By MONTE DUTTON
One characteristic of the Presbyterian College spring football game was that it got better as it went along.
Would that it be true of us all.
I was there for most of it. I started out frantically shooting photos of the Clinton Red Devils baseball game. It was 3-0 when I left, thinking, Man, I hate to leave. This could be a great one.
Clinton led 7-0 at the end of that inning. When I started clicking pics at PC, it was 11-0.
The spring game at PC really was a game, which from my experience is uncommon at smaller schools.
Shortly after I got there, White blocked a Blue field goal, briefly giving the Blues a case of them. I was shambling down the steps when I snapped a photo.
One of the better aspects of unofficial football games and scrimmages is joking around with officials on the sideline. They get everyone in just like the coaches.
Among the sillier aspects of my personality is that every time an official yells “Sub! Sub! Sub!” I think, How hungry can one man be?
Usually it hits me at basketball games. It could be because I’m fat.
Oddly, it’s an effective icebreaker with the zebras, who deserve more credit than they get, which is not much at all, and are nervous by nature.
They laugh more than anyone should. A convention of referees would be a great audience for a comic.
An illustration of the wind. Three hours earlier, I ate. When I walked in Fiesta Grande, it was raining which was unexpected. When I left, nary a cloud was in the sky.
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared, there was thunder on the throne. – “Seven Spanish Angels (Troy Seals/Eddie Setser)
Lest anyone go all apocalyptic, there was no thunder, let alone a throne. Red dirt was swirling up from the PC baseball stadium.
The Blue Hose had just prevailed over Winthrop by a mere 17 runs.
“In the spring, particularly, you’re trying to get everybody reps,” said Englehart. “Guys are playing with guys who haven’t played with the same group too much in practice. Some continuity changes.
“Some things in spring, you’d like to see a little cleaner. There was some sloppiness, but a lot of young guys got a lot of reps … and some showed up.”
Soon-to-be sophomore quarterback Collin Hurst, a Davie, Fla., product, ran for a touchdown and threw for three as Blue fended off White, 21-19, on Friday night.
The Blue preserved the victory by blocking a White field-goal try, returning a favor from early in the game.
“Spring is really important because those are the guys you’re going to have to win with in the fall,” said Presbyterian head coach Steve Englehart. “A lot of those guys haven’t had much game experience.”
Hurst opened the scoring with a five-yard scoring toss to junior Wyatt Hodges, followed by Mack Mikko’s extra point.
The White scored by blocking a subsequent Mikko field-goal attempt. Jacob Deller returned it 78 yards.
Hurst hit tight end Nathan Levicki from 10 yards out and extended the Blue lead to 21-7. Warner Bush hit Hunter Satterfield on a 28-yard TD pass to bring the White within eight after the PAT failed.
With 10:17 remaining, Bush struck again, hitting Jamari Haynes from 38 yards out. on the longest scoring play from scrimmage: a 38-yard arc to newbie Jamari Haynes. The White’s two-point conversion failed.
The field goal blocked at the end was from 44 yards away.
One difference was Mikko kicking for the Blue. He hit all three extra points.
My guess is that most of the Blue Hose faithful went home encouraged.
Whoa. PC opened its three-game baseball series against Winthrop with a 20-3 mastery of the Eagles.
Three Blue Hose – Jack Gorman, Jake Randolph and Ryan Becker – belted homers. For the first two, it was their second. It was Becker’s first.
The game was tied, 1-1 after 2-1/2 innings. Then the Blue Hose put up four runs in the third, five in the fourth and eight in the fifth.
Cole Griffith hit a pinch homer for Winthrop (13-18-1, 4-6 Big South).
All four Winthrop hurlers took damage. The starter, Riley Huge (L, 4-4), gave up 10 runs (nine earned) in 3-2/3 innings of unpleasant work.
Meanwhile, Daniel Eagen (W, 4-0) posted nine strikeouts in six innings, allowing a run, four hits and a walk.
“Eagen continues to show why he is one of the best pitching prospects in the country,” PC head coach Elton Pollock stated. “He led us on the mound. I am equally proud of our offense, [which] produced quality at-bats today against a very good arm.”
Among the Blue Hose’ 14 hits were the three homers and five doubles. Center fielder Joel Dragoo was 3/4 with a double. Brody Fahr, Gorm an and Eli Lazio each had two hits. Eight who played had hits.
Only second baseman Abe Affholter, who was 2/3 with a double, struck more than once for the Eagles.
The Blue Hose enjoyed their first 20-run game since the scored 22 against Charleston Southern in 2022.
Presbyterian (18-18, 8-2) takes on Winthrop again on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 2.
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