By MONTE DUTTON

The magic took a Saturday off in Dayton, Ohio, where the Flyers stopped Presbyterian in a variety of ways.

The University of Dayton (6-2, 4-1 PFL) stopped the Blue Hose’ seven-game win streak this season, 11-game stretch dating back to last and rampage through the Pioneer Football League. The Flyers sent PC back to Clinton smarting from a 35-19 loss.

Three hundred 77 days passed between an Oct. 12, 2024 loss to Morehead State and Saturday. It was great while it lasted, and it lasted for a while.

Gavin Lochow shredded the Blue Hose defenders for 136 yards and two touchdowns in 17 carries, and quarterback Drew Van Vleet completed 10/12 passes for 104 yards and a score. It was the first victory for the Flyers against a nationally ranked FCS team since 2019.

The heretofore 16^th- and 19^th-ranked Blue Hose scored 41 seconds into the game and led 7-0 and 13-7 before the game escaped them.

PC (7-1, 3-1) couldn’t dig out of a 15-point second-quarter hole, scoring a single touchdown in the second half. Dayton outgained Presbyterian by only 16 yards and had just one more first down but capitalized on three PC turnovers while playing largely mistake-free.

The loss prevented the Blue Hose from setting a record for consecutive wins to start a season. The current edition, like the one in 1959, began with seven victories.

Drake (5-2, 4-0) took sole possession of first place in the PFL with a 31-17 victory over Marist (3-5, 1-3) in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Blue Hose and Bulldogs do not play each other.

A return to Bailey Memorial Stadium is next on the card for PC, hosting Valparaiso (1-7, 0-4) next Saturday at 1 p.m. Morehead State (4-5, 2-3) beat the Beacons, 17-13.

For the second consecutive week, wide receiver Cincere Gill passed the century mark, thanks mostly to a 72-yard touchdown reception on the second snap of the game. Quarterback Collin Hurst found a wide-open Gill just 41 seconds into the game,

Dayton scored on its second series with a 79-yard touchdown rush from Lochow.

Presbyterian’s next drive lasted less than four minutes and ended in another trip to the end zone, using Nathan Levicki for a one-yard plunge with 3:33 still in the first frame.

Zeb Stroup’s tipped interception started off the second period, but a quick PC punt led to a 32-yard score from the Flyers that gave the home side its first lead.

Dayton led 28-13 at half. PC had not trailed at halftime in seven weeks.

Hurst endured a difficult day, completing 14/23 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns but suffering three interceptions. Zach Switzer led the PC ground game with 82 yards in 19 carries.

Michael Torres and Boyce Bankhead led the defenders with 10 tackles apiece.

Take a look at the stats here.

Clinton High wasn’t alone piling up points in the high-school wars. Laurens Academy (8-1, 3-0 SCISA 8-man Region 1) was busy picking them up and laying them down, so to speak.

The Crusaders prevailed when a basketball game broke out in Winnsboro. LA defeated Richard Winn Academy (3-5, 1-2) for the second time this season, holding on against the Eagles, 78-64. The first game was 36-22 on Sept. 12.

In the fourth quarter, the two teams combined for 76 points and 11 touchdowns.

LA’s Caleb Hardy managed to score seven touchdowns, four rushing and three receiving. Quarterback Ethan Collins ran for three and threw for three.

This track meet leads Laurens Academy into a region-deciding game next week against the only team that has beaten it. W.W. King (9-0, 3-0) won 60-34 on Sept. 19, but that rout didn’t count for the region.

This time the Knights have to take on the Crusaders at Todd Kirk Field.

Westside, which lost its first four games, made Laurens its fifth straight victim with a 41-9 decision over the Raiders in Anderson.

The Rams (5-4, 3-0) play Wren for the Region 1-4A title next week. Laurens (1-8, 1-3) hosts Emerald (4-5, 1-3) next week, needing an upset to keep playoff hopes alive.

Westside put up 553 yards of offense on Laurens, which has scored 71 points all year and been shut out four times.

Westside led, 20-3, at halftime. Laurens briefly drew closer in the first series of the second half when quarterback Logan Bragg found Damajia Crooks for a 20-yard touchdown slightly less than four minutes into the third quarter.

Bragg hit 15/24 passes for 165 yards. Crooks made five receptions.

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