By Jeff Devine, The Chronicle
SAMSON, Ala. — For nearly four quarters, the Daleville Warhawks and Samson Tigers appeared to be pretty evenly matched as they battled through a defensive struggle that seemed destined to come down to one final play.
Unfortunately for Daleville, that final play belonged to Samson.
The Tigers scored with just 40 seconds remaining Friday night, then converted the ensuing two-point try to turn a 7-6 deficit into a 14-7 victory over the visiting Warhawks.
It was a tough ending to a game in which Daleville’s defense kept the Warhawks within striking distance from the opening kickoff.
Samson struck first, taking a 6-0 lead, but Daleville answered in the second quarter in a way only the Warhawks can manage.
Dalton Damron stepped in front of a Samson pass tipped by Gavin Thomas, and Damron caught it off the tip, taking the interception all the way back for a touchdown, giving the Warhawks a 7-6 advantage at halftime. And the crowd, at least in the visitors’ stands, went wild!
From there, the game became a defensive chess match of back-and-forth.
Neither team could find the end zone during the third quarter, and Daleville carried its slim one-point advantage into the final period.
With every defensive stop, the Warhawks moved closer to walking out of Samson with a hard-earned road victory.
But the Samson Tigers refused to give up, and their perseverance paid off in the end.
With only 40 seconds left on the clock, the Tigers finally broke through for the go-ahead touchdown. Rather than settle for a one-point lead, Samson went for two and converted, pushing the Tigers ahead 14-7.
Daleville had one final opportunity, but the clock ultimately ran out on the Warhawks’ comeback hopes.
Despite the loss, Damron turned in a standout performance on both sides of the football and was Daleville’s top-performing player of the night.
Damron finished with seven tackles, three assists, a quarterback pressure, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and, most importantly, the interception return for a touchdown that temporarily put Daleville in front.
His pick-six provided the Warhawks with their biggest spark of the night and helped turn what could have been an early deficit into a one-point halftime lead.
In the end, though, Samson’s late-game surge proved to be the difference.
The Warhawks will have to regroup quickly after coming within 40 seconds of pulling off a road victory in a game where defense dominated the night. They will face Geneva in Daleville on Friday, September 4, with kickoff at 7pm, as Daleville starts Region play. Stay tuned to The Chronicle for the latest sports news.
