Monte Dutton's Blog

By MONTE DUTTON

Carl Parrish (Monte Dutton photo) Click here.

Presbyterian and Citadel played in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center, which annually hosts the Southern Conference Tournament, on Sunday.

The Bulldogs exited in the first round of that Asheville, N.C., affair earlier this year, and little familiarity was apparent in the Blue Hose’ 69-41 victory.

Statistically, Presbyterian’s domination mirrored the final score. Led by Carl Parrish with 21 points, the Blue Hose outshot the Bulldogs by all three measures and outrebounded them, 36-24. PC forced 11 turnovers while committing nine and handed out 13 assists to Citadel’s seven.

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Presbyterian (5-5) stunned Citadel (2-6) by scoring the game’s first 17 points. Defense played a role as the Bulldogs only put up seven shots, all errant, in the game’s first eight minutes.

The Blue Hose extended their lead to 20 points on Josh Pickett’s three-pointer with 11:48 remaining in the first half, hiking the lead to 23-3.

Three PC players scored in double figures: Parrish, Josh Pickett (15) and Jonah Pierce (13). Triston Wilson scored only three but dished out seven assists and grabbed eight rebounds.

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PC tests the SoCon waters again on Wednesday at 7 p.m., visiting Wofford (5-3) at Spartanburg’s Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The Blue Hose upset the Terriers, 71-68, on Nov. 13, 2024. Wofford went on to win the SoCon Tournament and fall to Tennessee, 77-62, in the NCAA first round.

Presbyterian led, 33-17, at halftime. The Blue Hose shot .520 (13/25) from the field and .455 in three-pointers. Citadel’s contrasting percentages were .304 (7/23) and .182 (2/11) from beyond the arc. The teams combined to hit just 3/12 free throws.

Josh Pickett (PC photo) Click here.

In an earlier game on the same floor, UNC Asheville (3-4), like PC a Big South member, shocked Appalachian State (4-5), 67-55.

Presbyterian’s lead swelled to 57-29 on Iverson King’s slam with 9:08 remaining in the game.

“We played a lot of games in the month of November, and I thought this was our best game of the year,” PC head coach Quinton Ferrell said. “We matched up well with [Citadel], and we saw a lot of things we’ve seen already.

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“Defense is the identity of our program. It was good to see the guys buy in and execute. It should give us confidence going forward.”

Braxton Williams was the Bulldogs’ only double-digit scorer with 13 points.

PC outscored Citadel 32-12 in the paint and 18-1 off turnovers.

“The key for us was staying together,” Pickett said. “We’ve had our ups and downs. Through it all, we’ve been a great team and a great unit. If we can stick together and fire on all cylinders, we can really do something special. “

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For the game, Presbyterian shot .540 (27/50) overall, .455 (10/22) from three and .556 (5/9) from the foul line. In marked contrast, Citadel’s numbers were .304 (14/46), .318 (7/22) and .462 (6/13).

Take a look at the stats here.

(Furman photo) Click here.

No. 16 seed Furman prevailed in penalty kicks, 5-4, to eliminate Hofstra and advance to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship Quarterfinals following a 3-3 draw versus the Pride Sunday afternoon at Stone Soccer Stadium.

Furman (15-1-5) advances to face No. 8 seed Portland in the Elite Eight on Friday. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. EST at Merlo Field in Portland, Ore.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” said Paladin head coach Doug Allison. “They didn’t panic when we fell behind and they showed tremendous resilience today. All five guys stepped up and converted their penalties just like we had practiced. Also, how about these fans! Our students came back from Thanksgiving to support us en masse, and our fans and alumni were great.”

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Following the 3-3 tie, the teams moved to the scoreboard end of Seagraves Field for the penalty shootout. Both teams converted in the first two rounds before Stefano Campisi missed high for the Pride. The Paladins and Pride traded goals in the fourth round and Laurie Goddard finished to open the fifth round to keep Hofstra alive. Furman senior Landon Hill stepped to the spot and drilled his attempt into the left-hand corner to trigger the victory celebration for the home side.

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Furman will be making its second trip to the NCAA quarterfinals after falling at UConn in the round of eight in 1999. By advancing past Hofstra, the Paladins extended their NCAA-best unbeaten run to 13 matches.

Hofstra opened the scoring in 17th minute when Daniel Burko redirected Thengill Orrason’s long cross into the right side of the net. The Paladins answered just 36 seconds before halftime. Diego Hernandez’s cross into the box was cleared out wide to Hill who served a cross into the middle of the box. Luke Hutzell got on the end of the cross to level the match at 1-1 on his fourth goal of the season.

Furman grabbed the lead in the 77th minute. Caleb Johnson controlled the ball deep on the left side and sent a cross towards the top of the six-yard box. Hill deflected the ball into the path of Hutzell, who fired a shot through the middle of the box that was redirected past Hofstra goalkeeper Sean Bohan by Wilfer Bustamante at the 76:03 mark. Less than four minutes later, Bustamante hustled to chase down a loose ball on the left wing and picked out an unmarked Hernandez streaking into the right side of the box to double the Paladin advantage at 79:52.

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Hofstra (14-5-1) refused to go quietly as the Pride answered on the first of two goals from Goddard at the 80:11 mark. At the 81:19 mark, Aleksei Armas picked out Goddard with a cross, and the senior forward tucked his shot into the left-hand corner to level the match at 3-3 and force overtime. Neither team registered a shot on goal in the two 10-minute overtime periods with Furman outshooting Hofstra 3-1 in both extra periods.

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Furman managed a 27-12 advantage in total shots for the match and finished with a 9-3 edge in shots on target. Ivan Horvat earned the victory for the Paladins while Sean Bohan and Gino Cervoni each stopped three shots in the loss for Hofstra.

For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Click here.

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips.

Most of my books are available at Amazon .

By MONTE DUTTON

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Thanksgiving was great, which has not always been the case. It’s my favorite holiday. All good. None of the pettiness that accompanies other celebrations. Everyone gets along. It was great to reacquaint myself with the five kids of my nephew and his wife.

A rough year began with a month in the hospital and I’ve been slowly recovering, both physically and financially.

The last time I spent Thanksgiving at Ray and Jessica’s house, I made my worst decision of the year when I opted not to take a plate of food home with me. I deeply regretted it the next day. This time I had a couple sandwiches before the first round of football games started. I’m going to eat again after the Furman-Illinois State basketball game. I do not expect to leave the house again today.

Collin O’Neal (Furman photo) Click here.

In every game, Furman’s basketball team shows glimpses of what is coming. The Paladins aren’t there yet, but they’re on the way.

