By MONTE DUTTON

Newberry, North Greenville and Carson-Newman are the latest beneficiaries of Laurens County football talent.

Garrison Vaughan, Laurens Academy’s burly lineman, is joining the Wolves, whose 12-2 record last fall included three Division II playoff wins. Bryson Perrin and Chris Boyd of Clinton High are headed to Tigerville (NGU) and Jefferson City, Tenn. (CNU), respectively.

The three colleges had a combined record of 26-10 last year. The two high schools were 18-7.

Vaughan, whose Crusaders team advanced to the state finals for the second straight season, must make an expansion from playing eight-man football. Perrin and Boyd won a Class 2A title with the Red Devils in 2024.

“In 25 years of coaching football, [Vaughan] is the hardest working lineman I’ve ever been around,” said LA head coach Jolly Doolittle. “He’s the best lineman. We couldn’t have turned around this program in three years without him. Every game plan started with Garrison, where he was lined up and how we could maximize his impact. Every team we played, their game plan started with where Garrison was.”

“I feel like I’ve really built a good relationship with the (Newberry) coaches,” Vaughan said. “The talent difference is going to be a jump, and we’ve talked about my potential and making a transition from eight-man football.”

He expects to play guard and/or center in the Wolves’ offense.

“They really sold me on how close-knit the community is and how much support there is in both the college and the town,” Vaughan said. “Everything’s really together there.”

Both Perrin and Boyd played wide receiver and defensive back, most notably the latter, for the Red Devils. Each intercepted one pass. Boyd played in the Touchstone Energy (North-South) Game.

Perrin likes North Greenville because of its proximity to the mountains and a family connection (his sister is there).

“Their defense was near the top of Division II,” he said. “Here at Clinton, the coaches pushed me every day to improve, and that’s a process I want to continue at the next level.”

Boyd said of Carson-Newman, “I really like the coaching staff and the atmosphere of the football program. I’ve looked at the academic programs. I’m going in undecided and want to study what I find out I like the most.”

Boyd considered Presbyterian and Anderson before opting for the Eagles.

Anderson’s leading rusher last season, ex-Red Devil Bryson James, is now slated to play at Mercer, which won the Southern Conference the past two seasons. James earlier committed to North Carolina Central. He makes the move with three more years of eligibility.

NASCAR held its Cookout Clash on Wednesday night, and I bet no one there had a cookout.

It was at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., which is one of few race tracks I’ve never been at that I wanted to.

I cultivated a love for racing at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, now rotting away, and a love of NASCAR at Darlington.

I’m glad my first visit to Bowman Gray wasn’t this particular race because it was raining and sleeting and took nearly three hours to run 50 green-flag miles.

There’s an excellent chance there won’t be another race like it this year. Or ever.

Ryan Preece won it. He hadn’t arrived in the sport when I left. That’s mainly the case nowadays, and I don’t pay nearly as much attention as when it was the way I made a living. Most of the people I know don’t pay nearly as much attention. At least I have an excuse.

That being noted, I’m a tad more upbeat entering the season.

After 20 years of turning the sport into a video arcade of one gimmick after another, NASCAR actually seems mildly repentant.

The top-ranked Clinton girls’ basketball team continued its rampage through Region 3-2A with a 64-23 victory at Chester (6-10, 4-3) on Wednesday night. The Red Devils clinched their third straight region title.

Clinton is 23-1 and 8-0.

Both the girls, coached by John Gardner, and the boys, headed by Dontavius Glenn, have won 11 games in a row.

The Clinton boys (15-8, 8-0) dominated the Cyclones (2-17, 0-7), 77-38.

Eau Claire visits Clinton on Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. with the girls’ game.

Laurens’ boys (15-7, 5-1 Region 1-4A) visit Wren (10-12, 3-3) in Piedmont on Friday. The Raider girls are 13-9 and 3-3, while the Hurricanes are 12-10 and 4-2.

Laurens Academy takes an 18-2 record into Friday’s girls’ game at Our Lady of the Rosary (4-3) in Greenville. The Crusaders won last year’s game against the Lions, 48-19.

Laurens Academy is 11-10 in boys’ basketball.  The Rosary boys are 4-8.

Thornwell (9-7, 8-4 Region 1-A) defeated Green Upstate (4-11), 34-26, on Wednesday in girls’ play, while the Owls (3-12) won the boys’ game, 60-41, over the Saints (0-16).

New Presbyterian College football head coach Matt Rahl and his staff signed 44 new players to go along with the 25 mid-year acquisitions that are already on campus.

