By MONTE DUTTON

Playing for a state football championship is a rare opportunity, even in towns like Clinton and Barnwell, where the tradition is strong.
The seasons of the Red Devils and Warhorses are already going to be revered for decades. The winner of the Class 2A state championship gets to bury its flag at the summit.
It kicks off at 2 p.m. – yes, 2 p.m. – on Thursday – yes, Thursday — at Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium in Orangeburg.
The Clinton fans have a long way to go and a short time to get there. Jobs will keep some of them away, but most will find a way.

To quote those noted football fans, the Monkees: I’m a believer / I couldn’t leave her / If I tried. Then there’s a nice guitar bridge.
When Clinton was reclassified to Class 2A, the first reaction hereabouts was, Oh, baby, it’s us and Abbeville.
But no. Abbeville is now dominating Class A.
Barnwell lost state championships to the Panthers in 2018 and ’19. The new northern invader is Clinton, whose first state title (1939) was in what was then known as Class B. The next seven were in 3A (1972, ’75, ’77, ’78, ’85, ’87 and 2009).

The game on Thursday is farther south than either Clinton (11-2) or Barnwell (13-1). It is to be played on the home field of the South Carolina State Bulldogs, who are playing Jackson State on Saturday in Atlanta’s Celebration Bowl.
The current Clinton players were barely born when the Red Devils last won it all, but head coach Corey Fountain is no stranger to title games. His Lamar teams played in four and won two. This is his sixth season with the Red Devils.

In the past four, Clinton advanced to the second, fourth, third and now fifth (and final) round.
Fountain’s record overall is 110-28. With the Red Devils, he is 52-18.
He strenuously cites the players on his previous teams for setting the groundwork for this opportunity. This one can fulfill that legacy.
At the S.C. High School League’s remote media conference on Tuesday, Fountain said, “This season began when we got put out of the playoffs last year. Our guys got right back to work, and what it’s all about is work.

“Our guys just had a work mentality already. We just try to go 1-0 every week and 1-0 every practice.”
Brian Smith is the head coach of the Warhorses. This is his second season after arriving from Ridge Spring-Monetta. Oceanside Collegiate ousted Barnwell, 43-6, in the 2A third round last year. Smith’s record at the Warhorse helm is 21-6.
“Just like Coach Fountain, we lost in the third round last year,” said Smith. “It’s a really good group of 21 seniors who’ve really worked hard all their lives to get to this point.”

Two Clinton players, linebacker Brett Young and quarterback Tushawan Watson, accompanied Fountain on the media event. Young said he emulates former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. It was a good choice. Kuechly exemplified what coaches often call “a nose for the football.” Young shares that smell.
“We haven’t been in this position since 2009, and I think it would mean a lot to our community for us to get it done,” Young said. “We had a fire downtown. Some buildings burned down and, you know, the community really rallied around us and helped pull us through.”

Richardson said, “Like Coach (Fountain) said, we’ve been preparing for this since last year. It’s a process you go through. The coaches get on you every day, tell us what we need to do and what we’ve got to do. That’s why we’re here.”

Elsewhere …
Kemaria Shelton and McKenzie Clark each scored 10 points, leading the Clinton girls’ basketball team to a 56-17 victory at Union County on Tuesday evening.
Every Clinton player scored: Jakia Burton 8, Jo’Nashia Burton 8, Bryanna Belton 7, Symiah Floyd 5, Mylayja Thompson 3, Emma Patterson 2, Halleigh Luke 2 and Na’Shia Wright 1.

Emory Tucker led the Yellow Jackets with five.
Clinton (4-1) scored 24 points in the first half and 32 in the second. Union County scored seven and 10.
“It was a good across the board,” said Clinton coach John Gardner. “I’m excited to get some normalcy next week and get in a rhythm playing some games before Christmas.”

Braylee Burke scored 10 points for Laurens Academy, but Greenville Tech Charter defeated the Crusaders, 53-29, in girls’ basketball.
Spartanburg Christian swept the Crusaders on Monday, with the Warriors winning the girls’ game, 53-29, and the boys’, 55-26. Burke also scored 10 points in the girls game, and Braydon Burke led the boys with 15 points.

In a battle between No. 3 and No. 6 in the nation with Templeton Gymnasium as the backdrop, the former, King, defeated Presbyterian in women’s wrestling on Tuesday night, 25-21.

Freshman Chloe Dearwester gave the Blue Hose an early 6-3 edge with a 65-second pin against eighth-ranked Avery Kibelbek, the biggest highlight of a 9-0 start to her collegiate career.

A technical fall in the 180-lb. event wound up being the winning decision for King.

“Every mile or so a sign proclaimed that Christ was coming soon, and I thought, well, man, He’d sure be disappointed if He did.” – Tom T. Hall, “Trip to Hyden”

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