Chaplin’s 6 TDS, West Forsyth squeak by Davie County

Published 5:57 pm Saturday, October 14, 2023

West Forsyth was reeling after last week’s upset against Reagan.

So, it had to turn to somebody as it played Davie County. It’s not a new name because running back Caman Chaplin has had stellar numbers all season. But this past Friday night at War Eagles Stadium was different. 

Chaplin rushed for 365 yards on 38 carries and had six touchdowns – five rushing and one receiving – as West Forsyth edged Davie County 50-42 in crucial Central Piedmont 4-A game for both teams.

That’s a week after he had 365 yards rushing against Reagan.

“I thank God that He gave me these abilities to do what I do,” Chaplin said. “It’s amazing that I did it two weeks in a row. And to do what I do, I’m still always going to do what I need to help the team win, and that’s just what I did tonight.”

Chaplin’s coach, Kevin Wallace, was almost at a loss for words.

“He’s a freak,” Wallace said. “I mean he’s got 26 touchdowns in seven games. He didn’t play the first one (against Asheville Reynolds). He’s a good back. He can see it, he can go, and he can run. He can explode through the hole.”

In winning Friday’s game, West Forsyth (6-2, 4-1) broke a three-way tie for first place with Davie County (5-3, 3-2), which lost to Mount Tabor last week, and East Forsyth (7-1, 4-1), which hammered Reynolds 52-0 last night. However, West Forsyth and East are now tied for first place. 

“We responded. That was good,” Wallace said. “All week, I really went into it. They were upset about last Friday. And my big challenge to them was to take that emotion, we’ve got to use that emotion Monday through Thursday to get better. And they showed up Monday with it again. And we used it all week to get better, and we came back and they responded. And it was good.”

West Forsyth plays at Reynolds (2-6, 1-4) next week and Glenn (3-5, 2-3) plays at East Forsyth. If both West Forsyth and East Forsyth win next week it will set up a winner-take-all regular-season finale between the two teams for the conference championship in two weeks in Clemmons. 

“This gives us our momentum back,” Chaplin said. “The loss last week hit us in the face, but hey, we bounced back and we were able to do what we do tonight.”

As for Davie County, it’s in a precarious position with just two weeks remaining in the regular season having lost the past two games. 

“This hurts. But at the same time we’ve got a really good football team, Coach Tim Devericks of Davie County said. “And we’ll just sit on this one for a little bit and then get ready to go.”

The first quarter between West Forsyth and Davie County was like a video game, with the two teams combining for 37 points. Chaplin scored on a 67-yard touchdown run just 25 seconds into the game to help the Titans take an 8-0 lead. Markell Summers of the War Eagles scored on a 40-yard run with 10:47 left to help trim the lead to 8-7. Chaplin added a 72-yard touchdown pass from Bert Rice  with 7:25 left to help extend the lead to 15-7. 

The War Eagles tied it at 15-15. after Grey Deal caught a 46-yard touchdown pass from Ty Miller with 4:59 left, and Joe Wilds caught a two-point conversion pass from Miller.  Chaplin answered again on a 3-yard touchdown run with 44 seconds remaining in the first quarter to help take a 22-15 lead. 

“I’m going to try and get into open space any way I can – inside, outside, it don’t matter. I just do what I do,” Chaplin said. “I knew I could beat them with my speed, and that I do.”

As wild as the first quarter was, neither team could score in the second quarter. However, the third quarter was different. Chaplin rushed for a 69-yard touchdown with 10:31 left to help take a 29-15 lead. Davie County answered after Summers scored on a 1-yard run to help trim the lead to 29-22 with 8:41 left.

The Titans scored again with 5:05 left in the third quarter after quarterback Bert Rice threw a 20-yard pass to Derell Paige to help make it 36-22. Miller answered with an 11-yard touchdown run with 3:25 left in the third quarter to help trim the lead to 36-29. However, Chaplin scored on a 3-yard tun with 10:44 left in the fourth quarter to help make it 43-29.

“That was a huge momentum swing to take a two-score advantage, but again, our guys didn’t quit and came back and scored,” Devericks said. “We tried to get back — had a chance at an onside kick. And I’m proud of our guys.”

Not to be outdone by Chaplin, Summers scored on a 77-yard touchdown run with 10:10 left in the fourth quarter to make it 43-25, but the extra-point kick sailed wide left.

Summers finished with 243 yards on 27 carries. 

“He’s good over there,” Wallace said of Summers. “And the quarterback’s good, the receiver, too, is good. They’ve got some playmakers over there, and they executed stuff. And they did good things. I mean, that’s a tough team to play, very tough team.”

Chaplin fumbled it and Davie recovered, but six plays later, Miller was intercepted by Daviare Eldridge and ran it back to the Davie 29 with 7:30 left. 

Chaplin made up for the fumble and scored on a 1-yard run with 3:47 left to help extend the lead to 50-35. Davie answered with a 10-play drive and scored after Braddock Coleman caught a 20-yard pass from Miller to help make it 50-42 with 2:18 left.

Miller was 19-of-31 passing for 312 yards and two interceptions. 

The War Eagles tried an onside kick, but the Titans recovered and ran out the clock.

“It was huge,” Wallace said. “It was great to get that win to get back into the driver’s seat.”