Clark County has much to be proud of this week as the George Rogers Clark High School Lady Cardinals basketball team won the region tournament over the weekend.

The team earned a sweet spot among the top 16 teams in the state with a 56-53 overtime victory over Mason County Saturday to win the 10th region championship.

The girls will head to Northern Kentucky University’s BB&T Arena Wednesday for the 2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls Sweet Sixteen Basketball Tournament.

With coach Robbie Graham at the helm, the GRC girls basketball program has become a consistent standout in the region for the last several years.

Anyone who knows Graham understands his commitment to not only developing strong and competitive athletes but respectable students and young adults. That passion for mentoring students on and off the court has proven successful.

This will be the team’s second trip to the state tournament in the past five years, both with Graham as coach.

In 2014, the Lady Cardinals made it to the semi-finals in Bowling Green and finished the season with a 27-8 record.

The sense of pride and excitement surrounding that tournament run will hopefully be replicated this year.

With much happening in Clark County athletics — plans for a new athletics complex at GRC,  a new head football coach and thriving junior high teams on the rise — this tourney run could be just the boost the community needs to boost the much-needed optimism, pride and respect for our community’s outstanding student-athletes.

We wish the girls luck as they head north this week and encourage the community to rally behind them.