I awakened on Sunday with a ferocious appetite and immediately jumped into my pants and headed to a drive-through.

My dream was tiring.

Let’s see. I drove the best car I ever owned – a 2000 Honda I eventually gave to charity — to Pennsylvania, undoubtedly to cover a stock car race at Pocono, though I never got there. Somehow I left the car at a repair shop – Andy Belmont’s in New Jersey – and headed toward the track with Ernie Saxton, a great friend who died last year. It’s quite possible this is because it was Andy who told me Ernie had passed away.

Ernie and I played golf. He was the best partner on the course I ever had. I quit playing golf when I started playing guitar. Since Ernie’s gone, there’s no reason to take it up again.

Somehow, I got separated from Ernie, who left for the track, leaving me stranded in a Pocono Mountains resort hotel. There I spent my time figuring out how to get to the track by hanging out with other acquaintances of the area who inexplicably were not going.

One unusual facet of the dream was that I awakened a couple times and the dream continued when I went back to sleep. Usually, either I don’t dream or another dream starts. In fact, I can’t remember having a dream with an intermission.

So I spent my time hanging out in the lounge, listening to a guy singing Sinatra and trying to figure out how to get to the track. It must have been a long time ago because I didn’t have a cell phone. I watched race without sound on TV while the guy in the bar was crooning “Strangers in the night.” Bill Elliott won the race. He won the first race I ever saw at Pocono.

I had to get up at some point. If not, I’d still be listening to Sinatra songs.

My old truck is running again. I love driving it around. With an automatic, I feel like I just guide a truck. With a manual transmission, I’m driving it.

When I got back home from the drive-through, I discovered a 5-iron behind the seat. Maybe Ernie put it there to make up for leaving me at Pocono Manor.

Quick thoughts: Imagine how tough math was in ancient Rome. What’s the square root of XLVIII? … Reminds me of a NASCAR fan counting to five: Jamie, Rusty, Dale, Ernie, Terry. … Neither Drake Maye nor Sam Darnold looked like the NFL MVP in the Super Bowl. It’s the two best teams. They don’t get to play the Jets.

The Region 3-2A championships were already cinched when Clinton High’s basketball teams took the floor against Columbia’s Eau Claire at the Red Devils’ gym on Friday night.

Perfection is worth it.

Both teams completed a sweep of the region, with the top-ranked girls picking the Shamrocks clean, 49-21, and fast-closing boys pulling away to a 66-52 decision.

The regular season is over for both, though many other teams will make up games during the coming week. Class 2A playoff games are to be played at home on Monday, Feb. 16, for Dontavius Glenn’s boys and the following night for John Gardner’s girls.

Both teams have won 12 games in a row.

Clinton (16-8, 10-0) got 20 points from Terry Smith and 14 from P.J. McGowan in the boys’ game. Jaelin Cunningham and J’Shon Nabors each added nine.

The Red Devils shot .472 (25/53) from the field and .417 (5/12) at the foul line. The Shamrock’s corresponding numbers were .442 (19/43) and .375 (3/8). Each team had 28 rebounds. Clinton forced 15 turnovers and committed 11.

Ethan Sligh led Eau Claire (4-13, 5-3) with 10 points.

“We’re not playing as efficiently as I would like,” said coach Glenn, “but we play hard on defense. That’s our DNA.”

Allenson Cook led the Clinton girls with 15 points, followed by Kemaria Shelton with 12. Ny’Shia Wright and Mylayjia Thompson each scored seven.

The Red Devils won the rebounding battle, 35-21, and forced 23 turnovers while committing 13.

Clinton (24-1, 10-0) shot .347 (17/49) from the field and .500 (12/24) from the line. Eau Claire’s numbers were .156 (5/32) and .667 (8/12).

Jakelle Nunez scored 15 of the Shamrocks’ 21 points. Eau Claire (4-13, 3-5) is likely to limp into the playoffs

“We have a lot of good passers,” Gardner said. “We missed four layups and some free throws in the second quarter, and that got us in a lull. We had really good ball movement in the second half. They were disappointed that we only scored 49 points, but we missed a good many free throws and a good many layups.

Gardner-Webb was just what the proverbial doctor prescribed for the Presbyterian men on Saturday.

The allegedly Runnin’ Bulldogs (3-22, 1-9) are in the cellar of the Big South. The Blue Hose (12-13, 5-5) are in the middle of the pack. PC lost 82-72 to Winthrop, 84-81 to High Point and 93-84 in double overtime to Radford in its past three games.

PC blistered GWU, 92-55, on Jan. 17 in Boiling Springs, N.C. This time the Hose had to settle for 68-62. It was a win, and that’s what Presbyterian needed after consecutive hard-fought losses to Winthrop, High Point and Radford.

“We were coming off our bye (Wednesday) so it was a matter of rest versus rust,” PC head coach Quinton Ferrell said. “The first half we were a little rusty. The second half we settled in, especially defensively.”

Gardner-Webb has gotten better, which crummy teams invariably do. There’s nowhere else to go.

Both teams were balanced. Presbyterian put four players – Carl Parrish (16 points), Jaylen Peterson (14), Khalon Hudson (12) and Triston Wilson (10) – in double figures. Peterson and Jonah Pierce each grabbed 10 rebounds. Josh Pickett handed out three assists. PC dominated the boards, 39-27. The Hose shot .481 (25/52) overall but only .182 (2/11) from long range.

“Anybody can win in this league,” said Peterson. “They’re not a good team, but they’ve gotten more competitive and better as the season moved on.

“We came out in the second half and played better defensively. That’s what made the difference.”

Jamias Ferere led the Bulldogs with 13 points, followed by Jason Hogarth and Spence Sims with 12 apiece. GWU shot .473 (26/55) with a .375 (6/16) three-point rate.

Take a look at the stats here.

The Presbyterian College softball campaign began with a stellar pitching performance by senior Peyton Duncan, who retired the first 12 batters as the Blue Hose steered past Le Moyne 2-1 on Friday night.

Giving up just a single hit all game – a solo homer in the top of the 5^th – Duncan delivered a slim victory in game one of four this weekend at the PC Softball Complex.

Transfer two-way player Avery Robinson added three scoreless frames to scoop up

win 140 for head coach David Williams.

The Big South Conference has reprimanded and suspended Winthrop women’s basketball player Tocarra Johnson, who violated the league’s ethical conduct policy during the Eagles’ Feb. 4 game against High Point. 

Johnson repeatedly struck an HPU player toward the end of the contest.  As a result, she was suspended for eight games, representing 25 percent of the team’s scheduled contests, in addition to any NCAA playing rules suspension.

 “I want to reiterate the Big South Conference’s unwavering commitment to upholding the integrity of our competitions and ensuring accountability when our standards are not met,” stated commissioner Sherika Montgomery.  “College athletics serve as a laboratory not only for academic and athletic development, but most importantly, for personal growth.”

I’m still getting personal and medical matters together, but I went to Clinton High School and Presbyterian College over the weekend, and I’ll be back at Timmons Arena soon.

I’m still in transition.

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