On Saturday, Greenville’s Rose High School and Thomasville High School each came away with their third consecutive state football championships in their respective playoff classifications.

With Rose defeating West Charlotte 26-12 for its third straight state 4A title and Thomasville turning back James Kenan 13-7 for three in a row in 1AA, both attained significant accomplishments that ordinarily draw huge amounts of statewide recognition and accolades.

However, in the state of North Carolina this fall, the accomplishments of Rose’s Rampants and Thomasville’s Bulldogs, as truly outstanding as they are, pale in comparison to one of the most phenomenal runs in U.S. high-school football history.

Saturday night at Duke University’s Wallace Wade Stadium, the Patriots of Charlotte’s Independence High School romped past Durham’s Riverside High 49-19 for their seventh consecutive state title. The state 4AA championship win also extended the Patriots’ winning streak to 108, currently the longest in the nation.

The Independence mystique is something that has truly shaped into something mind-boggling. Even veteran Patriot head coach Tommy Knotts, by his own admission, has had a hard time understanding how it has all happened and how it continues to happen. The bottom line is that kids at Independence learn to play winning football and that it becomes expected of them, pressure or no pressure. The team has earned a permanent spot in the national rankings and continues to strengthen the reputation of North Carolina high school football.

It all started in 2000 when current University of Florida quarterback Chris Leak helped lead the Patriots to the state title as a sophomore. During his next two seasons, he directed the Green-and-Gold to state 4A titles and unbeaten records before becoming one of the most heralded signees in Florida Gator football history.

Leak, who will close out his career with the Gators in January when he leads them into the NCAA championship game against Ohio State, has played his entire collegiate career while his high-school alma mater has gone unbeaten en route to a fourth straight state 4AA title and still not losing a game.

It’s amazing that Independence has endured this long, particularly when it has so many strong intra-city rivals right there in Charlotte that have been capable of knocking the Patriots off during most of the last seven seasons.

Right now, there is a group of youngsters somewhere who will (be it next autumn or even 10 autumns from now) enjoy one huge celebration. They will be raise their helmets high as being the team that found a way to end the Independence dynasty.