The Apex Cougars finished with a top-five performance at the Pop Warner National Cheer & Dance Championships held Dec. 6-11 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Only the top five in each category are scored. The Cougars were awarded 52.60 points, finishing behind the champion Amity (Conn.) Spartans' 59.88 in the Novice Division Junior Midget Small category.

Saturday was a great day for the Consolidated Football Federation.

Seven football teams in the Triangle youth sports organization won second-round games, and an eighth, the Division III Pee Wee Apex Cougars, advanced with a bye to reach this Saturday’s Pop Warner Mid-South Regional football championship games at Mount Holly and Gastonia.

Scores and schedule are below.

Nine cheerleading teams and one dance team from the Consolidated Football Federation will have a busy day after Thanksgiving.

The teams have advanced to compete in Friday's Pop Warner Mid-South Region Championships at The Pointe in Fort Mill, S.C., CFF cheer coordinator Julie Sandford said.

The Wilders Grove Wolfpack, the Capital City Steelers and the Cary Chargers saw their Consolidated Football Federation teams advance to next week’s second round of the Pop Warner Little Scholars Mid-South Region playoff with victories Saturday. Several organizations also saw their cheerleading teams advance to the Nov. 27 region championships. (Results are below.)
- In a Division II Junior Peewee game, Capital City defeated the Churchland (Va.) Tigers 6-0.
- In Division II Midgets, Wilders Grove defeated the Suffolk (Va.) Steelers 6-0.
- In Division III Junior Peewee, Wilders Grove defeated the Havelock Rams 18-12.
- In Division III Junior Midgets, Cary defeated the New Bern Warriors 31-6.