By MONTE DUTTON

GREENWOOD — On Friday evening, at a tidy field, Laurens Academy opened its football season with a 56-20 victory over Cambridge Academy, and the game is undefeated back in Laurens County.

This was in part because it was the season’s first game and in part because the Crusaders won. The county cannot possibly remain undefeated longer than two more weeks because Laurens visits Clinton on Aug. 30, and one must lose if not between now and then. Presbyterian College starts up on Aug. 29.

The Crusaders scored spectacularly at the very beginning and very ending of the first half. They played quite well in between, and the score was 40-14 at the break.

“What we want to see is great attitude and effort,” LA head coach Jolly Doolittle said. “As long as we have that, and we’re continuing to correct the execution of our plays … I’m satisfied and happy … but I will never be completely satisfied with our execution until it’s 100 percent.”

Senior Spires McCameron took the opening kickoff 72 yards to the paydirt of the east end zone – more like paygrass, in truth – and the Crusaders were off and mostly running. A two-point conversion made it 8-0 with 14 seconds elapsed.

Another senior, Garrett Murphy – the Crusaders have five – scored the next touchdown from 10 yards – quarterback Ethan Collins added the conversion again – and set up the third with a 25-yard run that prefaced McCameron’s score from two yards out. The conversion failed. It was 22-6 at the end of the first quarter.

Murphy scored again on a 33-yard reception from Collins. The conversion made it 30-6 with 9:35 remaining in the half. His third TD was a 28-yard dash.

“We feel more confidence in our offense,” Murphy said. “We have more of an idea of what we’re doing. Instead of thinking about it, it’s just instinct now. That gives us more ability to make big plays.

Collins roared into the end zone from half the field away on the half’s final play, making the halftime tally 44-14.

Doolittle’s fifth victory as Laurens Academy head coach was the 100^th of his career, having previously directed programs at King Academy, Ben Lippen and Greenwood Christian.

The milestone drew a dousing of ice water.

“Guys are beginning to see what should be the expectation of a Crusader football player,’ Doolittle said. “So far as that’s concerned, we’re way ahead of where we were last year.”

Given the circumstances, the verdict was exceptionally sportsmanlike. Both teams gathered at midfield, with each head coach praising the other. Then, separately, LA athletics director Travis Plowden presented Doolittle with a game ball to commemorate the century mark in wins.

Cambridge Academy achieved something, too, its first varsity football game in more than two decades.

Eighth grader Elias Littleton scored on a one-yard run with 4:53 remaining in the third quarter. The clock ran without interruption in the fourth quarter. Freshman Mason Cooper scored with about 1:45 left, but no more plays were run.

LA was well represented and brought at least half the partisans. The field is the only one I’ve visited without any permanent seating on the home side. The stand on the visitors side held about 25, maybe 30 with a few kids in laps. The home side did feature a lovely tree.

Cambridge (0-1) really should consider a folding-chair concession, though, by now, the market may be glutted.

Laurens Academy (1-0) plays its remaining five opponents twice, the latter versus each counting in region play. The Crusaders visit Newberry Academy next Friday night.

“Once we play them the first time, I think we’re better at growing, looking at our mistakes and fixing them,” Murphy said.

“You get better,” said Doolittle. “It doesn’t get easier to go out every day and practice three hours, but when you know you’re not only going to have an opportunity to play but be on a winning team. Our guys are confident they can do that.”

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