By MONTE DUTTON

Why did Greg Porter leave a splendid Greenville High School football program to resurrect the fortunes of the Laurens Raiders?

The man likes a challenge. At each stop on his road, Porter has taken a downtrodden program and elevated it to new heights. He won the only state championship (Class 4A, Big 16, 2014) in Hillcrest history. The Red Raiders reached the 4A Upstate finals the past four years.

Reckon Porter felt he was stuck in a rut and needed to move on? Where’s the next daunting task? What do you know? Ten miles from where he lives, he said Tuesday.

Asked what appealed to him about rebuilding, Porter said, “The development of players. Seeing kids go from [point] A to B. Seeing a program economically go from low-budget to exceeding budget expectations. Seeing the stadium go from low attendance to no seating capacity, filled around the gates. It’s making it like a family reunion, to see people happy.”

That checks the Laurens boxes, all right.

Porter, who became a successful coach in Greenville County, grew up in Washington, D.C., and went to college in Fremont, Neb., at Midland University, which also gave the world the inventors of CliffsNotes and Aquaman.

All Porter wants to do is reinvent the Raiders.

When Porter settled down, he settled down geographically. He began as a minister, then a motivational speaker. A lot of coaches are motivators, apparently none more so than Porter.

“This is a one-town high school. Everybody is going to come here,” Porter said, “but I want to put a product on the field that everybody can be proud of. I want them to come back and talk about the Laurens Raiders.”

And when they talk about them, they’ll speak of them well.

No details of Porter’s contract have been released – nor are they expected – but it’s safe to say that he didn’t hitch-hike down from Sirrine Stadium to coach at K.C. Hanna for tips.

At least two of his predecessors privately complained about broken promises and duties that other football coaches in 4A were not burdened by.

In order to be hands on, Porter has likely signed a contract that has taken other hands off. He comes from a city where folks used to know how to negotiate.

Porter has seen promise in Laurens football for quite a while. He said he interviewed for the job a decade ago.

This time he got the job. Hope soared as soon as the word went out, and expectations are sure to tag along a safe distance behind. The new coach deserves some space.

For the past three years, Clinton, the neighboring school preparing for Class 2A, has dominated football in Laurens County. Corey Fountain’s Red Devils exemplify what Porter wants. His stated goals are ones Clinton has achieved.

The county as a whole has room at the top. Even with Laurens Academy and Thornwell Charter thrown in – in fact, including the fortunes of Presbyterian College – football needs improvement from top to bottom.

In the past three seasons, Clinton is 34-6, Laurens 12-21, Laurens Academy 10-24 and Presbyterian College 7-26.

The balance of power may not change, at least not right away, but it’s going to shift.

Maybe Corey Fountain is contagious.

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