Truer words couldn't be spoken as Jacksonville (45-8), ranked No. 2 in state polls all year long, lost to top-ranked Guntersville (62-7) in four games, 18-25, 25-15, 25-22, 26-24 in a match that was a battle from start to finish.
Jacksonville was in the state finals for the fourth straight year, having won the last two state championships.
While Jacksonville brought its "A" game to the Pelham Civic Center this year, Guntersville upped them by bringing an "A+" game.
Guntersville was on a mission, a mission that had started a year earlier when it lost to Jacksonville in the state finals and had vowed to return, to beat the Lady Eagles on the same court. The Lady Wildcats made good on their promise.
The match was hard-fought, start to finish, with neither wanting to give an inch. Jacksonville started out with a win in the first game 25-18 and seemed very relaxed in the process.
"The first game they were nervous, we weren't," explained Clark.
Guntersville quickly calmed down in the second game and took the win easily 25-15. Towards the end of the second game Jacksonville's ace, Taylor Palmer, who has committed to play with Samford, stepped on an opponent's foot and went down with an injury that appeared as if it might take her out of the match.
While the Lady Eagles lost the game, you could tell their thoughts were on their fallen teammate, who was being worked on feverishly at the trainer's table.
Tapped up heavily and tightly, Taylor returned to game three to the delight of teammates and a standing ovation from appreciative fans.
Taylor, who was named to the all-tournament team, played amazingly at the net, beating down 13 kills and seven blocks, as well as having seven digs and one ace.
When it wasn't Palmer playing tough in the middle for the Lady Eagles, it was Caroline Neisler belting the ball from the outside hitter position. Neisler, also named to the All-Tournament team, knocked down 14 kills, had one block and eight digs.
Jacksonville also received top play from senior setter Meagan Cabrer, who finished with 25 assists, one dig and three kills. Sophomore Haley Jackson, junior Emily Torruella, senior Destiny DeRamus and senior Shelby Coffman also contributed to Jacksonville's play.
The final games three and four could have gone either way. Game three was tied six times before Guntersville, after the scored was tied 18-18, went ahead 20-18 and the Lady Eagles could never close the gap, losing by three, 25-22.
Game four played out the same way. Again the score was tied six times. Jacksonville had an early 8-5 lead but the Lady Wildcats tied things up at 10. With the scored tied at 14-14, Jacksonville jumped to a four-point 18-14 lead, then held another four-point lead at 20-16.
Guntersville pounded its way back, largely on the hits of tournament MVP sophomore Cati Leak, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter who was almost impossible to stop and all-tournament teammates Adele Woodall and Taylor Gibson. Leak finished the match with an amazing 28 kills and 20 digs.
The Lady Wildcats tied up the game at 22-22. Credit the play of Jacksonville's younger players, sophomores Allender Doggett and Lana Bell, who played great defense on the back row and Bell served an ace to give the Lady Eagles game point at 24-22. Kills by Leak tied up the game at 24-24 and the Lady Eagles couldn't hold off the onslaught going down in defeat 26-24.
"I thought we did about all we could do," said Clark after the match. "I thought we played really, really well. I don't know that we've played that well all year. They (Guntersville) are very good. I don't think we gave it to them, I think they took it. They are an awesome team and they deserve to be state champions.
"It wasn't our mistakes, they just outplayed us. That happens sometimes and they have to understand that sometimes you get outplayed.
"I couldn't be more proud. They did what we wanted them to do. We executed our plan really well."
Jacksonville reached the finals by beating St. James in four games, 25-15, 25-5, 24-26, 25-9, and had no trouble with Lawrence County in the semi-finals, winning easily 25-16, 25-14, 25-11.
Clark mentioned that he had been a little concerned about his team before going to the Elite Eight, that his team had gone perhaps a little too long without a game.
Things changed though when Jacksonville got to the Pelham Civic Center.
"This morning we came in and practiced and the kids were ready to go and it just all fell together," said Clark.
"The younger kids stayed loose. Us being here so much they've been in this building, they've heard the crowd. I'm really proud of our young kids and how they held it together. They didn't panic and they hung in there. The older kids carried the weight and helped them along."
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