HOLLY SPRINGS- In a season of firsts for the Holly Springs football team, the Golden Hawks added a couple more last Friday in a Tri-Nine conference matchup with visiting Apex.

Holly Springs scored 24 second-half points to come from behind and win its fifth consecutive game with a 31-22 victory over the Cougars, their first ever win against Apex. The Golden Hawks (6-3, 5-1 Tri-9), who had already captured enough wins to qualify for the post season, also guaranteed their first winning season in school history with the victory.

“We’ve accomplished several of the goals we set out to this season,” said Holly Springs head coach Jim Hynus, whose Hawks also defeated previously unbeaten Fuquay-Varina the week before. “But there are still more things we want to achieve this year.”

Senior J.J. Graves scored three touchdowns and rushed for 162 yards for the winners, who trailed the Cougars 16-7 at intermission.

Holly Springs scored twice in the third quarter to take the lead. First, Mike Roach tossed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Corron Boston which cut the Apex advantage to 16-14. The score was set up when Roach threw a perfect sideline pass to his twin brother Joey Roach, which went for 42 yards.

Xavier Bailey then intercepted an Apex pass and Nick Hohns turned it into three points with a 27-yard field goal which put Holly Springs ahead 17-16 with 3:34 left in the third.

Graves then added his second touchdown (eight yards) early in the fourth to give the Golden Hawks a 24-16 lead.

“It takes a good team to come back like that,” Hynus said. “Apex is better than their record (1-7, 1-4) and we knew they’d be dangerous tonight.”

Darius McClain scored on a two-yard run late in the game for the Cougars, but Kent Burnette intercepted the two-point conversion to preserve the Golden Hawks 24-22 advantage.

Graves then sealed things with an electrifying 54-yard touchdown run, which got his coaches and teammates all fired up on the sidelines.

“I can’t say enough about J.J.,” Hynus said. “They were putting eight in the box too.”

The Golden Hawks rolled up 308 yards on the ground, while the Cougars and quarterback Adam Nelson (19-for-31 for 185 yards) preferred the air.

Stephen Weiss booted three field goals for Apex, including a 43-yarder, while senior Mike Fogg returned a fumble 24 yards for a score in the first half. Apex led 13-0 after Fogg’s return.

Holly Springs remains in the hunt to capture the conference title, trailing Middle Creek by just one game. The Golden Hawks have a bye this week and then travel to Green Hope next week before finishing the season at home against a resurgent Athens Drive.