By Rocky Nimmons
Publisher

rnimmons@thepccourier.com

YORK — Jeff Fruster’s first season as the head coach of his alma mater is in the books. The York Cougars made sure of it with a 35-10 thumping of the Lions in round of the Class 4A playoffs Friday in York.

Daniel hung tough, even taking a 10-7 lead into the halftime intermission, only to see the wheels fall off in the final quarter. The Lions were outscored 28-0 in the fourth quarter, with three of the touchdowns coming via the big play.

“I think the kids came out and played primarily hard for most of the game,” Fruster said. “We let some big plays go against us. I think we got psyched out a bit by the things that were happening at the end of the game.”

The Lions did manage three interceptions, all by junior defensive back Michael Becker, but only one led to points. York, however, dominated the stats posting 424 yards to the Lions’ 138.

“The one thing that I have learned this season is that momentum is very hard to keep and maintain,” Fruster said. “I thought we had a lot of it going in the first quarter, and we didn’t do enough to keep it in the second half. Once you lose it, it is something that is hard to get back.”

The game kicked off with the Lions getting the ball to open. A quick three-and-out put York in great field position the first time it had the ball. Starting at their own 40-yard line, the Cougars mounted a six-play series that led to the game’s first points. Big plays included a 17-yard pass from York quarterback Ethan Mitchell to wide receiver Shandon Cobb for 17 yards, followed two plays later by a 25-yard completion from Mitchell to La’daruis Allison. Mitchell capped the drive with a seven-yard TD toss to Allison with 8:54 left in the first quarter. Myles Prosser added the PAT, making the score 7-0 in favor of York.

Following an exchange of punts, the Lion defense began to roar. Facing a third and six from the Lions’ 34-yard line, Mitchell went back to the air, only to have his pocket picked by Becker, who was sitting back in coverage for the Lions.

After the turnover, Fruster’s offense just couldn’t muster a drive and was forced to punt the ball away once more. Daniel punter and field goal kicker Nick Muchow sent a nice one down the field, giving the Cougars the pigskin near midfield at the York 45.

Rocky Nimmons/Courier Daniel’s Billy Bruce is dragged down by a York defender during their game Friday night.

The Lion defenders were still playing lights out. On the Cougars’ second snap from scrimmage, again Becker was the man when he stepped in front of another Mitchell pass, giving his team the ball at the York 46.

Daniel quarterback Ben Batson wasted little time, as he fired a 36-yard pass on first down to receiver Will Swinney to the York 10-yard line. Daniel’s only touchdown of the night came three plays later when Batson slung one to Kiandre Sims from nine yards out. Muchow split the uprights on the extra point, evening the game at 7-7 with 10:55 to play in the half.

The Lions took the lead late in the first half. This time it was another turnover that set the Daniel series in motion. The Lions had been forced to punt, and Muchow blasted one downfield with York’s Ke’trael Lytle back deep. Lytle bobbled the kick, allowing Daniel to take over at the Cougar 21. The Lions offense sputtered, but they were close enough for Muchow, who came on and nailed a 39-yard field goal with 3:13 to play, giving the Lions a 10-7 lead.

The lead held up until the fourth quarter, when fate stopped smiling on Fru’s crew. A Batson interception got things going for York. The Cougars took over at the Lion 42-yard line and went right to work. On first down, Mitchell hit Cobb for 25 yards on a post pattern and followed that up two plays later with a 17-yard strike to Allison for touchdown. Prosser added the PAT with 11:23 to play in the contest, giving the Cougars a 14-10 lead.

Rocky Nimmons/Courier

Daniel senior Will Swinney fights for yardage after a catch at York on Friday night.

It was all downhill from that point, as the Lions began to self destruct. The very next time York had the ball, it was obvious the Cougars were out for blood. On the series’ second snap, Paul Moore took a Mitchell handoff and split the Daniel defense, racing 71 yards to paydirt. Prosser tacked on the PAT with 9:11 to play, pushing the York lead to 21-10.

It quickly went from bad to worse following the ensuing kickoff, as the Lions where stymied deep at the 22. The drive started at the 38-yard line, but back-to-back sacks on backup Lion quarterback Noah Lupton, who was subbing for the injured Batson, killed the drive and forced a punt. Disaster stuck when Muchow was cornered as he got the kick away, with the Cougars blocking the kick. Cobb was “Johnny on the spot” and snatched up the loose ball in the end zone for six points with 7:01 to play. Prosser added the PAT, pushing York’s lead to 28-10.

The game’s final points of the night came on another big play. This time it was a 65-yard scamper by Moore on first down. Again Prosser nailed the PAT, ending the Lions’ season with a 35-10 loss.

“The kids did a good job of persevering,” Fruster said. “Even when the game got away from us, the kids were still fighting and playing hard. I think we have hope for the future.”

