EASLEY — It was a night of fumbles, flags and ultimately rookie mistakes for Daniel that allowed Easley to turn what was expected to be a close game into a sweeping 31-12 victory.
It started off fast when Easley’s Maurico Holcombe came up with a Lions’ fumble mid-field. Cavario Cureton capitalized on the (first) turnover by running 45-yards up the middle for a touchdown. PAT upped the score to 7-0 Easley in the first.
For Daniel (1-1), things quickly came undone.
Another Daniel fumble, this one picked up by Darious Jamison, set up another pass to the end-zone to put the Green Wave up by 14 in the second quarter.
The Lions, scrambling to get on the board, managed a touchdown following an Easley fumble in the second but a missed extra point kept the score 14-6.
And then, yet again, Daniel fumbled, ending their drive as both teams headed down to the locker rooms at the half.
The first part of the third was a stalemate until the Green Wave knocked out a 36-yard field goal with just over four minutes left in the quarter, upping their lead to 17-6.
In the fourth, the Lions put it all on the field to try and salvage a win but only managed to put up six more points. It was the last time Daniel would change the scoreboard.
With five minutes remaining, a touchdown put Easley up 24-12 before Cureton shoved another one in from a yard out with just over a minute left to play, bringing the score to its final 31-12.
Easley moves on to play Belton-Honea Path away on Friday. Daniel will host Seneca in their home opener.