By MONTE DUTTON

The Hotel Hartness is a fantastic venue that is hard to find.

Sure, I went there last year.

This time my pickup recommended a course that was blocked by construction. That’s why I go places annoyingly early.

I drove by The Real Estate Gallery. Yet it was a small place. Perhaps it features lovely portraits of real estate.

More to come once the interviews get transcribed.

The Southern Conference began the preseason with its Football Media Day on Tuesday at Greenville’s Hotel Hartness.

Neither passes were tossed nor field goals sidewound, but there was a miniature field lined off outside. An NFL halftime show could be held there with ex-players in suits and ties pretending they still play. I’m sure, with a bit of green-screening, it would suffice for a local, YourFriendEyeWitnessSource, sports-team blurb.

Head coach Clay Hendrix brought along wide receiver Joshua Harris and linebacker Evan DiMaggio to rep the Dins.

The SoCon’s other eight members came similarly appointed.

The league’s head coaches picked Furman, reigning champion, second behind Chattanooga, and eight Paladins earned preseason all-conference recognition.

Furman, 10-3 last year and 20-6 the past two, collected 56 points and three first-place votes. Chattanooga got 61 points and five first place votes.

The Paladins defeated Chattanooga twice last season, posting a 17-14 title-clinching road victory on Nov. 4 and a 26-7 triumph over the Mocs in second-round FCS playoff action in Greenville.

Western Carolina, the recipient of the remaining first place vote, was third in the poll with 49 points, followed by Mercer (45) and Samford (37). East Tennessee State (26) is sixth, VMI (23) seventh, Wofford eighth (19), and The Citadel (8) ninth.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or players.

Picking the Paladins second was no slight. Furman returns 31 letterman and seven starters from a squad that ranked sixth in the AFCA final poll. The coaches were suitably wary.

Furman is among only three FCS programs to post double-digit wins (20-6) the past two seasons, along with South Dakota State and North Dakota State.

Among the eight Paladins accorded preseason All-SoCon honors by the coaches are four first-team selections: offensive guard Luke Petit, nose guard Xavier Stephens, placekicker Ian Williams and return specialist Colton Hinton.

Named to the second team are Harris, running back Grant Robinson, bandit Luke Clark and DiMaggio.

Preseason Coaches Poll

Team (1st-place votes)              Total

1. Chattanooga (5)                        61

2. Furman (3)                                  56

3. Western Carolina (1)               49

4. Mercer                                          45

5. Samford                                       37

6. ETSU                                             26

7. VMI                                                23

8. Wofford                                        19

9. The Citadel                                 8

Offensive Player of the Year: Cole Gonzales, Jr., QB, Western Carolina

Defensive Player of the Year: Marlon Taylor, Sr., DL, Chattanooga

First Team Offense

QB         Cole Gonzales, Jr., Western Carolina

RB          Hunter Rice., Sr., RB, VMI

RB          Ryan Ingram, Sr., Wofford

OL          Luke Smith, Gr., ETSU

OL          Luke Petit, R-Jr., Furman

OL          Xavier Jennings, Gr., Mercer

OL          Reid Williams, Jr., Chattanooga

OL          Tyriq Poindexter, Sr., VMI

OL          Blake Whitmore, R-Sr., Western Carolina

TE          Jordan Davis, Sr., Wofford

WR        Javin Whatley, Jr., Chattanooga

WR        AJ Colombo, Jr., Western Carolina

First Team Defense

DL          Xavier Stephens, Sr., Furman

DL          Marlon Taylor, Sr., DL, Chattanooga

DL          Dorien Starnes, Sr., VMI

DL          Brandon Maina, Sr., Wofford

LB          Ken Standley, Gr., Mercer

LB          Noah Martin, Sr., Samford

LB          David Powers, Sr., Wofford

DB         Chris Hope, Sr., DB, ETSU

DB         Myles Redding, Sr., Mercer

DB         Jordan Walker, Jr., Chattanooga

DB         Maximus Pulley, Jr., Wofford

First Team Specialists

PK          Ian Williams, R-Sr., Furman

P             Nate Brackett, R-Jr., ETSU

LS          Colby Cross, R-Sr., Western Carolina

RS          Colton Hinton, So., Furman

Second Team Offense

QB         Chase Artopoeus, Sr., QB, Chattanooga

RB          Grant Robinson, R-Jr., Furman

RB          Branson Adams, Jr., Western Carolina

OL          Riley Adcock, Gr., Mercer

OL          Chris Noble, Gr., Samford

OL          Dave Monnot III, Sr., Chattanooga

OL          Derek Simmons, Sr., Western Carolina

OL          Anthony Garcia, Sr., Wofford

OL          Quincy Hughes, Jr., Wofford

TE          Jay Gibson, Sr., Chattanooga

WR        Joshua Harris, Jr., Furman

WR        Sam Phillips, Jr., Chattanooga

Second Team Defense

DL          Brayden Manley, So., Mercer

DL          Jordan Swain, Gr., Mercer

DL          Quay Wiggles, Sr., Chattanooga

DL          Curtis Fann Jr., R-Sr., Western Carolina

LB          Luke Clark, 5th, Furman

LB          Evan DiMaggio, R-Sr., Furman

LB          Eric Rankin, Sr., VMI

DB         Josh Battle, Jr., Sr., Chattanooga

DB         Samaurie Dukes, Jr., Western Carolina

DB         Ed Jones IV, Sr., Western Carolina

DB         CJ Williams, Sr., DB, Western Carolina

Second Team Specialists

PK          Bridger Jones, Jr., Wofford

P             James Platte, Jr., The Citadel

LS          Tommy DiLiegro, So., Wofford

RS          Ivan Thorpe, Jr., WR, VMI

Furman men’s tennis is an ITA All-Academic Team, and eight Paladins were selected 2023-24 ITA Scholar-Athletes.
In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status, a player must be a varsity letter winner and have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year.
ITA Scholar-Athletes
Walker Allen, Freshman, physics
Cole Burnam, Junior, business administration
Leonardo Dal Boni, Freshman, undeclared
Thomas Kennedy, Sophomore, undeclared
Elijah Poritzky, Junior, communication studies
John Rado, Junior, business dministration
Cole Rigsby, Senior, chemistry
Emil Westling, Senior, applied mathematics

Women’s tennis was honored similarly honored, and all eight Paladins were named ITA Scholar-Athletes

ITA Scholar-Athletes

Jess Dawson, Junior, accounting

Alexa Griffith, Junior, philosophy

Macy Hitchcock, Freshman, undeclared

Marissa Pennings, Junior, economics

Ellie Schulson, Junior, business administration

Sara Snyder, Junior, health sciences

Grace Thomas, Junior, neuroscience

Maeve Thornton, Freshman, undeclared

Advertising alone will not keep me going. I rely on readers who like the coverage I 1-provide to make contributions.

Please donate whatever you consider appropriate via Venmo at DHK Sports. You may also reach me by mail at 11185 Highway 56 North, Clinton  29325.

If you choose, make a monthly donation via Patreon. The Laurens County site is here. The Furman site is here.

Support the advertisers. They are all fine people who appreciate my attempts to restore coverage of local sports. They are dependable, and not too long ago, I sold a couple ads to folks who weren’t. I am thus cautious.

In the off chance you’d like to read my novels and other books, they’re available on Amazon and many prominent bookseller sites. You can read them on your phones and other devices for a modest cost. I make a bit more if you purchase the actual books, but what I mainly want is for folks to read them.

Sample my collection of short stories, Longer Songs (they were based on songs I wrote). Download it for 99 cents.

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

Thanks for your support.