By MONTE DUTTON

Sometimes I judge television shows on the basis of how well I can work with it in the background.

Sports watching isn’t efficient, but it’s convenient. Just bear down on the words until announcers start yelling. Take a break to watch the replays.

A writer develops a routine while he (or she) is developing a style.

Take high-school Friday nights.

I get home, get into something comfortable – because, of course, I always wear formal attire to the games – pour myself a drink (usually peach-flavored tea), and start going through the photos.

I might post a gallery on Instagram right away. I might wait. Sometimes I want to leap right into the story because I thought of a snappy lead on the way home, and I want to start turning the phrases while the griddle is still hot.

The griddle is not always hot, and on such occasions, I bide time with the photos.

I watch WSPA’s highlights show. If the game that I was at is covered, I might see something I missed from the sidelines. Then I switch to the longer version on The CW. I work during commercials.

Then I write through the remainder of the late-night talk shows, in part because I know WYFF’s news show replays after Seth Meyers at 1:30.

In the past four years or so, it has not been unusual for me to see the sun rise, sleep two or three hours, freshen up and head off to a college game, usually involving Paladins or Blue Hose.

Last school year, I discovered I am getting old. It’s easy to miss because my mind still wants to ponder joining the Boy Scouts.

Near the end of the season, I was putting up a brave front. I had a bladder infection. I went to the doctor, he gave me some antibiotics and said I needed to drink a lot of water.

“You know, the reason I’m here, Doc, is that I can’t pee.”

On a Friday night, Belton-Honea Path eliminated Clinton from the Class 3A playoffs. I was okay.

On Saturday afternoon, Wofford upset Furman. It was the second miracle I’d seen in that season in that stadium, Gibbs.

I had no business being there.

I should have been in a bed. I should definitely not have been trudging up the stadium steps in the gathering dusk.

The latter miracle was the less enjoyable.

I’ve had my share of days good and bad, but that one might make the bottom 10.

As Anderson University embarks on its first football season, Laurens County has influence in the ranks.

Among the new Trojans, last fall’s Presbyterian College starter at quarterback, Tyler Wesley, of Saint Cloud, Fla., faces competition, among others, with Laurens’ James Rawl. According to the roster, Wesley wears No. 7 and Rawl 15.

Cross Hill’s Bryson James wears No. 1 at running back. Another Red Devil, defensive lineman Hezekiah Kinard of Clinton, wears No. 96.

Gray Court’s Clarence Bertoli, a Laurens Academy grad, plays running back and wears No. 20.

The Trojans open with three straight home games: Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. against Saint Andrews (N.C.), Sept. 14 against LaGrange (Ga.) at 6, and Sept. 21 versus Limestone at 1.

On the pitch, the Presbyterian College women’s soccer team had a rough season (3-10-3) a season ago.

Not in the classroom.

As a team, the Blue Hose went 3.78 in grade-point average. That’s the fourth best performance in Division I, earning PC a Team Academic Award from United Soccer Coaches.

Presbyterian is one of 102 institutions nationwide to have both its women’s and men’s soccer teams hold a team GPA of over 3.0, with the PC women grabbing the fourth-highest figure among all Division I schools.

New Mexico, Missouri, Denver, and the Blue Hose were the lone squads at the D-I ranks to have at least a 3.78 GPA.

Men’s soccer also earned a USC Team Academic Award. What the world needs now is yet another USC.

As a team, the Blue Hose (5-8-3) had a 3.18 GPA for the 2023-24 academic year.  It marks the 11th time in the program’s history that Presbyterian’s men’s soccer program has claimed the award.

As football season approaches, I expect to streamline the site name. Since the coverage – Furman and Laurens County – is difficult to convey in a word, I may stick with Wellpilgrim (com, net, et al.). Or, if anyone thinks of anything snazzy, I’ll take it under advisement.

A shorter name makes it more likely that readers go directly to the site without linking through social media (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Advertising alone will not keep me going, but there’s room for a few more. Every ad is inset in every story.

You can support my site in several ways.

Support the advertisers. They are all fine people who appreciate my attempts to restore coverage of local sports. I rely on readers who like the coverage I 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.

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 latest novel, The Latter Days. Download it for $2.99.

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

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