DJ Davis Leads Unbeaten West Craven Past North Lenoir

Written by Keith Spence

LAGRANGE — North Lenoir found out firsthand why West Craven is unbeaten in the Three Rivers 4A Conference, and why Eagles quarterback DJ Davis is the league’s most electrifying player.

Davis accounted for three first-half touchdowns as the Eagles opened up a 28-0 halftime lead before cruising to a 41-7 victory on North Lenoir’s Senior Night on Friday.

“They’re in first place for a reason,” North Lenoir coach Larry Dale said. “They’re very talented with size and speed, and their quarterback is an incredible athlete.”

Dual-Threat Talent
Davis has rarely been contained all season, and the Hawks weren’t an exception. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior ran 13 times for 68 yards and a touchdown and completed 6 of 11 passes for 126 yards and two more scores.

He opened the scoring with a one-yard plunge on the game’s opening possession and tossed touchdown passes of nine and 12 yards to Terrell Dixon and Antwain Jones.

The Eagles generated a running clock midway through the third quarter and ran just 12 offensive plays in the second half, limiting Davis’s yardage after intermission.

No Quit in the Hawks
As they have all season, North Lenoir didn’t back down in the face of adversity. Taking over at their own 36 after the Eagles went up 41-0 in the fourth quarter, the Hawks put together a 10-play drive that ended with senior Devin Gray plowing into the end zone from two yards out in his final home game.

“I’m really proud of the way the guys kept fighting and didn’t back down,” Dale said. “We opened up the offense and got some different guys involved on that last drive. We’ve got a great group of seniors playing their last game on this field, and that was a nice way for them to go out.”

Gray carried 14 times for 41 yards in the contest, while fellow senior Anton Black rushed seven times for 32 yards and also made an athletic, diving interception late in the first half.

What’s Next
North Lenoir (1-8, 0-5) finishes the regular season next week at North Johnston. West Craven (7-1, 4-0) has two games left — the Eagles host Southwest Edgecombe this Friday and close the regular season with a Halloween night visit to Eastern Wayne.