I will quickly forget the 18 hour work day that it was. And how tired I was when I woke up around 6:30 Saturday morning to get up to Raleigh for the 11 a.m. 3-A game between North Gaston and Western Alamance, and how tired I was when I arrived home in Charlotte and got to bed around 3 a.m. Sunday morning.

It will be a day to remember because for the first time since I have been covering high school sports in Charlotte, only one area team won the big one. I’m so happy for Scott Cloninger and his team. The real joy for the Wolves in winning is the pride and enjoyment it brings to the entire Lincolnton community. Just my luck it was the one game of the four in the triangle that I was not able to cover.

As I said, my day began in Chapel Hill for the North Gaston game. It was a total shoot out in the first half, but Western Alamance began to pull away in the 3rd quarter. Things were getting out of hand. A couple of players were beginning to be very vocal on the sidelines about not coming all this way to lose, and then after the Warriors scored a 2nd touchdown, the Wildcats committed a personal foul on the ensuing kickoff.

I will always remember how impressed I was with Coach Bruce Clark, who called time out, gathered his team around him as if practice had just ended, and reminded them that they had come too far to give up now, not to quit, and to fight to the bitter end. The Wildcats did just that and I was impressed how Coach Clark hugged his players after the game, and told them to hold their heads high despite the loss.

I stayed at Kenan Stadium for the 3-AA game between Charlotte Catholic and Dudley. While it was another disappointing loss for one of our area teams, again I will always remember watching Coach Oddo and his team in defeat. His players were smaller and slower than the Panthers, but they fought to the bitter end and lost by just 8 points. I guess when you Coach for 34 years at the same place, you learn a thing or two about your team surpassing expectations.

My last stop of the night was over in Raleigh for the 2-AA game between Shelby and Reidsville. Once again another loss for an area team, but I will always remember listening to Coach Chris Norman tell his players to keep their heads high. The Lions fell behind 28-7 and could have easily mailed it in but did not. I’m not sure which will be more meaningful to one of his players many years from now -- a big ring signifying a win in the big game, or the memories of life lessons learned that when the chips are down, and a big goal that has been worked for so hard is slipping away, the fortitude to dig their heels in, try their hardest against the odds, and hold their head high knowing that while they did fall just short of their ultimate goal they tried their very best to the end and are winners no the less.

Thanks to all you high school coaches out there who are working so hard to mold your young men into grown men of character and integrity. It’s been a great season and I’m already looking forward to next year.