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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

A look back at Davie sports 40 years ago …

• Steve Wagoner struck out 13 batters in an eight-inning four-hitter. On top of that, he banged three hits as the 1983 Mocksville Legion baseball team clubbed Kannapolis 16-1 at Rich Park.

The assault included a three-run homer by Mark Mauldin and two hits each from Tim Wiles and Kenny Riddle.

• In a home game against Mooresville, Mocksville put on another offensive clinic. J.J. Johnson, Mauldin, Wiles and Jamison Wyatt hit bombs in a 21-1 laugher. Johnson led off the bottom of the first with a 370-foot homer to right-center. But no one was better than Dan Riddle, who went 5 for 6 at the plate and hurled all nine innings on the mound in his third straight complete game.

• Barry Whitlock, who was a rising sophomore at Guilford College, received two awards prior to a Legion game at Rich Park. He was given the Ed McBane Award, which was presented to the leading Guilford hitter. Along with hitting .383 as a freshman, he was also honored for making All-District 26.

• With Mocksville behind 4-1 at Kannapolis, coach Ron Morgan summoned David Mabe with two outs in the second, and all the lefthander did was strike out 17 in 7.1 innings. Mocksville scored eight unanswered runs to win going away, 9-4.

• Behind Mauldin’s grand slam, homers from K. Riddle and Lincoln Miller and Rodney Nail’s two-run double, Mocksville built a 15-3 lead over Salisbury. Salisbury stormed back within 15-14, but Mocksville held on 17-16.

• Mabe pitched another masterpiece in a 13-0 win at Mooresville: a one-hitter with 16 Ks. Mocksville pounded out 17 hits, including three from Don Durham and Johnson’s third homer of the season.

• The team of Gray Barnhardt, Dick Nail, Clyde Gardner and Doug Beck won the Hickory Hill Men’s Golf Association tournament. In a selective-shot format, they shot 19-under over 36 holes.

Finishing second were Randy McDaniel, Ron Morgan, Jim Kelly and Donnie Goodin. David Poplin, Ken Sales, Everette Morris and Tommy Turner were third. Nail celebrated an eagle on No. 9 from just under 100 yards out.

• The Hickory Hill Women’s Golf Association held its member-guest tournament. With 42 participants competing, Betty Morris and Jeanette Hopkins won low gross with 67. The runner-ups were Jane Campbell/Polly Reese at 73.

Hope Hall/Elaine Fuller tied Connie Kowalske/Isse Henshaw for low net at 53. The tie was broken on No. 6 with Kowalske/Henshaw coming away victorious.

• UNC-Charlotte baseball coach Gary Robinson was overjoyed to sign Wagoner, a Starmount graduate who was 6-5, 195 pounds.

“I’ve never been happier to sign a righthanded pitcher since I came here (in 1981),” Robinson said. “Steve is the epitome of the kind of student-athlete that we consistently try to recruit to the 49er program. He has an outstanding right arm. Steve’s got his priorities in order and he’s just a super, super young man.”

• After finishing second in the regular-season race, Mocksville drew Concord in the first round of the playoffs. In Game One at Rich Park, Johnson cracked two homers, including a grand slam. K. Riddle also homered. Concord, though, outhomered Mocksville 5-3 and walked away with a 13-10 win.

In Game Two, Durham pounded out four hits but it wasn’t enough to prevent an 8-3 loss. In Game Three, Miller had four hits but Mocksville lost again, 7-4.

In Game Four at Concord, Mocksville finally broke through 10-2. The stars were Mabe (13 Ks), Johnson (two homers) and Miller (five hits).

Mocksville stayed alive in the best-of-seven series by taking Game Five. Blaine Bullington, Durham and Kirk Edwards went deep in the 10-6 victory.

But in Game 6 at Concord, Mocksville was out of pitching. Concord cruised 12-1 as Mocksville finished 18-12.

• The Hickory Hill Women’s Golf Association held its member-member tournament in June. The gross winners were Betty Foster/Gwen Cleary at 67. Sherry Gardner/Carol Cozart were second at 78. The net winners were Judy Bailey/Nancy Shanks at 54. Betty Ketner/Priscilla McCullough were second at 56.

Foster broke the ladies course record with a 1-under 72.

• Rayvan Davis rushed for 134 yards, Kerwyn Wilson scored two touchdowns and Davie’s varsity football team opened the ‘83 season with a 28-12 win at North Iredell. James Studevent gained 72 yards on six carries and defensive lineman Dexter Mock got an interception.

• Davie JV quarterback Greg Barnette scored twice and rushed for 129 yards as the War Eagles beat Trinity 27-14. The other two TDs were scored by Tony Allen and Tim Nestor.

• Davis rushed for 89 yards, J.J. Johnson threw for 84 yards and Roger Smoot rushed for 80 yards and two TDs as the varsity War Eagles romped 47-7 at Trinity. The Bulldogs only managed three first downs. Devore Holman, John Talbert and Jimmy Staley recovered fumbles.

• Davie’s varsity had 13 first downs to Reynolds’ eight. It had 175 rushing yards to Reynolds’ 85. But it was the visiting Demons who came away with a 13-8 win.

Davie scored on special teams to cut Reynolds’ halftime lead to 6-2. A Demon fielded a Johnson punt at the 2-yard line and backpedaled into the end zone, where he was tackled by DeWinter Peebles for a safety.

• Linda Dwiggins squeaked past Carol Cozart to claim the championship flight of the Hickory Hill Ladies Club golf tournament in September of 1983.

Dwiggins and Cozart were tied with 77s after Saturday’s round, but Dwiggins pulled out a 157-159 victory on Sunday.

Precyous Sales shot a 36-hole total of 176 and won the first flight. Retha Whittaker and Sherry Gardner tied at 194, then Whittaker took runner-up on the second playoff hole.

Kathleen Cartner (187) and Connie Kowalske (191) were first and second in the second flight. Judy Hutton (204) and Frances Jackson (213) were the top two in the third flight.

• North Davie’s softball team belted South Davie 10-1 in the first game of the doubleheader, but the host Tigers gained a split by winning the second game 5-4. In the second game, Andrea Rayle’s home run cut South’s lead to 4-3, and North tied it on Susan Brown’s sac fly. South emerged victorious on a solo homer to end North’s winning streak at 17 games. North’s top hitters on the day were Lora Wall, Christa McHan, Rayle and Andra Kiger.

• Greg Barnette ran for two touchdowns as Davie’s JV football team won 18-7 at Thomasville. Barnette scored on a pair of 1-yard plunges and finished with 80 rushing yards. Sam Prysiaznuik had a 3-yard TD and Tony Allen led the way with 89 rushing yards as the War Eagles improved to 3-1. The defensive star was Mike Foster, who had two interceptions.