Princeton and Williamston will meet in the NCHSAA 1-A state baseball playoffs for the sixth time since 1992 tonight in Williamston at 7 p.m.
In each of the last five meetings, the winner of that playoff meeting has advanced to the state championship series.

The Bulldogs beat Williamston in the playoffs in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 2004 and advanced to the state series. The Tigers' went to states in 1995 after beating Princeton.

As for shifting dates for playoff games because of last night's playoff postponements, some baseball teams are likely to turn around and play again tomorrow night, starting the three-game regional championship series.

According to the NCHSAA, those series have to be completed by Saturday night.

Tonight's Princeton-Williamston winner will meet Hampstead Topsail in the regional championship series. Topsail beat Rocky Point Trask 7-1 on Tuesday night.

According to the playoff bracket, the Princeton-Williamston winner will have the home field advantage in the regionals, hosting Games 1 and 3.

All three of tonight's area playoff games were postponed because of rain that lingered a little longer in the area than was predicted.
To reset things, here's what we're looking at on Wednesday night:

1-A Baseball: Fourth Round
Princeton at Williamston, 7 p.m.

4-A Softball: Third Round
Apex at West Johnston, 6 p.m.

1-A Softball: Third Round
Princeton at Manteo, 6 p.m.

According to the weather forecasters, we should see rain and thunderstorms pass through the area tonight, making the playing of area playoff games a little tougher.
But with most teams who are fortunate enough to advance to the next round probably looking at a Thursday night contest, every effort will be made to get the games in.
Hopefully, the rain will be through the area by 7 or 8 o'clock and the worst we're looking at is dealing with a delay of some kind.
If anything schedule wise changes, we'll let you know as soon as we know.

The complete Johnston County prep playoff schedule for Tuesday, with start times:

1-A Baseball: Fourth Round
Princeton at Williamston, 7

1-A Softball: Third Round
Princeton at Manteo, 6

4-A Softball: Third Round
Apex at West Johnston, 6

Princeton will make its second straight trip to the northeast corner of the state for the NCHSAA softball playoffs tomorrow (Tuesday) to visit Manteo in a third round game. The contest will begin at 6 p.m.

The Bulldogs left Jamesville with a 5-2 on Friday.

Getting back in the swing of things (despite a rare May sinus cold) after a three-day escape to New York...

Area prep playoff results

Thursday's results

4-A Softball: Second Round
West Johnston 2, Fayetteville Pine Forest 1

1-A Softball: Second Round
Pender County 7, North Johnston 4

Friday's results

1-A Baseball: Third Round
Princeton 7, Camden County 6

1-A Softball: Second Round
Princeton 5, Jamesville 2

Saturday's result

3-A Baseball: Third Round
Rocky Mount 3, South Johnston 1

What's coming on Tuesday...

1-A Baseball: Fourth Round
Princeton (16-10) at Williamston (18-7)

1-A Softball: Third Round
Princeton (14-6) at Manteo (17-6)

4-A Softball: Third Round
Apex (16-4) at West Johnston (25-2)

We'll update start times, etc. as soon as we know them.

North Johnston will play at Pender County Thursday at 6 p.m. in a second round NCHSAA 1-A softball playoff game.

Princeton's NCHSAA playoff games in baseball and softball will both be played on Friday. The Bulldogs will visit Camden County for a 6 p.m. third round baseball playoff game. It will be a rematch of last year's eastern regional championship series, which the Bulldogs won, 2-0.
In softball, Princeton is at Jamesville at 7 p.m. on Friday for a second round game. (The Dawgs' baseball team won at Jamesville on Tuesday night.)

West Johnston will host Fayetteville Pine Forest on Thursday night at 6 p.m. in a second round NCHSAA 4-A softball playoff game.

