It wasn’t the high-scoring showcase fans have come to expect from the Clinton Dark Horses, but it was every bit as intense. Under the cool November sky at Dark Horse Stadium Monday night, Clinton eked out a gritty 1-0 win over the visiting Carrboro Panthers, punching their ticket to the next round of the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs.
The match was a testament to defensive discipline and late-season endurance, as both teams fought through heavy pressure, limited chances, and dropping temperatures to keep their championship hopes alive.
Clinton head coach Brad Spell admitted afterward that he knew the challenge coming in. “I was nervous all weekend because that coach [Jared Drexler], he’s seasoned, and they play a very tough non-conference schedule,” Spell attested. “So I knew we were up for something big tonight. Even though I thought we outpossessed them and moved the ball on them, they did a good job defensively and held us to really limited opportunities.”
The Dark Horses had several early looks but couldn’t break through until Emilson Marcia finally found the net midway through the first half, striking a clean ball that sailed just beyond Carrboro keeper Henry Smith’s reach. From there, the match settled into a defensive chess game.
“They had a really good opportunity in the first half that basically, they just missed it,” Spell pointed out. “But I’m proud of the guys; we got that first goal by Emilson. It was just a beautiful goal, and then we kind of just hung on and watched that clock tick away, but it took a long time for it to tick away.”
Carrboro pushed hard in the closing minutes, testing Clinton’s back line and senior goalkeeper Luis Bartolome, who continued his stellar postseason run. The Dark Horses’ defense — anchored by James Sinclair, Ryan McClanahan, Cullen Brewer, and Luis Bartolome — held strong to preserve another clean sheet.
“You saw they had a lot of pressure on us the last five or so minutes,” Spell said. “Proud of the guys, it’s survive and advance.”
The shutout marked Bartolome’s 16th of the season, inching him closer to the school record. “Yeah, he’s got a chance at it,” Spell said. “We did it back in 2018. We had 19 shutouts, so he’s got a chance to tie. But yeah, he’s phenomenal, man. And our defense is phenomenal. Just proud of all the guys all around.”
Spell emphasized that Clinton’s physical preparation paid dividends as the temperature dropped. “That’s one thing we talk about is nutrition and getting good rest,” he said. “Even though it’s cool, you still got to be really hydrated. You might cramp a lot quicker in the hot temperatures because you’re wasting a lot more sweat, but you still got to be hydrated and have a real good warmup at the beginning of the game.”
The conditioning, he added, has been part of what’s made this team so resilient. “These kids have done a good job of listening to the coaching staff this year about that stuff,” Spell said. “When you get this late in the season, everybody’s got a role. I didn’t get as many numbers in the game, but that’s just part of it. They know their role and they encourage the guys out there on the field. It’s all hands on deck.”
On the other side, Carrboro head coach Drexler praised his team’s effort and growth through the season. “We’ve come a long way,” he said. “We had a really hard schedule, especially at the beginning of the year. So we took some losses, but I think we really learned a lot from those. Our goal was always to be peaking right around now, and that’s exactly kind of what happened.”
The Panthers were without their senior leading scorer, who went down with an injury late in the season. “That probably would have helped out tonight,” Drexler said. “But credit to Clinton; they’re a good team, very dangerous and well-coached and super organized. They played really well and got a W in a really, really tight game, so congrats to them.”
Carrboro will graduate six seniors, including several key defenders and midfielders. Despite that, Drexler remains optimistic. “We’re losing six seniors,” he said. “Had a couple of other seniors who play high-level club and are going to college to play, and they didn’t end up playing for us this year, which would have really helped. But that’s high school sports — you get the cards that you’re dealt and make the best of it.”
Looking to next season, Drexler said there’s plenty to build on. “If everybody comes back, we should be looking all right,” he said. “Fingers crossed that that happens, and maybe we can gain another solid player or two — that’d be awesome.”
For Clinton, the focus now shifts to Thursday’s home match against North Pitt. “We’ll be home Thursday at 6,” Spell said. “You know my motto. It’s survive and advance.”
With momentum on their side and a defense that refuses to bend, the Dark Horses will look to keep their postseason dream alive, one shutout at a time.