By MONTE DUTTON Laurens Academy's Caleb Hardy digs for the end zone (Monte Dutton photos). Click here. Oh. My. God. I have a friend who used to say that all the time. What a rotten weekend. It started slowly, if Friday counts. I went to see Laurens Academy play and enjoyed it. If I had …
Category: Sports
Another heartbreaker for luckless Hose
(PC photo) Click here. To paraphrase an old television show no less erudite than Hee Haw, “If it weren’t for bad luck, [they’d] have no luck at all.” Drake, protecting first place in the Pioneer Football League, defeated Presbyterian, 19-16, in overtime, at Bailey Memorial Stadium on a cool autumn Saturday that was otherwise perfect. …
Another shade of purple reigns, 52-20
By MONTE DUTTON Colton Hinton (Furman photo) Click here. It took three plays for Western Carolina to score a touchdown at the beginning, but things got worse. The Catamounts, led by quarterback Cole Gonzales, rolled up a Southern Conference record 801 yards of total offense in a 52-20 victory over Furman on Saturday that dampened …
County Signs: Off to the wilds of Laurens Academy
By MONTE DUTTON Moon over Todd Kirk Field (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. I went back and forth all week long. I wanted to go to Landrum, where I have never seen a football game but once played in a scrimmage. Also, I wanted to get to another Laurens Academy game because the Crusaders entered …
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Catamounts pose next Furman challenge
By MONTE DUTTON Trey McLeod (Furman photo) Click here. Progress. Its definition is a burning issue in election politics. It’s simpler to process in college football. Progress means victory in Saturday’s 2 p.m. game between visiting Western Carolina and Furman at Paladin Stadium. Furman didn’t fare well on the home turf last week in a …
County Signs: A namer, a Hobson’s choice and a Mike Ayers
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. I can’t write well enough for people to read me anymore. It’s a common problem for those of my age. Maybe I’ll become a pharmaceutical namer. I could start with familiar adaptations. Paladinofed. Redevilac. Redsoxanyl. Many people don’t think it’s the World Series unless it’s the Dodgers versus the Yankees. …
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Furmanology: Paladins picked 5th in SoCon hoops
PJay Smith scores against Mercer (Monte Dutton photo). Click here. Senior PJay Smith Jr. made preseason All-Southern Conference, and the Furman men’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth in polling of the league’s 10 head coaches. Smith, a native of LaVergne, Tenn., averaged 10 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting …
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County Signs: Landrum poses a stern test for Red Devils
By MONTE DUTTON Rhett Gilliam hits the hole against Chesnee (Monte Dutton photos). Click here. Lest anyone fall victim to overconfidence – and what fan doesn’t? – Friday night’s football game in Landrum matches two of the top 10 in Class 2A according to the S.C. Media Poll. What's important is that the Red Devils …
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Key for Blue Hose is learning how to close deals
By MONTE DUTTON (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. I have spoken many times with Steve Englehart about getting Presbyterian College football over the proverbial hump. The issue may be the majority of our conversations. The issue still burns. When a coach says his team has to learn how to win, it seems redundant. Duh. It’s …
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County Signs: Why I ramble, not gamble
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. It’s a good thing I don’t bet. I thought South Carolina had no chance in Tuscaloosa a week after Vandy beat the Tide in Nashville. I thought the Commodores would be unable to recreate the magic in Lexington, Ky. I was wrong on both counts. The Gamecocks didn’t win, but …
Nightrider's Lament 