For the third straight season, Bob Richey heads a team that is vastly different from the one before it. There’s a lot of firepower there. Coordinating the bombardment is the trick.

Richey put the Paladins in a 1-3-1 zone for most of opening-round victory over Richmond. Against the Redbirds, Furman (4-4) went mostly man-to-man.

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Illinois State (6-2) shot .577 (15/26) in the second half and held Furman (4-4) to 29 points in the final 20 minutes to trim the Paladins, 72-65, in the finals of the Imagination Bracket at the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational at State Farm Field House on Friday in Kissimmee, Fla. 

Tied at 52-52 with under 10 minutes to go, the Redbirds put together an 8-0 run, including a pair of fadeaway jumpers from tournament MVP Ty Pence, to take a 60-52 lead. The Paladins trailed by seven points, the final margin, in the final two minutes before Asa Thomas drilled a three with 1:17 left.

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After Walker made 1/2 free throws for Illinois State, Alex Wilkins scored from the edge of the paint to trim the margin to 68-65 with 39 seconds remaining, but the Redbirds’ Johnny Kinzinger hit a jumper from the middle of the lane with the shot clock running down to seal the outcome.

Pence, a junior, finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead Illinois State (6-2) while Walker scored 14 points and Boden Skunberg and Ty’Reek Coleman tallied 12 and 11, respectively. The Redbirds shot .456 for the game, managed a 35-30 edge on the glass and posted a 12-4 advantage on second-chance points with the help of nine offensive boards.

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Against Richmond the night before, Furman led most of way. The Redbirds kept the Paladins coming from behind.

Illinois State connected on five of its first seven three-point attempts to build a 19-8 lead. Furman answered with 20 points from its freshmen in the first half as freshman Alex Wilkins scored eight points and fellow freshman Collin O’Neal drained four triples to help Furman rally. The Paladins ended the half on a 10-0 run and held the Redbirds scoreless over the final 3:58 of the period to carry a 36-33 advantage into the locker room.

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Wilkins finished with a game-high 25 points, his fourth 20-point performance in eight games. O’Neal and Cooper Bowser totaled 12 points apiece.

The Paladins visit Elon on Wednesday night at 7. Harvard visits Timmons Arena on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Take a look at the stats here.

Alyssa Ervin (Furman photo) Click here.

Alyssa Ervin scored 15 points, and Furman used a powerful late third-quarter run to take command en route to a 74-67 victory over UNC Asheville (2-5) in women’s basketball on Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena.

Ervin scored 10 of her 15 points in the second half and combined with Clare Coyle, who scored all of her 14 points in the game’s final 20 minutes, to fuel an 18-3 outburst over the final 3:21 of third quarter that helped Furman erase a one-point deficit and take a 61-47 lead after three periods.

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Furman led 72-57 with four minutes remaining, and it proved to be enough to hold off a late charge by UNCA that included a pair of three-pointers by Aileen Marquez, whose 6/-9 shooting from beyond the arc carried her to a game-high 20 points.

Ervin’s 15 points led a parade of four Paladin double-figure scorers that included 14 points apiece by Coyle and freshman point guard Sophia Pearl, who also contributed six steals and five assists in 32 minutes of action in her first career start. Raina McGowens scored 11 points for Furman.

Both teams shot .400 from the field. 

Furman (3-5) hosts Presbyterian on Wednesday night at 7.

Take a look at the stats here.

NCAA tournaments – or any kind of championships, really, pro, college, high school, Y league, even individual competitions – do not determine the best teams. They determine the best at the end of the season.

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Injuries decimate some teams more than others. Some just get in a rut. Some answer a wake-up call. Some let it ring.

It doesn’t matter whether the College Football Playoff is four teams, or 12, or 24. Some team that’s deserving is going to be left out. Several, undoubtedly.

On the other hand, few are the teams that genuinely have a shot at winning the title. Tulane isn’t going to win it. I’m glad they get a shot, though.

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So many schools have fired their coaches, there aren’t enough prominent candidates to fill them.

For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Click here.

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips.

Most of my books are available at Amazon .

By MONTE DUTTON

Alex Wilkins (Furman photo)A talented group of Paladins showed some potential in Thursday’s 73-72 victory over Richmond in the opening game of the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Fla. Click here.

Furman will be back on ESPN2 on Friday at 3 p.m., taking on Illinois State (5-2) in the finals. The Redbirds defeated Charlotte (3-4), 79-69.

Led by Alex Wilkins’ 26 points, Furman (4-3) inched above .500 and knocked Richmond (5-1) from the ranks of the early unbeaten. The Paladins led almost the entire game, but the Spiders had several chances to take the lead in the final seconds.

Wilkins, a freshman guard from Mattapan, Mass., was 10/19 from the floor. Asa Thomas, a sophomore transfer from Clemson and Lake Forest, Ill., product, added 20 points. Both passed out three assists. Thomas was 7/15 from the field and 5/12 from beyond the arc.

Click here.If not for free throws, Furman would likely have won with ease. Richmond charitably provided 21 opportunities; Furman charitably missed 12 of them. The Spiders hit 15-17 (.882) free throws.

As a team, the Paladins shot .519 (28/54) overall and .320 (8/25) via triples. Another factor in Richmond’s comeback was Furman’s .143 (2/4) three-point percentage in the second half.

Asa Thomas (Furman photo) Click here. Click here.

After confounding the Spiders with a 1-3-1 zone, head coach Bob Richey switched to a man-to-man to preserve the edge.

Richmond outrebounded Furman, 35-34, led by Chris Walz’s 10. Jayden Daughtry scored 12 points, followed by Will Johnston and Mikkel Tyne with 10 each.

Cooper Bowser was the Paladins’ third double-figures scorer with 10 points.

With Richmond trailing 73-65 and under three minutes to play, Will Johnston reeled off five straight points with a second-chance three-pointer and a fastbreak layup to cut the margin to 73-70. After a Furman turnover, Collin Tanner grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on the putback to pull the Spiders within a point with 1:13 to go.

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Two more turnovers gave Richmond a chance to take its first lead since the opening minute, but the Paladins forced a shot-clock violation following the first miscue, and a blocked shot at the rim by Thomas was followed by a Furman timeout. Richmond’s Aiden Argabright missed a jumper coming out of the timeout and Mike Walz could not convert from the middle of the lane on the offensive rebound before Thomas grabbed the loose ball as time expired to secure the Paladin victory.

The win marked Furman’s first against a current Atlantic-10 Conference opponent since scoring back-to-back wins over Loyola Chicago during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

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Furman withstood the final Richmond spurt by holding the Spiders to 1/7 shooting to close the game.

The Spiders finished shooting .407 but were limited to .323 shooting in the second half and a 3/14 effort behind the arc.

