By MONTE DUTTON

Clinton is playing its third rivalry in as many weeks. Seriously.

This Friday’s game is at Newberry, which, like Woodruff and Laurens, has been lining up in anger opposite the Red Devils for more than a century. The Clinton-Newberry game is played for the CNNGA Battle of the Belt. The game’s more than a century, but the belt is two years old, still shiny with its fine leather.

It’s a natural (gas) for the sponsor. The “C” stands for Clinton and the “N” for Newberry.

Once upon a time, back before Presbyterian delusions of grandeur, the high-school team in Clinton wore red and the college wore blue, and the colleges were vice-versa, and when they played each other, it caused a ruckus.

In the high schools, there is no cry for restoration. They never turned against each other.

Fortunately, the Blue Hose are keeping the local fires burning this Saturday by playing in Greenwood against Erskine. The next closest opponent is Davidson. The Pioneer Football League spans nationwide, and, my, oh, my, doesn’t Drake travel well?

The PFL was ahead of its time. Its teams were travelers before traveling was cool. None of its teams award scholarships, so they’ve got budgets to fly.

Let’s focus on the rivalry involving the neighboring towns that still exists.

Like Woodruff, Newberry (2-0) is fast-improving. For that matter, Clinton is fast-improving, having polished off Laurens, 35-8, after an opening-night setback, 40-36, to Woodruff.

“When I first got here, we played Newberry, and it was a huge game,” said Clinton head coach Corey Fountain. “We played at our place and Newberry won in overtime on a two-point conversion, a trick play. I could see their fans running on the field from Newberry, and the fans in Clinton were just distraught about the loss.”

Fountain is now well established. Newberry’s Cedrick Jeter in his second year.

The Red Devils won last season, 42-7. The belt, which evokes a pro wrestler or a rodeo cowboy, appeals to football players.

“It was cool,” recalled Fountain. “They ate it up. A little too much, probably. We had to calm ‘em down, you know?”

The Red Devils are in Region 1-2A, while the Bulldogs are in Region 4-3A (which is where Clinton was and Newberry wasn’t last year). Clinton opened with Class 3A Woodruff and 4A Laurens.

“Clinton’s a great program, top to bottom,” Jeter said. “I’ve been going up against Clinton for 20-some years, since junior high. (The Newberry head coach is from Union.) I know the tradition there. I know the standards they have.

“Now being at Newberry High School, getting to compete against them every single year, it’s kind of a measuring-stick game. If you want to see where you’re at as a team, go against Clinton. You mess around and win that game, you’re pretty good. If it’s a close game, you’re pretty good.”

The Bulldogs have beaten Union County, 41-14, and Mid-Carolina, 43-0.

They’re pretty good.

Who would quibble with the selection of an offensive lineman, Clinton’s Cal Pitts, as the Laurens County Touchdown Club’s Player of the Week?

The senior offensive tackle is one of the anchors of the Red Devils’ line. His performance on Friday night was key to the Clinton rushing attack in a 35-8 victory over Laurens.

Pitts helped lead Clinton to 327 yards rushing and 409 yards of offense. Pitts graded out at 98 percent with with knockdown blocks and three pancake blocks. A pancake block is basically one where the opponent is flattened.

“Cal is a part of our leadership council and leads by example. Cal is a great teammate by always picking up other players that need rides, and he organizes support of other sports by getting his accountability group and other teammates to attend other CHS sporting events,” Fountain said.

The Touchdown Club honors Pitts and Laurens Academy’s Ethan Collins on Thursday at the second Touchdown Club meeting. The meeting begins at noon at The Ridge in Laurens. The weekly awards this year are presented by Farm Bureau Insurance of Laurens County.

The meeting features Presbyterian College head coach Steve Englehart, whose Blue Hose travel to Greenwood to face Erskine on Saturday.

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15. All meetings are at noon with the food-service line opening at 11:45 a.m.

Queens defeated Presbyterian, 3-1, in men’s soccer on the road in Charlotte, N.C.

The Blue Hose never led. Queens scored in the second minute on Ciro Bourlot Jaeggi goal off a Michel Feldman assist.

In the third minute, Jaeggi assisted Caio Brandao. In the 28th minute, Queens’s Jaeggi scored his second goal off an assist from Cole Pumpian.

In the second half, PC scored when Jonas Sundli-Hardig passed to Damorney Hutchinson, who was on the left side of the box. Hutchinson crossed the ball toward the right post, where Damian McGregor-Wickham tapped the ball into the back of the net in the 53rd minute for his first career goal.

PC outshot the Royals, 13-6.

Presbyterian visits Virginia Tech on Thursday at 5 p.m.

The S.C. Media poll now places Laurens (0-2) visiting the top-ranked 3A school, Belton-Honea Path (2-0),  and Clinton (1-1) visiting 3A's 10th-ranked squad, Newberry (2-0).
The Red Devils are tied for 3rd in 3A with Chester (0-1).
Dutch Ford (1-0) and Gaffney (1-0) are 1-2, respectively, in Class 4A. Westside (1-0) is first, Daniel (2-0) second in 4A.
BHP leads Dillon (2-0) in 3A.
Hampton County (2-0) and Strom Thurmond (2-0), coached by former Red Devils head coach Andrew Webb, are ahead of Clinton and Chester in 2A.
Abbeville (2-0) leads Class A, practically by acclamation.

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