Rahl wrangled in future Blue Hose student-athletes from eight different states across National Signing Day, including 18 recruits from Florida and 14 South Carolina natives.

PC split up their signees adequately, announcing 22 players on the defensive side of the ball, 21 offensive players and one specialist.

2026 Mid-Year Additions

Luke Armstrong | DB | 6’0” | 195 lbs. | Sacramento City College

Tristan Boone | TE | 6’4” | 215 lbs. | West Virginia Wesleyan

Jackson Burleson | RB | 5’6” | 185 lbs. | Central State University

Sebastian Coppola | OL | 6’4” | 290 lbs. | New England College

Dre’Von Dopson | QB | 6’2” | 180 lbs. | Irmo High School (SC)

Ameer Elghazaly | DB | 6’0” | 190 lbs. | Wiregrass Ranch High School (FL)

Gavin Forrester | DB | 5’11” | 165 lbs. | Blue Ridge High School (SC)

Damari Heller | WR | 6’2” | 200 lbs. | Concord University

Brice Johnson | WR | 5’7” | 180 lbs. | Highland Community College

Caleb Johnson | WR | 6’1” | 175 lbs. | Defiance College

Martez Jones | LB | 6’1” | 230 lbs. | Concordia-St. Paul

Bryan Joseph | DB | 5’11” | 160 lbs. | ABF Academy (FL)

Dru McClough | OL | 6’2” | 305 lbs. | East Carolina University

Ethan Medley | TE | 6’4” | 215 lbs. | Thomas Dale High School (VA)

Tyree Pearson | RB | 5’11” | 215 lbs. | Royal Palm Beach High School (FL)

Matthew Recupero | QB | 6’1” | 195 lbs. | Beverly Hills High School (CA)

Ja’merius Sheppard | WR | 6’1” | 167 lbs. | Newberry HS (SC)

Anton Smith | WR | 5’7” | 165 lbs. | Miami Killian High School (FL)

Keyon Smith | LB | 6’1” | 206 lbs. | True North Classical Academy (FL)

Wilson Smith | DB | 5’10” | 164 lbs. | True North Classical Academy (FL)

Andrew Switzer | DL | 6’3” | 220 lbs. | Summit High School (TN)

Tymaries Thompson-Durant | DB | 6’0” | 180 lbs. | Sumter High School (SC)

Anthony Tucker | RB | 6’0” | 215 lbs. | Waldorf University

Mason White | RB | 6’0” | 224 lbs. | West Virginia Wesleyan

Dom Womack | DB | 6’0” | 180 lbs. | Greenwood High School (SC)

 National Signing Day Additions

Elijah Adolphe | DL | 6’5” | 235 lbs. | Rise Prep Academy (FL)

Bryton Baker | WR | 6’1” | 180 lbs. | Tocoi Creek High School (FL)

Isaiah Batten | QB | 6’3” | 210 lbs. | Pope John Paul II Prep School (TN)

Bennett Baumgartner | LB | 6’2” | 200 lbs. | Ponte Vedra High School (FL)

Josh Berndt | OL | 6’2” | 280 lbs. | River Bluff High School (SC)

Alex Brant | DL | 6’0” | 300 lbs. | Jupiter High School (FL)

Thomas Chandler | TE | 6’2” | 205 lbs. | Greenwood High School (SC)

Hyatt Cox | LB | 6’2” | 225 lbs. | Chattahoochee High School (GA)

Jamere Crooks | DB | 6’0” | 164 lbs. | Newberry High School (SC)

Davitt Doherty | WR | 6’0” | 180 lbs. | Ponte Vedra High School (FL)

Jack Evans | TE | 6’5” | 200 lbs. | Calvary Christian School (GA)

Brock Feinberg | LB | 6’2” | 225 lbs. | Phillips Academy (MA)

Kadin Ferschke | OL | 6’3” | 270 lbs. | Martin County High School (FL)

Josh Gibson | WR | 6’0” | 175 lbs. | Thomas Heyward Academy (SC)

Christopher Glover | ATH | 5’11” | 215 lbs. | Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School (SC)

Luke Harmon | LB | 6’2” | 200 lbs. | Pedro Menendez High School (FL)

Zayvion Hayes | DL | 6’5” | 245 lbs. | Rise Prep Academy (FL)

Jamarie Haynes | DL | 6’1” | Baptist Hill High School (SC)

Jake Hickox | WR | 6’6” | 206 lbs. | Centennial High School (GA)

Levi Hoss | DL | 6’5” | 225 lbs. | Western High School (FL)

Montrey Jackson | ATH | 5’9” | 160 lbs. | Rise Prep Academy (FL)

