But the 4A War Eagles (5-2) got more than they had contracted for from the Central mechanics, who showed Davie that its engine may need a major overhaul before it’s ready for the road in the CPC.

Davie was wrecked 21-9 by a 4-1-1 Central team from the 3A Tri-County Conference that was smaller and slower, but a whole lot hungrier.

Davie, which has lost two straight after a 5-0 start, enters league play (next Friday at West Forsyth) with a limping quarterback (Drew Ridenhour) and its main horse, running back, Ricky White, also saddled with an uncertain knee.

White sat out the first 16 minutes Friday night before finally entering the game and pounding out 85 yards.

Even the War Eagle defense, which has been the team’s strength all year, is questioning itself a bit after being shredded by Central sophomore Robert Williams, who romped for 147 rushing yards and caught passes for 60 more.

“Williams is one of the best we’ve seen,” said Davie coach Doug Illing. “He’s fast and he’s strong and we couldn’t tackle him. We never did make a play on him.”

The War Eagles had a chance to salvage the night when they took possession down 14-9, and with the clock nearing the 3:00 mark. But their last desperate possession could have been declared a federal disaster area.

White fumbled on second down, but the War Eagles retained the ball. Then came a busted play on third down. On fourth down, Ridenhour lost the handle on the snap, and Davie was finished.

Coach Eugene Everhart’s overlooked Spartans were sky-high from the get-go. They set the tone for the entire night by accepting the opening kickoff and driving 82 yards in 5:08 for a touchdown.

“That first drive got us shell-shocked,” Illing said.

“On film, Davie was the best team we had played,” said Everhart. “But we just came out and took it to them. I don’t know if we can play any better than we did tonight.”

Davie had two chances to score on its own first possession. But a long Zeke Earle TD run was called back by a penalty. Then David Wooldridge missed a field goal try.

Wooldridge did kick a field goal midway through the second quarter to briefly make it a 6-3 game, but the War Eagles were stunned when the Spartans scored on a Brian Flynn to Chase Younts pass on the last play of the first half for a 14-3 edge at the break.

That play, which finished off a 46-yard, 49-second “drive,” made certain that Central would keep the momentum the rest of the way.

Davie finally awoke in the third quarter, putting together an 82-yard scoring drive following a fumble recovery by soph linebacker Neil Rice to make it 14-9.

A 33-yard screen pass to White and a 13-yard run on fourth down by White kept the drive going. Then an 18-yard pass from Ridenhour to Thadd Johnson set up a 6-yard scoring burst by White.

A try for two extra points, that would have moved Davie to within another Wooldridge field goal, failed.

Central wrapped up matters in the closing minutes when Williams rambled 24 yards to the 1, and then dived over for a score on the next play.

The final result wasn’t a fluke. Davie was battered for 243 rushing yards, after not allowing more than 126 in any game (Salisbury) all season.

“It was a case of us challenging our kids and them responding,” said Everhart. “I feel like we beat a playoff caliber team. Hopefully, by the end of the year, we’ll do well enough that Davie can look back and feel like they got beat by a good team.”

“The kids responded well in practice all week,” Illing said, “but mentally we just weren’t ready for what they had. There were times when we felt like the old Davie, but we just never could stop them.”