High school coach badly beaten by opposing players

By George Mathis

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The beating of its high school football coach has prompted the superintendent of Warren County schools to seek the state's assistance in obtaining a "complete investigation" of the Friday attack.

Warren County Superintendent Dr. Jean Carey said the school system has asked the Georgia attorney general's office to request a GBI investigation into the after-game fight that seriously injured head football coach David Daniel. No arrests have been made.

Carey said Daniel was attacked after Friday night's 21-2 victory in Hancock County.

Carey, who witnessed the incident, said Warren County players were locked out of the visiting locker room after the Sparta school's homecoming game.

A group of more than 30 Hancock players attacked Warren players, said Carey.

"Our players had nowhere to go, and felt like they had to defend themselves," said Carey.

Daniel tried to intervene and was "smashed in the face with a helmet," said Carey.

Daniel was hospitalized with head injuries and has undergone major reconstructive surgery to his face, including crushed bones above and below his eye.

GBI spokesman John Bankhead said earlier Monday that Carey requested the state agency look into the attack. However, "the GBI, under Georgia law, cannot initiate an investigation at the request of a school superintendent," said Bankhead.

Carey said she asked Hancock County Sheriff Tomlyn Primus to bring the GBI into the investigation, but he declined.

Sheriff Primus confirmed Monday afternoon that no arrests have been made.

"It's still under investigation," said Primus. "Until we have all the facts we are not going to make any arrests."

He said he declined Carey's request to bring in the GBI because it is "my responsibility to investigate any incident that has taken place, and [Carey] has not given me opportunity to do so."

"Apparently Warren County has all the facts and we don't," said Primus, "but not all of what they say happened is true."

He would not provide any details. "I'm not able to release any information until we get to the bottom of it," said Primus.

Carey said Warren and Hancock counties share a fierce rivalry, but the attack is "not something you'd expect." She said three minutes before the conclusion of the game she'd checked with Warren County school resource officers to make sure the team had a "quick escape plan."

"We all love football, but we are truly grieved that such an example was set for the players," said Carey.

Warren and Hancock counties are about 100 miles east of Atlanta, south of I-20.