Monday, November 6, 2006
Story by John Clayton
Laurens County Advertiser
Future Of The Bronze Derby Game
The 60th meeting for the Bronze Derby could be the last one.
The Bronze Derby game, the centerpiece of Presbyterian College's football rivalry with Newberry College, will not be played in 2007 and officials are uncertain when or if the game will return to PC's schedule as the Blue Hose make their move to NCAA Division I next season.
The annual game, which features a bronzed derby once belonging to a PC student as its trophy, has been contested every year since 1947.
"We suspected that this might be an issue when we made the move to Division I," said PC Athletic Director Bee Carlton.
Carlton said he currently has seven away games confirmed for the 2007 schedule - but none of them will be at Newberry. He said the two sides tried to reach a contractual agreement for a return trip to PC by the Indians next year, but an accord could not be reached. This year's Bronze Derby game is set for Saturday, Nov. 11 at PC's Bailey Memorial Stadium.
"Right now, every game I have on the schedule is an away game," Carlton said. "In the normal rotation of things, it would be our turn to go to Newberry…. We really needed them to come up and play here next year.
"Truly, the desire to play would certainly be there from our end and I would hope from their end, they would want to continue (the series), but based on our needs and their needs, it just couldn't be done for next year."
The two teams have met every year but one since 1913. PC only played two games in 1918, against Bailey Military and Furman. In 1913, the two teams played twice with PC winning both games by a score of 51-0.
PC leads the all-time series 56-32-5 and has won seven of the last nine meetings for the Bronze Derby.
PC Head Coach Tommy Spangler said, as a traditionalist, he hates to see the rivalry go on hiatus, but believes sacrifices have to be made if PC is to take the necessary leap into NCAA Division I.
"We are going Division I and that's what I'm concerned with," said Spangler. "We have to do what's best in the long run for PC football."
Newberry Head Coach Zak Willis, who played at Furman but was recruited by PC, had similar feelings.
"I hate to see the rivalry end because it's one of the best rivalries in small-college football," Willis said. "But we have to look at progress, too and PC is making a tremendous amount of progress as an institution and with their football program."
While Newberry won't be on next year's schedule, Furman, an old rival PC last met in 1992, will be. Western Carolina, another Southern Conference foe, and future rivals from the Big South Conference, will be as well.
"When you're in that position, you have to make sacrifices because you're at the mercy of the folks you're trying to join in a lot of ways and there are rules you have to follow as far as who you play," Willis said. "I wish (PC) the best. I think it will make this year's game really exciting and I hope their folks will support them against these new opponents."
The Bronze Derby game, which is to be broadcast this year on ETV; has traditionally been the best-attended game at both schools, and Carlton would not rule out resuming the series in the near future.
"We plan to take a little break and try to put it back together in a year or two, or maybe later," he said. "I definitely wouldn't say that this is it, not by any means."