COLUMBIA, S.C. — Nick Pelham made his unofficial debut as the new head football coach at White Knoll Friday night in the Lexington Sportsarama.
The defensive coordinator at Dutch Fork for the past five seasons, Pelham's first head coaching job has taken him to the Red Bank community, and Friday night, his team won its exhibition game with Batesburg-Leesville 7-0.
While Pelham is beginning his head coaching career, Phil Strickland will call it a career at the end of the 2021 season after 40 seasons as a high school football coach, the last 36 as a head coach. He has won a total of five state championships, two at Batesburg-Leesville and three at Gaffney. Strickland and the Bulldogs lost a hard-fought game to Blythewood 13-12 at the Aun and McKay Kickoff Classic at Chapin High School.
This Friday, everyone will start 0-0 as a new season is upon us. Whether it's a new head coach or one who can see the finish line, it's all about putting the best possible product on the field with the goal of peaking in November and playing for a state championship in December.