By MONTE DUTTON

The South Carolina-Clemson meeting of the Laurens County Touchdown Club – it’s held a week early because next Thursday is some holiday or something – was a civil, sportsmanlike affair at The Ridge.
No one made reference to Chickens and Kittycats. Mascots didn’t square off and threaten to scuffle. No one let a rooster loose. That’s more like the Oyster Roast nowadays.

Don Munson, the Tigers’ lead announcer, and Chet Tucker, Gamecocks’ sideline reporter, spent more time being cautious about Saturday’s opponents, The Citadel and Wofford, than extolling the virtues of the state’s biggest game.

Munson talked about Jesus, though stressing that the Son of God and Clemson are not formally affiliated. Tucker fretted about Wofford, citing past South Carolina difficulties with smaller schools.
Yeah, right. This Carolina is much better than those Carolinas.
I kind of miss the old days. Apparently, the last semblance of trash talking is on the field.

The heat will undoubtedly rise next week.

The most animated talk concerned Lauren Academy’s stunning upset of Jefferson Davis, 36-28 in overtime, in the SCISA eight-man state semifinals.

To win the state championship on Friday night in Batesburg, the Crusaders must stun again. Richard Winn Academy (12-0) has already beaten Laurens Academy (9-3) twice this year.
“We’re blessed to still be playing,” said LA head coach Jolly Doolittle. “I don’t know how many thought we’d still be around.
“We don’t think just about Friday night. We try to beat the next day of practice.”

Clinton High’s Corey Fountain, who once played on the same North Greenville team as Doolittle, was similarly cautious and for good reason.
Chester (5-5) was expected to be a Class 2A power and is one now, based on the Cyclones’s 44-23 upset of Strom Thumond last week. Injured and 0-3 at season’s beginning, Chester is now healthy and wealthy again.

Clinton (8-2) is not unfamiliar with the Cyclones, whose 14-6 loss to the Red Devils settled Region 4-3A a season ago. Both were reclassified in 2A this year. Clinton won Region 1 and Chester finished second in Region 3.
Fountain calls what Chester plays “a popcorn defense,” meaning that they shift and move around on every play.
“We’ve got to be ready,” he said. “Our goal is to be the best team playing football when the grass turns brown.”

It was still pretty green last week when the Devils obliterated Pelion, 56-0, but the weather has turned cool.
The second round kicks off at 7:30 at stately Wilder Stadium.
Presbyterian men’s basketball coach Quinton Ferrell signed Amare Anderson, a 6-1 guard from Greer, and Augustine Ayelyine, a 6- 10 forward from Jacksonville, Fla.
Anderson is a two-time all-state, all-region, and all-county selection who has scored over 1,800 points in his Greer High School career.

Ayelyine is ranked among the Top 50 players in the state of Florida, according to Florida Prep Hoops, and one of the top four players in northeast Florida by RepsOnReps.Hoops.
Presbyterian College women’s soccer placed six on the College Sports Communicators’ academic all-district team.

Hannah Austin, Lyla Chadd, Sarah Dieffenderfer, Kelly Hall, Madison Hindman and Ella Williams all made the list.
Men’s soccer senior midfielder Carson Griffith made the academic all-district team. Griffith is the ninth player in the program’s history named to the College Sports Communicators Division I district team.

PC volleyball players honored by the Big South Conference were sophomore Courtney Williams on the second team and junior Anna Baranski on all-academic.
Men’s golf coach Thomas Addison announced the signing of two talented prep golfers, Tag Graziano and James Rhodes.
Graziano earned all-state accolades at Hilton Head Prep.
Rhodes, of Columbia’s A.C. Flora High, was the Co-Lower State Player of the Year and all-region.

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