BASEBALL TAB: Cover story -- Davis develops "model of consistency" in Pikeville

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 11, 2016 1:48 PM

• Print
• Email

PIKEVILLE -- Tucked away neatly and organized in a file drawer is a manila folder.

Its edges tattered from use and a little faded over time, the folder holds a document that belongs in a time capsule for someone to uncover in the future. Except this piece of paper remains in perfect condition and isn't ready for storage.

It's date is Feb. 11, 1991.

Detailed notes are scribbled under different categories.

It's the first-ever practice plan written by Charles B. Aycock head baseball coach Charles Davis.

Nothing has changed.

Now, like then, players step into the home dugout -- whether it's a practice day or game day -- to glance at the paper tacked to the corkboard. They read it and know what's expected of them that afternoon.

Davis didn't estimate the number of practice plans he's penned during his nearly three-decade tenure with the Golden Falcons.

Yet, there is a folder for every year.

The meticulous effort is microcosm of a coaching career that started with one of the best in the business -- current University of North Carolina head baseball coach Mike Fox. Davis played for Fox and spent two seasons as his assistant coach at N.C. Wesleyan College.

Davis washed uniforms, learned about field maintenance and studied Fox's game-day management habits. While the first two are handled by his assistant coaches these days, Davis determines how he's going to steer his team each afternoon.

The system has become one of the many cornerstones of the Golden Falcons' foundation that's helped develop the program into a model of consistency.

"I guess I'm a hoarder," laughed Davis. "It helps to look back sometimes to see how I did things back then. The thing about it, things haven't changed a whole lot. We tweak something here and there, but our practice plans basically stay the same. I expect those kids to know what we're doing. I don't hide anything from them all the way down to conditioning.

"I want them to be focused when we step on the field."

*

Before Aycock was built in the early 1960s, the communities of Fremont, Nahunta, Belfast and Eureka had their own high school baseball teams. They, too, turned out quality players who moved on to the next level.

But they weren't the only competitive programs in the county. Communities in the northeast and southern districts had their fair share of hard-nosed players, who gobbled up ground balls and chased down fly balls in the outfield.

More than 50 players from Wayne County have seen action in the semi-pro and professional baseball ranks. Five are active today -- Aycock alum Rob Wooten, who was traded as a free agent to the Atlanta Braves; Potomac National teammates John Wooten and Zach Wright; and brothers Johnny and Jerry Narron. Johnny was the manager with Salt Lake City Bees (Triple-A affiliate of the L.A. Angels) last season.

Jerry was on the Milwaukee Brewers staff a year ago. He, along with the late Clyde King, are the only two Wayne County natives to ever serve as managers -- Narron with the Cincinnati Reds and King with the Yankees during the George Steinbrenner era.

"People take baseball serious in this county," said Davis, who began his teaching career at Norwayne and moved over to CBA in August of 1990 when the head varsity baseball job became vacant.

"This county has always had good baseball from the Legion programs to the Babe Ruth programs (and) travel programs now. People take baseball serious in this county. It's good baseball, not only on this end of the county, but everywhere."

*

Tradition never graduates.

The statement may sound mundane and overused, but it undoubtedly describes Davis' program. He loses -- on average -- anywhere from six to eight players to graduation each season.

Somehow, the Golden Falcons continue to compete on the regional and state level in successful fashion each spring.

"I think a lot of that is because we practice JV and varsity together so those kids, as a collective group on the JV level, they know what to expect on the varsity level," Davis said. "We started that probably about five or six years ago. Even before that, the JV coaches always did a great job. We keep everything the same from our basic defense fundamentals all the way down to our signs."

Davis, as he did with Fox, doesn't take full credit.

He cites his JV coaches -- who are all Aycock disciples. Allen Thomas and Jon Horton are on the varsity staff. Nelson Cunningham worked with the JV program, and now handles -- along with Horton -- the two Golden Falcon teams during the month-long Eastern Carolina Baseball League season.

Thomas, Horton and Cunningham each has an uncanny relationship with Davis, almost to the point they can read each other's minds. They know what he expects, and how to execute it in practice and on game day.

Just five years ago, the "old-school" Davis tried a new approach with his varsity team. When the Golden Falcons are on the field, he stands up in the dugout and uses it as a teaching moment to his players. He sits down in a metal chair near the edge of the dugout when his team is at the plate.

Thomas coaches third base.

Steve Brooks takes first base and Horton remains in the dugout with Davis.

"I like that. I'm getting old, don't have to dodge line drives any more. I can see the game so much better," Davis, again, laughed. "My job as a head coach is to prepare my assistants to be head coaches. It gives me an opportunity to teach our reserves that even though you may not be playing, look at the pitcher, tell me how many times he's looking over to first base. Is he one-looking to second base?

"Those kids do a pretty good job of picking up those things. We try to teach that, too, so the guys who are not starting they still stay involved with the game. You'd be surprised at the high school kids who can pick up on those things."

*

Three large signs appear in different areas of the baseball complex before you walk down the concrete steps to Charles Davis Baseball Field.

The 1974 state championship team placard hangs over the concession stand. That group included Parker Davis, who threw a single-season, school-record 181 strikeouts in 1974 -- which is 12th-best all-time in the N.C. High School Athletic Association record book.

