South-Doyle High ‘salutes’ Witenbarger

By Steve Williams

David Witenbarger, a 1996 South-Doyle High graduate, was honored for his military service and also recognized for being part of the school’s newest football award that bears his name at a halftime ceremony of the S-D versus Heritage game Friday night at Billy K. Nicely Memorial Stadium.

A Master Sergeant in the Field of Psychological Operations, he will have completed 19 years of service at the end of September.

Witenbarger was in his last semester of college (at Tennessee Wesleyan) when 9/11 happened.

“We all remember that day and it was a scary time,” he said. “Nobody knew what to expect going forward.”

Witenbarger also had a high school teaching job in Georgia waiting for him after graduation.

“I decided to finish my degree and things looked like they were going pretty good as far as taking the fight to the Taliban, so I did teaching for one year and then midway through that second year, we went to Iraq as a nation and they started talking about a troop shortage.”

Witenbarger said he relied on his “faith” as far as what to do. He prayed and talked to his family and wife. “I told her I was feeling led to join the military.”

So with “a sense of faith and patriotism” and at a time when the nation needed people to join, Witenbarger joined. He said he first looked at it as a three or four year stint and then one thing led to another.

“They always needed people to stay and be a part and continue serving,” he said. “And here I am.”

When Paul Shelton became the new head football coach at South-Doyle last year he wanted to start giving an annual award to a football player who was a great teammate and team leader and participated in multiple sports.

Based on his high school career at South-Doyle, the award has been named the “David Witenbarger Jr. Cherokee Award” and Nolan Brang was its first recipient in 2022.

In his senior year in 1995-96, South-Doyle Athletic Director Daryl Chandler said Witenbarger ran cross country in the fall and also kicked a 49-yard field goal to beat Dobyns-Bennett and propel the Cherokees into first place in the district in the regular season. He was a captain and starting point guard in basketball too as well as captain of the soccer team.

“He was one of the best guys to ever go through here,” added Chandler.

Witenbarger and his family live in Vass, NC and he’s stationed at Fort Liberty.

“I am very humbled and appreciative of this award that is named after me,” said Witenbarger Friday. “I had a lot of great teammates, coaches and memories throughout my playing days and to be remembered in this way is unbelievable.

“Even though I am also being recognized for my service, I could not have done any of this if it wasn’t for those that served before me or with me. I have tried my best to continue the legacy of service that has been passed down from previous generations and to then do my part to take that torch and pass it to the next generation.”

Leading up to the kickoff, the South-Doyle ROTC ran 96 miles (in honor of Witenbarger’s Class of ’96) to bring in the game ball. At halftime, Witenbarger was presented a plaque with a military picture of him, a proclamation was read and the South-Doyle choir sang the The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Attending the ceremony with Witenbarger was his wife Leah, daughters Iris and Selah and mother Mary.