By Eugene Jolley
Courier Sports

ejolley@thepccourier.com

WALHALLA — Sometimes it takes a spark to get a flame going.[cointent_lockedcontent] Friday

Tommy McGaha/seeyourphotohere.com
Pickens’ Kirkland Gillespie, left, and Isaiah Ferguson celebrate after Ferguson scored a first-quarter touchdown against Walhalla on Friday night.

night, the spark the Pickens Blue Flame needed came in the unlikely form of an ejection, as Pickens pulled away from Walhalla for a 44-10 win.

With Pickens sputtering with a 14-3 lead and driving, Blue Flame receiver Sam Lawson, despite not throwing a punch and getting slugged twice with his helmet off, was ejected after a tussle with a Walhalla cornerback. The fight put the fight back in the Blue Flame.

“They responded well,” said Pickens assistant coach Chad Seaborn, subbing for head coach John Boggs, who was suspended for the game following last week’s ejection for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. “They could have gone one of two ways and got mad and lost focus, but they didn’t. I was proud of how they responded. The coaches, we had to refocus. We were upset as well. We all refocused, and I thought they responded well after that.”

“It got everybody energized,” tailback Brandon Batson said. “Everybody was fired up after that. We just turned on the switch after that.”

“When something like that happens, you pull together and it’s a lot of adversity,” senior Ridge Clark said. “Obviously, I do not agree with the call. I will let the officials and whoever take care of that. But it definitely pulled us together and it made us want to fight a lot harder, because that’s one of us and you don’t do that.”

After much discussion on the play, Pickens stuck it in as Adam Thomas hurdled an initial defender en route to a six-yard scoring run with 6:54 left in the first half, making it 21-3 on Matt Gravely’s kick.

Pickens scored on the first drive of the game as quarterback Tanner Stegall hit Isaiah Ferguson, who turned almost completely around to make the 38-yard scoring strike with 9:14 left in the first quarter.

Stegall later had a pass picked off and returned to the Blue Flame 22 by Luke Underwood. The defense held, and Hector Luna kicked a 37-yard field goal with 3:08 left in the first quarter.

Batson, who rushed for a career-high 107 yards, took it 57 yards for the next score, as he took a pitch right and cut back left for the score with 9:05 left in the half.

“It’s all about the line,” Batson said. “If they were not there, I could not do anything without them. Coach always tells me to follow the big men, and that’s what I tried to do.”

That’s when things got interesting following a Jarred Pace fumble recovery at the Razorback 20.

Walhalla fumbled on the next possession as well, with Pickens’ Jamal Blythe recovering. That turnover didn’t result in any points, as Gravely missed from 42 yards. He also missed at the buzzer from 45 wide left. The Blue Flame did get on the board with 2:05 left in the half when a Walhalla punt snap went awry into the back of the end zone, making it 23-3 on a safety.

The second half, and in particular the third quarter, was big-boy, football and the Blue Flame were the clinicians. Senior fullback Gunner Covey ripped off runs of 26, 17 and finally 33 for the score on a run left with 10:33 left in the third quarter.

“The more he ran, the better he got tonight,” Seaborn said of Covey. “And Brandon Batson did a great job, too. But it all starts up front. Those guys played great this week. It was good to just line up and do some of that stuff tonight.”

The defense was special as well. Walhalla went for it on fourth and one, but linebacker Cole Seaborn met tailback Logan Maitland-Smith in the backfield for a yard loss. Walhalla had 12 plays for negative yards, as Clark, Tyler Gravely and company dominated.

“We knew we had to go out and do our job,” said Clark, a nose tackle. “They were pretty solid when it came to the run. They obviously put in a new offense especially for us since we didn’t do that well against Wren. We were not expecting that. We had to change it up, and we pulled through in the end.”

The Blue Flame again marched quickly for a score, going 52 yards in five plays. Following four runs, Stegall scrambled and found Batson in the back left corner for the 12-yard score with 5:04 left in the third quarter.

Pace took over for Stegall on the next series and capped an eight-play, 46-yard drive with a two-yard sneak for a score with 11:19 left.

Pickens had brought up 10 or more junior varsity players, and they got in the game for much of the last quarter.

The two teams traded fumbles deep in Walhalla territory. Brandon Moore stopped one drive with a fumble recovery. However, a bad snap gave it back and Walhalla, taking over at its own 6, scored three plays later when Maitland-Smith took it in from a yard out with 12 seconds left, making it 44-10.