Diagonal from the concession stand is the 2007 state-title team marker tacked to a storage building just outside the team's locker room. Across from it, the 2012 state runner-up team sign hangs on a no longer used concession stand.

An overflowing trophy case in the gym lobby displays the Golden Falcons' 11 regular-season championships that span three conferences -- East Central 2-A, Big Eight 3-A and Eastern Carolina 3-A. That's not to mention all-conference awards and in-season tournament trophies.

Nine CBA teams have finished runner-up in league play, including the 2015 squad that fell to Marvin Ridge in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A state championship series this past June. That sign has not been placed.

Davis agreed that previous teams laid the groundwork which has allowed Aycock to play for three state championships since 2007.

"Hopefully, I've matured a lot since those early years," said Davis, who had teams drop third-round heartbreakers in 1995 and 1996. "Hopefully I've matured a lot since those early years. Sometimes Allen tells me you're not as tough as you used to, but the one thing about it, our rules and expectations never change.

"In 2007, a lot of those kids -- I think it was five of them who had started since their sophomore year -- things fell into place for them. We've been very, very fortunate (since)."

In the baseball locker room are white sheets of paper stapled to a yellow piece of paper underneath it and taped to a wall. One moment's glance turns into minutes and you easily get lost in time as you read and discover interesting details about the program.

One page recounts Davis' year-by-success -- the team's overall record, its finish in conference play, the number of rounds it advanced in the postseason and the number of wins-losses.

Toward the far side of the wall, with inches to spare, are additional pages that list the program's series record against every opponent that Aycock has faced with Davis as head coach.

Every single player who has ever donned an Aycock uniform and the years that they played covers two pages. Each Golden Falcon who has signed to play college baseball is listed. If the player advanced to the professional ranks, the team that drafted him is designated in parentheses.

"Any time we've had a kid to sign a contract and go to either the minor leagues or major leagues, it's not a testament to what I've done," said a humble Davis, whose eyes twinkled with pride. "I think it goes back to their parents. I think it goes back to this community and this school. Everybody has had a piece (in that success).

"(And) a lot of it is God-given talent, but hopefully, I was able to do just a little bit here either baseball-wise or discipline-wise to make them strive to be the best that they could be."

Those clearly-typed and updated pages are another part of the program's history that belong stored in the time capsule.

*

While Davis' work ethic and rules remain the same, he's adjusted to change over time. He's seen kids get bigger, faster and stronger; and feel the need to play one sport year around.

That comes after the grind of a three-month high school season that can take its toll physically, emtionally and mentally on any athlete. It's the biggest challenge any coach faces, regardless the age group of players he works with every day.

From mid-October to Jan. 1, Davis doesn't allow his players to either throw the baseball or take batting practice. He encourages them to rest, maybe participate in another sport. That philosophy helps cut down on injuries which could cause a player to sit out part of a season or miss the entire year.

Davis recalled John Smoltz's speech before his induction at Cooperstown. He advocated kids playing multiple sports. Davis also mentioned that head Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer recruits multi-sport athletes. Nearly 80 percent of his roster is dominated with players who not only played football in high school, but participated in other sports.

Baseball, like any sport, teaches life lessons.

It sets you up for failure.

It makes you realize that nothing is fair.

"We talk about being mentally tough in the game of baseball and hopefully being mentally tough in the game life," Davis said. "Life is not going to be fair. There will be days that things don't go your way, but you've got to be mentally tough to get over the hump and make it through the next day.

"I told the group the other day, my job is not to necessarily teach you how to win baseball games, it's how to be a responsible young man in today's society. Hopefully, these guys will be good young men, go out and make a honest living. Raise a family. Be good fathers. Be good husbands.

"That's what we try to do."

*

Family and community support silently drives Davis.

His wife, Rhonda, keeps the scorebook before living as the "mom taxi" when Connor and Kyle needed to taken to practice. She always had time to either bake brownies or cookies for the players to much on after games.

Connor played on CBA's state championship softball team in 2012. She went on to play college volleyball at WPU. Kyle is on the varsity baseball team and just recently signed a national letter-of-intent to play at Pitt Community College.

"Rhonda has always been supportive of me and the time it takes to be a head coach," said a humble Davis. "When Connor and Kyle were smaller, she made sure they were at their practices. She has been the perfect coach's wife and she is also very knowledgeable about the game.

"Connor and Kyle knew growing up in a coach's home what was expected of them as athletes and I think they have handled it well."

Davis Field was named the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association Region 2 complex of the year in 2015. The coach dedicates that award to a community that eats, lives, breathes and sleeps the national pastime that is perhaps the greatest sport of all time.

No matter the situation, Davis can call upon a local business or person and receive some type of donation to help the program. Many CBA graduates, whose daughters and sons now play on teams, volunteer their time in the concession stand for different sports.

Crowds flock to Davis Field, especially if a county rival is in town or when its playoff time.

"Even though we have gotten bigger, we're still considered a community school," Davis said. "When I started here 26 years ago, I had no idea I'd be here this long, but I've not looked to go anywhere else. This is my home. I've had a chance a couple of times to go other places. I've always weighed the pros and cons.

"This is my home. This is where I want to end up at."

Then Davis and his legacy as CBA head coach completes its final chapter that becomes immortalized in a time capsule.