The Clinton Lady Dark Horses saw a memorable postseason run come to an end Monday night, falling 8-0 on the road against top-seeded Carrboro in the third round of the NCHSAA 4A Women’s Soccer State Playoffs.
Despite the final score, Clinton closed the season with a strong 14-9-2 overall record after advancing to the third round, a feat head coach Adam Smith described as a successful year for the program.
Facing a Carrboro squad that entered the matchup with a 18-1-3 record, the Lady Dark Horses were tasked with overcoming not only one of the top teams in the state, but also a lengthy road trip in the middle of a busy end-of-school stretch. Still, Smith noted his team never backed down from the challenge.
“Carrboro has always been a really tough team to face throughout the years,” Smith reflected. “The girls did well. They fought hard. Carrboro has a lot of attacking options, and we really had to fight. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”
Smith shared that the coaching staff worked to make sure the moment itself did not overwhelm the players despite facing the tournament’s top seed.
“Anytime somebody sees a one beside a team, they think they’re going to be amazing,” Smith explained. “But I thought the girls handled it well. They didn’t walk out there and shy away or just give them the game.”
The Clinton coach acknowledged the demands of playoff travel, especially this late in the academic year, but credited his players for staying composed throughout the experience.
“Traveling does take a toll on you right here at the end of school, and there’s so much going on with the heat and everything else,” Smith stated. “But that’s no excuse because we prepared the right way. Overall, I thought the girls gave a really good effort and went out there and fought hard.”
While the season ended one step short of the regional finals, Clinton’s playoff journey included a dominant 7-0 first-round win over Graham and a dramatic 1-0 triple-overtime road victory against Uwharrie Charter Academy in the second round.
Smith believes the resilience his team showed throughout the season was one of the defining characteristics of the group.
“Getting to the third round is never easy in general,” Smith said. “Some teams would love to get to the third round. So yes, I would say this season was a success. Things could have gone differently for us at different times, but that’s part of coaching and sports. It doesn’t always go your way, and it’s about how you handle adversity.”
The Lady Dark Horses will graduate four seniors in goalkeeper Anna Lovitt, Arizona Tyndall, Summer Davis and Laynie Brock — a group, Smith said, that played a major role in helping elevate the program over the past several seasons.
“We’re losing four seniors that played a very important role for us, not only just this year, but years past,” Smith noted. “We can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done for our program, and they will truly be missed.”
Lovitt, Clinton’s senior goalkeeper, anchored the defense throughout the season and helped guide the Lady Dark Horses through several high-pressure playoff moments. Tyndall, Davis and Brock also provided veteran leadership for a team that steadily improved throughout the spring.
Although Clinton will return several key contributors next season, along with incoming talent from a middle school program that recently captured a championship, Smith said replacing the departing seniors will still leave significant gaps to fill.
“We are returning a lot, but we’ve got some big holes to fill,” Smith admitted. “We’ll kind of assess the scene as we get closer and see if we can make another run at it.”
Throughout the season, Clinton consistently proved itself as one of the stronger teams in the area, finishing second in the East Central 3A/4A Conference and making a deep postseason push behind a balanced roster and strong team chemistry. Smith also praised the support the program received from the Clinton community throughout the season, including during Monday’s long road trip.
“The fans have been amazing all season, traveling-wise,” Smith said. “They really showed up and supported us along the way, even last night. I can’t thank the community enough for what they’ve done — the snacks, the support, the kind words and the conversations after the game.”
Smith added that the effort and commitment shown by his players throughout the year was something he deeply appreciated as a coach.
“When things didn’t go our way, they didn’t quit,” Smith remarked. “They didn’t stop listening. They didn’t stop doing their jobs. They continued to push and do everything we told them to do, so I can’t thank them enough.”
Though the season concluded in Carrboro, the Lady Dark Horses leave the year with another playoff run, valuable postseason experience and optimism surrounding the future of the program.