As eight of the 12 players on Clinton High’s varsity team played their last home game of their high school career Friday night, the Dark Horses got their 22 win of the season over Swansboro.

“These guys have been working hard,” said Clinton head coach Brad Spell after the game. “They’ve been focused and sharp all week preparing for this game.”

With five seniors on the floor for the opening tip-off, the Dark Horse defense was strong, allowing just three Swansboro points in the first six minutes of the game. However, the offense made some early mistakes as they scored just 12 first quarter points. At the quarter’s end, Clinton clung to a 4-point lead.

As halftime neared, the CHS attack began to pick it up. Vic Register, who scored 19 points on the night, led Clinton offensively as they built up a 16-point lead.

While the Dark Horses allowed Swansboro to fight back and cut the lead to 4 in the second half, by the end of the game Clinton had proven their worth as conference champs. As the Horses jumped out to a 25-3 run, their lead increased to 27 points. JT Miller and Jaylen Robertson both stepped up big, scoring 14 and 11, respectively. At the game’s end, Clinton had run away with the victory, 74-48.

The conference playoffs begin Monday at Richlands with the Dark Horses holding the first seed. Clinton will have a first-round rematch with Swansboro at 5:30.