By MONTE DUTTON

Perhaps, at last, a change is going to come at Presbyterian College. It was a precipitous fall, and it has been a tortuous climb from a football abyss.

In hindsight, Presbyterian College’s timid advancement to NCAA Division I, Football Championship Subdivision, and then its decision to stop awarding scholarships, are reminiscent of Dragnet (TV or movie).

As a drama, it’s laughable.

It seemed fairly goofy at the time, particularly during 2021, Kevin Kelley’s year of living dangerously. Harold  Nichols and Tommy Spangler tried to put a competitive team together against impossible odds. Rob Acunto, a man of little warmth, formulated a hare-brained scheme to play football without the benefit of scholarships by hiring a coach philosophically opposed to  punts and other tactical options universally in use.

This train wreck, however, went on for most of two decades. The Kelley fiasco was just the moment the locomotive exploded in the canyon bottom.

It’s time for it to stop. Now there is hope for the Blue Hose.

Steve Englehart, who will launch his third PC team on Thursday night in Macon, Ga., has slightly over 80 percent of the starters back from a 4-7 team that won its first two official games as a member of the Pioneer Football League. The Blue Hose also sprang an upset of the scholarshiped Wofford Terriers.

Presbyterian football was not always a laughingstock. The Blue Hose began the century in NCAA Division II, and their record there was 48-29 (.623). Then PC joined Division I. Its record since is 42-129 (.246).

Thanks to the far-flung Pioneer Football League – it’s not easy finding FCS schools that don’t give scholarships – the Blue Hose will see the country, with visits to San Diego, Calif., Morehead, Ky., Deland, Fla. (Stetson), and Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (Stetson).

With the able direction of Englehart and his staff, it’s a cinch the Blue Hose are better. They know what they are doing.

The PFL, however, is an assemblage of great balance. For all the optimism, PC was just 2-6 in the league last year. Its coaches picked PC seventh in a field of 11.

The Blue Hose number 129, mostly strong, some injured, some honored. Grouping red-shirts by eligibility and graduates with seniors, the team is composed of 22 seniors, 27 juniors, 31 sophomores and 49 freshmen.

Last season’s principal quarterback, Tyler Wesley, transferred to Anderson University, but Ty Englehart saw regular action. The Blue Hose return two of the top five rushers, three of the four passers and seven of the top 10 receivers. Dominic Kibby caught 44 passes for 776 yards and four touchdowns, and Worth Warner grabbed 31 for 403 and three. Zach Switzer rushed for 250 yards and 4.0 yards per carry.

Kicker Mack Mikko connected on 16/22 field goal. Mikko and Ezra King averaged together about 37 yards a punt.

The top 12 tacklers return on the experience-laden defense, led by linebacker Alex Herriott with 116. Anthony Thornton and Caleb Francis each collected a pair of interceptions. Brooks Russ-Martin recovered three fumbles. Twin Bradley Russ-Martin broke up six passes.

The Blue Hose come from 13 states. Forty-five are from instate. Forty-two are from Florida.

Opening night at Mercer will be televised locally on The CW, Channel 62, as well as on ESPN+, Thursday night at 7.

Mercer has a new head coach, Mike Jacobs, who inherits a team than finished 9-4 last year with a 6-2 Southern Conference mark and a playoff win over Gardner-Webb. The Blue Hose face the Bulldogs in Clinton on Sept. 21.

Take a look at the schedule here.

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Saturday was the site’s biggest day since basketball and baseball were going on at the same time in March. Visits are up 35 percent in the past week.

It’s just the start. Furman and Presbyterian begin football this week, and Friday night Laurens visits Clinton.

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