By Brian Pitts

For the Salisbury Post

KERNERSVILLE — When the first quarter ended with visiting Davie County behind 14-0, the reeling War Eagles had been outscored, 98-37, in a span of nine quarters. When the first quarter ended with Glenn quarterback Jaden Sutton having churned 10 times for 120 rushing yards, a Bobcats’ rout seemed quite possible.
But Davie dug in, showed some guts, and made it a 48-minute game here last night. Although the War Eagles (3-5, 0-2 Central Piedmont Conference) lost for the fifth time in six games, they battled admirably in 27-25 defeat.
“We played with a sense of unity, and you could see both sides (of the ball) feeding off each other,” Davie coach Tim Devericks said. “You could see people encouraging each other.”
By flaunting its running quarterback — Sutton carried 37 times for 279 yards, rushing for two scores and throwing for another — the Bobcats (5-3, 2-0) won for the fifth time in six games.
Earlier in the season, Davie’s defense was bullied by Mooresville, West Rowan, A.L. Brown and Reynolds, and it had to hold on for a shootout win over Carson. And it was getting gouged again in the early going at Glenn. In the first quarter, the Bobcats ran 24 plays to Davie’s four and outgained Davie 153 yards to minus-2. For the half, Glenn had 11 first downs to Davie’s one and 198 yards to Davie’s 14.
The War Eagles were fortunate to only trail 21-10 at the break, its touchdown set up by a fumble at the Glenn 5-yard line and its other three points coming on a 22-yard field goal by Skyler Schoppe — after Glenn’s botched punt gave Davie possession near the goal line.
The War Eagles missed a great opportunity midway through the third quarter. At this point, they had 39 yards of offense. Out of nowhere, Tate Carney picked up 40 on one play, catching a short pass from Nate Hampton, shaking a tackler and rumbling to the Glenn 22. On second down from the Glenn 7-yard line, however, a defensive lineman reached up, batted a Hampton pass and linebacker Miles Brinson intercepted.
Davie missed another chance to cut into Glenn’s lead on its next possession. On fourth-and-2 from the Glenn 44, Hampton and receiver Jack Reynolds could not hook up on a slant.
Davie’s defense, after forcing back-to-back punts, got a turnover on downs at the Davie 26. Eight plays later, Hampton squeezed a pass through a tight window. The defender gambled trying to knock it away. When Zac Gantt caught it, he had nothing but daylight in front of him, resulting in a 38-yard touchdown. The holder on the PAT unit, Reynolds, executed a trick play on the conversion, taking the snap, rolling right and tossing an easy completion to Carney, pulling Davie to within 21-18 with 5:27 to go.
Glenn answered immediately. After a big kickoff return, the Bobcats ran a trick play on first down. Sutton handed off to running back Daniel Napper, who threw deep to a wide-open Tyrell Allen. Davie blocked the PAT, but it looked as though it wouldn’t matter because Glenn had a two-score lead at 27-18 with 5:01 to play.
But Davie wasn’t done. On the next play from scrimmage, Hampton went long to Reynolds, who made the catch and fell on the defender without touching the ground. He spun off and dashed to the end zone for an improbable 74-yard score. Schoppe’s point after made it 27-25 with 4:41 left.
But an amazing rally was not to be. Davie had no answers for the bruising Sutton, who ran for 23, 9 and 9 yards for clock-killing first downs. The game ended with Glenn kneeling down from the Davie 2.
In the face of defeat, Devericks took solace from a team that refused to quit.

The War Eagles outgained Glenn, 250-182, in the second half. They rushed for 71 second-half yards after only managing two in the first half. Hampton threw for 179 second-half yards after passing for 12 in the first 24 minutes.
“I think the defense played one heck of a game for being put in spots they were put in,” Devericks said. “They just have a tremendous athlete (Sutton) that was getting the snap every time. He makes a lot of bad plays turn into good ones.”