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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

When you had lost 24 consecutive games, a tie constitutes a victory in terms of your psyche.

Davie’s varsity boys soccer team tasted some success in the high school coaching debut of Jason Clark, who inherited a program that went 0-12 last season. The War Eagles tied visiting Starmount 2-2 in the season opener on Aug. 18.

It was the first time Davie walked off the field without a loss since Sept. 17, 2019. That’s a step in turning around morale.

“It felt good,” Clark said. “It felt like after the last couple of months of hard work that we’re already starting to see dividends and paying off.”

Davie gained new hope on goals from senior Trevor Shue and freshman Alex DelCarmen. Shue was assisted by junior Peter Marks, who set up the game’s first goal.

The Rams tied it on a corner kick, and it was 1-1 at halftime. Davie regained the lead when Anthony Ortiz fed DelCarmen on a breakaway.

“They did a great job working together back and forth,” Clark said. “It was a great through ball.”

Starmount scored off a set play with 14 minutes remaining, and both teams were fortunate more goals were not scored in the final 10 minutes.

“It was a pretty tight game,” he said. “We had six accurate shots on goal in the last 10 minutes. It could have bounced either way. I applaud some of the younger players. I mean that was the first 80-minute game for some of them, so it was good to see.”

What made the night all the more rewarding is the Rams are coming off a 12-2 season in which both of their losses were by one goal.

“Starmount is a good team,” he said. “They were conference champions. They made it to the (second) round of the state playoffs. They were no little team. They were a tough competitor to play right off the bat, and I think we held our own pretty good.”

Two freshmen, center back Karson Yount and forward DelCarmen, distinguished themselves in their Davie debuts.

“They did an outstanding job,” he said. “DelCarmen had that goal, but his ability to play in the last 10 minutes and keep pushing really showed his spirit.”

Clark’s 20-man team includes seven seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and six freshmen. The seniors are James Boles, Nathan Linville, Ortiz, Josh Clark, James Little, Brian Reyes and Trevor Shue. The juniors are Kevin Morgan, Marks, Nick Ruff and Caleb McDaniel. The sophomores are Will Davis, Mason Kuhnemann and Victor Calix. And the other freshmen are Mason Tarbett, Alex Tarbett, Alex Torres and Felipe Flores.