By MONTE DUTTON

YORK – The Bill Pate White Rose Football Classic was worth the trip for both the Laurens Raiders, who played at 6 p.m. Friday night, and the Clinton Red Devils, who arrived on the artificial turf at 9.

Both won – Laurens, 17-7, over Fort Mill, and Clinton, 14-0, over York – against the same opponents they defeated exactly a year earlier on the same, alternating-shades-of-green rug they were lucky to have because, on this Friday night, steady rain fell for a time in the two shindigs in between.

If you’re keeping a scorecard at home, Providence defeated Westwood, 14-0, and Providence Day (both Providences were Charlotteans) edged Clover, 10-7, on a last-second field goal.

Josh Goodwin provided both Raider touchdowns – on Nick Fowler strikes of 50 and 33 yards. Goodwin had 12 points. Kicker Brock Franklin added five on a field goal and two point-afters.

Clinton went on one by land – courtesy of shifty Jayden Robinson – and one through the air from Tyshawon Richardson to Kadon Crawford. All three are juniors, along with kicker Keegan Fortman, who twice split the uprights.

The Red Devils had three notable calls go against them. One was a York pass ruled a reception when the ball bounced on the turf. The homestanding Cougars tried to rouse the rabble, but Clinton mostly turned to actions louder than words.

“We always talk about playing with a hot heart and a cool head,” head coach Corey Fountain said. “Some of our guys could have retaliated and they didn’t. It’s what we preach all the time. We’re gonna win with class.”

Let’s examine the task of accurately describing the affair, which involves mathematicians scratching heads. The playing wasn’t complicated. The math-to-English dictionary was. They played four quarters of halves. It reminds me of NASCAR announcers who say one driver picked up “3/15ths and a half” on another.

Laurens rebounded from an almost inconceivable beginning. With the starting center out, Fowler couldn’t handle a couple knucklers, and that’s why Fort Mill, Class 5A but winless last year, scored at all. It was a half-yard drive.

“They came out apprehensive, especially with (center) Austin Summers out,” said head coach Daryl Smith. “Once we got going, it really went well. Nick (Fowler) was a little hesitant early, but after that, he made some really good throws.

“That’s why we do these jamborees, and that’s why it’s good for that.”

The composure was nice. The Raiders went right back to work. They ran better. They threw well. The defense was ferocious. The kicks were accurate. What remains to be seen is how bad the Yellow Jackets really are. There’s not much room for advancement in 5A Region 3.

Laurens’ foundation is a veteran defense. The Raiders gang-tackled, which is a most effective way of doing it.

“It’s been a point of emphasis,” Smith said. “We have eight guys back who started somewhere last year. We’ve still only been in pads a short number of days. It’s getting better.”

Hillcrest visits K.C. Hanna Stadium next Friday night. The cruise will have more bruise to it.

Clinton eked past York last year. This year they fared better. The Red Devil defense was stern. The secondary was in missile-defense mode. At least through a camera lens, all systems seemed go. (That’s aerospace lingo.)

A visit to Batesburg-Leesville (technically the stadium is in the former) is Clinton’s lead-in to Laurens, the following Friday, Aug. 25, on the Raider stomping ground. Clinton has won two straight, but the rivals are tied, 9-9, over the past 18.

Amply serviced with replacement parts from a 13-1 season, if Clinton isn’t strong, it looks it so far.

“There are still some things we need to shore up,” said Fountain. “We’ll watch film and try to get better this week as we prepare for Batesburg-Leesville.

“We’ve got a lot of new faces, a lot of new names. Come out and hear those names and see those faces. We want everybody to drive down to Batesburg.”

For both teams, it’s just past the “looks good on paper” stage.

Though the Laurens County teams both achieved the top seeds in their regions – Laurens 2-4A and Clinton 4-3A – the latter won nine more games than the former and advanced to the Upstate finals.

How about sampling the first outbreak of real, important, crucial, meaningful pad-popping and taking it under advisement? As Laurens Academy’s Todd Kirk is fond of saying, “Football’s hard. It’s supposed to be.”

The season’s upon us. Help me cover the county — and my beloved Furman Paladins — by sending a check to DHK Sports, P.O. Box 768, Clinton, S.C. 29325 or becoming a patron here. Support our advertisers and tell them we sent you. It’s going to be fun. Help make it funner.

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