Leesville Road was a convincing winner in Friday’s showdown with previously undefeated Wakefield.

The Pride won 52-24 after building a 35-9 halftime lead. Junior runner Braxton Berrios scored all five of the Leesville touchdowns in the first half and finished with 196 yards rushing, 25 yards passing and 41 yards receiving.

“We played really well against Wakefield,” said Leesville coach Chad Smothers. “We were opportunistic early and got momentum on our side and it just snowballed.

“I still believe Wakefield is a very good team that will be hard to handle in the playoffs.”

Smothers praised the defensive work of Berrios, Devin Williamson, Malcolm Hitchcock, Tucker Bell, Selo Kuvunna and Mike Williams.

Retired jersey: Before the lightning came Friday night and forced the postponement of Middle Creek’s eventual 35-26 victory over Panther Creek to Saturday, Middle Creek retired the football jersey of 2012 graduate Rashawn King.

King returned to the Mustangs’ football team last fall after missing his junior season as he was treated for cancer.

“Rashawn meant a tremendous amount to our school,” said Lewis Owens, the Middle Creek athletics director. “Our entire community rallied around him.

“He helped us create a community. We’re named Middle Creek for a reason. We are in the middle of several communities, but we don’t have a town of our own. But Rashawn helped us build our own community. We united in concern for him.”

King is a member of the N.C. Central basketball team and has already made an impact on that program, according to Central coach Levelle Moton.

“My great wish is to teach him as much as he has taught me,” Moton said. “Every time I see him, I smile. Every time I see him, I am inspired. We’re proud to have him on our team.”

TD throws: Middle Creek’s David Salmon passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in Friday’s 35-26 Tri-Nine 4A victory over Panther Creek. Salmon now has 17 touchdown passes and only two interceptions.

He did not have a passing touchdown in a 21-7 season-opening win over Northern Durham, but had five in the second game, a 41-26 win over Southern Durham. He has had at least one in every game since.

Big East Independent: Ravenscroft’s 46-40 victory over Fayetteville Christian (0-1, 3-3) kept the Ravens atop the Big East Independent Conference. The Ravens (3-4 overall) are 2-0 while Harrells Christian (4-2) and North Raleigh Christian (4-1) are both 1-0.

Ravenscroft plays Wake Christian (0-1, 2-5) on Friday while North Raleigh travels to Harrells.

The N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association uses a seeding committee to determine playoff berths.

Fayetteville Village Christian is 0-2 in the league and 2-5 overall.

Game cancelled: Orange High’s football game at East Chapel Hill, originally scheduled for Friday and then moved to Monday, was cancelled. It was a non-conference game and will not be rescheduled.

Coach dies: Mike Crowell, head football and wrestling coach at South Davidson High, died suddenly of an apparent heart attack on Sunday morning, according to the NCHSAA.

He was in his fifth year as football coach and had guided South to an NCHSAA state 1-A dual team wrestling championship in 2003.

He graduated from Denton High School in 1978 and played baseball at Pfeiffer College.