WINSTON-SALEM — The football gods continue to frown upon Davie County.

It was just another week, just another great effort, just another breakdown on special teams and just another loss for the snake-bitten War Eagles.

Davie (3-7 overall, 0-3 Central Piedmont Conference) fell 21-16 to R.J. Reynolds (8-1, 2-0) on Friday night at Thompson Stadium in a game that was just as painful as its previous two. Davie, whose postseason hopes ended on a blocked punt last week at South Rowan , somehow played with hunger and passion once more, but still couldn’t get it done.

“Almost, almost, almost,” sighed Davie coach Doug Illing. “We put in ourselves in great position for three quarters, but then along comes that fourth quarter.”

Reynolds scored first for a 7-0 lead, but Davie answered with a 15-play, 62-yard march to tie in the second quarter. The touchdown came on a fourth-and-goal pass from Dan Sullivan to usual linebacker Patrick Lowery, who was stationed in the backfield as part of Illing’s new jumbo set.

“We could have gotten three points there, but we went for it all,” said Illing. “We needed a touchdown. We needed a lift.”

And they got it.

It stayed 10-7 heading to the fourth quarter, as Davie ventured to the final 12 minutes with a lead for the third straight week.

But then a game that begged for an unlikely hero got one when Demon Austin Boehme took a punt at the Davie 45 and followed his blockers all the to the Davie end zone with 10:13 remaining.

“We knew they had a wall on punts,” said Illing. “We practiced it, but their execution was perfect.”

Moments later, Sullivan was picked off at his 12, handing the Demons an insurance touchdown. And now it was all over but the shouting.

Sullivan was under heavy pressure all night and was sacked seven times. He did finish off the scoring with just 13 seconds left in the game when he hit Nick Propst for a 20-yard TD.

Davie followed that TD with an onsides kick and Tim Redmond recovered it, but officials ruled that the ball hit a Davie player before it went the necessary 10 yards.

Davie didn’t have the strength left to argue. Another heartbreaking loss was in the books.

“We liked our chances most of the game,” said Illing. “But it’s just not bouncing our way this year. We’re playing hard, but a big play on special teams keeps biting us.”

If anyone knows what Davie’s going through, it’s Reynolds. The Demons went 0-4 in the league last year and held the lead in every single game.

“Last year when we lost to Davie on a reverse pass it was a terrible feeling,” said David Atkins, interim coach for the Demons, in the absence of suspended Alex Mebane. “We’ve sure been there. But Davie’s young. They’ll have to be reckoned with next year.”