On Jan. 8, the Apex Cougars suffered a dismal 55-36 loss to Panther Creek. DeArius White was the only Cougar to score in double-figures, and Apex only scored 13-points in the first half.

The loss put Apex at 4-9 on the season, and they were 0-4 in the Tri-Eight Conference.

Boy, how things changed.

Three days after the home loss to the Catamounts, Apex hosted rival Cary. The Imps fought hard, but Apex came out on top. One game after scoring 13-points in the first two quarter, Apex put together a 75-68 win.

The Cougars had three players in double-figures against Cary. Weston Murphy led all scorers with 22-points, but Adam Perry and Kyle Waters had 19 and 15 points respectively.

The win over Cary was the start of the roll that would eventually propel the Cougars to a tie for second place in the Tri-Eight, and a No. 3 seed in the N.C. High School Athletic Association State Tournament.

The Cougars finished the regular season with a 10-1 run through the conference, including wins over Athens Drive, Panther Creek, and Green Hope. The run also included an eight-point loss at Middle Creek.

Coach David Neal has had teams in the past that were supposed win the Sectional Championship, that were supposed to go to Greenville, and that were favored to compete for the State Championship... Apex has never been to the Eastern Regional in school history. Never.

Coach Neal's team this season was not supposed to do anything they have done. No one thought they'd tie for second place in the conference, no one thought they'd win in the state tournament, and certainly no one thought they'd be playing for the chance to go to Reynolds Coliseum on Mar. 15.

No one thought they'd do anything they've done, except them.

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," Senior Timmy Plummer told WRAL on Thursday.

Apex has certainly finished well so far. On the way to their Eastern Regional Final showing, the Cougars knocked off three straight No. 1 seeds after going to No. 2 Scotland County in the first round.

The Cougars have not won a single home game in the playoffs, and that's because they haven't played a single home game in the playoffs. Like Jeff Gravley said on the 11 o'clock news on Thursday, the Cougars have been "road warriors" in the playoffs.

Can it continue? Can Apex win the regional championship, and eventually represent Wake County and the Tri-Eight in the state championship in Raleigh?

Sure. Why not?

Certainly they will not be the favorite to beat Jack Britt on Saturday in Greenville, but have they been the favorite to win any of the games in the playoffs?

The big problem Apex will have on Saturday is the height Jack Britt has. Apex has faced fast teams, but they have not seen a team with as much height as the Buccaneers.

Jack Britt is tall across the board; not just in the post.

Plus, who can forget the name C.J. Williams? The N.C. State bound shooting guard put up 21-points on Wednesday against Middle Creek, and he also dished out six assists.

One thing is for sure, though: Coach Neal will have his team prepared. Watch the video from Ken Medlin closely... You'll notice some interesting tactics (for just a second or two) on how Apex is preparing for the extraordinary height they'll face on Saturday.

Who's the "X" Factor for Jack Britt? Kevin Bobson. That's according to Isaiah Walker, Jr., the head coach at Britt.

Bobson told reporters after his win over Middle Creek that Bobson was the key. He said the 6-3 junior was Jack Britt's secret, but, "Now Apex will know about him," the coach said, "Oh well."

Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m., at Minges Coliseum on the campus of East Carolina. And a friendly note to those fans residing in Western Wake County ... cheer loud, but clean.

See you in Greenville on Saturday, and best of luck to all teams.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GAME? No problem. Look for a LIVE blog from WRAL's Nick Stevens on Saturday with photos, audio interviews and stats. Unfortunately, Internet and power is not provided at J.H. Rose High School, so live blogging is not a possibility for the Wakefield vs. Westover game. Time is also going to be a problem, as the girl's play at 1:00 at Rose, and boy's play at 3:00 at Minges. We will have you covered, though.