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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

For the 2015-18 War Eagles of the Laura Becker era, beating Reynolds – and really everyone in the Central Piedmont Conference – was part of their DNA.

It’s a trait the 2021 Davie girls tennis team did not have coming into the season – it dropped four straight to the Demons the past two seasons, including a pair of 6-3 decisions last spring when Davie finished 5-7 – but it might be in the developmental stages thanks to a 6-3 road win in the CPC opener on Aug. 23.

Davie’s 0-4 stretch against Reynolds followed a 2018 season in which Davie went 13-2 and beat Reynolds for the sixth time in seven meetings. While the Demons went 9-2 and tied West Forsyth for first place last spring, Davie was the considerably better team this time.

“We had four straight matches against them with us really not being in it, and then we got to take it to them today,” coach Collin Ferebee said. “That felt really good. They were quite ecstatic to finally have a big match go our way. It was time (after back-to-back 3-7 records in the CPC).”

Reynolds fell to 1-1 after belting Ragsdale 8-1.

No. 1 seed Karlie Quinn (6-2, 6-3), No. 2 Elliot Newsome (6-1, 6-1), No. 5 Cat Rosser (7-5, 6-2) and No. 6 Whitney DeLoach (6-1, 6-1) provided a 4-2 advantage in singles.

Newsome/Leslie Newsom (8-6) and DeLoach/Rosser (8-3) supplied the finishing touches in doubles.

“The girls faced a hard challenge and overcame it to show we were the better team on this day,” Ferebee said. “These girls have worked so incredibly hard and they’re going to have a good year ahead of them. I don’t know what a ‘good year’ means yet, but I see success in our future.”

Ferebee gave the game ball to his freshman No. 2 seed. Newsome was unfazed by the CPC competition.

“It was her first CPC match, and doing that at Reynolds is like getting your feet put to the fire,” he said.

•••

One day later in nonconference play, Davie smashed Forbush 9-0 to remain perfect at 3-0.

Beating the Falcons in East Bend were Quinn (10-1), Newsome (10-1), Tru Koren (10-2), Sarah West Marklin (10-1), DeLoach (10-2), Rosser (10-0), Newsom/Gabby Thompson (8-5), Bonnie Taylor/Grace Jacobs (8-1) and Brooklyn Lakey/Katelyn Cohen (8-5).

“About 25 percent of their school is quarantined, so we didn’t get them at full force,” Ferebee said. “But I still think we would have won easily.

“Sometimes you have an emotional hangover after a big win. We started off a little slow, but we got it in gear and buckled down. We ran off eight or nine in a row on every court. I couldn’t ask for much more.”