Raiders tumble shy of hill’s crest

By MONTE DUTTON Nick Fowler had a shortage of options. (Monte Dutton photos) Led by running back Thomas Stanley and a duo of quarterbacks who combined to complete 11-12 passes, Hillcrest mauled Laurens, 55-9, at K.C. Hanna Stadium on Friday night. https://www.scfbins.com/agents/buddybridges There’s just no other way to put it. “It wasn’t ever good, not …

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Be true to your school, boys

By MONTE DUTTON The glistening sweat of summer days leads to Friday-night lights. (Monte Dutton photos) https://www.facebook.com/UpstateInsuranceConsultants Lots of things I didn’t like as a kid I love today. I’ve got a lot more sense now. For all you kids out there in Internet Land, this is going to happen to you. You’re going to …

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Devils, Raiders knighted in York

By MONTE DUTTON (Monte Dutton photos) https://www.facebook.com/UpstateInsuranceConsultants YORK – The Bill Pate White Rose Football Classic was worth the trip for both the Laurens Raiders, who played at 6 p.m. Friday night, and the Clinton Red Devils, who arrived on the artificial turf at 9. Both won – Laurens, 17-7, over Fort Mill, and Clinton, …

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It’s early yet, but preseason rankings are out

(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 …

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Devils roll, Raiders scuffle

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 …

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Ain’t no beatin’ the heat

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 …

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Huff, Sochovka to lead Paladin charge

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 …

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Expectations and aspirations

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 …

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