Oftentimes, students from around Lawrence County find themselves rivals when their respective schools are competing on the court or field.

However, that all changed with the tragic accident on Sunday that ultimately took two lives of South Point High School students.

It was wonderful to see the overwhelming support not only from South Point Local Schools and the South Point community, but students from other schools, their respective school districts and communities from all over the county.

Those messages of support, thoughts and condolences poured out through social media from the outset. The same was shown in person at a memorial service and vigil for the students at South Point High School earlier this week as well as other school districts holding their own services and offering any help that was needed.

This was a tragedy that resulted in the loss of two teens, but seeing the quick response from throughout the county reminds us how special Lawrence County is and the genuine compassion that is felt for our fellow residents and communities.

While the competition will always remain while on the field or court, we see how close-knit our communities really are in the face of tragedy or when one of our own is suffering.