"Why do they [write] for their money? Why do they [work] for short pay? They ain't getting nowhere and they're losing their share. They must have gone crazy back there." — Michael Burton (paraphrased)
(Monte Dutton photos) https://www.scfbins.com/agents/buddybridges No one has snapped a ball in anger yet, but inquiring minds want to know a media panel’s preseason rankings of S.C. High School League football. https://www.sadlerhughes.com/ Laurens plays three teams – Hillcrest, Hanna and Chapman – listed in the rankings. Clinton (Chapman, Chester) plays two, and Thornwell (Great Falls) plays …
Continue reading It’s early yet, but preseason rankings are out
By MONTE DUTTON (Monte Dutton photos) https://www.facebook.com/UpstateInsuranceConsultants Laurens County’s top high-school football teams engaged in exhibition scrimmages about 10 miles apart on Tuesday night, escaping harsh weather that prevented play the night before. Mauldin transported its herd of Mavericks to K.C. Hanna Stadium an hour earlier than Chapin’s Eagles nested at Wilder. Mostly overcast skies …
By MONTE DUTTON Blue Hose, reacting to the departure of Rob Acunto. Nah. Just running on the field. (Mitchell Mercer photo) https://www.sadlerhughes.com/ Gee whiz. At breakfast, I was lost in thought over the impending departure of Reclusive Rob. I mean, I don’t want to be too harsh. Who am I kidding? Yes, I do. Tonight …
By MONTE DUTTON Red Devils are looking for a few good linemen. (Monte Dutton photos) https://www.facebook.com/UpstateInsuranceConsultants At Clinton High School, Corey Fountain put his football team on the official-practice field at 7:30 a.m. Friday. Laurens and Laurens Academy practiced into the cool instead of out of it. The morning dew had been swept from the …
By MONTE DUTTON From left, Matt Sochovka, Tyler Huff and Furman sports information director Hunter Reid (Monte Dutton photos) https://dunesproperties.com/agent/mark-mitchell/ When I arrived at the Southern Conference’s football Media Day on Thursday, I was happy to see that my two favorite Furman players, Tyler Huff and Matt Sochovka, accompanied head coach Clay Hendrix to the …
By MONTE DUTTON Corey Fountain has many holes to fill. (Monte Dutton photo) YORK – High-school media days, on the rare occasions when they have them anymore, are always family affairs. The rivers have many tributaries. https://www.scfbins.com/agents/buddybridges The Woolbright system, whose headwaters are in Chapin, gained strength when Clover High School’s Perry Woolbright intersected with …
By MONTE DUTTON From left, Bernard Durham, Bobby Sheridan and Robbie Caldwell (Monte Dutton photo) https://dunesproperties.com/agent/mark-mitchell/ NORTH AUGUSTA – It was hot, not unlike football practices 40 years ago. It led me to words written by Tom T. Hall, paraphrased to reflect the passage of time. Was that only yesterday or 40 years ago? Lions …
By MONTE DUTTON Stanford Jennings and Tim Sorrells (Monte Dutton photos) It’s been a week. When I learned Dick Sheridan had died, I dropped everything and tried to write something that others would not. For most of a decade, I worked with and for Sheridan. https://dunesproperties.com/agent/mark-mitchell/ His greatness stands on its own merits. It doesn’t …
By MONTE DUTTON Steve Englehart figures to improve in year two (PC photo) Presbyterian College has a new president, returning to Clinton after a relatively short-term tenure at Mercer University and a long-term one on the PC history faculty. This may or may not have an appreciable effect on the Blue Hose athletics program for …
By MONTE DUTTON The "good game, man" line (Monte Dutton photos) What’s not to like about playing a little ball on a beautiful morning? High school football is one of many arts of the possible. They don’t put the pads on till August. The High School League lets them play pitch-and-catch, and they make a …
Nightrider's Lament 