Imagine the high-school football teams of Laurens County as four freight trains that all derailed on the same Friday night.

In fairness, Clinton was the only team that was generally expected to win, making South Aiken’s 41-30 stunner the highlight.

Check that. The low light.

South Aiken (1-5) kept Clinton (4-2) at bay. T.L. Hanna (5-1) pounded Laurens (0-6), 48-6. Jefferson Davis (4-1) thrashed Laurens Academy (2-4), 54-8. Great Falls (2-4) silenced Thornwell Charter (1-4), 56-0.

Clinton began coming off a 13-1 season that ended in the Upstate Class 3A finals. Twenty-five seniors graduated. The Red Devils roared out of the gate, but injuries mounted. At South Aiken, where Clinton coach Corey Fountain had to throw many reserves and junior-varsity call-ups into the defensive breach, the tires were threadbare.

In their Region 4-3A opener, the Red Devils figure to be healthier, and Union County’s only victory is over Laurens, which fell to Clinton, 49-7. That, however, seems like a long time ago. At South Aiken, the loss of the best defensive back, Zavarion Johnson, and three linebackers, left Clinton with a porous defense that couldn’t keep the Thoroughbreds from scoring on each second-half possession.

Playing the game at Wilder Stadium should help, though Chapman edged the Red Devils there two weeks ago.

Clinton should be healthier for the region schedule versus Union County (1-5), which has only beaten Laurens. Perhaps the Red Devils’ plague of injuries has run its course, though there’s no certainty. Players get hurt, sometimes in bunches.

In two weeks of agony, literal and figurative alike, the Red Devils have fallen from second in the state media rankings to outside the top 10.

Laurens (0-6) is hosting another team that has been weighed down by an onerous schedule, Greer (1-5). Five of the teams that have thus far beaten the Raiders were ranked at the time they played.

Much the same is true of the Yellow Jackets – this is the Raiders’ third straight game against an opponent of that name – who have played and lost to four ranked teams in Daniel, Hillcrest, Byrnes and Westside. The only common opponent is Hillcrest, which defeated the Raiders, 55-9, and the Yellow Jackets, Greer version, 41-20.

Greer’s only victory to date was a 51-0 shutout of Blue Ridge.

What keeps hope alive for both teams is the weakness of Region 2-4A, where all four playoff qualifiers lost in the first round last year. Laurens began the season 1-5 and went 3-1 in region play, tying for the championship but earning the top seed.

Both teams finished 4-7, 3-1 in the region, a season ago.

Only Thornwell Charter was at home among county teams last week. This week all but the Saints are at home.

Thornwell (1-4) visits the Greenville Hurricanes (3-2), a home-school team, presumably somewhere in Greenville.

Upon further review, the Hurricanes play home games at Gateway Park in Travelers Rest. The teams have no common opponents so far.

Faith Christian (4-2) visits Todd Kirk Field to play Laurens Academy (2-4).

Both have been thumped by Jefferson Davis (54-8 over LA, 56-18 over Faith) and in turn thumped Newberry Academy (58-0 by LA, 52-6 by Faith).

As is the case with many eight-man games, it’s difficult to pick a winner. Perhaps the home field will benefit the Crusaders.

The Union County-Clinton game will be broadcast live over WPCC (96.5-FM, 1410-AM), beginning a 7 p.m. (7:30 kickoff) and replayed after “Saturday Morning Rewind” (9-10:30 a.m.)

The Greer -Laurens game will be live on WLBG (104.1 -FM, 860-AM), beginning at 6 p.m.

Help maintain the coverage by contributing, either by making a one-time contribution to DHK Sports, P.O. Box 768, Clinton, S.C. 29325, or by making a monthly payment to Patreon.

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Photo galleries are posted on Instagram @furmanatt and @laurenscountysports.

The next Fiesta Grande open mic is next Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 8 p.m.