By MONTE DUTTON

A week ago, Clinton hosted North Central (Kershaw) in the first round of the Class 2A football playoffs. Though the Red Devils were the Region 1 champions and the Knights were fourth in Region 4, both teams ran onto Keith Richardson Field with records of 7-3.

Clinton’s schedule was much stronger, and the Red Devils annihilated the Knights, 56-7. The Red Devils (8-3) are ranked No. 2 in their classification and have won their last six games by an accumulative score of 319-63 for an average score of 53-11.

The Red Devils are the reigning state champions. They have also won six straight playoff games.

Saluda (6-5) is next to enter Clinton’s fiery pit this Friday night at 7:30. The Tigers advanced with a 33-13 victory over Mid-Carolina, ending a three-game losing streak.

Though Saluda is only 41 miles away, the Tigers and Red Devils haven’t played since Nov. 16, 1973 in the Upstate 3A finals, won by Clinton, 14-13, when Roscoe Watson blocked an extra point that would have tied the score.

The typical classic today has a score of, oh, about 41-38. Fifty-two years ago, 14-13 was a classic. Championship teams now are typically irresistible forces, not immovable objects.

That Clinton team, which lost in the state championship game to Fort Johnson, 20-0, in Charleston, set a school record with seven shutouts.

Clinton has only played Saluda five times. The Tigers’ only victory was in 1944. Saluda placed third in Region 2.

Head coach Corey Fountain is, of course, wary of Saluda.

“We know Saluda is a playoff team. We know they are athletic,” Fountain said. “They could have beaten Batesburg-Leesville (35-34). They could have beaten Strom Thurmond (20-14). They’re trying to peak at the right time. They were right in the thick of things.”

The key for Saluda is slowing the Red Devils down. Few rushing teams rush at Clinton’s pace. Big Red is averaging 354.1 yards on the ground. Senior Javen Cook has scored 31 touchdowns and run for 1,541 yards.

The winner plays either Fairfield Central (8-3) or Andrew Jackson (7-4).

Radio coverage on WPCC (106.5 FM/1410 AM/largetime.net) begins at 7 p.m., with next-day “Saturday Morning Rewind” starting at 9 a.m. from Whiteford’s Drive-In, followed by a replay of the game broadcast.

One other Laurens County team remains alive in the postseason. Laurens Academy (8-2) visits Holly Hill Academy (11-0) hoping to put to rest a long line of difficulties against the Raiders.

Earlier this season, the Crusaders turned the tables twice on Richard Winn Academy, which they had not beaten since 2009.

Holly Hill defeated Winn, 38-20, last week. LA’s scheduled opponent, Cross Hill Schools (0-10) elected to forfeit. The Crusaders defeated Winn, 36-22, on Sept.  12, and, 78-64, on Oct. 24.

The status of LA’s most celebrated player, Caleb Hardy, remains uncertain. Hardy suffered a hamstring injury in the Crusaders’ final regular-season game, a 44-22 loss to W.W. King.

Before his injury, Hardy rushed for 1,206 yards and had 60 receptions for 835 yards. He scored 26 touchdowns and 44 two-point conversions.

The Raiders’ quarterback, Parker Kizer, has netted 3,143 rushing yards and scored 48 touchdowns.

Holly Hill Academy has beaten LA five straight times, with four of the victories occurring in the playoffs. The average score of those five games was 55-20.

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