By MONTE DUTTON

I went back and forth all week long. I wanted to go to Landrum, where I have never seen a football game but once played in a scrimmage.

Also, I wanted to get to another Laurens Academy game because the Crusaders entered Friday night with the best record (5-2) in Laurens County. I also wanted to get a modest amount of sleep before trundling off to Furman on Saturday.

I plead guilty to practicality. I had LA on my schedule until I realized that Landrum had risen to the Class 2A top 10 with five straight victories.

So I wavered. When I went to bed Thursday night and got up Friday, I was planning to go to Landrum, but I changed my mind when I realized I could go shoot some photos at Todd Kirk Field, check on Clinton and Laurens via radio on the way home, and, quite possibly, get the Red Devils’ and Raiders’ stories up before I went to bed.

Laurens Academy puts on its trousers one leg at a time, plays its games one at a time, and only puts eight players on the field at a time. The Crusaders blitzed the Newberry Academy Eagles,36-6, and are now 6-2.

Naturally, all the plans went horribly awry.

As much as it pains me to admit it, I’m getting too old for these banzai runs. One bit of evidence is that I call driving at the speed limit a banzai run.

I’ll be watching the Paladins live and the Blue Hose on my laptop.

There are no places I’d rather be than the stadiums Wilder and Paladin. Wilder Stadium was unoccupied. I figured I’d enjoy the eight-at-a-timers patrolling the wide, open spaces again. Sure enough, I did.

The Red Devils were just fine without my presence, blasting the Cardinals, 56-22, up near the state line on a night undoubtedly colder than it was beneath the same hunter’s moon that decorated Todd Kirk Field.

Everyone and his brother – brothers and cousins are big in Clinton – scored, though the game was more a matter of the Red Devils taking advantage of ample opportunities while making stops at key intervals.

Clinton (5-2, 2-0 Region 1-2A) got three rushing touchdowns from D.J. Clark, who had 54 yards in the game. Jevan Cook only scored one but dashed and darted for 122 yards in only 10 carries, running his season total to 934 yards.

Chris Boyd returned a kickoff 71 yards for a score and caught three Tushawan Richardson (6/12, 125, 2 TDs) passes for 80 yards, and Brett Young contributed a 34-yard pick-six.                                                     ,

Landrum (5-2, 1-1) actually led, 7-0, but the Clinton offense turned into an irresistible force that overran the Cardinals with 433 total yards.

“We didn’t start well, and that’s on me,” Clinton head coach Corey Fountain said to WPCC’s Harold Nichols. “I’ve got to get them started fast.

“You’ve got to keep moving forward. I thought our coaches had a good game plan, and we were able to execute it when we got it in our heads. In the first half, it took a little while.”

The Raiders were again the blastees, as Wren (5-1, 2-0 Region1-4A) pounded Laurens, 55-3, in Piedmont.

Things are unlikely to get better next week when Laurens (1-6, 1-1 Region 1-4A) hosts the state’s top-ranked 4A team, Westside.

More later.

It’s homecoming at Presbyterian College, where the Blue Hose take on Drake at 1 p.m.

It’s the first game at Bailey Memorial Stadium in almost a month and the first time the Bulldogs of Des Moines, Iowa, have ever played in Clinton.

Drake (4-1, 3-0 PFL) is bidding for its 15^th straight league victory. Presbyterian (2-5, 0-3) has competed in 10 games over the last year-and-a-half decided by 10 points or less. Nine have been versus league foes.

Clinton’s junior varsity destroyed Landrum, 52-14, on Thursday evening at Wilder Stadium, scoring at least 14 points in each quarter.

Twos were wild for the Red Devils.

Zy Butler and Javien James each rushed for two touchdowns. Owen Glenn passed for two. Butler caught one of them.

Clinton (6-1) has won 51 of its last 52 games.

“Each player executed our game and did it well,” stated coach Dontavius Glenn. “Everyone contributed. Our defense played well and the offense operated consistently. I’m super proud of how the kids are growing and improving each week.

“It’s been fun to watch.”

The Red Devil volleyball team has won nine matches in a row, the most recent being a 3-2 decision over Mid-Carolina on Thursday.

Clinton is 13-3 overall, 8-0 in Region 3-2A. The JV team is 11-2, 5-0 in region play.

Wellpilgrim.com is trying its best – translation: I’m trying – to describe the highs and lows and avoid the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Highs and lows are inevitable because all the games have a loser and a winner, and  Wellpilgrim.com is trying its best – translation: I’m trying – to describe the highs and lows and avoid the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Highs and lows are inevitable because all the games have a loser and a winner, and when it’s done, they are the same number.

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