LAURINBURG — Scotland football released its 2024 schedule on its X/Twitter account Thursday morning.
The Fighting Scots will kick off the campaign with a nonconference showdown on the road against Dillon, a program with perennial success in South Carolina, on Aug. 23. Dillon went 10-2 in 2023 and lost 35-21 against Camden in the second round of the South Carolina Football State Championships – Class AAA tournament.
While Scotland and Dillon have scrimmaged against each other in recent years, it will be the first time both programs have met for an official game since Scotland lost 10-0 in 1978 and the third time overall; Scotland won 14-0 in the first-ever meeting in 1977.
Scotland’s other nonconference matchups will all be rematches from last season, with Terry Sanford and Marlboro County at home on Aug. 30 and Sep. 6 and Jack Britt away on Sep. 13.
Sandhills Athletic Conference action commences for the Scots against Hoke County at Pate Stadium on Sep. 20; Southern Lee will follow at home the next week, then it’s an away game at Union Pines on Oct. 4 before the bye on Oct. 11.
In what’s been referred to as “the gauntlet” in recent years, Scotland’s final three games of the regular season will be at Pinecrest on Oct. 18, at home against Lee County on Oct. 25 and at Richmond on Nov. 1.
All conference games and any game played at Pate Stadium will begin at 7:30 p.m.; kickoff times for nonconference away games are still being determined.
Scotland finished the 2023 season 10-3 overall with a 4-2 SAC record and a 45-44 loss against Northern Nash in the third round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 3A state playoffs.
Al Blades contributed to this report.