What's ahead for the next round of prep playoff events:

Baseball: Third Round
1-A
Princeton (14-10) at Camden County (15-7)
3-A
South Johnston (17-9) at Rocky Mount (21-5)

Softball: Second Round
1-A
Princeton (13-6) at Jamesville (16-2)
North Johnston (13-8) at Pender County (19-5)
4-A
Fayetteville Pine Forest (17-6) at West Johnston (24-2)

Tuesday's area playoff scores

Baseball: Second Round
1-A
Princeton 8, Jamesville 6
East Columbus 3, North Johnston 1
3-A
South Johnston 2, Northern Nash 0
4-A
Durham Jordan 4, West Johnston 1

Softball: First Round
1-A
North Johnston 3, Hampstead Topsail 2 (8)
Princeton 11, Louisburg 0
3-A
Bartlett Yancey 4, South Johnston 0
4-A
West Johnston 10, Green Hope 0 (5)
Wake Forest-Rolesville 7, Smithfield-Selma 0

Boys Tennis Dual Team: Second Round
1-A
Hampstead Topsail def. North Johnston

From today's print edition of The N&O:

Former Carolina Panthers center Curtis Whitley, who starred at Smithfield-Selma High, has died.

Family members said Monday night that they learned earlier in the day that Whitley, who turned 39 Saturday, had been found dead in Texas, where he was living. They were awaiting details about the cause and precise timing of his death.

Whitley started every game in the Panthers' inaugural 1995 season, and he made eight starts in 1996 before getting suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

He joined the Oakland Raiders in 1997 but was suspended again before the 1998 season and didn't play in the league again.

Whitley played college football at Clemson. The San Diego Chargers picked him in the fifth round of the 1992 NFL draft.

The Charlotte Observer also has a story on his passing. Click on the blog entry header to be directly linked to the story.

It's a full day of high school playoff action. Here's a rundown of who's involved, when, in what and where:

Baseball: Second Round Games

1-A
North Johnston (13-6) at East Columbus (13-8)
Princeton (14-10) at Jamesville (18-2)

3-A
South Johnston (16-9) at Northern Nash (12-8)

4-A
Durham Jordan (18-7) at West Johnston (19-5)

Boys Tennis: Second Round Dual Team

1-A
North Johnston at Topsail, 4

Boys Golf: 1-A State Championships, Second Round
North Johnston competing at Keith Hills Country Club

Softball: First Round Games

1-A
Hampstead Topsail (12-7) at North Johnston (12-8), 7
Louisburg (9-8) at Princeton (12-6), TBA

3-A
South Johnston (12-10) at Bartlett Yancey (24-0), TBA

4-A
Green Hope (10-10) at West Johnston (22-2), 6
Smithfield-Selma (11-14) at Wake Forest-Rolesville (15-2), TBA

Former Smithfield-Selma High School standout football lineman Curtis Whitley passed away today, according to The News and Observer and The Charlotte Observer. Whitley went onto play at Chowan and then Clemson after his days with the Spartans and later played for the Carolina Panthers, the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers during his six-year NFL career.
He had just turned 39 on Saturday.

From the NCHSAA

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
MEN’S 1-A GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Keith Hills Country Club, Buies Creek – Keith Hills II course

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Hampstead Topsail 300
2. East Surry 305
3. Polk County 326
4. Mount Airy 328
5. Gastonia Highland Tech 338
6. Williamston 340
7. North Johnston 343
Elkin 343
9. Rosman 347
10. N.C. Science and Math 348
Louisburg 348
12. East Bladen 357

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
1. Joe Ondish, Topsail 69
2. John Welden, East Surry 71
3. Ethan Grimmer, East Surry 72
4. Andrew Bateman, Andrews 73
5. David Kostyal, Topsail 75
6. Tyler Britt, East Bladen 77
7. Nick Peavy, Mount Airy 78
Josh Whitehead, Topsail 78
David Donovan, Topsail 78
Pat Morris, Topsail 78
11. Jackson Shearin, North Johnston 79
Kyle Wilson, Mount Airy 79
Jordan Humphrey, NCSSM 79
Drew Eaker, Cherryville 79
Parker Lewis, Hayesville 79