Beaufort County can be spoiled sometimes with its local sports. Washington and Southside both made runs at their respective football championships in the last two years and the Pam Pack also contended for a soccer title just a few months ago. Northside softball also represented the area by making it to the state semifinals back in May.

Washington also boasts strong swimming and wrestling programs. They can hang with the best in the state.

Excursions into the postseason aren’t uncommon in the immediate area, but the same can’t be said of the entire state. At the professional level, the last North Carolina sports team to compete for a conference championship was the Hurricanes in 2009. The Pittsburgh Penguins swept them in four games en route to a Stanley Cup, the ultimate in hockey achievement.

It was the Hurricanes that, almost a decade ago, brought North Carolina its last championship.

In basketball, the Charlotte Hornets (and Bobcats before them) haven’t advanced past the first round of the NBA playoffs since 2002.

That changes Sunday evening. The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals meet for the NFC Championship. The Panthers have just one blemish on their record — a 20-13 loss to Atlanta in Week 16. They have been the talk of every town across the state since early in the season, and rightfully so.

Whether you’re a diehard fan, hopping on the bandwagon, or neither, now is a good time to enjoy a special and rare time in North Carolina pro sports. Cam Newton, Luke Keuchly and company have assembled something special over in Charlotte that, no matter who you are, is fun to watch.

Plus, there’s still some time before high school basketball playoffs roll around and even longer until the Pam Pack, Panthers or Seahawks get another crack at a title on the gridiron.

Washington, Southside and Northside have brought plenty of hardware back to Beaufort County since the Hurricanes last earned the state a pro title of any kind. Now it’s Newton and the Panthers’ time to take home something that can be celebrated by every North Carolinian.