A review of Davie spring sports
Published 9:49 am Thursday, July 30, 2015
Year In Review: This is the third in a three-part series, looking back at the 2014-15 school year. This is a recap of highlights from the spring season.
• Senior Colby Carter of Davie’s golf team birdied three of the final five holes to shoot a one-under 35 and claim medalist honors in the season-opening meet at Oak Valley. Carter beat the runner-up by a whopping five strokes.
• Playing brilliantly in her high-school debut, freshman Kam Parks scored three goals to propel Davie JV soccer to a 4-0 win over Glenn. Not only was this Parks’ Davie debut, she was playing a new position (forward). “She had never scored in a game, so to score three goals was pretty amazing,” coach Kenneth Ham said.
• Davie’s varsity soccer team exorcised demons with a 1-0 overtime triumph at North Davidson. Getting a goal from Claire Devereaux, the War Eagles beat North for the first time since 2010. In overtime, Annie Kinder attempted a shot that deflected off the keeper. Devereaux finished it. “It was a phenomenal game,” coach Kerstin Steinour said.
• In a track meet at Reagan, Nick Simmons set a school record in the 1600 at 4:38.85.
• Carter stayed hot for Davie golf with another medalist performance, one-over 37. Freshman Chris Carr was next at 38.
• Despite trailing 4-0, Davie’s JV softball team stormed back to beat Ledford 6-4 to make Morgan Wyatt a winner in her coaching debut. “I didn’t even sleep the night before, I was so excited,” Wyatt said.
Freshman River Simpson pitched no-hit ball in the final four innings, Bridgett Tierney hit an inside-the-park homer, and Emilee Dishman and Sierra Ferguson had two hits each.
• Carter earned his third medalist of the season at Sapona Ridge, shooting an even-par 35. Freshman Cameron Patton was third overall at 37.
• Ferguson of Davie JV softball went 3 for 3 with five RBIs in an 11-1 rout of Forbush. “She’s a stud,” Wyatt said.
• In the Central Piedmont Conference opener at Maple Chase, Carter and Will Perkins led Davie golf with a pair of one-over 37s.
• Davie JV softball wiped out a 5-1 deficit and topped Montour (Pa.) 10-6. Ferguson, Katelyn Webb, Sydney Hendren and Bailey Walsh had two hits each.
• Tyler Roberts and McKay Chamberlain combined on a four-hitter as Davie JV baseball beat North Davidson 6-1.
• In the season opener, Davie varsity baseball pulled off a resounding 2-1 win at Reagan. “It was one of the most enjoyable games that I’ve been in in a while,” coach Bobby Byerly said.
In his varsity debut on the mound, Isaac Campbell went four innings and left with a 1-0 deficit. Reliever Nathan Harrell earned the win, facing the minimum for three innings.
• In a 5-1 varsity baseball win over Ledford, Byerly raved about the Harrell twins up the middle, third baseman Brandon Lankford and center field Mitchell McGee. “The Harrell brothers (shortstop Ryan and second baseman Nathan) made unbelievable plays on bad-hop ground balls,” he said. “There was a little squibber up the third-base line, and Lankford threw the guy out by three steps. It was like a major-league play. McGee was going gap to gap and running everything down.”
• At Winston Lake, golfer Wesley Sink shot one-over 37, while Carter and Michael Fouts had 39s.
• Zach Hudspeth pitched a two-hitter, struck out nine and led a 5-2 payback win over Reagan. Jake Byrd and Ben Summers had two hits each.
• In a five-team track meet, Avery Williford won the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, George Mitchell won the long jump and triple jump, and Simmons won the 1600. For Davie’s girls, Hannah Dove (shot put, discus) was a double winner.
• Smarting from an 0-5 start, Davie varsity lacrosse broke a 10-game losing streak with an 8-3 win over West Stokes. Nick Juhasz put up three goals, Ryan Robinson had two, and Dylan Walters had two assists.
• At Southeast Guilford, Davie varsity baseball won 4-2. The story was pitcher N. Harrell, who went 5 2/3 innings. “Since 1990 I’ve been around coaching, and this has been the most impressive pitching performances that I’ve seen on a continual basis,” Byerly said.
