The Cap Eight conference tournament is set to start first-round games Monday and Tuesday. First round games will be played at the higher seed, while the semifinal games on Wednesday and Thursday, along with Friday’s finals, will all be played at Broughton’s Holiday Gym.

MONDAY (times 7 p.m.)

Girls first-round games:
No. 8 Leesville Road at No. 1 Millbrook
No. 5 Enloe at No. 4 Sanderson
No. 7 Heritage at No. 2 Broughton
No. 6 Wake Forest-Rolesvillle at No. 3 Wakefield

TUESDAY (times 7 p.m.)

Boys first-round games
No. 8 Heritage at No. 1 Millbrook
No. 5 Sanderson at No. 4 Wake Forest-Rolesville
No. 7 Enloe at No. 2 Broughton
No. 6 Leesville Road at No. 3 Wakefield

The Cap Eigth 4-A conference season resumed this week after a number of teams participated, and performed well, in holiday tournaments. As we begin the new year, here are my power rankings for the boys side:

Millbrook (10-4): The Wildcats have played the toughest schedule of anyone in the Cap Eight. That should led Millbrook to succeeding in the conference season where the Wildcats will be the team everyone is gunning for. Shi’Chee Moore (pictured left) has proved to be the best point guard in the conference. If the Wildcats can continue to turn teams over, they’ll win a lot of games.

Wake Forest-Rolesville (10-2): Give a lot of credit to first-year coach Mickey Bissette. He has the Cougars believing in his system and themselves. The Cougars gave Garner its first loss – and this is the same Trojan team that won the premier Holiday Invitational tournament. The Cougars rolled off eight straight wins after a 66-61 win over Wakefield. Will Perry and Jordan Ayscue are making WF-R a real contender.

The Cap Eigth 4-A conference season resumed this week after a number of teams participated, and performed well, in holiday tournaments. As we begin the new year, here are my power rankings for the girls side:

Millbrook (13-1): Coach Chris East said his entire team cried last week when the Wildcats fell to Charlotte Myers Park in the championship game of the Holiday Invitational. That’s a good sign. Millbrook had dominated every team it faced before that game, and now East shouldn’t have to worry about his Wildcats getting complacent. Briana Day played well in the tournament, but Millbrook should play better with Ryan Flowers and Katelyn Mitchell returning from suspensions.

Sanderson (9-3): The Spartans are near the bottom of the standings, but no one should overlook this team. Derricka Lewis (center of photo) is averaging 13 points a game and has improved her play from last year. Bria Gibson has also being solid with 10 points a game. Sanderson defeated Athens Drive for the third time this year to win the Athens Drive Invitational Tournament.

CARY When first-year Wake Forest-Rolesville boys basketball coach Mickey Bissette took over, he thought he'd have to do a lot more encouraging. No current Cougars player, after all, has ever played in a postseason game.

But instead, Bissette has found himself with a team who hasn't stopped trying for him.

Cap Eight 4-A all-conference football team

Players of the year: Austin Berrios, Leesville Road; Connor Mitch, Wakefield

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Karelov Sasha, Leesville Road

COACH OF THE YEAR
Taine Mergenthaler, Leesville Road

No. 1 Leesville Road 62, Broughton 21 (FINAL) Braxton Berrios rushed for 200 yards in first half

No. 2 Garner 42, Athens Drive 0 (FINAL)

No. 3 Hillside 38, Pembroke Swett 32 ( OT, FINAL)

No. 4 Wake Forest-Rolesville 31, Millbrook 0 (FINAL)

Wilmington Laney 30, No. 5 Wakefield 27 (FINAL)

There's some good news and bad news for parents about potential changes in the Wake County student assignment plan.

Staff is recommending today that North Ridge Elementary now feed into Sanderson High instead of Millbrook High. Staff says there's capacity at both schools and it will free up more magnet seats at Millbrook, create more seats for students who live near that school and still give proximity priority to some North Ridge families who want Millbrook to Sanderson.

Staff said they can't recommend the proposal from parents to do a 40-40 split for both high schools or sunset current North Ridge students because it would set a precedent they'd feel would have to be offered to families at other schools as well. They said offering a mix of base assignments with a choice plan got Charlotte-Mecklenburg in trouble.

UPDATE

The assignment plan was approved as recommended by staff with no changes.

No. 1 Garner 35, No. 8 Middle Creek 21 (FINAL)

No. 7 Wake Forest-Rolesville 30, No. 2 Southeast Raleigh 27   (FINAL)

No. 4 Cary 33,  Apex 0 (FINAL) Imps defenders score three touchdowns

No. 5 Wakefield 46, No. 12 East Wake 14 (FINAL)

No. 11 Harnett Central 27, Overhills 21 (FINAL)

Panther Creek 42, Holly Springs 21 (FINAL)

Cardinal Gibbons 49, Ravenscroft 13 (FINAL)

Chapel Hill 19, Pittsboro Northwood 14 (FINAL)

Millbrook 14, Northern Durham 0 (FINAL)

South Johnston 56, Smithfield-Selma 6 (FINAL)

Athens Drive 52, Green Hope 19 (FINAL)

Broughton 35, Fayetteville Sanford 13 (FINAL)

Cleveland 48, Heritage 6 (FINAL)

Fuquay-Varina 42, Lee County 14 (FINAL)

North Johnston 42, Princeton 20 (FINAL)

Knightdale 26, Enloe 10 (FINAL)

Southern Lee 45, South Robeson 0 (FINAL)

Clayton 41, Corinth Holders 6 (FINAL, Thursday)

For you Wake Forest-Rolesville High School parents wondering about your new principal, the signs seem to look good.

The Fayetteville Observer has posted an article today that describes Clinton Robinson as having "led a remarkable turnaround at E.E. Smith High School, The article says E.E. Smith went from being a low-performing school threatened with closure by Superior Court Judge Howard Manning to now having a passing rate of more than 80 percent on state exams.

"I see a bright, bright future for him," said Cumberland County Superintendent Frank Till about Robinson in the article.

Robinson said in the article he was recruited by Wake to work at Wake Forest-Rolesville High to replace Tina Hoots, who retired.