BY BRET STRELOW
SALISBURY POST

MOCKSVILLE — Davie County relies on the run, but it is not a one-dimensional team.

The War Eagles are just selective about showcasing their passing attack.

Davie County quarterback Dan Sullivan threw for a paltry 84 yards, but he was on the money when it mattered, and the War Eagles escaped with a 10-6 win against Statesville on Friday night.

Sullivan completed 10-of-15 passes in the contest, including a 31-yard touchdown strike in the second quarter.

The War Eagles also picked up two first downs through the air on their final drive to run the final 6:46 off the clock.

“Picking and choosing, that’s the thing we do best,”Davie County coach Doug Illing said. “(Offensive coordinator Bill Oakley) does a great job calling those plays, picking and choosing when we can execute our passing game.”

The War Eagles (5-0) led
3-0 in the second quarter when Sullivan went to work with his arm. He completed all four of his passes for a total of 59 yards on the War Eagles’ 76-yard touchdown drive, capped off by his scoring pass to Jason Hogue.

Hogue caught three passes for 46 yards on the drive. He outran double coverage on the TD catch and came down with the ball in the back of the end zone with 2:07 left in the half.

“I was feeling it, I started feeling good,”Hogue said. “I just wanted the ball, that’s all. They weren’t really playing me, playing me 10 yards off. I just had to be quick and get to the outside.”

The Greyhounds (3-2) focused on Hogue for the rest of the game, and tight end Jeremy Lynch benefitted.

He caught two passes for first downs on Davie’s final drive, which ate up 65 yards and the final half of the fourth quarter after Statesville scored on a 74-yard touchdown pass to cut the Davie lead to 10-6.

Lynch got a short pass over the middle on second-and-10 from the Davie 20 and gained 10 yards. The War Eagles appeared to get another first down on a carry by Neil Rice three plays later, but a holding penalty stuck Davie with a third-and-11.

This time, Lynch caught a 12-yard pass to move the chains with 4:01 left.

“When we were passing, they thought we were going to Hogue every time,” Sullivan said. “That helped Lynch get open in the middle.”

The War Eagle running attack also flapped its wings on the final drive. Rice rushed eight times for 22 yards, and tailback Mike Clement ran four times for 26 yards yards.

Davie County registered five of its eight second-half first downs on the drive.

“Our offense had it in their hands, and they didn’t give it back to them,”Illing said. “Last year we would give it back to them and make our defense stop them to win the game. Tonight our offense put it on their shoulders.”

Rice gained 97 yards on 21 carries for the game, and Clement finished with 65 yards on 14 carries.

Both alternated at tailback, and Rice made more of an impact when he lined up in front of Clement as a fullback.

Rice got through the line quickly and had 11 carries for 66 yards as a fullback.

“I ran the ball hard, and I could hit the holes hard when they were open, because they are only open for a second,”Rice said. “If I just come hard, I can get through there pretty good.”

The War Eagles defense didn’t give Statesville many holes to run through. The Greyhounds, running out of the Wing-T, gained 62 yards on 28 carries.

Cam Simpson, who had Statesville’s TD catch, led the Greyhounds with eight carries for 38 yards.

But Simpson didn’t have a single rushing attempt in the second half as Davie County limited Statesville to just one first down after halftime.

The Greyhounds ran nine plays for a total of 7 yards in the third quarter and had possession for only 4:07.

Illing said his team has gotten a better feel for how to defend the Wing-T. Linebacker Patrick Lowery credited Davie’s coaches for that.

“The coaches scouted them great,” said Lowery, who had eight tackles. “We knew what was coming, what to expect.”

The defense even came up with a big play after it gave up the one to Simpson. The Greyhounds had a delay of game penalty after their touchdown, and Davie lineman Sam Stovall blocked David Cochran’s 25-yard PAT attempt.

Cochran hit the crossbar on a 56-yard attempt in the first half, but the blocked PAT prevented him from being able to tie the game if Statesville got the ball back.

“That was big because that took their kicker out of it,” Illing said. “He is a good one.”

So is David Wooldridge. The War Eagle kicker/punter had quite a night. He made a 32-yard field goal to give Davie a 3-0 lead.

All three of Wooldridge’s kickoffs were touchbacks, and he averaged 48.9 yards on six punts.

Thanks to Sullivan’s timely passing and the War Eagles’ resolve, Wooldridge didn’t have to attempt a seventh and final punt.

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Contact Bret Strelow at 704-797-4258 or bstrelow@salisburypost.com .