• Davie’s pitching was terrific in a 4-3 win at North Davidson. Campbell allowed one earned run in four innings, and Colby Cranfill tossed three hitless innings and struck out six. Craig Colbourne went 3 for 4 with a home run.
• In her first games as Davie varsity softball coach, Dawn Lowery piloted the War Eagles to their first 3-0 start in six years. Tierney and Anna Devereaux hardly looked like freshmen. Tierney started 6 for 7, while Devereaux doubled and homered in her second game. “You can’t teach some of the stuff Devereaux does,” Lowery said.
• In a 7-1 win at Alexander Central, Jalen Scott of Davie varsity baseball gave up three hits in six innings. Not bad for his first varsity start on the mound.
Paul Davenport (3 for 4) continued to sizzle. Lankford (home run) and Beau Byerly had two hits each.
Lankford and R. Harrell turned in how-did-they-do-that plays. “Lankford made a ridiculous play,” Byerly said. “He went six to eight feet across the (foul) line and threw the guy out. Ryan made two amazing plays.”
• In Davie JV softball’s 16-1 cruise over West Rowan, Webb went 4 for 4 with a home run. Emilee Dishman and Bailey Walsh had three hits each. “Webb is built like a Mack Truck,” Wyatt said. “When she digs in and drives the ball, it’s scary.”
• The reason Davie JV baseball edged North Davidson 2-1 was complete-game pitcher Hudspeth, who improved to 3-0 with an 0.74 ERA. The winning rally in the sixth began when Jake Barneycastle reached base. After Chamberlain laid down a sac bunt, Barneycastle scored on a sac fly by Roberts.
• Davie varsity lacrosse scored the most goals in its two-year history as it overwhelmed North Davidson 17-7. Josh Lankford was unstoppable with five goals. North had no answers for Ryan Robinson and Juhasz as they poured in four each. Kaleb McCarson added three.
• In Davie varsity baseball’s 2-1 loss to West Forsyth, you had to feel bad for Campbell, who fell to 0-3 despite a 2.15 ERA. He walked none and fanned 10. “Our team ERA is 1.40 and we’re a .500 team,” Byerly said in frustration.
• In a two-game stretch that will be remembered for a long time, Davie varsity softball knocked off West Forsyth 4-1 when the Titans were 16-0 and ranked third in the state, and it held off North Davidson 7-5 when North was ranked ninth in the state. No one could have predicted the feat because the War Eagles had lost four of six. “We knew North and West were probably thinking it would be a piece of cake to beat an 8-6 team,” Lowery said. “Man, it was a great day to be a War Eagle.”
At West, junior Julie Gough went all seven innings and didn’t issue a walk. “She pitched an absolute gem,” pitching coach Johnny Miller said.
K’lea Parks went 2 for 3 with two RBIs.
There’s no way to exaggerate the significance of the win over North. Davie had not won in the series since 2001. Pitcher Olivia Boger (seven innings, seven Ks), Makenzie Smith (3 for 3, two RBIs) and Sarah Myers (2-3, two RBIs) connected the dots for Davie, which seized immediate control with seven runs in the first two innings.
“This has been a long time coming,” Lowery said. “Olivia was a beast. When she gets that attitude, she’s hard to stop.”
• Davie JV softball won a scintillating 8-3, eight-inning decision at West Forsyth. Simpson got it done as the pitcher and with three hits. Tierney went 4 for 5 and Ferguson 3 for 4. “I told the girls to not let history repeat itself and make a statement,” Wyatt said.
• Carter fired a two-under 34 with two birdies and an eagle at Wilshire, and Davie golf captured a CPC meet for the first time in four years. Perkins (37), Sink (38), Fouts (39) and Carr (39) helped the cause.
• Davie track athletes Williford and Dove enjoyed a moment in the sun in the CPC championship meet. Williford swept first in the hurdle events, while Dove captured the discus for the second time in her career. Dove added a runner-up in the shot put to earn all-CPC honors in two events. Savannah Everett and Mitchell made all-CPC by placing second in the high jump and triple jump, respectively.
• Hendren smashed a three-run homer in a 13-4 win over North Iredell. “It was one of those like you see in the major leagues when they go to the second deck,” Wyatt said.