Pickens will host Seneca and former PHS head coach Brett Turner, along with former Blue Flame quarterback Elijah Turner, Friday night for homecoming.

“It’s going to be tough,” Seaborn said of Seneca. “They’re loaded and they’re good. Brett (Turner) does a great job. They’ve always had talent over there. They’ve always had athletes. But they’re doing special things this year and are going in the right direction.

“It’s personal in a good way, because I feel like I’ve been a part of Elijah (Turner) growing up and being friends with Brett for so long and having Bart (Turner) on staff here. It’s going to be fun. It will be a tough game. Hopefully we’ll have a good week of practice and go out and enjoy it.”

The game will be aired on WSNW-FM The Lake 94.1.

Chad Dorsett and Adam Duncan will provide the play-by-play and color.

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By Rocky Nimmons
Publisher

rnimmons@thepccourier.com

CENTRAL — The Daniel Lions entered Friday night’s game against the

Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Daniel’s Stephon Kirksey is wrapped up by a trio of Wren defenders during their game Friday at Singleton Field.

Wren Golden Hurricanes with revenge on their minds.[cointent_lockedcontent]

A year earlier, the Lions fell to the Canes as the result of what many saw as a bad call. That call, an apparent fumble that would have iced the game for Daniel, was overturned and allowed Wren to drive for the go-ahead points and snatch a victory and the region title.

This year, the Lions had the Hurricanes on Singleton Field and prepared all week with a vengeance. But when the final whistle was blown, coach Randy Robinson’s jungle cats were just as disappointed, falling to Wren 14-7.

“We did not play very well,” Robinson said. “When you don’t play together as a team, these kinds of things happen. We had a lot of mental breakdowns tonight. That is all our fault. (Wren) didn’t stop us. We stopped ourselves all night long. That is just the way it happened.”

The Lion defense played a solid game for the most part. Their offense, on the other hand, failed to finish drive after drive, getting inside the Wren 30-yard line on five different occasions and not producing a single point.

“It should have been a lopsided game our way,” Robinson said. “We didn’t play well. We are much better than we performed tonight. It was disappointing. I know our seniors are disappointed, but that is just part of the game. You have to overcome people that are out. We were missing a key component tonight, and it cost our team.”

The Lions started off well on offense. Daniel scored its only points of the night the first time it had the ball. The Wren defenders faced a one-two punch, as quarterback Ben Batson and running back Stephon Kirksey kept the Hurricanes guessing on every play. Kirksey picked up 35 yards on four runs, while Batson got the final two for the touchdown. In all, the drive lasted seven plays and covered 70 yards. Lion kicker Rivers Sherrill added the extra point to put the Lions out front 7-0 with 5:56 to play in the first quarter.

Wren relied on the legs of quarterback Jay Urich, and the signal caller proved to be hard to bring down. He and running back Nathaniel Ekwere carried the load on the Hurricanes’ first push to points. The drive lasted eight plays and went 84 yards. Ekwere accounted for 26 yards on three touches, but it was Urich who was the workhorse, making the Lion defense bleed for 58 yards on five keepers, including the final 12 for a walk-in touchdown with 11:21 left to play in the half. Trevor Perry aced the PAT to knot the game at 7-7.

A big defensive stand by Wren and a Lion punt that only traveled seven yards cost the Lions the lead. Starting at the Daniel 30, it only took Wren four plays to hit paydirt. Urich again called his own number on first and 10 from the 19 and got the corner on a quarterback sweep, fighting in for a touchdown with 7:32 left to play in the half. Again Perry split the uprights, and the Canes had a 14-7 lead.

The Lions came storming back after the ensuing kick and produced a nice 14-play drive that covered 59 yards. The trouble was Daniel needed 80 for a touchdown. On the series’ third play, Batson found wide receiver Will Swinney for 16 yards. Two plays later, Kirksey hit a seam and dashed for 10 more. The Lions continued their slow march, but the drive stalled on fouth and 13 from the Hurricanes’ 21, as Batson went to the air, only to see his pass fall incomplete.

Wren took over and simply ran the clock out, satisfied to go into the half on top 14-7.

At intermission, Daniel honored its 2015 Hall of Fame inductees. This year’s class included Heidi Cooper, Ryan Lindsay, Forrest Foster, Walter Cox and Harold Bagwell.

