Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

The late 1980s, the 1990s and the early 2000s were mostly dark years for Davie boys tennis. From 1978 through 2005, the War Eagles did not manage a single first-place finish in the conference. For most of those 28 years, the tennis program was routinely mediocre.

And then Alex Appelt burst onto the scene.

From 2005-08, Davie tennis had never seen anything like Appelt, and the War Eagles underwent a renaissance, going from a 98-pound weakling to CPC champion three times in four years (two tournament titles, one regular-season title).

When Appelt played his last Davie match, he was the No. 1 winner in program history; he currently sits fifth in career singles/doubles wins with 80. He earned a Division-I scholarship to UNC-Asheville, and 16 years later, he’s set to be inducted into the Davie High Athletic Hall of Fame along with Brian Tribble (Class of 1993), Carrie Brown McGuire (Class of 1994), Tami Ramsey (1996), Raeshon McNeil (2006) and the 2015-18 girls tennis teams. The 2025 hall of fame class will be honored at the home basketball game on Jan. 17.

Appelt was so good for South Davie tennis that he never lost in two years; as an eighth grader he did not lose a game, much less a match.

From 1999-01, Davie tennis was basically invisible, going 5-29 with three different coaches. But a legend was born four years later, when Appelt arrived at Davie and immediately became the No. 1 player. Steven Lingard, the coach for two years in 2004-05, understood he was witnessing the start of something extraordinary.

“He’s pretty exciting,” Lingard said before the 2005 season.

“Growing up, he and I played a lot together on the same side of the net as him and the opposite, and it really made me appreciate the talent and ability he had,” said Collin Ferebee, who graduated from Davie in 2007. “He was kind of like Davie County’s version of (Roger) Federer – very smooth in his strokes, good movement on the court and he would outthink you. He would not necessarily outhit you, but he could put the ball where he wanted with the kind of spin he wanted.”

In that 2005 season, the War Eagles jumped a huge hurdle by pulling off a 5-4 win over West Forsyth, which had outscored Davie 117-17 during a 15-match winning streak in the series. Davie would finish in a three-way tie for second in the CPC – the highest moment in a long, long time. In the CPC Tournament at South Davie Middle, Appelt stormed into the singles final by ripping apart his first opponent 6-0, 6-0 and romping 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals. In those days, it was a rare thing for a top-seeded freshman to get off to a rolling start, and Appelt took his lumps early. But after starting 3-6, he won seven of eight matches to reach the CPC final, where he lost and settled for runner-up.

Barry Kennedy took over as coach in 2006, and he inherited one helluva sophomore and a strong supporting cast.

“He’s the super sophomore,” Kennedy said of Appelt. “He’s just a complete package. He hits extremely well – forehand, backhand, side. He’ll make a mistake because he’s a kid, but there are no weaknesses in Alex’s play.”

The 2006 season saw a meteoric rise and demons exorcised. From 1997-01, Davie went 0-10 against Mt. Tabor while getting outscored 83-4. (Davie and Tabor didn’t meet between 2002-05.) But Davie stunned Tabor 6-3 to knock the Spartans out of first place. After losing 17 straight to Reynolds while getting outscored 139-11, Davie forced a first-place tie with a four-hour, 5-4 win over Reynolds, which carried a 12-0 record into the match.

“The boys were pumped and excited, and the parents were going wild,” Kennedy said. “I heard one of the parents say it was the biggest win in Davie tennis in forever.”

The War Eagles knew they would have to scratch and claw to overcome the absence of senior Phillip Hursey (10-1 singles record at the time) and beat visiting Tabor. They were up to the challenge, winning 5-4 to add a chapter to their storybook ride. By squeezing past West Forsyth 5-4, they nailed down a share of first and ended a 28-year title drought. In a playoff match to determine the No. 1 seed from the CPC, Davie took down Reynolds 6-3. At 16-2 overall and 11-1 in the CPC, Davie had set a program record for wins. Reynolds fell to 18-2, with both losses to the upstart squad  from Mocksville.

“It felt like those three years of pain and agony and being beaten constantly were all avenged,” Ferebee said.

“I told them: ‘I’m the only guy on this bus that was alive when that (last title in 1977) happened,’” Kennedy said. “That puts it in perspective. I’m ecstatic. We made history. Gosh, this is like a Cinderella story for these guys.”

In the CPC Tournament at Hanes Park, the War Eagles accelerated their rags-to-riches story. They outlasted Reynolds 17-13 to take first as Matt Hauser/Hursey went 4-0 in doubles. Another milestone was reached in the first round of the state duals – a 5-1 decision over South Mecklenburg that marked Davie’s first ever win in the 4-A playoffs. Page snapped Davie’s 13-match winning streak in the quarterfinals. Davie finished 17-3, a record that’s only been matched once (17-2 in 2017).

