By Eric Sprott
Courtesy The Journal

esprott@upstatetoday.com

CENTRAL — Nothing has come easy for the Daniel High School football team this season, and the look on head coach Randy

John Bolton/BoltonPhoto.com
Nykea Greenlee was named Daniel High School’s 2015 homecoming queen at halftime of Friday’s game.

Robinson’s face indicated as much in the wake of his Lions’ victory over Pickens on Friday night.

In the final seconds of a back-and-forth affair at Singleton Field, Daniel hung on by the slimmest of margins, holding the Blue Flame scoreless on three plays from inside the 11-yard line in the final 14 seconds to capture a 28-24 victory.

“This has been the toughest year of my career,” Robinson said. “When we get something going, we find a way to mess it up … but at least for a change, we found a way to win one this time,”

What the Lions (3-5, 3-2 Western 3A) had going for them going into Friday night was some positive momentum after a one-point loss last week at Belton-Honea Path, which they were a successful two-point conversion shy of winning.

But for whatever reason, that momentum didn’t carry over against the Blue Flame (3-5, 2-3) on Friday.

“This team is just different than any Daniel team I’ve had,” Robinson said. “We rise and fall so quickly, and most teams you get to the point where you know exactly what you’re going to get.

“This team, we can win a State championship one day, and lose to an 0-10 team the next day. It’s just very inconsistent.”

Daniel got off to a promising enough start against Pickens, as Ben Batson — who finished 13-of-26 passing for 236 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions — found Will Swinney for a 45-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter. However, Pickens powered ahead for a 10-7 halftime lead thanks largely to a halfback pass from Adam Thomas to Isaiah Ferguson with less than two minutes until the break.

Daniel then started the second half strong, as a Bru Nimmons fumble recovery on the Blue Flame’s opening drive led directly to a 10-yard scoring strike from Batson to C.J. Scott. Later in the quarter, Batson found Carter Groomes for a 55-yard score to give the Lions a 21-10 lead.

“We take the lead and are sitting there thinking we’re in good shape, but Pickens kept grinding the football,” Robinson said. “They did a good job running the ball against our defense.”

But as the Lions’ offense bogged down, Pickens’ Gunner Covey dove in for 1–yard score early in the fourth quarter, and following a Daniel turnover, scored from 4 yards out to give the Blue Flame a 24-21 lead with 7:53 to play.

Batson then engineered a five-play, 80-yard drive — highlighted by a 43-yard run by the sophomore signal caller — which he capped with a 21-yard yard scoring strike to Groomes, who finished with 107 yards and two scores on four second-half catches, to put Daniel ahead for good at 28-24 with 6:18 left.

Daniel then looked to have sealed the game with 1:33 to play on an interception from Scott in the end zone.

“It was the same play as the play they ran before,” Scott said. “Every time they came to my side, it was a go route, so I expected that one.”

However, Daniel’s ensuing drive went nowhere, and Pickens got the ball back at the Lions’ 31-yard line with 29 seconds to play. Pass interference and personal foul penalties helped the Blue Flame drive all the way to the 9-yard line, but Daniel got a tackle for loss and forced two incomplete passes to end the night and seal the victory.