Fruster added that he had learned during his first season as a head coach that you can’t take anything for granted.

“I am very proud of these kids and what they were able to accomplish this year, having a winning season for the first time since 2014,” he said. “I have found to take comfort in the little things and to continue to build on.”

This was the last game for 14 seniors, who will never wear the Lions’ golden helmet again.

“We had a lot of things that happened to us this year, breaks that went against us, and they continued to persevere and fight through. I’m proud of this senior class and what they were able to accomplish this season,” Fruster said.

By Eugene Jolley
Courier Sports

ejolley@thepccourier.com

GREENWOOD — Greenwood pulled away for a 31-7 win over Easley Friday night in the first round of the South Carolina Class 5A playoffs, putting an end to the Green Wave’s season.

Easley finished the season with a 5-6 record. Greenwood (9-2) advances to play at Boiling Springs in the second round.

Easley could not have drawn up a better way to start the game, keeping the ball for more than eight minutes on the opening drive. Greenwood was guilty of an illegal substitution on fourth down, keeping the drive alive early, and quarterback Weston Black hit Tyrese Bradley for 10 on fourth and four at the 46.

The drive eventually reached the Eagles’ 26, but Black was called for intentional grounding and Nathan Baker tried a 45-yard field goal that missed wide right with 3:46 left in the first quarter.

Points may have made a huge difference there, as Greenwood responded, going 80 yards in nine plays. Facing third and seven at the 34, quarterback Rashun Jackson found junior receiver Sam Pinckney over the middle for a 34-yard touchdown. Jackson barely eluded the pressure of linebacker Caleb Hill on the play before finding Pinckney over the middle with 37.5 seconds left in the first quarter. Niess McCoy’s kick made it 7-0.

“We didn’t convert right there,” Easley coach John Windham said. “We had a penalty there that set us back. It was a one-score game there till right before the half. (Pinckney) made several big plays tonight. I’m proud of the way our guys played and played this season, but I give (Greenwood) credit. They had more explosive plays than we did. We had it going a little bit early and we were not able to capitalize on it. I give Greenwood a lot of credit. They played well tonight.”

The rest of the half was a defensive standstill. Late in the half, following a 44-yard Baker punt, the Eagles, starting at their own 9, went back to the big play. Facing second and 7 at the 12, Jackson threw it as far as he could throw it, and Pinckney made the catch for 48 yards to the Easley 40. The drive stalled at the 17 with time running out. McCoy then kicked a 34-yard field goal that hit the cross bar and bounced over as time expired on the half, making it 10-0.

Kerry Gilstrap/Courier

Quarterback Weston Black and the Easley Green Wave saw their season come to an end Friday night at Greenwood.

“That was huge. It hit the cross bar and bounced over there,” Windham said. “One more rotation and it might not have got through there. It was big, but we’re not out of the game by any means. We moved the ball well at times, but we just didn’t score enough points. They had a lot to do with that. They had some really big plays.”

More of those big plays would come early in the second half. On the third play of the half on third and eight, Jackson again threw it as far as he could and Pinckney ran under it for a 75-yard scoring strike with 10:28 left in the third quarter, making it 17-0.

The Eagles then got a big 45-yard punt return by Von Ramsey to the Easley 30. Four plays later, and following a pass interference penalty, tailback Rayshawn Moss squirted through to score from nine yards out, making it 24-0 with 7:29 left in the quarter.

Kerry Gilstrap/Courier

Sean-Thomas Faulkner is one of a number of seniors the Easley Green Wave must replace heading into next season.

Easley got some momentum going early in the fourth quarter, but on fourth and four, Black was picked off by Tim Ewing, who returned it to the Green Wave 22. Four plays later, Moss ran untouched from 10 yards out, making it 31-0 with 6:31 left.

Easley came back, aided by a roughing the passer penalty. Will Drawdy then ran 23 yards to the 15. The drive stalled, and the Green Wave tried a trick play with receiver Bralan Fuller throwing back to Black, but it was stopped for a six-yard loss.

Easley got it back as Hill had a tackle for loss on third down. Black fired deep to Fuller, who out-jumped Justin Arnold at the 20 and went in untouched for the 56-yard touchdown with 1:55 left.

Levi Segee recovered the onside kick for Easley, giving the Green Wave one more chance. Black hit Fuller for 37 down to the 19, but another sack and incomplete throwback pass led to a turnover on downs.

“It’s the first time we’ve been to the playoffs in three or four years,” Windham said. “I’m very proud of everything the seniors have done for Easley. They’ve played well. We had a very competitive team this year. I would have loved to have kept playing, but it didn’t go our way tonight.”

As for the future, Windham is optimistic.

“I think we have a lot to build on. We have some good guys coming back. We’ve just got to continue to work hard, keep developing and keep getting better,” Windham said.