By MONTE DUTTON

Bill Anderson is one of the great songwriters in country-music history. I dreamed I had a conversation with “Whispering Bill” last night.

Back in the NASCAR days, I bumped into well-known figures – Michael Jordan, John Prine, Dick Riley, Dick Vitale, Jay Bilas, Barney Frank – at airports. This is where I encountered Anderson in the dream, but I told him a true story.

Many years ago – I was in my 20s – a friend and I took a wild road trip Nashville, where we repeatedly avoided getting in trouble but just barely. After spending an afternoon cruising Music City listening to Jerry Lee Lewis – songs like “Middle Age Crazy” and “39 and Holding” – we went to the Saturday-night show at the Grand Ole Opry where Anderson hosted a segment.

In the time-honored, orthodox tradition of writing a country song – a clever hook, a populist theme, three chords and the truth — Anderson may be the best ever.

The revolutionaries of the era were comparable to Method actors on the Broadway stage: Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mickey Newbury, Prine and others. They turned the world inside out while Anderson kept cranking out standards like “City Lights,” “Po’ Folks,” “Once a Day,” “Whiskey Lullaby,” “Give It Away” and “The Lord Knows I’m Drinking.”

Born in Columbia, Anderson, now 88, graduated from the University of Georgia and worked as a disk jockey in Commerce, Ga., before migrating to Nashville. He has been a member of the Opry since 1962.

Back to the story, at the Opry, Anderson sang a song called “Happiness” that I didn’t think was among his best and my friend hated it so much that he started booing from the cheap, upper-deck seats. Booing is just not done at the Grand Ole Opry. Anderson shielded his eyes from the glare of the lights and tried to figure out who it was that was calling him awful names. My friend and I made a hasty exit with the authorities in pursuit.

A few months later, back in Clinton, my friend was asleep on the couch as I headed off to work at The Clinton Chronicle. I own an Anderson album, “Bright Lights and Country Music.” I placed it on the turntable and set the timer 15 minutes ahead with the volume turned all the way up. After I was gone, my friend awakened to the deafening sound of “I love those bright lights and country music!”

I chuckled to myself all afternoon.

This is the story I told Bill Anderson in my dream. I met him when he played a concert at a Greenville Braves game. He is a nice man with a love of baseball.

He got a kick out of the story … in my dream.

Clinton High School is ranked first in Class 2A in girls’ basketball.

The Red Devils, coached by John Gardner, is the top choice of the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association ahead of, in order, Andrew Jackson, Lake Marion, Lake City, Burke, Atlantic Collegiate, Timberland, Blacksburg, Saluda and Kingstree.

Clinton is the only ranked team from Region 3-2A.

The other top-ranked schools are Ridge View in 5A Division I boys, Greenville in 5A Division 2, Spartanburg in 5A Division I boys, Goose Creek in 5A Division I girls, North Augusta in 4A boys, Westside in 4A girls, Christ Church in 3A boys, Oceanside Collegiate in 3A girls, High Point Academy in 2A boys, C.A. Johnson in A boys and Military Magnet in A girls.

The Red Devils are hosting Belton-Honea Path Thursday night and Union County on Friday, with the girls taking the court at 6 p.m. and the boys at 7:30.

White Knoll visits Laurens on Monday.

Laurens Academy visits Richard Winn on Friday.

S.C. School for the Deaf & Blind visits Thornwell on Thursday.

The CHS Athletics Booster Club is holding a special weekend in January to honor the Red Devil basketball program.

The Coach Bobby Brock CHS Boys Basketball Legacy Group is hosting a boys’ basketball reunion on the weekend of Jan. 16-17, 2026.

The event will honor all the players, teams and coaches of the entire history of CHS boys’ basketball. The group also plans to have a special tribute to the history of Bell Street High School basketball included as a part of the event.

The weekend will begin on Friday, Jan. 16, when Clinton hosts Chester at CHS. The CHS Booster Club will sponsor the Friday-night game and kick off the weekend reunion. A hospitality room will be available outside of the gymnasium for alumni to join in fellowship.

Clinton High School and the CHS Booster Club are hosting the Coach Bobby Brock Boys Basketball Legacy Group Annual Gala at Clinton High School Auditorium on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.for the 12^th CHS Coach Bobby Brock CHS Boys Legacy Group Banquet and Fundraiser.

The entire history of boys’ basketball will be celebrated. The Legacy Group hosted a Reunion Celebration in 2023 celebrating CHS girls’ basketball.si

Clinton High School Basketball and the Booster Club will have more announcements of the Reunion Weekend as the new year approaches.

Rookie Darriel Harper of the Presbyterian College football team was selected as a Freshman All-American by FCS Football Central, a channel of Sports Illustrated.

Part of the fourth annual Freshman All-America listing, Harper, included as a punt returner, is one of five players in the Pioneer Football League to make the cut. In total, 62 individuals were chosen from 46 different programs.

Harper was a standout for a PC team that soared to new heights, achieving their third 10-win season in school history and reaching as high as No. 16 in the AFCA national poll.

The Blue Hose never lost at home in six attempts for the first time since 1998, going on a program-record 11-game overall winning streak over two season and tying for second in the PFL.

Presbyterian set a team record with 11 all-conference honorees, led by PFL Coach of the Year and AFCA Region 4 Coach of the Year Steve Englehart.

PC softball head coach David Williams released the 2026 schedule ahead of his eighth season at the helm. PC begins the campaign on Friday, Feb. 6.

Williams scheduled 11 consecutive home games to begin the season and 25 overall.

Five schools who qualified for the 2025 NCAA Tournament will clash with the Blue Hose next year, including the ACC’s Clemson Tigers, who advanced to the Super Regionals, as well as Mercer and North Florida, which progressed to the Regional Finals.

The Scotsmen posted a 21-29 overall record last spring, highlighted by a series victory versus eventual Big South champion USC Upstate.

Take a look at the schedule here.

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