APEX — Panther Creek completed its sweep of the Tri-Eight’s regular season and tournament championships on Friday at Middle Creek High School with a 51-39 win over Lee County.

Just two years removed from their inaugural 4-18 campaign, the win puts the Catamounts at 25-2 overall and they can host up to the first three rounds of the NCHSAA 4-A playoffs, which started Monday.

Shortly after the game went final, Panther Creek racked up multiple Tri-Eight honors.

PC coach L.J. Hepp was named the conference’s Coach of the Year, guard Earnest Ross walked home with the conference Player of the Year award and two more players — Marques and Brandon Oliver — were named to first team and second team All-Conference respectively.

“I’m thrilled for them,” Hepp said. “These guys went 4-18 [two years ago] and for them to experience last year this time and this year this time, it’s neat to see the dedication, commitment, effort, hard work, all that [paid] off.”

In only its third year of existence, Panther Creek already has back-to-back conference tournament championships and one regular season championship.

“Who would’ve thought a first-year school could, in year two and year three, win a league tournament and go 25-2 [in the third year]?” Hepp said. “It’s a special time.”

After breezing through the conference slate with a 13-1 record this year, the tournament wasn't quite as easy.

After dispatching Fuquay-Varina (0-24*) in the first round by the 73-38 score, the Catamounts got quite the test from Apex in the semifinals.

Apex (14-11) was the only Tri-Eight team to defeat Panther Creek during the year, and managed to stay in front of the Catamounts after each of the first three quarters.

Led by Ross, who had 35 points on the night, PC managed to pull away on a 10-2 run that closed out the game. After the 65-58 win, Panther Creek advanced to the championship game against Lee.

The Yellow Jackets’ title-game appearance was by far the biggest and most surprising story from this year's tournament. After finishing the year sixth in the conference, Lee needed to win the conference tournament to get a state playoff berth — and almost did.

The Jackets (9-15) were coming off back-to-back conference tournament wins against Middle Creek and Athens Drive, and led at half over Panther Creek 22-21 thanks to a K.J. Wiley jumper as time ran out.

The clock struck 12 on the Cinderella story, however, and Lee was unable to get their third consecutive upset over a top-10 team in the state, thanks in large part to ice-cold fourth quarter shooting.

Lee hit just two field goals in the final period.

Ross finished with a quiet 15 points and seldom-used reserve T.J. Fitzmaurice lifted the Catamounts early on with eight points. Their teammate Marques Oliver, however, scored his 15 in a much louder fashion, finishing off three dunks that helped change the game's momentum.

Speaking of momentum, some coaches have already pegged Panther Creek as a team that could continue its winning ways all the way to the East Regional final.

“We’ve got six more games to win, and then we’ll have it all,” Marques said, with the understanding that PC needs six wins to claim a state championship.

No one was more thankful for the PC win than Green Hope coach Mickey Bissette and his Falcon team. With Lee gone, Green Hope held onto its fifth-and-final playoff spot and will play at Garner on Monday in the first round of the state 4-A playoffs.

Middle Creek defeated Athens Drive on Friday, 60-52, in a game that decided the No. 2 seed in the conference. With the win, Middle Creek will host Clayton on Monday while Athens will hit the road and play at Knightdale.

Fourth-seeded Apex’s first round game on Monday is at Enloe.