By MONTE DUTTON

The transfer protocol creates a lot of cultural exchange.
Even if an athlete remains at one school for his entire career, he knows athletes … everywhere.
Tyler Huff, who spent three years quarterbacking at Presbyterian and two at Furman, was fantastic in Friday’s 30-27 Jacksonville loss to Ohio University, where the Gamecocks trailed, 27-7, at halftime.
After losing the Furman starter’s job to Huff, Jace Wilson transferred to Texas Southern and was the Southwest Athletic Conference’s Newcomer of the Year in 2023.

Ray Harrison, who transferred to Grand Canyon after two seasons at PC, has been a basketball star ever since he moved to Phoenix, Ariz., where he has played for the Antelopes the last three seasons, twice in the NCAA Tournament.
Four players at Furman last season – J.P. Pegues (Auburn), Marcus Foster (Xavier), Alex Williams (Duquesne) and Carter Whitt (Belmont) – show up on TV with regularity.
Another ex-Furman player, Joe Anderson, is now starting at David Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn., which means that he and Whitt, who once battled for playing time with the Paladins, are now at different schools in the same city.

Whitt and Huff are at their third schools.
Lindsey Scott Jr., who starred last at Incarnate Word in 2022, spent time at five schools over seven seasons. His predecessor at starting quarterback for the Cardinals, Cam Ward, now stars at Miami after a stop at Washington State.

Last but not least, D.J. Uiagalelei, after stops at Clemson, Oregon State and Florida State, has declared for the NFL draft.

Out in the Caribbean, Presbyterian stayed within range for a good bit of its latter women’s basketball game in San Juan, P.R., before succumbing to Montana State, 57-40, on Thursday.
Kishya Anderson scored 21 points for Presbyterian (1-11).
Montana State (9-2) got 15 from Marah Dykstra and 11 from Katelynn Martin. The Bobcats of the Big Sky Conference led 12-6, 22-17 and 37-29 at the ends of the first three quarters.

It was Anderson’s second 20-plus-point game this season. She also added supplemented by five steals and three blocks.
Shooting enabled Montana State to pull away. The Bobcats shot .327 (17/52) for the game but .539 (7/13) in the final 10 minutes. PC shot .326 overall but hit 1/11 three-pointers.
Paige Kindseth grabbed 10 rebounds, scored four points and had a pair of steals.
The Blue Hose take Christmas break off before returning to Clinton on New Year’s Eve for a game against the Newberry Wolves at noon.
Take a look at the stats here.

The speaker at the Laurens County Touchdown Club’s Jan. 8 Awards Banquet has quite a story to tell.
Brian Mance, from Alcolu, starred in football, baseball and basketball at Manning High School.
Brian Mance, a native of Alcolu, South Carolina, was a three-sport star for Manning High School as a standout player in football, baseball, and basketball. At Clemson, he intercepted 12 passes and amassed over 1,000 yards in kickoff returns. He was All-American and All-ACC.

Mance holds the distinction of being tied for third all-time at Clemson with 12 career interceptions and 23 pass breakups. Additionally, he amassed over 1,000 kickoff return yards throughout his collegiate career. Mance concluded his time at Clemson with well-deserved honors, including All-American and First Team All-ACC selections.
Mance played professionally in Europe and the Arena Football League. He coached at Clemson, North Greenville and Wofford.

In the summer of 2016, Mance suffered headaches from a debilitating condition of the central nervous system, affecting his brain and spinal cord, called neurosarcoidosis. Although Mance was rendered completely paralyzed, he refused to give up and battled through spots on his spine, lung issues, and allusion on his brain. He fought back and continues to fight to regain his strength and health.

Although he was able to return to Wofford in coaching, he was called to start the Be Propelled Foundation, where he serves as executive director.
The banquet is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at The Ridge in Laurens. Tickets are available for $20 at the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce.
PC lacrosse coach Eric Clakeley released the 2025 schedule, featuring 17 contests in total and 10 matchups at Bailey Memorial Stadium.

The Blue Hose open the ’25 season on Thursday, Feb. 20 with a visit to Kent State in Ohio. Presbyterian’s 10 home games are the most since 2016, enjoying a six-game streak at Bailey Memorial in non-conference play.
Clakeley, in his sixth year as PC’s man in charge, graduated five players from last season’s roster and recently signed a 11 on National Signing Day in November.

The top six teams in the league standings will compete in the Big South tournament, which PC last qualified for in 2016.
Take a look at the schedule here.
Clinton is ranked fourth – behind Andrew Jackson, Kingstree and Region 3-2A foe Chester – in the latest girls’ rankings of the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association.

The Red Devils have a Monday matinee versus Newberry, beginning with junior-varsity games, that gets underway at 11 a.m.
Laurens’ scheduled games on Friday versus Greenwood have been canceled.

Presbyterian’s men’s team takes on Manhattan at Templeton Center on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Laurens Academy’s boys’ team, playing in a Newberry round robin, defeated Wardlaw, 55-45, on Friday, placing four in double figures.

Garrett Murphy, who was 6/9 from the field, scored 14 points, Braydon Burke and Garrison Vaughn 13 each and Chesney Watkins 11.
Colt Briley led Wardlaw with 16.

The Crusader girls put no one in double figures, but balance was rewarded in a 38-15 victory over Abbeville.

Brooklyn Senn scored nine points, while Taylor Cagle and Braylee Burke each had eight.

“If I’d known I was going to live this long, I might have taken better care of myself.” – Willie Nelson, 91

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