Clayton's Vernessa Hinnant and Coach Marlon Lee leads the Greater Neuse Conference all-conference girls basketball team.

Garner's Dominique Reed and Coach Eddie Gray win Greater Neuse 4A honors

No. 1 Garner 41, No. 6 Southeast Raleigh 34 (FINAL)

No. 2 Leesville Road 55, Heritage 0 (FINAL)

No. 3 Hillside 45, East Chapel Hill 7 (FINAL)

No. 4 Wake Forest-Rolesville 55, Millbrook 23 (FINAL)

No. 5 Wakefield 45, Broughton 21 (FINAL)

No. 7 Fuquay-Varina 21, Apex 0 (FINAL)

No. 8 Triton 22, Eastern Wayne 0 (FINAL)

No. 9 Southern Durham 43, Northern Durham 7 (FINAL)

No. 10 Middle Creek 28, Holly Springs 14 (FINAL)

No. 11 Cary 28, Green Hope 8 (FINAL)

No. 12 Cardinal Gibbons 35, Orange 21 (FINAL)

Athens Drive 29, Lee County 21 (FINAL)

Chapel Hill 17, Southern Vance 12 (FINAL)

Cleveland 62, South Johnston 59 (FINAL)

East Wake 59, Smithfield-Selma 13 (FINAL)

Enloe 26, Sanderson 21 (FINAL)

North Johnston 30, Franklinton 29 (FINAL)

North Raleigh Christian 24, Wake Christian 21 (FINAL)

Northwood 42, Union Pines 7 (FINAL)

Panther Creek 20, Jordan 12 (FINAL)

Riverside 15, Person 12 (FINAL)

Ravenscroft 42, Charlotte Christian 21 (FINAL)

Warren County 40, Corinth Holders 6 (FINAL)

West Johnston 35, Clayton 30 (FINAL)

Greater Neuse River 4A Conference regular-season champion Garner advanced to the league's tournament championship match with a win over Knightdale Monday evening. The Trojans will meet Clayton, which swept West Johnston Monday, Wednesday night at 6 in the Trojans' home gymnasium.

Garner has won 33 consecutive matches against GNRC opponents and will host a first-round state playoff match on Saturday. Clayton, West Johnston, Knightdale and East Wake will also advance to the playoffs from the league. Clayton can guarantee itself a home first-round match with a win over Garner, since that would give the Comets the No. 2 playoff seed.

West finished second in the league standings, ahead of Clayton, Knightdale and East Wake, respectively.

The Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference volleyball tournament will begin Saturday at Knightdale High School. Play continues on Monday and Wednesday. Regular-season champion Garner is a huge favorite in the event, having won its last 31 matches against GNRC opponents.

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.

Results of note from last night in area prep sports...

Prep Baseball

Knightdale 4, West Johnston 3

Knights claim GNRC's final playoff spot. West just misses out on wild card playoff spot.

Prep Softball

Regular-season play in the Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference baseball ranks concluded on Monday but there's still one post-season spot left to be decided. West Johnston and Knightdale tied for fifth in the league, both with 6-8 records. Those two teams will meet today (Tuesday) at Clayton High School at 6 to see who moves into Friday's NCHSAA 4-A playoffs against Southern Pines Pinecrest.

Clayton, Harnett Central, East Wake and Garner claimed the league's other playoff spots. The final league standings...

The town of Knightdale honored its own at a Town Council meeting recently.

“I’m so proud of this community,” said Knightdale Mayor Russell Killen.

It was Killen’s job to hand out the awards that started with the family of Wayne Shultz, a community supporter who died recently. Killen said his work with the Planter’s Walk Homeowners Association, the Knightdale Public Safety Center, the Eastern Wake Fire Department and the Knightdale Historical Society was noteworthy.

Schultz created the web site for the Historical Society and entered many submissions. Killen talked about his level head and his desire to help his neighbors.

“He wasn’t a ranter or raver,” said Killen. “When he came to you to discuss a problem, he had his facts and his figures to back it up.”

Killen also recognized Chris Chapman and Rachelle Friedman who he said brought positive national attention to the town of Knightdale with their moving story.

The young couple’s wedding was delayed after Friedman suffered a head injury at a party to celebrate their engagement last year. A playful push in the pool left Friedman paralyzed from the waist down.

Enter the NBC Today Show, homemaker show George to the Rescue, the town of Knightdale, the Planter’s Walk Home Owner’s Association, Wake County Building Inspection office, the Knightdale Public Safety Department and the Remodelers Council of the Wake County Homebuilders Association.

The television morning show featured the home makeover of the couple’s home to a handicapped accessible house. It included a remodeled master suite, a deck with a handicapped accessible ramp, a new kitchen and an elevator.

Killen gave the Remodelers Council an award for going to their vendors who donated materials and for doing the actual work of the remodeling along with the crew of George to the Rescue. Everybody had a part, Killen said.

The couple took turns thanking members of the community. Rachelle Friedman said she wanted to throw a party and invite the community to come and see the work of so many hands.

Killen topped off the awards ceremony by recognizing Tim Guffey and Ron Fullerton for rescuing a Knightdale woman from a house fire.

Margaret Blalock was cooking chicken Friday, Jan. 28 at her home 503 South Hampton Street when the pan caught fire.

Mrs. Blalock who uses a walker became unbalanced and fell. She couldn’t get up and crawled into the living room and called 911.

Fullerton and Guffey pulled Mrs. Blalock to safety while Goley Boggs, Chris Rozier and Candler Thornton were coming in the back door to rescue her.

Fire chief Tim Guffey said the work of the EMS medics was stellar.

“They began treating her there for smoke inhalation and transported her to Wake Med,” said Guffey.

All those kudos were a memorable way to open a routine meeting.
 

Expect the report to show the crime rate in this eastern Wake County town remains low.