The girls and boys who played on the Pike Liberal Arts basketball teams deserve to walk a little taller these days, and a little prouder.

The high school athletes led their school to the final-four of the AISA Class AAA playoffs last weekend.

While neither team walked away with the state title ­ the boys fell in the first round, the girls in the championship game ­ both teams are winners.

Dedication and heart led them to reach the state playoffs, a first-ever accomplishment for the private school. The girls’ even ended the season ranked 7th in the state.

And their efforts, both on and off the court, helped them excel throughout the season.

The Pike Lib Patriots won the heart and support of this community, as evidenced by the hundreds of fans who followed the teams to Montgomery for the last two rounds of regional and state play.

More important, the student athletes have the experience of being part of a remarkable season. As head coach Robert Hawkins said after the girls’ loss on Saturday, "I think when they wake up in the morning they’ll realize how hard they played and what kind of effort they gave."

We realize it, as do the fans and supporters of Pike Lib and the residents of Pike County.

And we join in saying "good game, good job."  

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