Appelt’s career soared as a 2007. After going 12-9 and 12-12 in his first two years, he went 15-4 in singles as a junior.

“You had college-level players all the way down to No. 5 on our team, and when you played Tabor, Reynolds and those guys, you’d have college players down to three or four,” Ferebee said. “Not saying there are not incredibly talented people now, but those teams were deep and it was hard to get wins and the number ones were all D-1 guys.”

“Alex put Davie tennis on the map,” said Matt Van Hoy, a teammate from 2005-08. “We had a great core of guys like Phillip Hursey and Matt Hauser, but he was really the foundation. He was at a whole different level than the rest of us. His record was just unbelievable.”

In 2007, Davie notched double-figure wins in consecutive years for the first time since 1979-80 and finished in a three-way tie for second without a single senior. In the CPC Tournament, Appelt devastated three opponents and powered the War Eagles to a first-place tie with West Forsyth.

“You hear about a lot of guys and girls who are rock star players – some of the best players in the state – and they just come to matches,” Van Hoy said. “They don’t actually come to team practices. They go to individual trainers and things like that. It was the exact opposite for Alex. He could’ve easily gone and hit with (his father Bill Appelt, the Director of Tennis at Bermuda Run Country Club), but he was at practice every day hitting with everybody, encouraging guys to put in the hard work. He was the ultimate leader. What’s even more impressive than how good he was is how he took on that leadership role.”

In the first round of that CPC Tournament, Appelt steamrolled 6-0, 6-0. He cruised 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinals, and then he ripped through Reynolds’ top player 6-0, 6-0 in the final. Davie’s phenom was now a CPC champion and later named CPC Player of the Year.

“Alex was on fire,” Kennedy said. “He blew (the final opponent) off the court. He was fired up and he didn’t let him breathe. I was like he was saying: ‘This is my tournament, this is my title and most of you guys are just standing in my way.’ I don’t think I can remember any tournament where the champion only lost two games in the entire tournament. That’s big-time stuff.”

In the Midwest Regional, Appelt drew the 2006 regional champ in the first round and lost, but the soul of the team would be back for one more season.

“Alex hits the ball so dang hard and he’s laced with confidence,” Kennedy said before the 2008 season. “He’s ranked in the top 25 in the state. I watched him as an eighth grader and every year his game has stepped up a level. He’s a phenomenal player. I need a general on the court to push these kids with me, and he’s been a great captain for us.”

Davie endured gut-wrenching 5-4 losses to West Forsyth and Reynolds and wound up fourth in the league. “A couple points here and there and we’re looking at possibly being conference champs,” Kennedy said.

Appelt was going for a repeat in the CPC Tournament, and he appeared destined for just that by winning 6-0, 6-1 and 7-5, 6-2 in his first two matches. But just when he was ready to add a crowning moment to his career, he pulled a leg muscle in the semifinals and limped around the court against Tabor’s Tomas Debinski in the singles final. Appelt was upset 2-6, 6-2, 4-6, but he handled it with typical grace.

“Alex played great, but he was hurt,” Kennedy said. “He pulled a leg muscle and had to play hurt. Alex would never make excuses, but he was limping the whole time. It was pretty sad, but he hung in there like a trooper and tried to win it. He was trying his darndest to win the match. It was a very heroic effort and I was very proud of his effort.”

Appelt earned his fourth regional berth and opened with a 6-0, 6-1 win. But in the quarterfinals, he lost 6-3, 6-4 to Northwest Guilford’s Ryan Matthews – falling one win short of the state tournament. Appelt bowed out with a 14-5 record.

“Matthews is ranked like 15th in the state, and Alex is ranked 20th in the state,” Kennedy said. “Two good guys going for one slot. That’s the way the draw goes.”

Appelt went on to play for UNC-Asheville, and he was good enough to crack the lineup as a 2009 freshman. But his Davie career was one for the history books. He led his team to unknown heights and he was a blast to watch.

“Basketball was my big thing and I would dabble in tennis,” Van Hoy said. “I was so focused on basketball, I would come into the tennis season a little rusty, but Alex would get me into tennis shape and put me through hitting drills. His skills were unmatched, but his leadership was another thing that set him apart. He carried my butt so many times. If I would mess up, he was patient and gracious. He was class act.”

At age 34, Appelt is the Director of Junior Tennis at the Asheville Racquet Club. Back in the day, he had teammates in awe.

“He’ll go down if not he best player of all time at Davie High, then he’ll be in the top five for sure,” Kennedy said in 2008.

“It’s a player you don’t see very often,” Ferebee said. “If I’m thinking of tennis players – men’s or women’s  – that I know of, he’s got to be in the top five all time at Davie. I think personally for my money, Burke (Rosenbaum) is probably the best men’s tennis player who has ever played at this school and I would put Alex second.”