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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

Draeton Nance threw for – this is not a typo – a Davie record 450 yards in his varsity debut. Yes, the new single-game record for passing yards was set by a freshman. On top of that, Nance became just the fourth Davie quarterback to toss five-plus touchdowns in a game.

That’s ludicrous.

Ethan Driver, who is just a machine, set a new mark for receiving yards in a game at 268, becoming just the third War Eagle in the school’s 69-year history to eclipse 200 yards in a game.

Nance and Driver breathed life into a season that was about to be put on the respirator. The War Eagles were in a fierce battle with North Davidson for three quarters on Friday in Welcome. But then they busted loose and wound up stuffing North in a locker, 44-17.

Davie, playing its second game in five days, cracked the win column at 1-2 in its final nonconference game. North stumbled to 0-3.

“He’s got four years and we’re glad to have him,” Driver said of Nance. “He should grow into an amazing player, and I’m glad I’m playing with him.”

North was moving the ball in Davie territory before a fumble allowed the visitors to grab the momentum. North’s quarterback lost the ball on a running play and Davie cornerback Landon King recovered it at the Davie 21.

An 11-play drive ensued. Nance swung the ball out to running back Braxton Bowling for an 11-yard gain that had a 15-yard penalty against North tacked on. Nance put the ball in a tight window over the middle to Driver, who picked up 21 yards. The 79-yard drive was culminated by Dallas Simms, who ran a fade route to the back corner of the end zone. The result was a perfect throw and catch and a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter.

“I think that really helped (Nance) say: ‘OK, here we go,’” coach Tim Devericks said.

Davie’s lead, though, lasted less than a minute. Davie appeared to have busted coverage when North running back Amir Dalton ran a deep pass route. QB Ethan Pickle hit the wide-open target for an 89-yard score. North’s point-after try was good for a 7-6 lead.

But the third TD in 82 seconds came two plays later. It was an amazingly exciting moment for Nance and his freshman brother Noah Dulin, who got behind the secondary and dashed 80 yards for a 12-7 lead.

“We argue and we play-fight and everything, but when we get on the field we’re brotherly love,” Nance said.

“A lot was going through my head, but it felt really good,” Dulin said.

North fought back, sacking Nance and causing a fumble that a Black Knight recovered. Six plays and 56 yards later, it was 14-12 in favor of the hosts.

But the Nance phenomenon really kicked into gear on Davie’s next possession. Driver, who makes highlight-reel catches every game, made a leaping grab for 33 yards. Two plays later, Nance went deep and hit Dulin for 44 yards. Davie bogged down after reaching the North 6, but kicker Max McCall made sure Davie came away with points by banging through a 28-yard field goal.

It was 15-14 Davie at halftime.

Davie was looking to stretch the lead when Elijah Chaffin and Elliott Gould forced a turnover on downs and Bowling churned for 5, 12 and 4 yards to the North 33. But Nance was hit as he threw and North intercepted at its 23.

Then North moved the ball to within field-goal range for its powerful kicker. Connor Dunn split the uprights from 51 yards out to put North back in front 17-15 with 1:24 left in the third.

“It’s never easy playing North Davidson,” Devericks said of an old rivalry that was 27-27 before the 55th meeting kicked off. “It’s always going to be a good battle.”

After Dunn created jubilation on the home side, Nance’s night reached legendary status and Driver kept doing Driver things. On the first play from scrimmage following the long FG, Nance heaved a moon ball. Driver came back to get the underthrown ball and then faked out everybody in sight.

Driver juked a defender at the North 31, then another at the 30. He juked a man at the 28, juked another at the 14 and yet another at the 6. The 63-yard TD, along with Driver’s two-point reception, vaulted Davie ahead 23-17.

Three plays after North’s offense went three-and-out, North’s secondary lost Driver, who was all alone at the North 10. The 44-yard TD broke the game open at 30-17.

Two plays after another three-and-out for North, Nance and Driver delivered the knockout blow, an 83-yard hookup that marked Driver’s third TD in four minutes, 20 seconds.

