel Church cemetery.

FRANKLINTON - Funeral services for Raymond Wilder, 92, who died Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, will be held Saturday, Aug. 20, at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Franklinton. Burial will follow in Arlington National Cemetery.

YOUNGSVILLE --Jerry Ronald Early, 71, died Wednesday morning, Aug. 10, 2016 at his residence. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon, Aug. 13, in the chapel of Bright Funeral Home with the Rev. Mark Cottrell officiating. Burial was in the Wake Crossroads Baptist Church cemetery.

HOLLISTER - Funeral services for Idell Richardson, 91, who died Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, were held Monday, Aug. 15, at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Hollister, with the Rev. Linda Taybron, officiating. Burial followed in the Pleasant Grove Church cemetery.

Billie R. Gupton went to be with her God after a long battle with Alzheimers. She passed while in loving care in Miramar Beach, FL.

HOLLISTER, NC - Funeral services for Idell Richardson, age 91, who died on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, Aug. 15 at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Hollister, with Rev. Linda Taybron, officiating. Burial will follow in the Pleasant Grove Church Cemetery.

FRANKLINTON -- Ilean Hazel McMahan Autrey, 76, a longtime resident of Franklin County, died Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016 at her home. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, in the Eakes Funeral Home Chapel in Creedmoor by the Rev. Mark Tondee. Burial will be in South Granville Memorial Gardens.