Clinton’s JV boys are holding onto their No. 1 ranking in the East Central 2A Conference as they head to Topsail Tuesday for another conference game, and after soundly defeating Swansboro in another road game Friday night.

The young Horses, now one game ahead of their conference opponents, pummeled the home team 58-27, and coach Bobby Lamb was able to play a lot of his team throughout the game.

“It was a good win and a real team effort for us,” Lamb said Monday when he called in the game score. “I saw real team work out there on the court, and I like that.”

Lamb said he started five different players in the opening minutes of the game to give them some playing time and experience on the court and, he noted, they did a good job for the JV Horses.

“I told the boys before we ever went out there they had an opportunity that not many others get, and I told them to go out and have some fun, and they did. They executed their plays well, worked hard and enjoyed it. That’s fun to watch as a coach.”

Clinton got the early 13-9 first quarter lead and stayed ahead the entire game. They were up 23-14 at the break and 42-18 by the end of the third quarter.

“We just had a good night,” Lamb said, “and the boys were doing the things they know to do, passing the ball well, executing their plays, playing together.”

Lamb also heaped praise on what he called “the Dark Horse family,” made up of parents and fans who, he said, continued their support by traveling to Swansboro last Friday night.

“Our fans are tremendous and they help us win games. Their support means so much … they go the distance to support our program and it does make a difference.”

In Friday’s game, Jaalen Best had 9 points; Jaquan McLean, 9; Raquan Faison, 7; Logan Batchelor, 7; Michael Boykin, 5; Emmanuel Howard, 5; Kevin Scott, 5; Hyson Howard, 4, Josiah Pope, 2; and Jonathan Wright, 1.

Clinton’s record moves to 18-1 overall.