Davie scores early and often in opening season win

Published 7:47 am Saturday, August 28, 2021

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Davie’s varsity football team scored 14 points in the first 33 seconds, produced three one-play scoring drives and lit up West Rowan 56-30 on the road in Friday’s season opener.
Tate Carney and Za’Haree Maddox combined for seven touchdowns as Davie put up the most points in 67 openers, eclipsing a 49-6 win at Alexander Central in 2001.
But it was Zymere Hudson who lit the fuse, taking the opening kickoff 83 yards. He would have scored, but he lost his balance with no defender around and fell down at the West 2. It hardly mattered as Carney scored on the first play from scrimmage.
West fumbled on its first play from scrimmage, and Davie was in the end zone again on first down. Alex Summers threw a short ball to Maddox, who sliced 13 yards to paydirt.
The Falcons kept the ball for 15 plays, chewed 6:47 off the clock and got on the board with a 27-yard field goal. But one play later, Davie was celebrating a touchdown. Summers threw a screen to Maddox, who juked several defenders on the way to a 52-yard score. Less than four minutes later, Summers hit Maddox for a 9-yard TD to give Davie a 28-3 lead with 9:01 left in the half.
West did not go away. It scored with 23 seconds left in the half and on the first play of the second half to cut Davie’s lead to 28-17.
Davie answered emphatically. After Summers connected with Hudson, Maddox and Brodie Smith, Carney covered the final six yards to push the margin to 35-17.
West got within 42-30, but once again, Davie had the answer. On second-and-15, Summers scrambled out of the pocket and hit Aidan Froelich for 26 yards to the West 11. Carney scored on the next play.
Markel Summers, a sophomore making his varsity debut, punctuated the victory by showing off his speed on a 57-yard run.
Notes: Although Carney had his fewest carries (10) in 16 games, he scored four TDs for the seventh time in his career. He now has 60 TDs, good for the second on Davie’s all-time list. … A. Summers put up his second-best game in terms of passing yards with 274 while going 20 of 26. In two seasons, it was the sixth time in eight games he’s tossed multiple TD passes. … Maddox matched a career high in catches (eight), scored a career high three TDs and posted his fourth career 100-yard receiving game with 117. … Junior kicker Palmer Williams went 8 for 8 on extra points in his varsity debut.