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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

The 2021-24 renaissance has seen the Davie varsity girls basketball team’s win-loss records go from 3-8 to 9-14 to 13-13 to 16-12.
The War Eagles are poised to take another step in 2024-25 in Lindsey Adams’ fifth year as coach. She has all the pieces to end Davie’s CPC-title drought at 21 years. And with no seniors on the current squad, the possibilities for 2024-25 through 2027-28 are endless.
“I’m looking for 20-plus wins and a conference championship,” said Adams, who is chasing Davie’s first championship since 2003.
Last year the War Eagles reached the CPC Tournament final for the first time in 21 years. At 16-12, they recorded the most wins in seven years. And two juniors, six sophomores and three freshmen are ready to start a run for the ages.
The most intriguing War Eagle is Avarie Martin, a 5-11 sophomore who could become something special in the coming years. Her vertical is an absurdity and she’s received Division-I offers from Campbell, Appalachian State and Elon. She’s the top returning scorer at 8.7 points per game.
“She’s trying to figure out how to take over when we need scoring,” Adams said. “She has the capabilities, but believing in that at 15 years old is not easy. She will mostly play guard for us. Her athleticism is insane. She can touch the rim. (College coaches) see the future in what she can become. Her goal is to dunk by her senior year.”
Adams has big expectations for Emmie “Big Bucket” Burris, a sophomore who averaged 7.8 points.
“She is clutch,” she said. “She’s always been like a silent assassin. Teams sleep on her until we need a game-winning bucket, and she comes out of nowhere and makes it.”
Makenzie Gentry is a likely breakout player. She played in the final eight games last year after missing her entire freshman season and the first 20 games of her sophomore year with knee injuries.
“That chick is phenomenal to have not had two seasons,” Adams said. “Last weekend she shot 50 percent from the 3-point line, led us in steals and tied for most points with Avarie. I mean, I think she is a spark that nobody sees coming or has any idea of what she is capable of. It’s even shocked me to see how much skill she has.”
Bailey Aderhold (8.2 ppg) is a junior who led the CPC with 90 3-pointers.
“She’s only been with us for two weeks because she couldn’t come to anything in the offseason because she’s a tennis player,” Adams said. “She’s still getting into the swing of things. She’s our most experienced player.”
The captains are sophomores Vivian Vaughters, Madison Daugherty (6.2) and Londyn McDowell.
“They were voted as team captains,” Adams said. “They have stepped up big into leadership roles. Madison has so much IQ. When she’s on the sideline, she’s always watching what the defense is doing.”
Vaughters plays with great heart and loves to harass opponents.
“We need her shutting down the other team’s best player,” Adams said. “Her job is not let the other team get set up in an offense. She’s gotten much better offensively because the kid just works all the time. Her basketball knowledge has grown over the past year.”
McDowell will be a presence in the paint.
“Londyn’s been working on different post moves because she can be a threat,” Adams said. “If teams want to smother our guards, we still have someone in the paint they have to worry about.”
Lexi Mickey is a sophomore who transferred from Calvary Day. The brother of senior Bryson Mickey, she led Calvary with an 11.7 scoring average to go with 5.9 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 1.3 blocks. Bryson is a star for the Davie boys.
“She has a lot of potential and she has an IQ like Emmie,” Adams said. “She is a guard, but we will put her at the high post because when she catches, she can facilitate so well and she makes the other players around her better. She’s going to get rebounds and assists. She’s going to anticipate and get some steals. You can’t just leave her open because she knows how to score.”
And then you have the freshmen – Gracie Shore, Olivia Smith and Gracyn Coleman – who led Ellis to 17-0 glory. All three are oozing with talent.
“Gracie is our point guard, so she is getting thrown to the wolves,” Adams said. “I want to be able to run halfcourt sets because we have skill, and it’s her job to get us in it. She still trying to adjust to the pace of high school basketball. It’s going to take some time. It may look sloppy in November and December, but if she works through it, she will be where we need her by January and February when it matters.
“Olivia has very good basketball IQ. We’re starting to see her buy into what I want on defense. As soon as that starts clicking, I see her getting more playing time. She is the same size as Avarie height-wise.”
Coleman will be counted on to pick up where Peyton Spaugh left off defensively.
“Her role is to (disrupt) the best player on the other team,” Adams said. “It’s nice having another player like Vivian or Peyton and make it hard for them to run an offense.”
That’s a deep reservoir of talent. If someone is having a subpar night, Adams won’t hesitate to make a change.
“I don’t have to continue allowing you to play if you’re not making any adjustments when I’m coaching you,” she said. “There is somebody else that will, and as long as that person is producing, you’re going to sit on the bench until they stop producing. Then I can put you in to try again.”
Last year Davie (8-6) finished third in the eight-team CPC behind Mt. Tabor (13-1) and Reynolds (12-2). The league feels wide open.
“Tabor lost their guards, but they still have the player of the year, the big girl (senior Shaymiah Bailey), and they did get a transfer from High Point Christian Academy,” said Adams, who is assisted by Debbie Evans and Alexis Hoppers. “It will be a tough game, but I don’t think they’re as talented as we are. I think it will be between us, Tabor and East Forsyth. East had some transfers come in; (Glenn’s best player) transferred to East Forsyth.”