Retired coach Lou Holtz says he always follows three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.

On a Matthews soccer field Friday afternoon, Clinton High School’s Dark Horses did all three, securing the 2A State Soccer Championship title in a victory that not only proved this remarkable team’s mettle but demonstrated their sportsmanship and highlighted the character of a group of young men who have impressed us more and more season after season.

With the full-force of a community behind them, supportive parents cheering them and coaches believing in them, this team was destined to be special from the start. You could see it in the way, season after season, they rooted for one another on and off the field, shared the glory of victories and accepted the bruising losses as a challenge to better themselves.

Perhaps most impressive was the camaraderie these young men have demonstrated, a brotherhood bound by friendships, a competitive spirit, a love of the game and an abiding desire to be the very best they could be.

We appreciate and applaud the way they have handled themselves game after game, showed respect to their coaches, and worked hard, tirelessly, even, giving their all each and every time they stepped onto the pitch.

It has been easy to see that they understand and believe in the team concept, knowing that while they might be outstanding athletes, it is only as a cohesive unit that the best results can be achieved; their impressive 28-2 season record, coupled with a perfect conference record, attests to that fact.

So does the way they played Friday.

Armed with that confidence, they did the best they could and it paid off in a state championship this team, and this community, will talk about for a long time.

The Dark Horse soccer team showed class, pride and character throughout the season, and most particularly in the state championship game. By doing so, the winning, as they say, took care of itself. And that would have been true whether their record had been 28-2 or 2-28.

We are proud of our Dark Horses for bringing home the victory but more importantly this community is proud of them for showing all of us a character that we would all do well to emulate.

Ditto the Wildcats.

We were just as impressed a day after Clinton’s victory, when Hobbton’s soccer team took to the pitch for their own battle, this one a 1A slugfest that came down to the wire, with Hobbton coming away with the runner-up trophy after a 4-3 final score.

But these young men deserve this community’s cheers, too. They have shown all season long not only their mettle but the same tenacity, the same respect for their coaches and the game, itself, and the same hunger to bring home a trophy for their community as the Dark Horses. They have worked tirelessly, fought hard game after game and brought a lot of excitement to the Hobbton community throughout the season.

Their record —23-6-1 — speaks volumes about the fight they have, the spirit they have maintained and the sportsmanship that has made them a strong team season after season.

They made the entire county proud as well Saturday, showing that it really is just as much about how you play the game as it is to win or lose.

We know they wanted that state trophy, and we know the loss cuts deep. That’s how it is when you put your heart and soul into something. But the Wildcats need to hold their heads high and leave the loss on the field in Matthews, knowing that here in Sampson they are winners.

We applaud both teams for a tremendous season, but more importantly than that, we thank them for their good sportsmanship, their commitment to their team and their teammates and their love of the game, a love they have instilled in a community that now supports those on the soccer pitch in the same way we’ve always supported those on the gridiron.