The Class of '23 has its dreams

Was that only yesterday or over 40 years ago?

Once upon a time, Furman University recruited a close friend to play football, and he asked me if I’d like to tag along. Apparently, I got more out of it than he did. The Paladins got me and didn’t want me. My friend went elsewhere.

Nine Laurens District High School seniors enlisted on Wednesday in the gymnasium. More showed up than the attendance of any basketball game I saw there this winter. One reason was free admission. Another was that Laurens wasn’t too spiffy in basketball.

In addition to seeking enlightenment and setting a foundation for future success, four Raiders intend to keep playing football, three softball, one baseball and one volleyball.

James Rawl Jr. lost much of his senior year as LDHS quarterback to injury. He’s headed to Anderson University. Cayson Elledge is off to catch passes at Davidson, Jay Pulley the same at Newberry, and Jordan Roberts could play about anywhere at Newberry partly because played almost everywhere at LDHS.

The softball players are Kauree Munyan, South Carolina State bound; Macayle Revis, headed to Piedmont College in Demorest, Ga.; and Alyssa Rowe to Carolina University of Winston-Salem, N.C.

Jackson Martin is to play baseball at Wofford.

Kamryn George is volleyball-ready for North Greenville.

It doesn’t get easier from here, not on the courts and ballfields and not in the classroom.

Right now, they’ve all got good intentions.

“It’s just kind of heartwarming,” said Rawl. “It makes me feel a little better about my next steps in life. It makes me feel better about myself.”

Pulley wants to be his own boss when his playing days are over. Don’t we all?

Revis said she’s never been interested in going anywhere but a small school. She wants to become a dental hygienist.

Rowe hooked up with not the Carolina you’ve heard of by taking a business card from one of its coaches while she was playing in a tournament. She said she’s already “meshed” with the players who are already there. She wants to be an ultrasound technician, too.

Wofford, said Martin, “is kind of the best of both for me. They had a real good season last year, and as far as education is concerned, it’s hard to get a lot better around here.”

Elledge spoke of “the winning culture” that’s been built at Davidson for non-scholarship football. The Wildcats are presently at the opposite end of the Pioneer Football League from Presbyterian, which hasn’t officially won a game in two seasons in the league. Davidson is where both Elledge and PC want to be in their own ways. Davidson and Elledge are already there.

“It checked all the boxes,” he said.