Take a look at the stats here.

I have a sporting aversion to the word “the.” I find its use pretentious and mildly offensive. This is the chief reason I annually root for Michigan against Ohio State. The Ohio State University turns me off.

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I’m so happy, as an alum, that it’s Timmons Arena, not The Timmons Arena. I’m so happy, as a sportswriter, not to use the the.

Presbyterian College calls its basketball arena The Templeton Center. Why?

As a Furman man, it’s one more reason to despise The Citadel.

I respect Citadel. I respect Ohio State. I just don’t like ‘em.

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For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips.

Most of my books are available at Amazon .

By MONTE DUTTON

Steve Englehart (Monte Dutton photo) Click here.

The Football Championship Subdivision, the lower tier of NCAA Division I, named Presbyterian College’s Steve Englehart as one of five district winners of the American Football Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year race.

Earlier this week, Englehart, 48, was named as one of the 15 finalists for the Stats Perform Eddie Robinson Award, another incarnation of FCS Coach of the Year.

Englehart deserves the awards, but they will probably go to some sissy from a school that gives scholarships. Englehart drives a stick; most of them are on cruise control.

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The Blue Hose came out of the box with victories over Mercer (9-1), ranked seventh, and Furman (6-6). They finished second in the Pioneer Football League, and Englehart, in a mere four years at the PC helm, led teams that finished, in order, 1-10, 4-7, 6-6 and 10-2. The Blue Hose gave gone from 10 losses to 10 wins.

The national awards will probably go to one of those captains of the Upper Midwest, where the states’ biggest schools are in FCS. Presbyterian, sadly, failed to make the playoffs. When Englehart arrived in Clinton, the Blue Hose couldn’t even make a play-in. The previous head coach was Kevin Kelley.

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What is Englehart doing this week? Oh, each morning he hitches up his britches and goes to work. Recruit, develop and retain.

Whether Englehart is coach of the year or not, undoubtedly someone is going to notice the job he has done. Someone in a position of authority is going to take notice. Probably several. Some had forgotten that Presbyterian still has a football team. In Macon, Ga., and Greenville, they know it well. In the far-flung capitals of the PFL, from San Diego, Calif., in the west to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in the east, and DeLand, Fla., in the south, they know the story. He’s proved his mettle in Saint Paul, Minn., Indianapolis and Valparaiso, Ind., Morehead, Ky., and other trading posts serviced by interstate highways or municipal airports.

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Some are probably wondering if Englehart can lead players whose way through college is paid. I’ve seen his teams play ever since he got here. The notion makes me laugh. Dr. Seuss could write his bio (well, if Theodor Seuss Geisel were still alive).

He could coach ‘em on the roof. He could coach ‘em in a booth. He could coach ‘em in a car. It wouldn’t matter where they are.

Florida Tech once dropped his football program. When he took the job at Presbyterian, it was the end of the line. Now the program is perched on a mountain vista. The whole world is within sight.

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Englehart is a unique man. Presbyterian College is a unique place. The rangy Hoosier fits it. He doesn’t seem particularly impressed with himself.

But a man’s got to listen.

Asked the inevitable question – “What’s next?” – Englehart was his usual forthright self.

Of Kelley, Englehart said, “It can be done. He didn’t stay here long enough to find out. I could have left after a year, and everyone would have said I was a dud, too.

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“You keep moving. Even though this (a 29-25 victory over Marist) was the last game of the year. … Now we go right back to work and build a team for next year to continue to build on the legacy that these seniors left. … You always talk about how fast it goes, but there was a time in the middle of the season when I thought it was going really slow because we were just so excited about getting back to Saturday and competing because we were feeling that kind of energy.”

A man works tirelessly his whole life, and all of a sudden, he’s an overnight sensation. When others call, Englehart is going to listen, but he knows what he’s got, where it’s been and what it’s got left to do.

Bigger isn’t always best, but it’s always bigger.

Ethan Collins (TD Club)

The Laurens County Touchdown Club has chosen 14 Players of the Week. Seven times the recipient has played for Laurens Academy (9-3), which advanced to the eight-man state finals for the second year in a row.

Clinton (9-4) won it five times and Laurens (1-9) two. The Crusaders’ junior quarterback, Ethan Collins, won the last two. Caleb Hardy and Clinton’s Javen Cook each won the award, presented by S.C. Farm Bureau Insurance, three times. The other winners were Jaydon Glenn and Kynius Williams of the Red Devils, Logan Bragg and Nehemias Fernandez of the Raiders and Nathan Bell and Garrison Vaughan of the Crusaders.

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W.W. King Academy of Batesburg handed LA all three of its losses, winning the state final in Greenwood, 50-36. It was a similar story in 2024, only the team that defeated the Crusaders three times was Richard Winn, and LA defeated the Eagles three times this year.

Collins led the Crusaders in the state championship game. He had 198 yards rushing on 23 carries with two touchdowns. Collins rushed for two two-point conversions, as well.  He also passed for 128 yards with one touchdown and a conversion pass. Click here. “Ethan played his very best football down the stretch. He gave us an opportunity to win the state championship. As I have said before, he is everything you want in a QB.  Every intangible he has becomes tangible for our team. His faith, his focus and his fearlessness [are] admired by the whole team.” The TD Club will honor Collins on Jan. 7 at its annual banquet. The featured speaker is former head coach Buddy Pough of South Carolina State. The TD Club will announce its all-county team as well as Coach of the Year, Player of the Year and the Lakelands Fellowship of Christian Athletes Character award winners from each high school and Presbyterian College. Collin Hurst (Monte Dutton photo)Presbyterian quarterback Collin Hurst is one of 30 finalists for the Walter Payton Award as FCS player of the year. Payton, one of the NFL’s greatest running backs, starred in college at Jackson State.A redshirt sophomore from Davie, Fla., Hurst completed 197/289 passes for 2,684 yard and 26 touchdowns. He is 16-5 as a starting quarterback over two seasons, during which he has thrown for at least one touchdown in 13 straight games.Back from California and losses to Sacramento State (64-62), California (67-57) and UCLA (86-46), Presbyterian (3-5) returns to Templeton Center on Wednesday at 1 p.m. to play Columbia International (5-4) in men’s basketball. Click here.On Friday afternoon at 1:30, the Blue Hose women (2-5) take on Seattle (2-4) in Florida International’s Thanksgiving Classic in Miami. PC takes on either FIU or Maryland Baltimore County on Sunday.

For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips.

Most of my books are available at Amazon .

By MONTE DUTTON

Trey Hedden set a school record for passing yards (Monte Dutton photo). Click here.

