By MONTE DUTTON

The football game scheduled for Friday night at K.C. Hanna Stadium is a different kind of rivalry, though both Clinton and Laurens are 0-1.

Last week Woodruff defeated Clinton, 21-13. It was a tough game that was supposed to be that way. Hillcrest swamped Laurens, 56-17. It was a tough game for a quarter and a half. The Red Devils’ head coach, Corey Fountain, is confident in his team. The Raiders’ team is confident in its coach, Greg Porter.

Clinton is coming off a Class 2A state championship. Laurens is coming off a one-win season. The Raiders are two classes bigger than the Red Devils. Laurens has been larger ever since Laurens District 55 High School consolidated Laurens, Ford, Gray Court-Owings, Sanders and Hickory Tavern in 1972. Before the merger, Clinton led the series, 31-20-2. Since the Raiders became Raiders, the Red Devils lead, 33-19. Together, the record is 64-39-2. This is the 106^th meeting.

Surely, Laurens is better this year. How could it not be? Clinton knows how to win. Laurens is learning.

This could be the week. The Raiders must start hot again and keep it going. The Red Devils got off to a slow start at Woodruff, squandering early opportunities. The longer Laurens stays in it, the higher the chances of an upset. A year ago, the Raiders led, 8-7, after a quarter but wound up on the short end of a 35-8 score.

Fountain is 4-1 against Laurens. The teams did not play in 2020 due to the pandemic. Since then, Clinton has won 21-19, 55-28, 49-7 and 35-8.

Oddities: Clinton has not worn red jerseys since last season’s Upstate finals. The Red Devils were the road team in the state championship game, played in Orangeburg, wore white in preseason jamborees at Woodruff and Chapin, last week’s game at Woodruff and will do so this week at Laurens. The home red comes out next week when Newberry visits.

Laurens, for the first time in memory and likely ever, has switched from gold to green helmets.

For the second straight year, Laurens Academy was the only county team to win its opening game, defeating Newberry Academy, 30-14. Next up is a visit to Wardlaw Academy in Johnston. The Patriots have won their last four matchups with the Crusaders.

American Leadership Academy of Lexington defeated Thornwell Charter, 43-6. The Saints have scheduled only three varsity games and do not play at home again. The JVs visit West-Oak on Thursday. The Saints’ next varsity action is at Calhoun Falls Charter on Sept. 5.

The first Laurens County Touchdown Club Player of the Week is Laurens Academy’s Nathan Bell, a linebacker who made 14 tackles, three of them for losses, and had a fumble recovery. He’ll be honored at next Thursday’s meeting at The Ridge in Laurens.

Presbyterian College faces long odds in its opener in Macon, Ga., against 11^th-ranked Mercer in Macon, Ga., at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The Bears began their season but did not finish the game in Montgomery, Ala., last weekend. Lightning ended it in the third quarter with California Davis leading, 23-17, but the game didn’t count because it wasn’t completed.

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