08/26/2026
As we get ready for the Cook Cup on Friday, it’s easy to focus on the competition and what happens between the end zones. But one of the things that makes this rivalry - and this team - special is that football has always been about more than the scoreboard.
In June, our players volunteered at Camp SOAR at the JCC through the Mecklenburg Special Olympics, leading two football clinics for the campers. In July and August, we hosted a flag football clinic on our own campus. Our players led skills, drills, and games, but more importantly, they created an opportunity for athletes to experience the joy of the game, build confidence, and feel part of the football community.
Those experiences are a great reminder of what character looks like. Character isn’t just how you compete when the lights are on. It’s how you treat people when there is nothing to gain on the scoreboard. It’s whether you are willing to give your time, encourage someone else, and use your abilities to make an impact beyond yourself.
That is what the Cook Cup represents: a reminder of the character that competition is meant to build.
The Cook Cup is not simply about who wins on Friday. It represents respect, courage, teamwork, sportsmanship, service, leadership, and tradition. The same character that drives a player to compete for the Cook Cup should also inspire them to serve, encourage, and make a difference beyond the game. Our team’s work with Special Olympics this summer is a great example of that purpose.
While Friday’s game will determine who takes home the Cook Cup, the tradition of this rivalry is about something bigger: the people we become through sports and the impact we make beyond the field is the tradition of character we hope to continue.