Surprisingly, I didn’t drive to Clemson on Saturday. I couldn’t go through all the hassles of big-time football just to watch the Paladins fall with a thud.

I’d watched a thud on Friday night, though that had nothing to do with passing up the inevitability of Tigertown.

I drove two miles to Bailey Memorial Stadium, where I could watch Presbyterian finish off their miracle. The Blue Hose kicked off at 1. The Paladins faced the Tigers at 4:30. I watched a lot of it. I was proud of Furman for doing the best it could.

Better times are coming.

After Clemson scored one final touchdown with eight seconds to play, I looked up the betting line. The Tigers were favored by 41-1/2 points. They still didn’t cover. Clemson paid a heap of money for the privilege of pounding the Paladins.

Betting. Payouts. It’s all money, except maybe at PC, where a kid who filmed the games as a freshman is now the leading tackler.

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“Cade Klubnik connected with Antonio Williams on a pair of first-half touchdowns and Clemson raced out to a 31-0 lead en route to a 45-10 victory over Furman on Saturday.” That’s the way the release started. I feel like one of those tycoons in an old movie, dictating correspondence to his loyal secretary.

Ditto. Such and such. Etc., etc. Thoughtfully yours, J. Harold Calloway, Chief Executive Officer.

I also thought of what Dutch Meyer, coach at TCU back in antiquity, said: “We’ll fight ‘em until hell freezes over, and then we’ll fight ‘em on the ice.”

Furman (6-6) could do a lot worse than facing Dabo Swinney, who seems to try to run his program the right way or as close as modern times allow. The Paladins could have stared across a sideline at Lane Kiffin. Oh, yeah. That was last year.

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I’ve told this joke to lots of people over the years. You know when a writer retires? When they find his head slumped on a keyboard with X’s streaming across the screen.

I’m going to write until hell freezes over, but I’m showing my age. A Friday night up to 2 a.m. going through photos, then up too early and heading off to a college game has reached the point where it takes a toll. My legs wear out on Saturdays. Once upon a time, I did it all before I went to bed. Sometimes I went from laptop to shower to truck.

The times, they are a-changing. 

Clemson finished with 456 yards of total offense, including 237 through the air and 219 on the ground. Klubnik completed 9/15 passes for 159 yards and two scores.

Trey Hedden completed 22/38 passes for 179 yards to surpass Ingle Martin’s single-season school record of 2,959 passing yards. Furman’s Kerry King caught six passes for 71 yards while Evan James grabbed six passes for 36 yards and a score.

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Joshua Stoneking posted a sack and three tackles-for-a-loss to finish the regular season atop FCS with 14-1/2 sacks and 23 tackles for loss.

Hell, it wasn’t so bad, and even better, I wasn’t there to see it. The Paladins doubled their win total.

Clemson (6-5) finishes up in Columbia against South Carolina (4-7), which occupied itself with the 51-7 obliteration of Coastal Carolina. It wasn’t much of a cockfight.

This is a good time to start a new chapter. I’ll still write about sports a lot. I’ll spend more time trying to get a book or a screenplay published or just finding a place to play my guitar and sing once a week. Don’t worry. Wherever I go will still be in range of Furman. I’m going to try to skip the blow by blow and try to find the stories that move me, whether it’s football or observations of the larger world.

Take a look at the stats here.

Bob Richey maps strategy (Furman photo). Click here.

Bob Richey’s basketball team defeated Queens (it’s in the city of Queen Charlotte), 90-79, on Sunday in the nightcap of a women’s/men’s doubleheader at Timmons Arena.

First, let’s dispel some myths about the Royals.

They’re not NAIA. They’re upwardly mobile. They may have delusions of grandeur, but they’re full-fledged members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, which is a breeding ground of the upwardly mobile. According to Wikipedia, Queens is merging with Elon next year.

Changing times has turned Richey into a chef who makes gourmet foods on the fly. While his is an acquired taste, he has become adept at it. It’s fun to watch his teams coalesce.

Click here.

Furman (3-3) scored a season-high 90 points and shot .533 from the field.

Freshman Alex Wilkins scored 23 points to lead five Paladins in double figures and added seven assists.

Junior Cooper Bowser threw down three dunks in the opening four minutes of the second half as Furman opened the period on a 13-4 run to extend its lead to 58-38 with 16:20 to play.

Queens trailed by 19 with under seven minutes left, but converted on seven consecutive field goal tries to trim the Paladin lead to single digits with over three minutes to go. Eddrin Bronson and Charles Johnston responded by both draining a pair of free throws and Wilkins sliced to the basket for a layup to restore the double-digit lead as Furman won for the third time in four games at home.

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The Paladins controlled the glass with a 36-27 rebounding margin and committed just four turnovers, the fewest by a Furman squad since a victory at Western Carolina on Jan. 1.

Maban Jabriel scored 16 points off the bench to lead the Royals. Jordan Watford and Nasir Mann netted 14 apiece and Chris Ashby and Avantae Parker tallied 12 and 10, respectively. Queens shot .475 and hit 14/17 free throws.

 Furman travels to Kissimmee, Fla., to take part in the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational on Nov. 27-28 at State Farm Field House. The Paladins face Richmond in the opening game in the Imagination Bracket on Thanksgiving at 11 a.m. on ESPN2. On Friday, Furman will play either Charlotte or Illinois State with the consolation contest slated for 12:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and the championship game scheduled for 3 p.m. on ESPN2.

Relax. The team is markedly different and is going to be good come the new year.

Take a look at the stats here.

(Furman photo) Click here.

Demeara Hinds scored 16 points, Mia Moore contributed 13 and 11 assists, and Clemson used hot second-half shooting to overcome a halftime deficit en route to a 76-58 victory over Furman in the women’s prelim.
Clemson (4-2), which trailed 33-31 at intermission, hit on 18/28 shots (.643) over the game’s final 20 minutes to record its third consecutive win its series with Furman (2-5).  
Hinds scored all of her 16 points in the second half, connecting on 7/8 shots and a pair of free throws, to pace the Tigers, and Rachel Rose contributed 10 of her 11 points over the final two periods.
Furman sophomore guard Lauren Bailey matched Hinds with a game-high 16 points, splashing all five three-point attempts, and Chantelle Stuart added 13 points and eight assists.
Furman shot ,444 (20/45) from the field and made 10/-17 attempts from beyond the arc.

Take a look at the stats here.

(Furman photo) Click here.

Trip Campbell netted the lone goal of the match in the 43rd minute to propel 16th-seeded Furman to the Sweet Sixteen with a 1-0 victory over Western Michigan in the second round of the Division I Men’s Soccer Championship Sunday afternoon at Stone Stadium.

