By MONTE DUTTON

Laurens County’s top high-school football teams engaged in exhibition scrimmages about 10 miles apart on Tuesday night, escaping harsh weather that prevented play the night before.

Mauldin transported its herd of Mavericks to K.C. Hanna Stadium an hour earlier than Chapin’s Eagles nested at Wilder. Mostly overcast skies and a cool breeze kept the action on time and enabled enough mobility to snap shots of both tussles.

The formats were different. At LDHS, special teams eschewed contact. In Clinton, where Corey Fountain’s Red Devils had their earlier scrimmage rained out, it was an unofficial game, live in all phases, and Clinton blasted Chapin. Both ran out of steam in the late going, but it was more a matter of personnel than fatigue. Mauldin (5A, 2-9 in 2022) hurt Laurens (4A, 4-7) with short and intermediate passes and was in control when yours truly headed to Clinton.

The Raiders were physical on defense and made the Mavericks earn most of their yards. Laurens’ offense was sporadic, busting loose for the occasional big gainer but mostly struggling on the ground. The Raiders should build some confidence when they open Friday night’s Bill Pate White Rose Football Classic in York against Fort Mill (5A, 0-10), winless last year, at 6 p.m. The Red Devils close it against York (4A, 5-5) at 9 or thereabouts.

Clinton (3A, 13-1) seems more balanced. The quarterback apparent, Tyshawon Richardson, a sophomore, has both a lively arm and a nice touch on the deep ball. Otherwise, the Red Devils didn’t seem much different. Clinton lost 25 seniors but has 21 this year, and the reinforcements seem up to the task. The offense remains explosive. Clinton once led Chapin (5A, 3-8) by 41 points in the third quarter.

Let’s just say the Red Devils got their wind sprints done with the clock running. It’s a long season, and they’re perhaps a bit thinner, but the engine seems smooth while undergoing a tune-up.

Laurens opens with three straight home games. Hillcrest (Aug. 18) received votes in the preseason Class 5A media top 10. Clinton (Aug. 25) is ranked fourth in 3A, where Belton-Honea Path (Sept. 1) is eighth. Last year the Raiders faced the same back-breaking schedule and lost five of their first six before rebounding to take Region 2-4A’s top seed in the playoffs, where they fell to Indian Land in the first round.

Nothing matters now except eliminating mistakes and continuing to get as ready for the season as possible.

Laurens’ first win last year was in the fourth game versus Union County, a Region 4-3A rival of Clinton. The schedule is the same, with the home sites reversed. The same is true for the Red Devils, who also open on Aug. 18, at Batesburg-Leesville (2A, 4-7). Clinton won its first 13 games before falling in the Upstate finals at Powdersville.

Clinton had been waiting impatiently for a shot at unfamiliar faces, and it showed. No complacency was in evidence.

It’s early yet.

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