Putnam County tailback Rashod Daniel knew what was on the line against Towers on Senior Night last Friday.
Daniel helped the War Eagles win 48-14 over the Titans, keeping his team’s region title hopes alive.
“My senior night was amazing, to say the least,” said Daniel. “Capturing the win and scoring four touchdowns was great, but my favorite part was our annual senior night speech. Every senior has to say [something] in front of the underclassmen. Watching and observing the last three years, I never thought I would actually be the one speaking, but it felt good to motivate and pump up the team.”
Daniel’s speech must have worked since his team dominated Towers from start to finish.
Daniel, who recently decommitted from the United States Military Academy, helped spark the Putnam County offensive unit, rushing for 170 yards on 24 attempts and four touchdowns. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound senior running back picked up the tough yards last week.
Putnam head coach Joel Harvin said he was proud of Daniel, especially since quarterback Jamarion Robertson got hurt. Harvin explained how Daniel has stepped up in Robertson’s absence on offense.
“He’s been a great player [and] a great teammate. He’s one of those kids that any coach in America would love to have on his team. He’s 100 percent bought in,” Harvin said of Daniel.
“It’s been a little different than it was last year. He’s accepted that role of carrying it 18 to 20 times a game and maybe having to go and play 15 to 20 snaps on defense. He’s just being a good team player. I’m super proud of him for the year that he’s had. I look forward to him carrying us a long way.”
Backup quarterback Branan Griffin also helped on the offensive side of the ball. The junior signal caller rushed for 87 yards on 12 attempts, averaging 7.3 yards, and twice reached the end zone.
The tandem of Daniel and Griffin, along with the Putnam County offensive line, exploited weaknesses in Towers’ front seven. The Titans couldn’t stop the War Eagles, who rushed for 303 yards.
Putnam County also put together one of its best defensive performances of the regular season. The War Eagles limited Towers’ offensive unit to under 100 yards and forced four turnovers.
“They came out in some funky sets to begin the game that we hadn’t ever seen before,” Harvin said. “But as an experienced coach, you’ve seen it somewhere along the way. It just took us a minute to adjust. It took us a couple of plays.
“Defensively, we finally fixed where we were supposed to line up, which made them get out of the crazy sets they were doing,” the coach added. “We had a good week of preparation for them and limited big plays. We got a couple of interceptions that helped out.”
Senior Kavar Andrews intercepted two passes, and junior Christian Farley also had a pick.
The turnovers were drive-killers for the Titans, and the War Eagles took advantage of their offensive miscues. They also lost a fumble and had junior Rodney Hines return a blocked punt for a score.
With the win, Putnam evened its record at 4-4 overall. The War Eagles are also now 2-1 in region play. They will travel to Barnesville on Friday to face Lamar County (6-1, 3-0) in what promises to be another tough region matchup.