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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

The final game summed up the unfulfilling experience of 2024.
Davie hosted Glenn last Friday on Senior Night. The War Eagles had smoked Reynolds (32-17) and Parkland (38-22), while Glenn had lost to Reynolds (33-16) and Parkland (14-9). A win over Glenn would have likely sent Davie to the playoffs.
But the War Eagles went out with a whimper, 33-22.
After getting outscored 208-43 by their first six CPC opponents, the Bobcats improved to 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the league. Davie (3-7, 2-5) finished with its fewest wins in six years.
Davie got off to a good start. Glenn tried an inside run on third-and-1, but Craig McGhee was stoned at the line. Colson Sink was the first to pop him, and Glenn had to punt. It was the first of many fine plays by the junior outside linebacker, who piled up 14 tackles, six solo stops and two tackles for loss.
“That call put (Sink) in the box and he made a great play,” coach Tim Devericks said. “He has progressed tremendously. He’s willing to throw it up in there, and he made some big tackles for us this season.”
Glenn quarterback Brady Robinson threw deep and appeared to have his man. But Davie safety Connor Hood swooped in and picked off the pass to set up the game’s first score. It was the team-high third interception on the year for Hood, who added 10 tackles in his final Davie game.
“I’m really super proud of him,” Devericks said. “He can cover a lot of ground quickly. He was really banged up in this game and he did not want to come out.”
Six plays later, Draeton Nance placed a deep ball over two defenders and right into the arms of Ethan Driver, a 34-yard touchdown that put Davie ahead 7-0 after Max McCall’s extra point.
McGhee ripped off a 39-yard run to spark an 80-yard drive for the Bobcats, who pulled within 7-6 as their extra point try was blocked.
Then Davie faced fourth-and-3 from its 37. For the second week in a row, Devericks called for a fake punt. For the second week in row, upman Elijah Chaffin took the snap and moved the chains while gaining 4 yards. That led to another long ball to Driver, who found himself in one-on-one coverage. He Randy Mossed the defender at the Glenn 24 and cruised home for a 55-yard TD.
It was just another phenomenal play by the star junior.
“You hear it on Saturdays and Sundays – if it’s one-on-one, he’s open,” Devericks said. “You kind of felt like that when he made that catch.”
At this point, Driver was cooking and Davie was in control 14-6 halfway through the second quarter. The problem for Davie: Driver would not make another significant reception and the wheels were about to fall off.
“They started cheating the safety over, not over top of (Driver) but to his side – trying to eliminate that threat,” Devericks said.
The Bobcats rung up three TDs in a span of three minutes, 55 seconds, and they never looked back. Robinson completed passes for 47 and 30 yards, then converted a two-point pass to tie the score at 14. J’zeir Dixon took a punt 55 yards to the house. During a 10-play drive, they overcame second-and-20, third-and-8 and fourth-and-21, scoring with 28 seconds left in the half on a 35-yard pass and taking a 27-14 lead into the locker room.
“They made some great calls when we had some pressure packages in,” Devericks said. “They took it advantage of us one time near the goal line. They’ve got a hungry bunch and they fought through adversity through their season.”
Three of Nance’s first four throws in the third quarter were picked off. The most costly one came from the Davie 21. Nance took a hit just as he was releasing the ball, and it went straight to a Bobcat. The 20-yard pick-6 pushed Glenn’s advantage to 33-14.
Although the freshman suffered five INTs, he threw for the second-most yards (252) in his eight starts and fired three TD passes. Nance’s arm was the reason Davie was able to drive 77 yards to keep hope alive. He hit Landon Waller for 14 and 16 yards. He found Dallas Simms for 22. He lofted a rainbow in the left flat to Bowling for a 13-yard score. When Driver hauled in the two-point pass, Davie was down 33-22 with 8:39 remaining.
“A couple of those (INTs) were tipped balls, and that happens,” Devericks said. “He settled back down and made some good throws for us. He’s a competitor. He will learn from this and it will make him better. He will rise from this.”
Davie still had life when Luke Wayne sacked Robinson on fourth-and-3 from the Davie 29 with 6:16 to go. Then Simms took over, reeling in catches for 8, 15 and 21 yards in a span of five plays. But Nance’s 26th pass of the night was deflected and intercepted, and that was that.
It marked the final Davie game for 17 seniors. The worst season since 3-8 in 2018 overshadowed strong seasons from guys like Hood and Ryder Strickland. Hood (82 tackles) was second on the team in tackles for the second time, finishing his three-year varsity career with 252.
“(Hood) lays it all on the line,” Devericks said. “He’s not the biggest guy, but that sucker has a lot of heart.”
Strickland has been a rock since 2022, starting three years at center and making all-CPC the past two. Now he will take his prowess to the wrestling mat.
“He has been a little bit banged up, but he fought through and I don’t think he missed a snap all year,” Devericks said. “He secured the inside of our offensive line and was a vocal leader of that group. I am super proud of him; I can’t say good things about him.”
Two seniors who were poised to have big seasons barely saw the field in 2024. Nose guard Landon Barber’s only appearance came in the opener at Mooresville, and receiver Braddock Coleman didn’t make it a half at Mooresville before suffering a knee injury.
“It’s tough when you look over at the sideline and you’ve got seniors who did not get to contribute like they wanted to,” Devericks said. “I feel for them.”
Notes
• Driver gave all he could give this season. His 67 catches are tied for sixth on the single-season list. He’s tied for third with nine career 100-yard receiving games. He’s fifth with 1,834 career receiving yards. He’s fifth with 20 career TD catches. And, with a season to go, he’s seventh with 123 career catches.
• After amassing 20 tackles against Parkland, Chaffin matched Sink with 14 against Glenn. He’s led Davie in tackles two years running (103 as a freshman, 142 as a sophomore). The 142 is the most since 2017, when Cody Hendrix had 203.
• Braxton Bowling had a busy night as the sophomore pounded away for 140 rushing/receiving yards. Junior cornerback Gavin Reese broke up three passes.
• Davie tied for fifth in the CPC. The standings: East Forsyth 7-0, Mt. Tabor 6-1, West Forsyth 5-2, Reagan 4-3, Davie/Reynolds 2-5, Parkland/Glenn 1-6. … This was just the sixth win in two years for Glenn. … Davie missed the playoffs for just the seventh time in 29 years. The others: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2013, 2018. … Davie’s offensive struggles were reflected by third-down conversions. In the last six games, it went 12 for 63 in those situations.