APEX - Middle Creek coaches and players streamed onto the field in jubilation. After trailing by 13 points with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, they were the victors against their top rivals -- and a team that has often stood in their way of conference championships.

Fuquay-Varina fullback Carlton Bridges was stopped on a two-point conversion at the end of the second overtime, allowing Middle Creek to come away 48-47 winners in the Tri-Nine Conference opener for both sides.

It was the end of a hectic back-and-forth battle. Middle Creek led 14-12 at the half but fell behind 34-21 in the fourth quarter thanks to two second-half interception returns for touchdown by Fuquay-Varina's Taylor Skeens and Kyle Smith that turned the tide.

But the host Mustangs came back with a bevy of touchdown passes from inside the red zone.

After Middle Creek quarterback David Salmon found Jon Moore in the end zone on a 10-yard strike to make it 34-27 with 4:07 left in the game, the Mustangs defense forced a quick 3-and-out to get the ball back.

Salmon led his team down the field again, capping off his team's final drive in regulation with a 13-yard bubble screen that Curtis Burston scored on by dragging defenders across the goal line.

The two sides went into overtime 59 seconds later, tied at 34 apiece.

The Mustangs won the toss and chose to have Fuquay -- which was coming off a 21-20 overtime win at Clayton last week -- go on offense first. The Bengals appeared stagnant, netting zero yards on their first three plays. But on fourth down, Bengals coach Ryan Habich reached into his bag of tricks.

Fuquay scored on a hook-and-lateral play, with Kirk Stephenson catching the ball at the 4-yard line and lateraling it back to a streaking Kyle Smith for the touchdown.

Middle Creek scored on the very next play on another bubble screen -- this one connecting Salmon with senior Kevin Jones. The game headed into a second overtime tied at 41.

The Mustangs scored their third touchdown in three plays to start the second OT period, as Devone Johnson rumbled 10 yards on a halfback draw, putting his team up 48-41.

Again, Fuquay appeared stumped with the Middle Creek defense in the overtime period. The Bengals had two incompletions and one rush for a loss of one yard on their first three plays -- but again they found the end zone.

Fuquay quarterback Evan McNeil tried the fade route for the second time in the series, this time finding Hayden Read, who made the diving grab for the score. The Bengals went for two and the win, but Bridges -- who had 27 carries on the night -- was denied.

The two Tri-Nine foes have become heated rivals in recent years as the series has often had a large say in the league conference title race.

Each team scored two touchdowns in the first half, but extra points were the difference.

Middle Creek scored on a 3-yard run by Naylaan Lopez and a 9-yard scamper from Johnson and connected on its two point after tries. Fuquay got its points on a 2-yard scoring run from Bridges and a 83-yard dash from Ricky Fergerson, but missed both extra-point kicks and trailed 14-12 at half.

Salmon, who ended the game with four touchdown passes -- all in the second half and overtime -- and three interceptions, connected with Jones on screen pass that went 26 yards for the touchdown, starting the scoring in the third quarter before Fuquay took its first lead on Skeens' 34-yard interception return. Middle Creek fell further behind when a bad snap on a punt gave the Bengals the ball on the MC 5-yard line. Arthur Meredith scored, giving the Bengals a 27-21 cushion before widening the lead after the second pick-six of the night.

Middle Creek (2-1, 1-0) continues its brutal opening schedule with a non-conference game at undefeated Garner next week, while Fuquay (2-1, 0-1) will return home to face Lee County

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