Johnston County will be well-represented on the 2009 N.C. Shrine Bowl squad. Smithfield-Selma's Josh Snead and South Johnston's Dee Williams were both named to the team today.

Snead, a Duke recruit, leads the Triangle area with 1,832 yards rushing in 10 games and 24 offensive touchdowns.  Williams leads the Triangle area in receiving. He is tops in yards receiving (962), receiving touchdowns (17) and receiving yards per game (106.9).

Smithfield-Selma head coach and former Garner standout Anthony Barbour will serve as an assistant coach for the N.C. squad as well. 

One of Barbour's fellow Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference players — Harnett Central's Anthony Johnson, an outside linebacker — was also selected to the squad. For a complete rundown of the N.C. roster, visit http://ncpreps.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1008293

The 73rd Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas will be played Dec. 19 in Spartanburg, S.C.

We had a mix up in this week's editions of The Herald of Johnston County and The Garner-Clayton Record. The varsity football game between West Johnston and Smithfield-Selma will be played Thursday night at 7:30 at SSS's Tucker Stadium.

Clayton's game against Knightdale is also set for Thursday night.

Clayton was on the verge of one of the season's biggest upsets Friday night after taking a 14-10 lead over Wake Forest-Rolesville on a Matt Reid touchdown run in the final minute, but the Cougars roared back, scoring on the game's final play for a 16-14 victory.

Wake Forest-Rolesville (4-0) hadn't given up a point in its first three games before falling behind Clayton (1-3) 7-0 in the first half.

Millbrook 34, Garner 24

Cardinal Gibbons 20, Clayton 7

West Johnston 37, Overhills 13

Triton 28, Smithfield-Selma 26

South Johnston 57, Southern Lee 0

Southeast Raleigh 41, Holly Springs 17

Princeton 19, Hobbton 12

Clinton Union 41, North Johnston 12

Rosewood 13, Wake Christian 12

Just a reminder that our annual high school football preview is
featured in Wednesday's editions of the Garner-Clayton Record and The
Herald of Johnston County. You'll find full team previews, schedules
and other team info on all nine of our area teams (Garner, Clayton,
West Johnston, Southeast Raleigh, Smithfield-Selma, South Johnston,
North Johnston, Princeton and Wake Christian) there.

A few observations from Friday night's Friday Night Pigskin Kick Off at Heritage High School...

Clayton was up first, and met Apex and Millbrook in two hour-long scrimmages.

The
Comets' defense forced three Apex turnovers during one 10-play
offensive set for the Cougars. They also saw quarterbacks Matt Reid and
Mark Taylor complete 30-plus yard play action touchdown passes. Reid
hit Dallon Wallace on his pass, while Taylor connected with Donte
Johnson.

Clayton also spent some time in a 'Wildcat' formation
with running backs Montrelle Sanders, Brad Stanback and Daiquan
Thomasson all lined up in the backfield and available to take direct
shotgun snaps.

Despite the widespread opinion throughout the area, Garner's still the pick on paper to win the 2009 Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference football race, according to the league's coaches. The coaches poll was taken during the annual conference meeting held Tuesday night at Clayton High School.

Southeast Raleigh, which has two D-I commitments, came in second. The Bulldogs are the defending league champions. Garner had won the conference title every other year this decade.

Here's the complete rundown of the poll results...

1. Garner: 43 poll points, 2 first place votes

2. SE Raleigh: 38 poll points, 3 first place votes

3. West Johnston: 31 poll points, 1 first place vote

4. Harnett Central: 28 poll points, 1 first place vote

5. Clayton: 18 poll points

6. Smithfield-Selma: 17 poll points

7. Knightdale: 12 poll points

8. East Wake: 10 poll points

Look for more on the area football race in Tuesday's preview in the N&O print editions. Look for more on Garner, Clayton, Southeast, Smithfield-Selma and West Johnston with full team previews in next Wednesday's Garner-Clayton Record and The Herald of Johnston County.

The N&O is reporting in today's editions that former Smithfield-Selma High School football standout Justin Dixon will attend Hargrave Military Academy before joining the football program at the University of North Carolina. Fellow SSS standout D.J. Bunn is also awaiting word on his admission status to UNC.

You can read the full report by J.P. Giglio online now at http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/1589096.html

Smithfield-Selma offensive and defensive back Josh Snead (Class of 2010) verbally committed to accept a football scholarship from Duke on Monday. Snead, who paired with UNC recruits Justin Dixon and D.J. Bunn in the Spartan backfield at times last season, is well known for his speed. He ran on South Johnston's state 3-A championship-winning 4x100-meter relay team in 2008.

Friday night's area prep football playoff results:

1-AA East

Midway 14, North Johnston 7

1-A West

Lakewood 28, Princeton 0

Games postponed

4-A East

Smithfield-Selma at Middle Creek, 1 p.m. on Saturday

4-AA East

West Johnston at Apex, 7 p.m. on Monday