After the 27-26 upset against Oak Grove, Davie closed out September with a shutout, winning their second game in two weeks against North Davidson. Friday night’s matchup saw the team firing on all cylinders, with the offense putting up 31 points and the defense holding the North Davidson offense at every turn. The War Eagles controlled the game from start to finish, ultimately emerging victorious against the Black Knights 31-0 and securing their first shutout against an opponent since 2016.
The War Eagle offense showcased its talents by spreading the rock throughout the evening with four different players scoring touchdowns, three of them rushing. One of which was a long rushing touchdown by senior running back Jace Pelote. They also added two more rushing touchdowns on a designed run from linebacker/quarterback Elijah Chaffin and from running back Braxton Bowling. They added a long 74-yard receiving touchdown on a screen pass that sophomore wide receiver Noah Dulin took to the house. Davie also added to the scoring with the field goal in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter to finish off the night with 31 points.
But while the offense put numbers on the board, it was the dominating performance of Davie’s defense that kept the Black Knights scoreless throughout the evening. The War Eagles forced North Davidson to turn the ball over on downs twice and fumble in the third quarter, leading to 14 points. The defense has been playing significantly better, but senior defensive end Connor Dixson says, “It’s all about the game plan the coach gives us and how much we push each other to get better every week.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the War Eagles flexed their skills and stayed in control the whole game. Davie had big contributions from all of their skill position players on offense, allowing them to spread the rock. Junior kicker Dylan Cassetta credits the special teams unit around him and loves the success that the offense has had, which has made his job a lot easier. He also notes that he feels more comfortable now and loves that he has the whole team trusting in him to be successful. Rather than one player, Cassetta feels like “the whole team is contributing and leading to a lot of success on both sides of the ball.” Staying with the special teams unit, senior long snapper Maddox Creason was awarded the Rise Sports Performance Athlete of the Week for his amazing snaps and overall performance in the game.
North Davidson fought hard all night on both sides of the ball, but they struggled on offense as they were held scoreless and could not develop a rhythm. On the defensive side of the ball, they were not able to stop the explosive and high-powered offense of the War Eagles. North Davidson got the loss but will look to get back on track after their bye as they play Mount Tabor on October 3.
The War Eagles will take a bye week this Friday, but they will travel to North Iredell on October 3 as they kick off conference play.
