Middle Creek senior Quinton Ray signed with Campbell men's basketball on Friday. Ray is a four-year starter for the Mustangs and three-time participant in Dave Telep's Carolina Challenge.

The Tri-9 Conference tournament saw Green Hope's boys and Holly Springs' girls make history.

Championship story from both finals
Photo Gallery from boys' final
Photo Gallery from girls' final

Last night's Middle Creek at Holly Springs boys' basketball game went down to the wire in overtime. Quentin Jackson's floater just before the final buzzer rolled in, and Middle Creek won 71-69.

Here's video of the final possession (Holly Springs had just hit two free throws to tie it up with 14.9 seconds left). Do you think the shot should have counted? It's ridiculously close, but I think the refs got it right by a hair.

Several area players were named to the 2012 N.C. Softball Coaches Association all-state teams. Each classification has their own all-state team, with a player and pitcher of the year for the West and East.

We've attached the full list, and included Triangle-area players plus individual awards below.

Middle Creek's Allie Geiner was co-4A East player of the year, North Johnston's Ashleigh Mason (pictured right) was 2A East player of the year and Holly Springs' Erica Nunn was 4A East pitcher of the year.

Jeremy Thompson of Middle Creek High lands regional coaching honor

Middle Creek's baseball team won the East regional series and will go for a state title this weekend. Nothing new for a school from the Tri-Nine Conference. Holly Springs won it all last year.

But aside from both being in the same league, there's not much else the Golden Hawks of 2011 and the Mustangs of 2012 have in common.

Tuesday's schedule for the Johnston County Easter Invitational prep baseball tournament at South Johnston High School's Bruce Coats Field…
Consolation Games
Cleveland vs. Corinth Holders, noon
Rocky Mount vs. South Johnston, 2:30
Clayton vs. West Johnston, 5
Championship
Middle Creek vs. Smithfield-Selma, 7:30

Monday brings us second round action in the prep baseball touranment, the Johnston County Easter Invitational at South Johnston High School. We're recapping each game here after they end.

Game 7 & 8 Semifinals

Smithfield-Selma 3, West Johnston 1

Middle Creek 3, Clayton 1 (10)

Smithfield-Selma went to its proven road combination of Ben Youngblood and Blake Mitchell on the mound Monday night in the semifinals of the Johnston County Easter Invitational against defending champion West Johnston.

Monday's schedule for the Johnston County Easter Invitational prep baseball tournament at South Johnston High School's Bruce Coats Field…
Consolation Games
Cleveland vs. Rocky Mount, noon
Corinth Holders vs. South Johnston, 2:30
Semifinals
Middle Creek vs. Clayton, 5
Smithfield-Selma vs. West Johnston, 7:30

Game-by-game results from the first day of the tournament.

Game 4

West Johnston 3, South Johnston 2

Tripp Atkinson’s sacrifice fly gave West Johnston its first lead of the night in the top of the seventh inning, scoring Kessler Sorrell and Justin Carroll got out of a nobody out bases loaded jam in the bottom half of the inning, sending the defending champions into Monday’s semifinals.