Leon Bradshaw started at QB in the opener at Mooresville. Aiden Hall started week two against West Rowan. With the offense struggling mightily, Devericks summoned the 6-0, 180-pound freshman. Nance conceded there were serious butterflies at the game’s start, but it didn’t take him long to look calm and comfortable. His impossible dream game saw him complete 20 of 35 for 450 yards, an average of 22.5 yards per completion. He surpassed Alex Summers’ record of 448 yards in a 62-28 loss at Glenn in 2021. This was the sixth 400-yard passing game in Davie annals, and incredibly, a freshman is the new No. 1 in that category.

“I was nervous,” Nance said. “Coming from JV, it’s a whole different ballgame. The stands are packed, everything, so yeah I was nervous the first play. I had to keep my composure; can’t let the opponent know I’m feeling nervous.”

“Anyone would be nervous,” Devericks said. “The first time you step out there and you’re the one taking the snaps, you’re going to have butterflies. That’s why we tried to get him to smile and told him to settle in and play football. Once he calmed down and realized it’s just a game of football, he did really well.”

A Davie QB fired five or more TDs in a game for the fifth time. Ty Miller holds the record of seven set last year. Summers threw five TDs twice in 2021 and Chris Reynolds threw five in 2016. Nance is in a four-way tie for second.

“I want to thank God,” Nance said. “I wouldn’t be here without Him, and I want to thank my o-line. They showed out tonight.”

“I believed in him,” Dulin said of his brother. “He works hard, he has confidence through the roof, he’s an all-around good player.”

How ridiculously good is Driver? The junior finished with nine catches for 268 yards, breaking a record by Ben Ellis, who had 253 yards in a 48-36 loss to West Rowan in 2014. Ellis (200 yards against Page in 2015) and Cooper Wall (235 against Page in 2016) had the only 200-yard performances before Driver went supersonic on the Black Knights’ secondary.

“I’ve known him since I was little playing Fastbreak basketball,” Nance said of Driver. “Coming to play with him, it’s just awesome.”

“It’s really good to learn from him,” Dulin added. “He runs his routes to perfection. His attitude is always good.”

Driver’s receiving average through 14 varsity games: 100.7 yards.

“I’m glad he’s got the Davie jersey on,” Devericks said. “He’s super competitive. Like Braddock (Coleman), he wants what’s best for the team. The performance he put on tonight was phenomenal, but if it’s somebody else that makes all those catches and scores, he’d be just as excited.”

Davie’s defense twisted the knife with 8:32 to go, forcing a Pickle fumble that d-lineman Braylon Arnold recovered at the North 8. Jamarius Pelote would punch it in from the 1 to give Davie 29 unanswered points and cap the scoring.

After making two catches for 3 yards in the first two games, Dulin was electric, turning five receptions into 147 yards.

“I’m super excited for (Dulin), too,” Devericks said. “That was pretty awesome.”

Notes: Davie has a bye this week. … Davie has five straight wins over North. … Nance maintained a clean jersey and Bowling churned out 84 rushing yards behind an o-line of sophomore left tackle David Hicks, junior left guard Xavier Parker, senior center Ryder Strickland, sophomore right guard Ahmad McGee and junior right tackle Eli Waddell. Junior Ryan Williams, Hicks and Waddell rotate at the two tackle spots. … Dalton, who had 92 rushing yards and 102 receiving yards, accounted for 66 percent of North’s offense. … Davie had some real soul searching to do after a 25-8 home loss to West Rowan on Monday, Sept. 2. The game was pushed back three days by lightning. … Before the West game, Davie got sad news that senior receiver Braddock Coleman’s career was over. In the first half of the opener at Mooresville, he suffered a high grade ACL tear, a sprained MCL and partial damage to his meniscus. … The West game snapped a long streak for the War Eagles, who had scored in double figures in 67 straight games. It was their first game in single digits since a 35-7 loss at East Forsyth in 2017.