The Paladins (15-1-4) on the season and riding a nation-best nine-match winning streak, will host Hofstra in the third round on Sunday, Nov. 30, at Stone Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

With the match scoreless and less than three minutes remaining until halftime, sophomore Wilfer Bustamante held the ball near the top of the box and back-heeled a pass to Diego Hernandez along the end line. The SoCon Player of the Year sent a low cross through the six-yard box to Campbell, who tapped in his shot for the go-ahead goal at the 42:47 mark.

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Furman’s defense, made up of four freshman and a sophomore, held the Broncos (8-10-4) without a shot on target in the second half to record the shutout. Redshirt-freshman Ivan Horvat, the SoCon Goalkeeper of the Year, stopped one shot to notch his seventh clean sheet of the season.

 The Paladins will be playing in the Sweet Sixteen for the third time in program history and first since 2002. Furman advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 1999.

For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips.

Most of my books are available at Amazon .

By MONTE DUTTON

Boyce Bankhead (22) makes a tackle (Monte Dutton photos). Click here.

The Presbyterian Blue Hose made history. They didn’t make the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, but they made history.

A 29-25 Pioneer Football League victory over Marist took the Blue Hose to heights they haven’t scaled but wasn’t enough to keep them playing.

Drake (8-3, 7-1), which PC did not play, won the PFL’s playoff bid with a 17-10 victory over Morehead State (6-6, 4-4). Presbyterian (10-2, 6-2) tied with San Diego (8-4, 6-2), which it did not play, for second. The Toreros mauled Stetson (3-9, 2-6), 42-8.

Malik Lewis, Zeb Stroup (8) pursue Marist’s Tristan Shannon (22). Click here.

Those are the breaks. The PFL has 11 teams. Each member plays eight league games and plays all but two of the other 10. The Blue Hose got an unfortunate two.

In 113 seasons of football, Presbyterian has accomplished 10 wins in a single campaign three times: 1959, 2005 and this one. Steve Englehart’s fourth season in Clinton exceeded all but the wildest expectation. He and his staff have taken the Blue Hose from 1-10 to 4-7 to 6-6 to 10-2.

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Surely Englehart, who came to Presbyterian in the aftermath of the Kevin Kelley disaster and carefully rebuilt the program, will receive credit appropriate for the Blue Hose’ miraculous recovery. The Blue Hose opened the season with upsets of Southern Conference champion Mercer and member Furman. To point out for the umpteenth time, those schools award football scholarships; Presbyterian does not.

In front of 2,911 at Bailey Memorial Stadium, Justin Montgomery scored the winning touchdown on a five-yard run with 46 seconds left to play against Marist (5-7, 3-4). Presbyterian won all six home games.

The winning drive – eight plays, 65 yards – took 1 minute, 25 seconds. PC averaged 45 points a game at home.

Bankhead (22) greets Marist QB Sunny Mannino. Click here.

Jett Jackson connected on all three of his field-goal attempts at distances of 39, 41 and 34 yards.

Linebackers Michael Torres and Boyce Bankhead combined for 19 tackles, three for losses and two forced fumbles. Malik Lewis added nine stops.

“This game was almost all big plays,” Bankhead said. “It wasn’t pretty.”

A senior from Columbia, Bankhead is emblematic of what the team has achieved. Englehart’s mantra is recruit, develop and retain. Bankhead spent most of his freshman year, the 1-10 year, filming games from the press box.

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“I mean, we’re very proud of our freshman year,” he said. “We all stuck it out. We put our heads down. We knew the team we had, and how special it all worked.”

Montgomery and Zach Switzer combined for 103 yards on the ground, and Collin Hurst completed 18/32 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 26 during the season. He was intercepted once.

The Blue Hose led 13-0 at intermission but twice had to come from behind in the second half.

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“To me, the shocking thing was, when all of a sudden, there was a clear and present danger of a loss, that’s when the team has to react immediately,” said Hurst, from Davie, Fla.

The Red Foxes arrived from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., riding home wins over Stetson (41-13) and Davidson (37-10), and they scrambled. Four quarterbacks attempted passes. Seven receivers caught them. The chief suspects were Will O’Dell, who was 12/15 for 180 yards and a touchdown, and Lance Martinez, who snagged four for 81 yards. Marist’s leading rusher was Tristan Shannon, who had 51 yards in 10 attempts.

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The season’s great regret was a 14-13 loss at Davidson, on Nov. 8, when Hurst was sidelined by a hamstring injury. That was the day Englehart wishes he had back.

“But, even if we hadn’t lost that game, it would have been the same,” he said. “We would have tied Drake, been the co-champion, but the way it all works out, they would have still gotten the playff berth.

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“Still, there’s no better way to end the season. … I’m so proud of our program in general, and in particular, I’m really proud of these [34] seniors, the ones who’ve stayed with us. They came in here and lost 10 games, and they really took a chance. I’m really proud of them and how they were able to finish their careers.”

Take a look at the stats here.

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For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips.

Most of my books are available at Amazon .

By MONTE DUTTON

Tre Aiken (70), Brody Garrett (50), Jace Patterson (52) and others try to make some room (Monte Dutton photos). Click here.

There’s nothing cold as ashes after the fire is gone. – L.E. White

It was probably the highest attendance at Wilder Stadium all season, around 4,000. All systems were go until Clinton lit the candle, and it was a dud. Fairfield Central (10-3) dominated Clinton from start to finish, eliminating the Red Devils, 42-7, from the Class 2A football playoffs in the quarterfinal round on Friday night.

Javen Cook surpassed 1,800 rushing yards. Click here.

All the numbers, especially comparative scores, suggested a close game.

They were wrong.

What was right was that the key to defeating Clinton (9-4) was slowing them down, not to mention stopping them dead. Only once have the Red Devils won back-to-back state championships (1977-78).

Not this year. Fairfield Central travels to Johnston to play Strom Thurmond (11-2), and former Clinton head coach Andrew Webb, for the Upstate title next week.

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The Griffins shredded the Clinton defense and, more surprisingly, contained the Red Devil rushers.

“They gave us problems up front all night,” Clinton head coach Corey Fountain said. “Fairfield did a good job all making us uncomfortable. They put us in some bad spots, and we made some mistakes early on.

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“When we got in the game, we started shooting ourselves in the foot. We gave them things they shouldn’t have gotten. In the second half, we buckled down, and I thought we played really good defense. We couldn’t stop the big play. That’s where we were vulnerable.”

It could have been worse. Fairfield Central led, 28-0, at halftime. After falling to the Red Devils, 32-21, in last year’s Upstate finals, the Griffins were not of a mind to negotiate terms.

