SUNRISE, Fla. — The Carolina Hurricanes had a police escort, sirens blazing, Wednesday from their hotel in Fort Lauderdale Beach to the Florida Panthers' BankAtlantic Center.

Once at the arena, the Hurricanes were on their own. The Panthers made all the early noise, but the Canes were loud late. Very loud.

Trailing 3-0 barely five minutes into the game, the Hurricanes rallied behind rookie Jeff Skinner, veteran Tuomo Ruutu and backup goalie Justin Peters for pulsating 4-3 victory.

RALEIGH – Cardinal Gibbons continued its climb to a conference title with a convincing 41-14 win over visiting Orange Friday night.

“We wanted to climb a ladder and each week is another step,” first year coach Henry Trevathan said.

The Crusaders (8-2, 4-0) pulled away from a 22-14 third quarter lead, scoring 20 unanswered points to set up a showdown with Oxford Webb next week for the Carolina 3A conference title.

ROANOKE RAPIDS – North Johnston quickly found out the best way to score against powerful Roanoke Rapids Friday night — return kick offs for touchdowns. The Panthers' Jacques Alston returned the opening kick off 90 yards for a TD, then went 91 yards for another score the second time he fielded a kick.

Problem was, with the Yellow Jackets scoring six touchdowns, it would have taken six returns for kicks to match a Roanoke Rapids (9-1, 5-0) squad that clinched no worse than a share of the Northern Carolina 2-A Conference championship and the league's No. 1 overall playoff seed with a 42-14 victory.

The victory bell will stay in the west side of Hillsborough for another year.

Cedar Ridge's Brent Burnette registered 172 yards on 24 carries as the Red Wolves defeated crosstown rival Orange 34-7 on Friday night in Glen Auman Stadium. Red Wolves quarterback Cam Pappas went 7-for-12 for 227 yards and a touchdown as the Red Wolves defeated the Panthers for the second consecutive year.

The Carolina Panthers fall to the Baltimore Ravens 17-13 in Charlotte on Saturday night, Aug. 29, 2009. With the loss, the Panther's are 0-3 in the ... more

See photos from the Panthers at the Miami Dolphins in an NFL preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009.

See a gallery of images from Carolina's 24-17 loss to the New York Giants during their Monday night preseason game.