Jeremiah Johnson | DL | 6’1” | 237 lbs. | Lincoln County HS (GA)

Shyne Johnson | DB | 5’11” | 190 lbs. | Southern Utah University

Tripp Kelly | TE | 6’5” | 220 lbs. | Northgate High School (GA)

Jake Lantis | P | 6’3” | 175 lbs. | Proctor Academy (NH)

Khamari Marceus | WR | 6’0” | 170 lbs. | Christopher Columbus High School (FL)

Uryah McCartney | LB | 5’10” | 205 lbs. | West Broward High School (FL)

Sean McNamara | TE | 6’2” | 220 lbs. | Community School of Naples (FL)

Zanii Miller | DB | 5’11” | 173 lbs. | Rise Prep Academy (FL)

Brady Murphy | OL | 6’7” | 290 lbs. | Heathwood Hall High School (SC)

Eric Nelson | ATH | 5’10” | 170 lbs. | Rise Prep Academy (FL)

Tony O’Banner | RB | 6’0” | 217 lbs. | Thomas Heyward Academy (SC)

Trent Pavlus | OL | 6’4” | 265 lbs. | Middleburg High School (FL)

Raleigh Salters | LB | 5’10” | 200 lbs. | Dutch Fork High School (SC)

Julian Senn | LB | 6’0” | 195 lbs. | Newberry High School (SC)

Ari Shepherd | OL | 6’5” | 310 lbs. | Collins Hill High School (GA)

Cade Spencer | OL | 6’2” | 290 lbs. | Mauldin High School (SC)

Derrick Thomas | RB | 5’10” | 185 lbs. | Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School (SC)

Jayden Torres | QB | 6’2” | 200 lbs. | Cardinal Gibbons High School (FL)

Langston Weatherspoon | DL | 6’2” | 285 lbs. | Rise Prep Academy (FL)

Zaire Williams | DL | 6’2” | 215 lbs. | Rock Hill High School (SC)

Karson Wright | DB | 5’8” | 173 lbs. | Emerald High School (SC)

Joseph Zetmeir | DL | 6’2” | 285 lbs. | Charlton County High School (GA)

Noah Zuniga | TE | Lakeville North High School (MN)

Women’s basketball continues to languish at Presbyterian, which fell to 3-20 (1-9 Big South) in the aftermath of Sunday’s 70-41 setback at High Point.

The Blue Hose started fast defensively, but High Point shot .538 from the field in the second half to pull away. Aminata Tal led Presbyterian, scoring in double figures for the 10th time. She posted 14 points on 5/9 shooting and 4/6 free throws.

Krystal Haddock grabbed 12 rebounds.

Macy Spencer led High Point (20-2, 9-0) with 18 points. The Panthers won the rebounding battle, 39-27.

Take a look at the stats here.

The Blue Hose also came up short, 70-63, on Wednesday at home, falling after overcoming an 18-point first-half deficit to USC Upstate (7-17, 2-8) and tying the score in the third quarter. Ja’Cia Cunningham led PC with 22 points. Cassie Gallagher led the Spartans with 25.

The Blue Hose visit Charleston Southern on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Take a look at the stats here.

Senior forward Jonah Pierce is Big South Player of the Week for the second time this season, becoming the first Presbyterian player to earn the Big South Player of the Week award twice in the same season.

The Sanford, Fla., native averaged 26.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in Presbyterian’s two games last week. He shot .611 (22/36) from the field in those two games.

The Blue Hose are back in the Templeton Center to play Gardner-Webb on Saturday at 2 p.m.                 

Big South tournament tickets remain on sale. Single-session tickets are now on sale online atwww.BigSouthSports.com/Tickets.

A single session is comprised of two games, with the exception of the March 8 championship games, and feature general admission seats for $35 and courtside seats for $75.  In addition, local group tickets of 15+ are available for $20.  Ticket prices include all fees and parking.

The tournament is at Freedom Hall in Johnson City, Tenn.

ESPNU has selected the UNC Asheville at Longwood men’s basketball contest as its second Big South Wildcard broadcast of the season.  The game will tip at 7 p.m. inside the Joan Perry Brock Center on the campus of Longwood University in Farmville, Va., on Feb. 12.

I’ll be out and about again soon. I’m living in a small camper-trailer, and it seems like I’m a character in one of those old movies about city folks moving to the country. Let’s just say I’m still in transition.

Many thanks to the advertisers who keep wellpilgrim.com going. If you’d like to join that number, contact me. Supplies are limited.

The site is also supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325 (hutdut@outlook.com).

It means a lot to me that you enjoy what I write.

Most of my books are available at Amazon.