High school football playoffs

From correspondent Tammy Grubb

True love may be just around the corner for Carrboro!

Producers of the new show, “LoveTown USA,” have named the town a finalist for the Oprah Winfrey Network and BBC Worldwide television series. The next step is a visit with residents in a Town Hall meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 13.

Community and Economic director Annette Stone said the producers wouldn’t say how many other towns are in the finals, too. Kingsland, Ga., officials said they are still in the running, but officials in Reidsville, Fuquay-Varina and Culpeper, Va., said their towns were rejected. There’s no word yet from Newton or Clayton, N.C.
The show’s casting directors will make a final decision in January.

The show will take over a small American town for 30 days, bringing in professional matchmakers to pair up local singles and see how the relationships develop and affect the town. Filming could happen in February or March.

4-AA

Garner 55, Wilmington Laney 35 (FINAL) Demetrius Fairly has four TD

Leesville Road 49, Wake Forest-Rolesville 20 (FINAL) QB Braxton Berrios leads unbeaten Pride

Fayetteville Britt 31, Cary 0 (FINAL) Britt has not allowed a point in last 5 games

Middle Creek 34, Fuquay-Varina 20 (FINAL)

4-A

New Hanover 41, Southeast Raleigh 34  (FINAL) New Hanover stops Southeast at the nine in the final minute

Durham Hillside 40, Fayetteville Smith 12 (FINAL)

Scotland 55, Southeast Guilford 8 (FINAL)

3AA

Fayetteville Byrd 40, Chapel Hill 12 (FINAL)

Cardinal Gibbons 25, Erwin Triton 15 (FINAL)

3A

Cleveland 40, Southern Vance 34 (FINAL) Cleveland scored with 22 seconds left to tie the game and returns a blocked field goal for a touchdown with five seconds left for the win.

1A

Edenton Holmes 37, North Johnston 10 (FINAL)

NCISAA Eight-man finals

Word of God 46, Kinston Parrott 34 (FINAL)

Friday night updates. East Wake stuns No. 1 Wake Forest-Rolesville in OT with fake field goal. Fuquay nips Clayton in OT. West Johnston out-scores South Johnston. Wakefield out-scores Holly Springs in a scoring battle.

The kickoffs of a couple of high school football games tonight have been moved to 6:30 p.m. Fuquay-Varina plays at Clayton at 6:30 tonight and Wake Forest Heritage goes to North Johnston at 6:30.

The fifth annual Kick It for Cancer boys soccer showcase is scheduled for Saturday at CASL's WRAL soccer complex in Raleigh. The event is expected to involve 22 teams.

Friday night playoff updates.

Martha Quillin, one of our reporters, is going to cover the opening of the new Contemporary Art Museum, a much-celebrated addition to the downtown arts scene. Here are some photos John Rottet took the other day. If you want to read more about it, here's a story that staff writer Stacy Chandler wrote.  Staff photojournalist Robert Willett will shooting the opening. I expect we'll have a short story and photos online by mid-afternoon.

Over at Bicentennial Mall, state workers will be holding a rally around noon to urge lawmakers to hold the line on budget cuts affecting public services.  Reporter Matt Garfield will be covering, with Willett taking pics. Yep, Robert will be busy Saturday. Look for story and photos online sometime tomorrow afternoon, too.  Here's something that reporter Craig Jarvis wrote about the rally on our Under the Dome blog.

In Fuquay-Varina, we will be photographing Teen Day Fuquay at the FV Community Center. Hundreds of teens will be learning about the dangers of drinking and driving (and texting while driving) using simulators and "drunk goggles."

And it's pretty likely our sports writers will be updating the Russell Wilson story. Here is Luke DeCock's take that just went online.

We will also be updating the NFL draft. Cowboys just picked linebacker Bruce Carter from UNC. (I just added an 8:10 p.m. update for the heck of it). 

UPDATE:  Chuck Liddy, another of our stellar photojournalists, took some aerial shots today of some areas hit by the tornados that ripped through here Saturday, March 16. There are two aerial galleries, one a First Look with 65 pics, the other with eight pics. There's a third gallery with 43 images by photojournalist Shawn Rocco documenting the experience of a family whose home was damaged by the storm.

The sound of the first footsteps on the course will be heard about 6 a.m. Saturday on a big day of running in the Triangle.

The early start on an April morning comes because the runners have a long way to go in the Umstead 100-Mile Endurance Run at Umstead Park. The field is full, but you can always cheer on the competitors.

Below is a look at some of the area's other runing events this weekend and next. Find more events in a variety of sports in the Play! Recreational Sports Calendar.