The second half started with Daniel taking the opening kickoff. Thank to a great return, the Lions had the ball at their own 39 with great field position. Robinson’s troops looked ready to even the score and marched the ball down to the Wren 4-yard line on 11 plays. The Wren defense bent during the series, but did not break. The Lions pushed the ball to the Canes’ 8, picking up a first down. Kirksey got the first three calls, picking up four yards. On fourth and goal from the 4-yard line, Batson looked for Swinney on a crossing pattern, but Swinney never had a chance and was hammered before he could get a handle on the pass. The play gave Wren the ball back on downs.

Daniel defensive coordinator Jeff Fuster had his unit dialed in, and the defense again forced Wren into a punting situation the next time it had the ball.

The Lions’ offense put the ball in play at the Wren 24 and again moved downfield. In nine plays, Batson and company pushed the pigskin deep to the Hurricanes’ 17. Facing fourth and eight, Robinson called on Sherrill for a 34-yard field goal with 11:55 to play in the game, but Sherrill just pushed the ball wide right, and again there was nothing to show for the offense’s effort.

Daniel’s last chance came on its next series. The Lions, starting at their own 33, looked in good shape after a 32-yard strike from Batson to Swinney got Daniel into Wren territory at the 34. The drive was kept moving by runs by Kirksey and Batson. The Lions’ hopes were shattered when on fourth and seven Batson had his pass picked off by Wren defensive lineman Clay McCroskey. That was as close as the Columbia blue and gold would get, and the night ended with a 14-7 Wren win.

All night Wren looked to have Daniel’s signals figured out, with the Lions running every play right into a prepared defense.

“We have to do a better job of disguising signals. When people have got your signals, you have to adjust,” Robinson said.

This Friday it does not get any easier for the 2-4 Lions as they travel to face the Belton-Honea Path Bears.

“We will be playing one of the best teams we have seen this year when we go to Belton-Honea Path next week,” Robinson said. “Other than Westside, BHP will be the most talented group that we see.

“We will see if we have a little leadership and have some guys that want to get up and practice on Monday. I don’t think it matters any more if we are at home or traveling. We just have to look for the heart and soul of the Daniel team. Right now we haven’t got it.”

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By Jimmy Kirby
Courier Sports

jkirby@thepccourier.com

CHESNEE — The Chesnee Eagles were the cream of the crop in Region[cointent_lockedcontent]

Brandy Karr/Photo
Liberty’s Tyler Renaud looks for running room during the Devils’ loss at Chesnee on Friday night.

I-AA last year and made a deep run in the playoffs. After the loss of a senior-laden squad in 2014, the Eagles seem to be sprouting wings this season after a slow start.

Dylan Donnahoo threw for 309 yards and four touchdown passes to overcome a sluggish Chesnee start en route to a 35-21 victory over the Liberty Red Devils last week.

With breezes blowing and the game moved to a Thursday night kickoff due to the bad weather moving in on Friday and Saturday, the Eagles’ air attack was more than enough for the Liberty ground game in providing a win.

The victory didn’t come easy, as Chesnee trailed at the half by the score of 21-14. The Red Devils were charitable recipients of opportunity in the first half, as they scored twice in the span of 14 seconds to take a 14-7 lead thanks to some help from the Eagles.

The first score of the game came after Chesnee was backed up deep in its own territory to start a drive. After a three-yard loss on first down by Ethan Ezell, Donnahoo found Josh Robinson behind the defense for a 94-yard bomb to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead and ignite the Chesnee faithful.

Following a fine 45-yard kickoff return by Kris Murphy, the Red Devils only had to march 27 yards for their first score. Tyler Renaud scored from three yards out to knot the score at 7-7. Austin Hughey had a nice keeper on the drive good for 16 yards, down to the Eagles’ 5-yard line.

On the ensuing kickoff, Aaron Bates’ super hit on Austin Page forced a fumble, and Liberty’s Kevin Tabron scooped up the loose ball at the Chesnee 41-yard line and raced down the right sideline for a 14-7 Red Devil lead.

Chesnee then went 60 yards in 10 plays, and Donnahoo completed his second touchdown pass, this time good for 23 yards, as he found Isaiah Ellis in the back of the end zone to tie the game at 14-14, still in the first quarter.

The Red Devils took the lead at the half thanks to a bad punt snap by the Eagles at their own 16-yard line. Five plays later, Nick Reeves went over right guard from one yard out to make the score 21-14 in favor of the visitors.

