By MONTE DUTTON

YORK – High-school media days, on the rare occasions when they have them anymore, are always family affairs. The rivers have many tributaries.

The Woolbright system, whose headwaters are in Chapin, gained strength when Clover High School’s Perry Woolbright intersected with the already established grandfather Cecil and father Marty and tumbled into Woolbright Bay.

Dean Boyd’s brother J.R. coached Clinton’s Corey Fountain at Lamar and hired him to his staff at Laurens. Dean coaches York, and the two will face each other again in the final quarter of the Bill Pate White Rose Football on Friday, Aug. 11 at the Cougars’ stadium.

Fort Mill faces Laurens in the first period, followed by Westwood-Providence, Clover-Providence Day and the aforementioned Clinton-York. (The Providences rely on North Carolina protection.) It all starts at 6 p.m., and Clinton should get finished up around 10.

Once the pad-popping proper begins, Clinton, Laurens and York all play Union County. Laurens and Clover both play Hillcrest. Surprising no one, Clinton visits Laurens. Et cetera.

The late Bill Pate gave York its only state championship in 1986, sandwiched between Clinton titles in ’85 and ’87.

Last season, Clinton was 13-1 and York 5-6. Laurens was 4-7 and Fort Mill 0-10.

What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to succeed.

Laurens head coach Daryl Smith had a prior commitment and sent his new offensive coordinator, Tyler Kirby. In terms of returnees, the Raiders have more proven commodities than the Red Devils, especially on defense.

The Raiders’ non-Region 2-4A schedule is stern, but unlike last year, Laurens opens with consecutive home games versus Hillcrest, Clinton and Belton-Honea Path. An early breakthrough would mean a lot. A year ago Laurens went 3-1 in the region after going 1-5 beforehand. Indian Land bounced the Raiders from the playoffs with a 41-20 thump.

On Wednesday, all were optimistic. It’s senseless not to place chins up before the first official, honest-to-gosh, officially-sanctioned-by-the-high-school-league practice is held. Pessimists right now are in the wrong profession. The trick between now and Aug. 18 – when Laurens hosts Hillcrest, Clinton buses to Batesburg-Leesville and Laurens Academy heads in the same general direction to play the home-schooled Augusta Eagles – is to put as much hay in the barn as it will hold and get the herds through the season. It’s a shock to the system if the first game is played and something is still wrong.

Clinton enters the season with an unquenchable thirst. The Red Devils advanced to the Upstate finals in the 3A playoffs but lost to graduation all but three starters on offense and five on defense. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Clinton has many who played semi-regularly last season, and opportunities were ample for a team that scored more than 40 points 10 times. The bulk of an an unbeaten junior varsity rises. Clinton shines as brightly as its scarlet jerseys. No one will overlook the Red Devils. When Clinton fell, 27-14, to Powdersville, a step shy of the state championship game, it was the only time all season the Red Devils mustered less than 27 points. Seasons end typically that way.

Fountain is a dedicated advocate of the half-full glass. He and his staff seek to replenish the tank and add heat till it boils over.

“We lost 25 seniors, and that’s a lot, but it’s our fifth year, and there’s a lot in our program,” he said.

They’re baking their biscuits with self-rising flour, or, at least, that’s the diligently cultivated recipe.

The exhibition shindig on Aug. 11 aspires to be more than just a “hey, let’s get together and take turns playing” affair. It takes seriously the notion that it is more than just a jamboree. The eight participating schools are also to compete in a tailgate cook-off, and the fan base judged to support its team the best takes home an award, too.

The barbecue served on Wednesday at the YCHS cafeteria was just the beginning in considerably more ways than one.

If you enjoy the way I cover sports and want to help make it better, make a contribution by sending a check to DHK Sports, P.O. Box 768, Clinton, S.C. 29325 or become a patron and make a small monthly donation. It helps indirectly if you buy one of my books at MonteDutton.net.