2025 Preview: Daniel Lions

For just the fifth time since 1960, another coaching era is set to begin this fall at Daniel High with new head coach Chris Stone. Stone, who guided Walhalla to its first playoff victory since 1995 last season, takes over for Jeff Fruster. Fruster stepped down in March after leading the Lions to three state championships over the past nine seasons.   Stone takes over a program looking to "rebound" from an 11-2 record last fall, which ended with it's first home loss since 2019 when South Pointe defeated the Lions in the third round of the Class 4A playoffs. That marked the most losses for Daniel in a season since 2018, when it also went 11-2. After going 2-9 in 2017, the Lions have compiled a record of 84-6 since. Stone looks forward to the challenge of coaching a program with the highest of expectations.   "I've never coached a team without championship expectations," Stone said. "It's always an expectation that we're going to win every single football game. ... It's no different here. The history and culture that's been set here by previous coaches already has provided that championship level expectation, so these guys are hungry."   There's also a new, but familiar, face at quarterback for Daniel this season as [player_tooltip player_id='1094520' first='Jace' last='Grass'] has returned to the program after a terrific freshman season last fall at Pendleton.   "He's got elite arm talent. He can really spin it," Stone said. "But the biggest thing that I'm beginning to see is the way that he's leading the team. I think he's got a chance to be a great leader of men and that's the part that I want to see him continue to grow in, because he's got all the skills - running it, throwing it, making reads."   Grass will have plenty of targets to choose from this season as the Lions are loaded at wide receiver. Those include [player_tooltip player_id='1603787' first='Elijah' last='Lipsey'], [player_tooltip player_id='1467841' first='Trey' last='Wimbley'] , [player_tooltip player_id='410912' first='Preston' last='Bivens'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1732654' first='Anthony' last='Scott']. Scott, who goes by "Ham," is the lone senior of that bunch and already has in-game chemistry with Grass as he also transferred in from Pendleton. Scott caught 26 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns last year.   Leading the protection for Grass will be lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1693690' first='Andrew' last='Galloway'] , who's the lone senior on the offensive front. Stone describes the 6-foot-0, 260-pound Galloway as a "nasty" lineman who finishes blocks.   Daniel has more experience returning on defense. There are senior leaders on each part of the defensive unit, including defensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='1592019' first='Dexter' last='Johnson'] (pictured above) and [player_tooltip player_id='1738821' first='Bryson' last='Freeman'], defensive back Cayden Fruster and middle linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1592598' first='Cade' last='Spencer'] . Johnson is lightning quick off the edge, while Freeman is a powerful partner alongside him at tackle. Fruster is described by Stone as the "quarterback" of the defense. Spencer was second on the team last year with 102 tackles, including 11.5 tackles-for-loss and three sacks.   "Even when I was a sophomore playing for a state championship, I've always had a hungry mentality to get better," Johnson said. "As a senior, I'm trying to make sure the younger people around me on the d-line - and everybody else on the team - get better. We just need to get better as one and stay hungry."   Fruster, who had 28 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception in 2024, is part of Daniel's leadership council, a role that he embraces.   "There's a saying here about leaving that gold helmet better than you found it," Fruster said. "It's up to members of that council to help lead us back to that championship level that we've been at for so long. ... We've got really great chemistry this year. We've all grown up playing together and I think that's really going to show."   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1592019' first='Dexter' last='Johnson'] DE, 2026 - Johnson is looking to build off a season in which he led the Lions in sacks with nine and tackles-for-loss with 22. He was also third on the team in tackles with 93.   [player_tooltip player_id='1693690' first='Andrew' last='Galloway'] OL, 2026 - Galloway, who sports a 4.83 GPA, is carrying on the legacy of great Daniel linemen from the past while also helping shape those of the future. "As the only senior on the o-line now, my goal is to pour into these younger kids," Galloway said. "They're young, but they're willing to be sponges and soak in everything they can."   [player_tooltip player_id='1603787' first='Elijah' last='Lipsey'] WR, 2027 - As a sophomore last season, Lipsey was second on the team with 636 receiving yards on 38 catches. Eight of those went for touchdowns. He also returned three kickoffs for 135 yards, including a touchdown.   [player_tooltip player_id='1094520' first='Jace' last='Grass'] QB, 2028 - After just a few days of being a high school student, Grass threw for 317 yards and five touchdowns in Pendleton's season-opening win last season and keep putting up numbers the rest of his freshman season. He finished with 1,969 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1172351' first='PJ' last='Chancellor'] ATH, 2027 - While Chancellor has contributed in all three phases of the game for Daniel, his biggest contribution has come on defense. In the secondary last year, he collected 41 tackles, including 5.5 tackles-for-loss, five pass breakups and two interceptions. Chancellor found the end zone three times last season - on a touchdown catch, an interception return for a touchdown and a kickoff return for a score. Chancellor is also a track star as he is a two-time Class 4A state champion in both the long jump and triple jump. He's received multiple Division I offers, including Clemson where his father Chris played cornerback from 2006-09.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Grayson Clary QB - After throwing for 2,841 yards with 41 touchdowns and two interceptions, and rushing for 310 yards and seven scores as a sophomore last season, Clary has moved on to Rabun Gap (Ga.).   Spencer Conn LB/RB - Conn capped off a brilliant high school career by leading Daniel in tackles (127), rushing (570 yards), yards per carry (10.4) and tied for the team lead in rushing touchdowns (7). He's now playing for Murray State.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   [player_tooltip player_id='410912' first='Preston' last='Bivens'] ATH, 2027 - With only so many footballs to go around, Bivens had limited but solid contributions last season. He had nine receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns, along with 14 rushing attempts for 104 yards. "I don't think anybody knows who [player_tooltip player_id='410912' first='Preston' last='Bivens'] is, but they will by the time the season is over," Stone said.   [player_tooltip player_id='1738821' first='Bryson' last='Freeman'] DT, 2026 - Freeman, who is Johnson's running mate along the defensive front, had 57 tackles, including seven tackles-for-loss and 6.5 sacks last season. "He's probably just as athletic as Dex (Johnson), but a little bigger," Stone said.    Wimbley made an immediate impact as a freshman last season as he caught 28 passes for 583 for a team-high 20.8 yards per catch. Wimbley, who's also a track standout, tied for second on the team with eight touchdown receptions. He's already received multiple Division I offers, including ones from Ole Miss and SMU.

For just the fifth time since 1960, another coaching era is set to begin this fall at Daniel High with new head coach Chris Stone. Stone, who guided Walhalla to its first playoff victory since 1995 last season, takes over for Jeff Fruster. Fruster stepped down in March after leading the Lions to three state championships over the past nine seasons.