Kynius Williams (44) redirects Fairfield Central’s Derek Cammon. Click here.

Javen Cook, who completed his senior season with 1,828 yards and 35 touchdowns – one was on a catch – carried the ball 17 times for 51 yards. In the season’s first 12 games, he averaged 11.5 yards a carry. In the last, he averaged 3.0.

There was no quit in “Zoom,” however, or for that matter, any of his teammates. Cook spent most of the night caught in a Fairfield trap. The best example was the Red Devils’ lone touchdown.

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Pinned in on the right sideline, Cook whirled and cut, lowered his shoulders and fought back, trying to free himself from three Griffins defenders. Flailing till the end, as he fell, Cook fumbled. Teammate Chris Boyd scooped it up and dashed into the end zone.

Cook took care of the first 27 yards. Boyd handled the last 18.

The Griffins’ Kenyan Douglas takes a handoff from Kaden Diggs (3). Click here.

It happened with 6:23 remaining in the third quarter. Pablo Hernandez’s extra point narrowed Fairfield Central’s lead to 35-7. Clinton (9-4) saw a lot of streaks end: consecutive victories at seven, victories in a row against Class 2A opposition at 21, seasons with double-digit wins at four and playoff victories at six.

Fairfield fulfilled all expectations. The Griffins outrushed the Red Devils, 205-107; outpassed them, 221-10; and amassed 20 first downs to Clinton’s eight.

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Kaden Diggs, the Fairfield quarterback, was splendid. He netted 99 yards on the ground, with a touchdown, and completed 8/11 passes for 221 yards and four scores.

Ty’Quarius Shannon caught four of those completions and scored three of those touchdown on plays of 68, 14 and 27 yards. Yet the most surprising aspect of the victory wasn’t the Griffins’ ability to put up points. It was its defense’s ability to frustrate and contain the Clinton running game.

When the game began, the Red Devils averaged 9.5 yards a carry as a team. The Griffins limited them to 3.8.

“Great Fairfield team, well coached. (Head coach) Demetrius Davis does a great job,” said Fountain. “We came out undisciplined, had too many penalties. We weren’t as physical as we needed to be.

“That all falls on me. I’ve got to have them better prepared and ready to play in the first half, and we didn’t seem to be. … It’s frustrating.”

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Fountain, standing on a makeshift battleground after catastrophic defeat, was already looking forward while looking back.

“Looking back at this week, at how you practiced, how seriously you take each and every practice. Being disciplined in every practice. Giving it everything you’ve got in practice carries over into games. I want these guys to understand you’ve got to be hungry,” he said. “You’ve got to play with intensity at all times. I want this to leave a bad taste in their mouths.

“Nobody wants to lose the last game.”

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For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips.

Most of my books are available at Amazon .

Asa Thomas (Furman photo) Click here.

I had never heard of Ohio Christian University except that it has a Wikipedia page and 1,600 students, and it brought a good NAIA record into Wednesday night’s visit to Furman.

It stood to reason that the Trailblazers would hang in for a while, then the Paladins would pull away, and that’s what happened in Furman’s 79-44 victory.

Redshirt sophomore Asa Thomas, making his first college start, posted career highs with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

The Lake Forest, Ill., product and Clemson transfer connected on 9/16 shots, including 4/1 behind the arc, to pace three Paladins in double figures. Senior Charles Johnston scored 15 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to record his fourth double double in five games, while freshman Alex Wilkins scored 10 points to reach double figures for the fifth time this season. Junior Cooper Bowser added eight points, eight rebounds, and a team-high four assists.

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Furman missed its first 13 shots behind the arc before Wilkins and Tom House connected on triples in the final 3:12 of the first half to send the Paladins into the locker room with a 32-23 lead. After Ohio Christian connected on a three to open the second half, Furman hit six of its first seven second-half shots, including 5/6 from three-point range, to fashion a 22-3 run to open a 54-29 lead. The Paladins held the Trailblazers without a point for a stretch of over seven minutes to pull away.

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Furman (2-3) is developing. It happens virtually every season as head coach Bob Richey tinkers with his recipe. 

Furman connected on .525 of its field goal attempts and compiled a 53-23 rebounding advantage highlighted by 19 offensive rebounds, which led to a 19-2 margin in second-chance points. The Paladins also outscored Ohio Christian 46-12 in the paint.

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Parker Penrod hit three triples to lead the Trailblazers with 13 points. Ohio Christian (5-2) shot just .296 from the floor and made only 5/1 free-throw attempts.

The Paladins return on Sunday to host the Queens Royals as part of a men’s and women’s doubleheader at Timmons Arena.The Furman women’s team entertains Clemson at 2 p.m. before the men host Queens at 5 p.m.

Take a look at the stats here.

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On the road, Joi Williams scored 14 points, and Radford took advantage of cold first-quarter shooting by Furman to claim a 68-50 victory in women’s college basketball action on Wednesday evening at Dedmon Center.

Williams, a junior guard, connected on 4/9 three-pointers and drained a pair of free throws to lead the Highlanders (3-3), who got 13 points from Angelina Nice and 10 from Georgia Simonsen.

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Lauren Bailey’s 12 points paced the Paladins (2-4), who fell behind 10-0 and were held scoreless over the first eight minutes of the contest to trail 18-4 after one period.

Furman found the mark on just 2/14 shots in the first period and finished the game shooting only .295 (18/61) from the field.

Radford, meanwhile, converted 7/13 shots in the first quarter and 14/29 attempts in the first half to take a 37-22 lead into halftime. The Highlanders finished the game shooting .404 (21/52).

Furman was never able to cut the Highlanders’ lead to single digits.

Radford also won the rebounding battle, 46-36, getting a game-high eight from Simonsen.

Take a look at the stats here.

Doug Allison hoists the SoCon trophy (Furman photo). Click here.

Furman, ranked second in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 and 14th in the NCAA RPI, hosts a second-round match at Stone Stadium on Sunday against Western Michigan (8-9-4).

Furman is making its 13th appearance in the tournament and hosting for the first time since a 2-0 victory over Campbell in the opening round of 2007. The Paladins, who advanced past North Carolina last November to reach the NCAA second round before falling to eventual national runner-up Marshall, are 5-10-6 all-time in the tournament and have advanced in seven of their previous 12 appearances in the field of 48.

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In 1999, Furman knocked off North Carolina and Wake Forest before falling to Connecticut in the NCAA quarterfinals. Head coach Doug Allison’s 2002 squad, led by Clint Dempsey and Ricardo Clark, reached the round of 16 before being eliminated in overtime at Stanford.