The Red Devils had a great chance to extend their lead on their first series of the third quarter. Tabron was right in the middle of the action again as he intercepted a Donnahoo pass and returned it 19 yards to the Chesnee 41-yard line. Liberty was driving, but a Cavaugio Butler fumble on the exchange at the Eagle 21-yard line ended the drive and shifted the momentum back to Chesnee.

Two possessions later, Donnahoo was again coming up with a big play, as this time he connected with Josh Robinson for a 43-yard touchdown strike past the Liberty defense to tie the game at 21-21.

The Red Devils were not able to mount any serious drives after that, and the Eagles played flawlessly in the fourth quarter. The Red Devils mounted a small drive of 28 yards to the Eagle 44-yard line, but were forced to punt.

Hughey backed the Eagles up again deep in their own territory to the 31-yard line with a 31-yard punt. This time Donnahoo put the nail in the coffin with his fourth touchdown pass of the night, an 82-yard hookup with Robinson for a 28-21 lead.

Ethan Ezell, who was everywhere on the field for the Eagle defense, with 12 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, intercepted a Reeves pass at the 27-yard line and returned it seven yards to the Liberty 20-yard line with 3:08 remaining.

Isaiah Morris then scored on a four-yard run to make the final score 35-21.

The Eagles’ air attack was too much for the Red Devil rushing attack. Donnahoo was 16-of-25 on the evening for his 309 passing yards. Robinson and Ellis were his favorite receivers, with six receptions each. Robinson amassed 230 receiving yards.

Renaud was the workhorse for the Red Devils, with 59 yards on 17 carries. Hughey followed with 30 yards on eight carries.

Hughey and Reeves were a combined 4-of-12 passing for just 44 yards.

Aaron Bates led the Red Devils’ defense with seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

With the loss, Liberty falls to 1-5 overall and 1-3 in region play. Chesnee improves to 2-4 overall and 2-1 in region play.

The Red Devils will return home this week to take on the Blacksburg Wildcats.

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By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter

brobinson@thepccourier.com

ANDERSON — Easley and T.L. Hanna battled back and forth all night[cointent_lockedcontent]

John Bolton/BoltonPhoto.com
Easley quarterback Dalton Black threw for 303 yards on Friday against T.L. Hanna, but tossed two interceptions, including one in the final minute, in a 31-24 loss.

Friday night until a fourth-quarter interception by Hanna’s Jay Lagoon ended the Green Wave’s chances of winning the conference game.

With the 31-24 road loss, Easley dropped to 3-3 on the season, but 0-2 in Region I-AAAA with a visit from undefeated Westside on the docket for this Friday night.

Hanna improved to 4-2, 2-0 in the region, and travels to Laurens this Friday night.

Hanna took the early lead Friday night, scoring on a 76-yard pass from Alex Meredith to Davijuan Dean just a minute into the first quarter. Reel Wise kicked the extra point, and Hanna led 7-0.

Later in the quarter, Easley’s Josh Hansen hit a 29-yard field goal to put the Green Wave on the scoreboard.

Late in the opening quarter, Meredith connected with Lucas Catalfomo to increase Hanna’s lead to 14-3.

The two teams battled back and forth until Easley finally found the end zone for the first time when quarterback Dalton Black found Bralan Fuller for a 75-yard touchdown connection to pull the Green Wave to within four at 14-10 with a little less than two minutes to play in the second quarter.

Hanna got the ball back and quickly drove the field, with Wise nailing a 37-yard field goal before half to give his team a 17-10 lead at the break.

The teams struggled to put points on the board for much of the third quartre as well before Meredith found Catalfomo for a two-yard score and a 24-10 lead with 1:48 left in the third quarter.

But the Green Wave didn’t give up. Midway through the fourth quarter, Easley’s Malaki Robinson found the end zone from 19 yards out to cut the lead to 24-17 with 6:08 left in the game.

Hanna’s Darien Rencher answered with a 30-yard touchdown run of his own, making the score 31-17 with 3:43 to play.

Easley again responded, however, as Black hit Holden Martin for an 18-yard score, cutting the lead to 31-24 with 2:32 remaining.

The Green Wave got one last opportunity to get back in the game after they blocked a field goal attempt with 27 seconds to play, but Black was intercepted by Hanna’s Lagoon to end the game.

Although the two teams were rather equal in passing yards, with Easley racking up 303 and Hanna throwing for 280, the Yellow Jackets dominated the ground game, outgaining Easley 190-15.

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