New Presbyterian College head football coach Matt Rahl faces a schedule similar to the one the Blue Hose played last year.

The good news is that PC enjoyed a 10-2 season in Steve Englehart’s final season at the helm. The bad news is that, for the first time since 2022, the Blue Hose have a considerable number of holes to fill. Twenty-seven members of the team, many of them standouts, have graduated. Others followed Englehart to West Georgia.

Rahl, formerly offensive-line coach and recruiting coordinator, has been furiously filling the holes, bringing in 44 newcomers and 25 mid-year enrollees. Ten are transferring in from other colleges.

The philosophy is similar to Englehart’s tack at the non-football-scholarship school: recruit, develop and retain.

Last season the Blue Hose hit the field running (and passing) with stunning upsets of Mercer (15-10) and Furman (39-38).

After opening at home against Virginia Wise in a Thursday-night home game on Aug. 27, Presbyterian again dives into the Southern Conference with road games at Mercer and Western Carolina.

Next are eight straight Pioneer Football League games, against all the members except San Diego and Drake. The Blue Hose host Saint Thomas (Minn.), Davidson, Butler (Ind.) and Dayton (Ohio) while traveling to Marist (N.Y.), Stetson (Fla.), Valparaiso (Ind.) and Morehead State (Ky.).

Presbyterian reached a 10-win record for the third time in school history and climbed as high as 16 in the FCS rankings thanks to a 7-0 start.

“I’m very excited to compete against a very challenging schedule. We have yet again set up a difficult non-conference schedule which will lead to an always-challenging PFL slate. We’re eager to begin the season under the lights at Bailey Memorial Stadium,” stated Rahl.

The Blue Hose have won their last eight home games, dating back to 2024, tied for the sixth-longest active streak at the FCS level. Last year, the Blue Hose tied for second in the PFL standings.

Rahl’s club will have two bye weeks, the first after the trip to Mercer. They’ll stay on the road for their last game against a non-conference foe, headed to Western Carolina on Sept. 19.

The second open date is after Butler, setting up the last road game on Nov. 14 against Morehead State.

Clinton literally made short work of Region 3-3A opponent Columbia, scoring 15 runs in two innings at the plate and denying the Capitals a single hit in three times at the plate Tuesday night.

The Red Devils piled up nine hits, five doubles, three triples, 20 total bases and eight walks.

Tanner Finley and Jaydon Glenn both ripped a double and a triple. Tanner Finley drove in five runs. Third baseman Jaydon Glenn drove in three.

Right fielder Owen Glenn, second baseman Talan Campbell, and Isaac Cain each pushed two runs across. Center fielder Camden Finley scored two.

Malik Jackson led Columbia (0-6, 0-1) with a walk. Clinton pitchers Zack Lawson and Logan Johnson combined to strike out eight.

The Red Devils play the Capitals on their home field Friday evening.

Right fielder Braden Yarbrough went 4/4 with a triple and three RBI as Laurens broke into the win column on Monday in Anderson with a 9-3 conquest of Westside (4-6, 0-1 Region 1-4A)

Laurens (1-6, 1-0) hosts the Rams on Wednesday.

Logan Martin and William Nunley each added two hits.

Noah Hughes was the winning pitcher.

Krayton Henderson doubled for Westside. Henry Perry took the loss.

Thursday finds King Academy at Laurens Academy. The Crusaders visit Richard Winn on Friday.

Thornwell Charter (1-5) visits McCormick on Wednesday, and the Chiefs are at Thornwell on Friday.

Presbyterian transfer Kory Mincy scored 20 points in George Mason’s 77-71 NIT loss to Liberty on Tuesday night in Fairfax, Va.

Presbyterian (4-18, 2-1) won a Big South baseball series at home against UNC Asheville after 17 straight losses but lost, 9-2, to Wofford (14-8) on Tuesday. The Blue Hose travel to High Point (11-9, 1-2) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

In the old-news department — I was on the road and the release wasn’t sent me — the latest selections for the Laurens County Sports Hall of Fame are William Boyd, Laurens High; Gregg Nibert, Presbyterian College; Robert Scott, Clinton High; and Reggie Williams, Laurens High.

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