By MONTE DUTTON (Furman photo) Click here. For the past few years, I’ve looked forward to football with buoyant expectations. For the past two seasons, I’ve been right. The Paladins have fulfilled those elite expectations. This year, I’m fascinated. The players who propelled Furman are mostly gone. The Paladins are ranked prominently in both the …
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Furmanology: Mixing and matching with bandits, spurs
Luke Clark (Furman photo) Click here. As in old westerns, Furman’s defense features bandits and spurs, though football bandits do not wear the latter. Leading the way at bandit is one of Furman’s tops defensive returnees, Luke Clark (6-3, 253, R-Sr.), who is coming off an impressive season that saw him register 53 tackles and …
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Furmanology: Corbin Comet passes at 91
(Furman graphic) Click here. The Corbin Comet crossed the firmament on Tuesday morning at his home in Simpsonville. Frank Selvy was one of college basketball’s all-time greats. He was 91 years old. Selvy, a native of Corbin, Ky., led the NCAA in scoring twice during his Furman career career (1952-54) and averaged 41.7 points per …
Paladins deep on the flanks
Joshua Harris (Furman photo) Click here. The upward mobility that characterizes much of the Furman football program is excepted in the figurative room of wide receivers. "It (wide receiver) is one of the deeper groups on our team and one with a bunch of talent that we're excited about," said head coach Clay Hendrix. "We've got …
Hendrix turns to his insiders
Evan DiMaggio (Furman photo) Click here. It’s much the same in the inside linebacking linebacking corps as with most of Furman’s position groups. Good players gone. Good players ready to replace them. It’s not a leap of faith to head coach Clay Hendrix. It’s the process of college-football life. "We have some depth at linebacker. …
Here come those tight ends again
Brock Chappell (Furman photo) Click here. It has become fashionable in recent years to define position groups as “rooms.” The one that figuratively contains the Furman tight ends is well appointed. Since 1977, Furman has produced 34 All-Southern Conference tight ends, and the last two years that roll of distinction has included a pair of …
Paladins again have ample depth in defensive line
(Furman photos) Click here. Furman’s defensive line has a sense of loss. It lost a pair of All-Southern Conference performers, end Jack Barton and tackle Matt Sochovka, but the loss of Bryce Stanfield leaves lingering sorrow. Stansfield died suddenly in February. Furman’s success the last couple of seasons, highlighted by 20 wins and a 2023 …
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Furman linemen must pick up the slack
Luke Petit (Furman photo) Click here. Newcomers are going to be common when Furman takes the football field this season. Some of the more watchful eyes are focused on the offensive line, where the Paladins lost four regulars with a combined 112 starts from a 10-3 team that won the Southern Conference. “Obviously we have …
County Signs: Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
By MONTE DUTTON (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. Sometimes I judge television shows on the basis of how well I can work with it in the background. Sports watching isn’t efficient, but it’s convenient. Just bear down on the words until announcers start yelling. Take a break to watch the replays. A writer develops a …
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Furmanology: Paladins won’t back down
By MONTE DUTTON Xavier Stephens (Furman photo) Click here. Some football coaches poormouth in the preseason. They hedge their bets. Others try to build confidence by analyzing their teams optimistically, seeking to build confidence in the ranks. Furman head coach Clay Hendrix has a novel approach. He just says what he thinks. The Paladins have …
Nightrider's Lament 