By MONTE DUTTON

For any fans who might look at Friday night’s game at Wilder Stadium as just another first-round game, look again.

In the past four seasons, Clinton has beaten Palmetto, 77-14; Travelers Rest, 49-14; Palmetto, 42-18; and Pelion, 56-0. If you’re keeping a calculator at home – and who isn’t? – that adds up to 224-46. The average was 56-12.

That is unlikely this time. Clinton, the No. 1 seed from Region 1-2A, is playing the No. 4 seed from 3-2A. Clinton is 7-3; so is North Central of Kershaw. Region 3 has the balance of a high-wire act.

In Region 4, Andrew Jackson (Kershaw) and Central (Pageland) were 4-1. Cheraw and North Central were 3-2. Overall, those teams were 6-4, 8-1, 6-4 and 7-3, respectively.

North Central lost to Lamar (47-0), Cheraw (42-7) and Central (42-7). Among its victories is a 17-7 decision over region champion and crosstown rival Andrew Jackson. Clinton’s losses were to Woodruff (21-13), Newberry (41-12) and Daniel (41-33). They have no common opponents. At one point, Clinton was 2-3. At two points, the Knights were 4-0 and 6-1, The Red Devils won their last five games; North Central lost two of its last three.

Clinton should be favored because it has played the tougher schedule and seemed to get better as the season progressed. Out of region, the Red Devils played Woodruff, Laurens, Newberry, Chapman and Daniel. The Knights played Great Falls, McBee, Columbia, Mid-Carolina and Lamar.

The Knights aren’t going to lay down. Their quarterback, Brayden Price, has a completion percentage of .556 and a passer’s rating of 86.8. He only has two touchdown passes.

Clinton’s Owen Glenn passes well but not often. He has completed 47/89 passes for 617 yards and seven TDs. Glenn has thrown four interceptions. He has rushed for 227 yards and four scores. His favorite target is P.J. McGowan, who has 19 catches for 291 yards.

The Red Devils boast four rushers – Javen Cook, Angelo Cromer, K.J. Vance and Zy Butler – with more yards than any Knight. Cook alone has rushed for 1,429 yards and scored 28 touchdowns.

Clinton has scored 411 points and allowed 193. North Central has scored 214 points and allowed 194.

Clinton has won 18 straight region games and four straight titles. The Red Devils are the defending state champions.

The winner of the game plays the Mid-Carolina vs. Saluda winner in round two.

Laurens Academy’s first-round foe, Cross Schools, elected to forfeit, leaving the Crusaders a week off. Cross Schools, not to be confused with SCHSL Cross, is 0-10.

Cross Schools is in Bluffton. Cross is in Cross, about 115 miles to the northeast. Neither will appear at Todd Kirk Field.

The abortive opponent finished sixth out of six in Region in SCISA eight-man Region 2. Laurens Academy (8-2) was second out of five in Region 1.

The Stingrays aren’t stinging, not that they have all year. How did a winless team qualify for the playoffs? One can only assume that everybody gets a participation certificate, even if they don’t participate.

In round two, the Crusaders face the Richard Winn-Holly Hill winner. Region 1 titlist King (10-0) also has a first-round bye.

Jonah Pierce and Jaylen Peterson led Presbyterian to a 105-76 basketball victory over visiting Bluefield (Va.) College on Wednesday evening at Templeton Center.

Pierce canned 11/12 shots and nine rebounds. Peterson scored only eight points but grabbed 17 rebounds for the 1-1 Blue Hose. Carl Parrish (12), Iverson King and J.D. Bowden (10) also landed in double figures.

D.J. McDonald and Ke’Shaun Tonsall led the Rams (0-2) with 20 and 14 points, respectively. P Fields added 11. Bluefield shot ,383 (23/60) from the field but canned half its 16 three-point tries.

Presbyterian (1-1) shot .548 (34/62) overall, .360 (9/25) from long range and .778 (28/36) from the foul line.

PC (1-1) dominated the boards, 51-25, but led by only 10 points at halftime. The Hose committed 17 turnovers to the Rams’ 13.

The Blue Hose host East Tennessee State on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Take a look at the stats here.

Clinton High’s girls’ tennis fell to Landrum, 4-2, in the Upstate 2A finals on the Cardinals’ home courts.

The Red Devils won only at Nos. 1 and 2 singles. Libby Dailey defeated Eva Burnett 6-2, 6-1. Addy Derrick slipped past Ilana Taulor 6-7, 6-2 (10-8).

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