The Paladins (14-1-4) punched their ticket to the tournament on Sunday afternoon with a 1-0, double-overtime victory over nationally-ranked UNC Greensboro in the SoCon championship match at Stone Stadium. Freshman Ryan Reid netted the lone goal in the 107th minute to lift Furman to its 16th SoCon Tournament crown and 11th under Allison, who is in his 31st and final season as the program’s head coach.

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For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips.

Most of my books are available at Amazon .

By MONTE DUTTON

(Monte Dutton photos) Click here.

In the third round of Class 2A playoffs, they don’t play.

Okay, they play, as in play football, but they don’t play as in play around. This is serious business. Clinton is 9-3; Fairfield Central is, too.

Wilder Stadium, and all those raucous fans, could be the edge. Per capita, no one in the Palmetto State draws like the Red Devils. Head coach Corey Fountain knows this. He hopes the faithful will turn out early and often.

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Addressing the fans, Fountain said, “We need you to come out early this week. Earlier. Be loud. We need all the help we can get. We need a 12th man.

“They’re playing with a chip on their shoulder. Fairfield Central would like nothing better than to come into our stadium, where they lost last year, and beat us.”

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By every measure, this game shapes up as a close one. The Red Devils and Griffins have the same record. The three common opponents – Newberry, Union County and Chesnee – had similar outcomes.

Clinton defeated Union County, 60-0; Fairfield Central defeated the Yellow Jackets, 35-0. Newberry defeated the Red Devils, 41-12, and Fairfield Central, 45-34. Clinton defeated Chesnee, 50-29, in region play. The Griffins won by a score of 50-21 in the first round of the playoffs.

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Games aren’t played on paper, but this one has a sturdy stock.

A season ago, the Griffins played the Red Devils in the Upstate finals, a step closer to the state finals than this year.

Clinton, en route to its ninth state title, won that game, 32-21. A week later the Red Devils polished off Barnwell, 35-6, for all the marbles. When the final S.C. Media Poll was released at the end of this regular season, Clinton ranked second in 2A, and Fairfield Central, located in Winnsboro, was sixth.

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The Red Devils and Griffins have met nine times, beginning in 1986 with a 40-0 Clinton victory. Fairfield Central’s only victory was a 12-3 win on Nov. 12, 1999. Clinton has won six in a row since and all four of the games played between the two at Wilder Stadium.

Three times – 1987, 2009 and 2024 – Clinton has taken down Fairfield Central on the way to a state championship. Clinton also compiled an 8-1 record against the Griffins’ predecessor, Winnsboro High, which merged with McCrorey-Liston to form the new school in 1986.

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Last week Clinton advanced past Saluda, 35-25, while Fairfield Central was dispensing with Andrew Jackson, 36-0, in Kershaw. The Red Devils played Kershaw’s other high school, North Central, in the opening round, winning 56-7.

Let the record note that I have never seen a high-school team that blocks downfield better than the Red Devils. The Clinton cadre of quality rushers – Javen Cook, most notably, but also K.J. Vance, Angelo Cromer, Zy Butler, Rhett Gilliam and Owen Glenn – uses those blocks like pawns on a chess board.

K.J. Vance uses the blocking help of Jace Patterson (52), Keandre Harris (62), Noah Garrett (12) and Rhett Gilliam (9).

If anyone is to beat Clinton the rest of the way, its defense will slow the Red Devils down. Almost 10 yards a carry – as a team! — is hard to beat.

Cook is a phenomenon. On an army with lots of weapons, he has rushed for 1,777 yards and 34 touchdowns. He has extraordinary power for a little man. He darts like a UFO. He accelerates like a Top Fuel dragster. Cook is not of this world. On the sideline, we see him streaking straight at us.

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Uh, oh! Here he comes!

Derek Cammon led the Griffins by rushing for 93 yards at Andrew Jackson. Fairfield quarterback Kaden Diggs threw only eight times, but three went for touchdowns to Ty’Quarius Shannon.

Clinton has scored at least 31 points in its last nine games. The Griffins have won eight games by at least 29 points this season.

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WPCC (106.5 FM/1410 AM/largetime.net) begins coverage at 7 p.m., with “Saturday Morning Rewind” following at 9 a.m. the following morning and a replay of the game at 10:30.

At Laurens Academy, this is the year of the big payback.

The Crusaders defeated Richard Winn twice, ending a losing streak that stretched back to 2009. They are in the SCISA eight-man finals because they ended a five-game skid against Holly Hill Academy.

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Now Laurens Academy (9-2) is playing W.W. King (11-0), which has defeated it twice this season, for the state championship. Last year Winn defeated LA for the title.

It’s that rarity, a truly neutral site. The Knights, from Batesburg, and Crusaders are meeting at Greenwood Christian Academy. Game time is 7:30.

Last week, King swamped Jefferson Davis Academy, 74-28, while Laurens Academy was eliminating Holly Hill, 30-24.

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For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips.

Most of my books are available at Amazon .

By MONTE DUTTON

Ian Williams is set for his final kicks at Clemson (Monte Dutton photo). Click here.

Furman embarks on the annual bid for a miracle on Saturday afternoon at 4:30.

Not much is riding on it. No national rankings or playoff hopes rest on its outcome. It’s just a big school, Clemson, against a little school, Furman, both playing mainly for pride.

The Paladins make the short 30-mile trek to Clemson on Saturday to face the Tigers in the season ender.

Furman (6-5) of the Southern Conference visits Clemson (5-5) of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Paladins have won twice as many games as last season. What the Tigers seek modestly is bowl eligibility, with their final game at South Carolina to spare.

No pressure. Clemson has tamed Furman 32 straight times. This potential mismatch is to be televised locally on the CW 62.

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“They’re still Clemson, one of the best programs in the country,” Furman head coach Clay Hendrix said. “They have lots of talent.”

Three years ago Furman outgained Clemson in total yards, 384-376, but as games are decided on the basis of points, not yards, it’s just a footnote. The score was 35-12.

Furman is Clemson’s oldest football foe, having provided the opposition on Oct. 31, 1896, in Greenville in a game the Tigers won, 14-6.  Saturday’s game will mark the 59th football meeting in a series Clemson leads 44-10-4.

Furman posted a 32-14 win over VMI on Saturday at Paladin Stadium to complete its Southern Conference schedule with a 4-4 record. Clemson is coming off a 20-19 victory over Louisville.

Raleigh Herbert (24) (Monte Dutton photo) Click here.

“It’s a great opportunity,” said inside linebacker Raleigh Herbert of Cumming, Ga. “I really wouldn’t want to be playing anybody else. These are the games you look forward to playing as a little kid. I’m really excited at the opportunity to go play them.”