• When Davie varsity baseball toppled Mt. Tabor 8-2, Cranfill delivered a strong complete game. Lankford homered and Chris Reynolds went 3 for 3.
• Davie tennis enjoyed the longest winning streak in four years (six) as it buried West Forsyth 7-2 on Senior Day. Elijah Gregory, Austin Angel, Jack Robinson, Holden Poole and Ben Fouts clinched the verdict in singles. Davie achieved a winning season for the fifth straight year – with a young roster. “That is just phenomenal,” coach Shane Nixon said.
• Davie’s super sophomore, Gregory, qualified for the tennis regional. “It was a privilege to take the journey to regionals with Elijah,” Nixon said. “He is such a good kid and a wonderful player. His future is also bright – really bright.”
• Carter (ninth place), Perkins (tied for 12th) and Sink (tied for 12th) earned all-CPC in golf. Carter and Sink represented Davie in the regional.
• Davie varsity lacrosse closed the season on a high note, winning the final three games. Juhasz and Walters combined for five goals in a 12-0 win at Atkins. In an 8-6 win over West Stokes, the War Eagles enjoyed the first back-to-back wins in their brief history. Juhasz had a hat trick.
• Davie varsity baseball didn’t quite complete an improbable triumph in the CPC Tournament, but man, did the War Eagles make a run at it.
In a 6-5 win over Reynolds, Caleb Wallace provided an unexpected boost, going 3 for 3 with two RBIs. Lankford went 2 for 4. The ending was off-the-charts crazy. With the bases loaded, Reynolds’ suicide squeeze backfired thanks to catcher Davenport, who fielded the bunt, stepped on home and threw to first for a double play. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one end like that,” Byerly said.
Campbell played a big role in a 5-3 semifinal win over West Forsyth, tossing seven innings and outdueling Jake Mayhew. McGee (2-3), Reynolds (2-4) and Lankford (2-4, homer) led the attack as Davie stopped a five-game losing streak in the series.
In the tournament final, North Davidson barely outlasted Davie in a 10-9 barnburner. Colbourne did everything he could to prevent defeat, going 4 for 4 with two RBIs. Scott and McGee had two hits each, while Lankford belted his sixth homer. R. Harrell also homered. “You want to win, but that was just a fun game,” Byerly said. “It had everything.”
• In an unbelievable closing push, Davie varsity soccer beat North Davidson (3-0) and Tabor (1-1, 4-2 shootout). “It was an amazing feeling to beat Tabor and North,” Steinour said.
Devereaux had two goals and Jessica Navarro one against North. Goalie Mary Tellup “had some amazing saves,” Steinour said.
On Senior Night, the War Eagles soaked in a moment they wondered would ever arrive – the first win over Tabor in 19 years – and finished with the most league wins (five) in 12 years.
Emily Muchukot provided a huge lift at 15 minutes, scoring the game’s first goal. It was 1-1 after 100 minutes. In the shootout, Devereaux, Lindsey Stroupe, Brooke Hedgspeth and Muchukot scored in succession. Tellup blocked Tabor’s third shot and its fourth shot missed. “What a game,” Steinour said.
• Williford extended his joy ride in the Midwest Regional, placing in the top four in both hurdles to earn state berths. Mitchell advanced by claiming fourth in the triple jump.
• Davie JV baseball staged a dramatic recovery against Lake Norman, overcoming a 7-0 deficit to win 11-7. Barneycastle (3-4), Cody Hendrix (3-4), Roberts (2-3, homer) and Jake Byrd (2-4) had multiple hits.
• After tying for 12th in the CPC to squeak on the all-conference team, Sink played like a man possessed in the golf regional. The sophomore’s even-par 72 was good for runner-up medalist. His card included one birdie, one bogey and 16 pars. It was Davie’s finest regional round in 13 years. “I always feel like I can play that kind of golf,” Sink said. “I’m glad I could finally play a round like that.”
Carter was second for Davie at 79.
• When Davie varsity softball beat Ardrey Kell 6-2, it had the most wins (18) in 14 years. McKenzie Barneycastle had two hits, Gough got the win and Boger earned the save with three scoreless innings.