The Daniel Lions have been a powerhouse program in the upstate over the last few seasons, winning three state titles in the last five years, but this year the team is entering a new era under new head coach Chris Stone.Stone replaces Jeff Fruster, who coached the Lions for 9 seasons. Stone was previously the head coach at Walhalla, where the Razorbacks finished last season with a 6-6 record.”I think it’s definitely different, at Walhalla we were in a sense rebuilding,” Stone said. “We were trying to build something in general, trying to lay the groundwork and get something that was going to be able to last. Here at Daniel, they have something that has lasted, and so it’s more of just tweaks here and there and allowing my philosophies to marry their philosophies, so it’s different, but it’s good.”The Lions return 10 starters from a team that won 11 games a year ago. Sophomore Jace Grass, who played for Pendleton last year, will be the Lions’ starting quarterback. Stone is looking forward to seeing this year’s team come together.”It all happened pretty quickly, trying to pack the last two years of organization and types of things that work for me and what I like to do as head coach and as an organization and putting that into a couple of months has been a challenge,” Stone said. “But we have great assistant coaches, we have great players, so feel really blessed to be around these guys.”The Lions open their season on Aug. 22 at Chapman.

CENTRAL, S.C. —

The Daniel Lions have been a powerhouse program in the upstate over the last few seasons, winning three state titles in the last five years, but this year the team is entering a new era under new head coach Chris Stone.

Stone replaces Jeff Fruster, who coached the Lions for 9 seasons. Stone was previously the head coach at Walhalla, where the Razorbacks finished last season with a 6-6 record.

“I think it’s definitely different, at Walhalla we were in a sense rebuilding,” Stone said. “We were trying to build something in general, trying to lay the groundwork and get something that was going to be able to last. Here at Daniel, they have something that has lasted, and so it’s more of just tweaks here and there and allowing my philosophies to marry their philosophies, so it’s different, but it’s good.”

The Lions return 10 starters from a team that won 11 games a year ago. Sophomore Jace Grass, who played for Pendleton last year, will be the Lions’ starting quarterback. Stone is looking forward to seeing this year’s team come together.

“It all happened pretty quickly, trying to pack the last two years of organization and types of things that work for me and what I like to do as head coach and as an organization and putting that into a couple of months has been a challenge,” Stone said. “But we have great assistant coaches, we have great players, so feel really blessed to be around these guys.”

The Lions open their season on Aug. 22 at Chapman.