For the Paladins to put up a respectable showing, their offense will have to rely heavily on its passing game. Sophomore Trey Hedden has passed for 2,788 yards and 16 touchdowns. That’s 172 yards shy of Ingle Martin’s school record of 2,959 yards, established in 2005.

Hedden’s primary target has been freshman wide receiver Evan James, who last week caught nine passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns to establish new school freshman standards for receptions (59) and receiving yards (760). His six touchdown grabs is a Paladin freshman record.

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The return of redshirt sophomore wideout Ja’Keith Hamilton (38 catches for 521 yds., 5 TDs) from injury has also been a plus.

 Furman enjoyed its best rushing outing of the season last Saturday versus VMI, totaling 174 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman C.J. Nettles (357 yds., 4 TDs) and redshirt junior Ben Croasdale (282, 2) have helped fill the void following a season-ending injury (fractured wrist) sustained by Gavin Hall in a 24-13 win over The Citadel. Jayquan Smith has a team-leading six rushing touchdowns.

Historically, Furman success has been grounded in, which is to say it has featured a sound rushing foundation.

“To be an elite program, you’ve got to be balanced,” Hendrix said. “If you look at our league and go back several years, there’s a crazy difference. I think that’s true at a lot of places. We’ve got to have more balance. We’ve had more than we did last year. We’ve still got to learn that a little bit. You’ve got to look at your personnel. I’m happy with our passing game, but if you look at a year from now, we’ve got to be more balanced.”

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Looking to slow down Clemson’s attack will be the FCS leader in tackles for loss (20) and sacks (13-1/2), redshirt sophomore defensive end Joshua Stoneking, who also paces Furman with 73 tackles.

The Paladins boast one FCS’s top three-way specialists in graduate Ian Williams, who has converted 12/18 field goals, averaged 44.4 yards per punt, and recorded touchbacks on 45 of his 56 kickoffs this fall.

“I’m really looking forward to playing on a stage like this,” Williams, a Raleigh, N.C., product. “This is our last game here. We’re going to lay it all out on the field, do our best and have a lot of fun doing it.

“I love it here. It’s unfortunate seeing it come to an end.”

“We’ve got a lot of improving to do, which will take place in the offseason,” Herbert, a redshirt sophomore, said. “We’ve just got to put it all out there. We’ve got a bright future, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Gianluca Rizzo (Furman photo) Click here.

Freshman Ryan Reid tucked away a rebound in the 107th minute to lift No. 1 seed Furman to a 1-0 victory over No. 3 seed UNC Greensboro as the Paladins secured their second straight Southern Conference men’s championship crown Sunday afternoon at Stone Soccer Stadium.

With less than four minutes left in the second 10-minute overtime period, Connor Stout played a long ball into the center of the box that Wilfer Bustamante headed towards the left side of goal. UNCG goalkeeper Seth Wilson made a diving stop, but Reid swept the rebound into the open side of the net with a left-footed shot at the 106:16 mark to secure the Paladins’ 16th SoCon Tournament title.

The victory clinched Furman (14-1-4) its 13th NCAA Tournament bid while extending the Paladins’ winning streak to eight matches and their unbeaten run to 11 games. UNCG fell to 12-4-4. Furman is ranked fifth in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 and No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.

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“It feels really good to win on our own field in front of all these fans, and the student section was unbelievable,” said Paladin head coach Doug Allison, who led Furman to the SoCon tournament title for the 11th time in his 31-year career. “I’m so happy for our kids to win this game on their home field.

“The resilience that they had was just incredible. We got that chance there at the end, and I was hoping we could take it, but we had been practicing penalty kicks, too.  It’s one of those situations where the kids are so resilient right now.  Ivan (Horvat) had to make an unbelievable save to keep us in the game, and once he did that, then there was the buildup for the second half. The atmosphere from the students was amazing.  Having that many students in this venue means a lot to me, and we were supported by an amazing number of student-athletes from other teams.” 

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The match between SoCon heavyweights featured few clear-cut chances. Furman’s Grayson Travis missed just wide in the opening moments of the match and Luke Munson struck a long range shot that forced a save by Wilson in the first half while Issah Haruna’s shot, the only shot on goal by the Spartans in regulation, was turned away by Furman redshirt freshman Horvat in the 29th minute. Neither team managed a shot on goal during the second half or in the first overtime period.

Furman finished the match with a 9-7 edge in total shots and a 3-2 advantage in shots on goal. Horvat and Wilson each posted a pair of saves. Horvat, the SoCon Goalkeeper of the Year, notched his sixth shutout of the season.

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Midfielder Diego Hernandez was named the tournament’s most outstanding player and was joined on the all-tournament team by Horvat, Braden Dunham and Ryan Wagner. Furman’s Jack Travis received the Pinnacle Award, given to the athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team.

Sunday’s second-round NCAA Tournament match between No. 16 seed Furman and the winner of Thursday night’s Clemson-Western Michigan match will kick off at 1 p.m. at Eugene Stone III Stadium.

Admission to Sunday’s match is $10 for all fans, students, faculty and staff.

Cooper Bowser (21), Ben Vander Wal (4) (Monte Dutton photo) Click here.

The roles are reversed on Wednesday night at Timmons Arena, where Furman men’s basketball plays the Ohio Christian Trailblazers at 6:30.

Ohio Christian (5-1), a member of NAIA and the River States Conference. The Trailblazers defeated Miami University (Hamilton) on Saturday. Sophomores Parker Penrod and Caleb Schmelzer lead Ohio Christian in scoring.

Furman enters Wednesday’s home game at 1-3 following a 70-54 setback at Northern Iowa last Friday night. Cooper Bowser paced the Paladins with 16 points and Charles Johnston notched his third double double in four games with 11 points and 10 rebounds, but Furman managed to connect on just 4/30 three-point attempts. Trey Campbell led UNI with 18 points and the Panthers converted on 14/7 trips to the foul line.

Freshman Alex Wilkins leads the Paladins, averaging 15.8 points and four assists per game, while Johnston has posted 10.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Bowser has contributed 10.8 points per game, 7.0 and rebounds.

The Paladins conclude the brief two-game homestand on Sunday when they host the Queens Royals as part of a men’s and women’s doubleheader at Timmons Arena. The Furman women’s team entertains Clemson at 2 p.m. before the men host Queens at 5 p.m.

For years, my site has been supported by reader contributions. If you’re interested, you can make modest monthly payments on my Patreon page or a one-time contribution via Venmo (@DHKSports).

Or, if you’d like to make a contribution by check or cash, my mailing address, for now, is: Monte Dutton, 11185 Hwy. 56 N., Clinton, S.C.  29325.

Every little bit helps. It keeps gas in the truck for road trips. Most of my books are available at Amazon .