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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

A look back at Davie sports 40 years ago …

Who can forget the unforgettable moments from the 1984 Davie football season? The wishbone War Eagles of coach Mike Carter achieved their first conference championship in 19 years and their most wins (eight) in 11 years.

Fullback Dale Barneycastle’s performance in the season opener served as a preview of things to come. He carried seven times for 113 yards – in the fourth quarter alone – to lift Davie to an 18-14 comeback win over North Iredell. Barneycastle finished with two touchdowns and 169 yards on 14 attempts. With North leading 14-6 in the fourth quarter, Davie went 85 yards in two precise plays, a 39-yard pass from John Folmar to Danny Marion and a 46-yard TD run by Barneycastle. Davie’s two-point try failed, but it stole the victory with :30 on the clock, the TD coming on a 15-yard pass from Folmar to Roger Smoot. Jerry Riddle was instrumental by hitting two field goals, including a 42-yarder.

Davie’s softball team beat the pants off people on the way to a 21-2 record and an appearance in the state quarterfinals. Pitcher Melissa Smiley, catcher Stephanie Miller, second baseman Melissa Matthews, third baseman Michelle Deal and outfielders Dawn Brown and Leisa Hepler were named all-conference. Smiley won most valuable player in the North Piedmont Conference while making all-conference for the third time. Rhonda Smith led Davie in batting average and was voted most improved player. The top three in on-base percentage were Donna Whitlock (.565), Hepler (.521) and Cammie Paige (.414).

Johnny Riddle ran for 134 yards and Todd Morgan added 76 as Davie’s JV football team slipped past North Iredell 9-6. Mike Bethea was a difference-maker by hitting a field goal, and Mel Perez, Mike Beck and Mike Jarvis intercepted North passes.

Morgan churned for 101 yards and scored two TDs as the JV slammed Trinity 28-0. Rodney Latham hit Tim Tabor with a 23-yard TD pass, Johnny Riddle ran for 86 yards and Perez picked off two passes. Jarvis had an INT as well.

Davie’s girls tennis team opened the season in style, whipping West Rowan 8-1. The singles winners were Valerie Angell, Suzanne Evans, Sandy Stroud, Kim Cope and Meredith Phillips.

Davie varsity football had a trouble-free 31-6 win over Trinity. Mark Gregg recovered a fumble in the end zone for a TD, which followed a blocked punt by Jerry Riddle. Folmar tossed 25- and 30-yard TD passes to Marion.

The JV War Eagles found a way to prevail in a hard-fought 11-6 win over West Forsyth. Johnny Riddle rushed for 104 yards and the reliable Bethea recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass.

The Davie varsity’s 14-13 win over Reynolds at Bowman Gray Stadium represented a big step forward, with the 3-A War Eagles knocking off the 4-A Demons. Davie took a 14-7 lead when Tony Allen scored from 8 yards out and Folmar hit Todd Barnhardt with a two-point pass. Gregg’s INT with two minutes left appeared to seal Reynolds’ fate, but Davie fumbled it right back two plays later and Reynolds quickly scored to pull within 14-13. With :57 remaining, everything hinged on the two-point play. Reynolds called a pass play, but Mike Foster sealed the deal with an interception. Smoot (133 rushing yards) was another big reason for the win.

Davie tennis edged Thomasville 5-4, thanks to singles wins from Evans, Stroud, Phillips and Julie Freshwater and a doubles triumph from Stroud/Evans.

Davie varsity football picked up another thrilling victory in the form of 34-28 in double overtime over Lexington. Barneycastle’s 65-yard romp to the end zone provided a 21-13 lead. Regulation ended at 21-21, but Davie survived when Folmar broke a 10-yard scoring run in the second OT. Barneycastle finished with 141 rushing yards.

Barneycastle, who delivered a mind-boggling yards-per-carry average, scored on a 66-yard run and finished with 13 carries for 194 yards to lead a 34-24 win over West Rowan. Smoot was legit, too, as he scored on a 53-yard run and finished with 13 carries for 122 yards – despite having a 78-yarder called back. Folmar always looked for Marion, who hauled in a 32-yard scoring pass.

The North Davie softball team’s Miss Everything, Debbie Evans, went 4 for 4 and blasted three home runs in an 11-6 win over Southeastern Stokes. Ivey Clontz and Laura Willard both had three hits, and Susan Brown wasn’t too shabby with a pair of homers. In game two of the doubleheader, Jeri Simpson and Evans led an 11-3 blowout with three hits each. Evans had her fourth dinger of the evening, while Clontz and Amy Reynolds contributed two hits apiece.

North Davie football boasted a massive offensive line. Billy Blackwelder, Chris Evans, Michael White, Chad Blackwelder, Chad Atkins, Chris Supple, Stan Blair and Ray Whitaker created gaping holes for runners Frank Ward, Joe Manno and Mike Collins as the Wildcats throttled Southeastern Stokes 36-14. North’s smooth and speedy quarterback, JC Hendrix, was barking orders, mixing up plays and completing passes.

Fans for Davie JV football watched a rerun as Morgan (108 rushing yards) led a 21-12 win at Salisbury. The JV kept trucking down the road with a 19-18 home win over Asheboro. Johnny Riddle reached the end zone three times and Davie climbed to 7-1 by overcoming two fumbles inside the Asheboro 10-yard line.

Davie’s varsity shrugged off a 9-0 deficit and denied Asheboro 13-9. Jerry Riddle banged through 30- and 44-yard field goals, and Foster and John Talbert helped the cause with INTs.

Senior Angell and sophomore Phillips reached the third round with 2-1 showings in the tennis sectionals in Lexington.

Smoot (170 rushing yards) was electric as Davie’s varsity held off North Rowan, 16-9, after building a 13-0 lead. The defense got an INT from Gregg.

The JV War Eagles overwhelmed their final two opponents, winning 37-6 over North Rowan and 30-8 over North Davidson. Against N. Rowan, Mark Wharton connected with Travis Smith for a 37-yard TD and Johnny Riddle thundered 68 yards to paydirt. When Davie capped an 8-2 season against N. Davidson, the running backs shared the glory: Johnny Riddle 95 rushing yards, Morgan 60, Bruce Bullock 58 and Clarence Parks 50. Davie got INTs from Mike Jarvis and Neil Kennedy.

Davie’s varsity had a chance to win the NPC outright, but it stumbled 12-7 to North Davidson in the final regular-season game. That was a big bummer until Davie learned that Lexington had defeated Thomasville, which created a three-way tie for first between Davie, Lexington and Thomasville. Smoot rushed 16 times for 81 yards, but Davie shot itself in the foot with four fumbles.