ROCK HILL – District 3 Stadium is where Raider football seasons go to die.

Few were surprised. Northwestern (10-1) eliminated Laurens from the Class 4A playoffs, 57-0, on Friday night. The Vikings haven’t lost to a team from South Carolina, let alone a fourth seed in the first round. Laurens (2-9) has lost four straight times in the Rock Hill city venue and five straight times in York County.

The Raiders return at least 25 players who saw regular playing time this season. The sting will wear off, and there’s plenty of time now.

The Vikings ran up 365 yards. The Raiders leaked 21. They had 20 first downs to Laurens’ 3.

Four Northwestern passers tried 19 passes and completed 18 for 140 yards and three touchdowns. Poor Kinley Polk. He was the Viking who missed one.

Nine rushers, led by Zilon Arnold with 89 yards and Turbo Richard with 79, combined to gain 234 yards in 28 carries. Arnold scored two touchdowns. Three others scored one apiece.

For Laurens, it was hard and a bit cruel to name names. As a team, the Raiders netted six yards in 28 rushing attempts. Those were Denari Lee-Jackson’s in 11 thankless tries.

Laurens quarterback Nick Danciu completed 4/14 passes for eight yards and three interceptions. E’Myus Young caught two passes for 13 yards. Ze’Mar Jones caught one for eight. The rest of the corps caught one for minus-13. That was Danciu, who threw it and caught it after it was swatted back.

On the upside, Laurens had only 10 penalty yards. Sorry. That’s it. Oh, wait. Laurens never fumbled.

It’s hard to put an upturned expression on the evening. Things will get better. Things have been better.

Presbyterian College’s women’s soccer head coach is retiring after 35 years on the pitch.

Brian Purcell played men’s soccer at Presbyterian, began the women’s program and moved with it to NCAA Division I in 2007.

The transition was not without its difficulties. When PC joined Division I, Purcell’s coaching record was 207-108-11. He retires with a record of 280-298-30. In Division I, the Blue Hose are 73-190-19. He is the longest-tenured head coach in the history of the Big South Conference.

“The impact that Coach Purcell will leave on Presbyterian College is immeasurable and invaluable,” commented PC Director of Athletics Dee Nichols. “He is leaving a great legacy to a program that he nurtured for 35 years, while serving as a role model to many student-athletes and coaches in our department.

“Even though he is moving on from Presbyterian, his influence here will continue for years to come. I’d personally like to thank Brian for being a wonderful colleague and friend. PC Athletics wishes him well in his next adventure.”

Purcell has spent the entirety of his post-student life (at PC) dedicated to Presbyterian.

“To have been able to spend my entire coaching career at my alma mater is more than I could have ever asked for or imagined,” said Purcell. “I will forever be grateful to the late Coach Cally Gault for hiring me and believing in me all those years ago.

“I’m also extremely grateful to my PC coach and mentor, Coach Ralph Polson, who played an integral role in starting the women’s soccer program in ’89 and in my hiring. I also want to thank my wife, Kim, for being so supportive and patient. The life of a coach’s spouse can be challenging to say the least. Her partnership in this journey has allowed it to be as enduring as it has.”

In the wake of Purcell’s retirement, former associate head coach Tanner Osborne (who’s been with the program for eight years) has been named the interim head coach of Presbyterian women’s soccer.

His final victory as PC’s head coach occurred on Oct. 9, a 1-0 decision against Winthrop in Clinton. Sixteen years ago, Purcell grabbed his first Div. I win over The Citadel, 5-0.

Holly Hill Academy ended Laurens Academy’s eight-man football season for the fourth consecutive season. The Raiders are defending another SCISA Class A title, and Friday night’s 69-22 win was about the recent norm.

The average of the past four is 63-20.

Jolly Doolittle completed his first season with the Crusaders with a 4-7 record. Holly Hill is 10-1.

Presbyterian (5-8-3, 2-3-2 Big South) tied Radford (3-11-3, 2-4-10), 2-2, on men’s soccer Senior Night at Martin Stadium. All four goals occurred during the second half.

Tomas White and Damorney Hutchinson scored the Blue Hose goals. PC failed to qualify for the Big South tournament.

Reckon I can find 20 people who like this site enough to chip in $20 to keep it going?

Support the advertisers, and help keep the site – the game stories, the blogs, the photos – alive by making a donation to DHK Sports, P.O. Box 768, Clinton, S.C. 29325 or making a small monthly donation via Patreon. The Laurens County site is here. The Furman site is here.

Another way I can derive some revenue is if you purchase my books at MonteDutton.net. They’re quite entertaining in spite of the fellow who wrote them. Two of my novels, Cowboys Come Home and Lightning in a Bottle, are available in audio versions. The latest, The Latter Days, is about baseball.

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

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