Daniel vs Camden

[stretch]

These are the two undisputed best teams from the upperstate and lower state and that exactly how a State Championship game should be. All season I’m sure this is the game everyone was expecting in the 3A title game. Both teams are undefeated at 9-0 and this might be the most evenly matched game of the 4 other games this weekend.

Camden and Daniel have not played each other in 13 years but the times they have played in the late 80’s and early 90’s were usually in the upperstate final or upperstate semifinals. Ddub14 probably has seen every matchup between these two teams and I have only seen these teams play once in 2007 where we just destroyed them in the first round. This game is also a chance for both schools to end long state title droughts with Daniel’s being 22 years and Camden’s being 19.

Camden favors the run with #4 Bracey and #22 Lane who are both great players that are speedsters and physical runners. Those two have been the ones carrying this whole team throughout the season with over 1800 yards of offense between the two. They will try to continue to carry the weight in this next game. Their QB Pearson is okay from what I’ve watched he likes to run more than pass and his passing is nothing to be wowed by and the receivers are nothing special and the only one that consistently gets passes thrown his was #2 Lyles only has 300 receiving yards. O-Line has some big guys that are good they definitely are a big reason why their backs shine in games. Their defense is solid all around led by #11 Byrnes who is a do everything type of player and the rest of the defensive players are all great athletes that tackle and can make athletic plays.

Daniel favors the pass with Trent Pearman at QB and a deep receiving group that has only been getting better throughout the playoffs. One receiver that has been playing his best ball is Javares Hamilton. In the past two games he has been a great target for Pearman on short and deep routes that fights for every yard he can get. Running backs have been silently efficient with Wise Segars and Jordan Grayden carrying the load at that position and doing very well for the carries they get. The O-Line was missing the starting center last week but no one would’ve noticed because they still did a great job with the next man up. Defense has been doing great stopping the run with the D-Line led by my neighbor Griffin Batt and Jahiem Lawson. Linebackers are always making plays with Blake Simpson and Jacob Hendricks whether it is a pass or run. The secondary looked subpar last week. They are lucky that the Wren QB missed on throws but their one TD was the result of a bad man-man coverage play by our Safety.

The questions to this game are simple:
Can Daniel stop the Camden Run game?
Can Camden stop the Daniel passing attack?
This game has all the ingredients to be a great end to the football season and I’m looking forward to it. I know who I’m pulling for in this one and I hope we can take this trophy home.

[Ddub14]

So stretch you would be correct. Had to rack my brain for a second to see if I missed any but I’m an addict for this stuff .
Anyway Daniel I believe is 5-1 all time against Camden. The most memorable of the contests was the 3 times they faced off in 4 years. In 1988 Daniel defeated Camden and then finally got over the Clinton hurdle only to fall in the ship game to Manning by 1. That team was led by the greats Louis Austin Ron Palmer and Terry Smith . Two years later Daniels only to Camden came at the hands of one of the great teams of all time. That Camden team had a three headed monster of Andre Carter Kerry Hayes and Bobby Engram. What a game and an atmosphere. Camden pulled away second half and Daniel didn’t help its cause by fumbling 2 times inside their ten , but Daniel was a year away . The next year they got their revenge in the playoffs on their way to a perfect season . To this day in 3a ball I have not seen two better teams than the 90 Camden and 91 Daniel team maybe the 96 Fairfield Central team could make an argument ,99 union but I think either of those teams beats both.


As for Saturday I agree this is the most intriguing ,equal ,and most tradition rich game of the weekend. I don’t really know what to think. Watching tape of Camden one thing is for sure they are heavy up front and can run the ball. But their opponents have been in my opinion pretty weak up front. They can be exposed on the backside on defense and if they don’t get to our qb they are in trouble. I personally think the whole thing may come down to special teams and in that is the one area I think Daniel has a true advantage . Their kick coverage to me is lacking but hopefully they don’t get to kick off that much. For. Some reason they go for two a lot . I don’t know if that’s a lack of trust in their fg unit or trust in the offense bowling over people. I’m not In the prediction business never have been, only what my eyes have seen . I see a tough gritty game with whoever can dictate their pace and style winning . Hoping that it’s the Columbia blue and gold.

[fdgrad00]

Didnt the 91 daniel team defeated Stall for the title? I know stall was led by Anthony Johnson who played basketball for the new jersey nets

[Ddub14]

They did

[Ddub14]

That particular team was something extra special.
They had the biggest line in the state with all 5 lineman getting scholarships. Including will young at Clemson and Joel holiday to Alabama. They also had the beat Qb ever at Daniel in Shawn young. The defense was nasty giving up 100 points all year in the toughest region in 3a that year. Beat Seneca that year 28-0 they went 11-2
Beat Greer twice by a combined score of 52-14
That team was 12-2
Beat Laurens 21-7 they won the 4A title that year, no 5A then just big 16
They never trailed in a game that year and gave up 0 points in the first and fourth quarter the entire year. In 15 games they scored 15 times the first drive of the 3rd quarter.
Amazing stuff.

[CITYSLICKER]

RANDY IS ON THE WAY TO SAVE THE DAY AGAIN. MIGHTY RANDY

[Ddub14]

You keep pushing him back onto us when we’re already near the summit. There must be some money y’all owe him if he doesn’t take another job or something! Lol

[spectator]

I haven't seen either of these teams play.........i do know that Gilbert destroyed dillon and then camden destroyed gilbert.........camden ran wild against an undefeated gilbert defense.....if you can pick up 3 yards and one foot each play, and not turn over the ball, you are almost statistically impossible to beat..........and i think camden may be able to do that...........just a shot in the dark.........

[Ddub14]

I’m not one for going off who beat who unless there’s opponents on each teams schedule that both have faced . That’s why this one is hard to judge. One hand says yea Camden destroyed Gilbert and they beat Dillon but as even Dillon fans on here have admitted it’s not the same Dillon team as old. And frankly what has Gilbert really ever done in 3a . Nothing. Add to that Camden got a bye before that game.

Now Daniel on the other hand again has been slugging it out in 4A for four years despite being one of the smallest schools in that division and thriving the last two.
Their opponents during the playoffs.
2018 3a champs Check
2019 3a champs 22 game win streak Check
2019 4A champs Check twice

So if your going to compare roads and schedules take both into consideration.