Davidson-Davie STORM celebrates 500th basketball win
THOMASVILLE – It was nothing but net Saturday evening for the Davidson-Davie STORM, as the basketball team clinched a win against the Bryant & Stratton Bobcats. This victory was just a little bit sweeter, though – not only did it mark the college’s 500th win since the program’s inception in 2007, but it was also the 500th win for Athletics Director and Head Coach Matt Ridge, who’s been with the team since day one.
Checking off 500 victories is an especially big accomplishment for Ridge, who jokes “500 wins means I have been at Davidson-Davie a long time.” But it’s so much more than that for him and for the college. “This means I have had a lot of amazing players and assistant coaches, like Josh Allen, who have obviously contributed to those wins.”
Ridge came to Davidson-Davie in 2007 with a lofty task ahead of him – to create an entire basketball team in a matter of weeks. “It was an incredible opportunity to be a head coach of a brand-new college basketball program. It allowed my staff and I to create the STORM family from the very first season. It also gave me the opportunity to be a head coach at a college only 10 minutes from where I grew up. This is home to me.”
Being close to home with a dream job was great, but Ridge also had his work cut out for him; he had to build nearly everything from scratch. “I was hired in late June and the first day of class was the third Monday in August, so I had about seven or eight weeks to recruit an entire team. In addition, the college had to purchase everything we needed to even have a first season – things like uniforms, practice gear and other equipment,” Ridge explains. “We also had a lot of renovations to Brinkley Gym to have practices and host home basketball games.”
Since that first season, Ridge and his teams over the years have been putting in hours and hours of practice, winning a lot of games, being nationally ranked – and making a lot of memories along the way, including:
Ranked No. 1 in the nation for 15 weeks total.
Post-season awards, including 10 All-American selections, five players selected as Region X Player of the Year, four players selected Region X Freshman of the Year.
Head Coach Matt Ridge selected as Region X Coach of the Year 11 out of 18 seasons. Ridge was also selected as District 7 Coach of the Year 10 out of 18 seasons.
“Some of the best memories would be some of our regional and district championship wins,” Ridge says. “Seeing the smiles on our players’ faces as they climb up the ladder to cut down nets and celebrate with their families is special. The STORM has played in 10 Elite Eight games, four Final Fours and two National Championship games, too – those were special teams as well.”
It's not always about those wins, though. Ridge says there’s no real secret to the team’s success. “I’m old school in a lot of ways,” he says. “I believe in outworking your opponent – and that starts with me and my staff outworking other coaches in recruiting. But a very important part of our program is our culture. In my opinion, culture trumps the X’s and O’s all day long. Our intentional daily commitment to holding our players accountable to our standards helps to create habits that drive our players to succeed.”
He says such a team would not exist without the tremendous support and encouragement from the college. “I am the luckiest guy in the world to have had the opportunity for such support from the college, everyone from the faculty and staff who support our students and coaches every single day to the administrators, Trustees, and Foundation Board who cheer us on and make sure we have the resources to succeed.”
“Our STORM athletic programs – basketball and volleyball – have allowed this college to have a richer extracurricular experience, and give students a fabulous opportunity outside the classroom,” adds Jenny Varner, president of Davidson-Davie. “We couldn't be prouder of this 500th win for our STORM.”
So of course, Ridge says 500 wins is great. But more than anything, he’s proud of the STORM family atmosphere that he and the team has worked to create. “Our STORM family is real. There are so many people in our community who contribute to helping change the lives of our players on a consistent basis. They care about our success – whether it’s on or off the court.”
“I’m proud of our players who have moved onto four-year schools and players who have moved on to play professionally. Mostly, though, I’m proud of knowing that our players have taken a few things they learned at Davidson-Davie and applied those skills to their personal and professional lives to be successful.”
Photo Captions:
Pictured is Head Basketball Coach Matt Ridge, who celebrated his 500th win with the STORM on Wednesday evening. Ridge has been with the STORM since its inception in 2007.
Pictured is the 2025-26 STORM basketball team, led by Head Coach Matt Ridge and Assistant Coach Josh Allen.
Davidson-Davie Community College (www.DavidsonDavie.edu), which incorporated Davie County into its name in 2021, is a fully accredited, multi-campus college where students of all ages and backgrounds pursue academic and career-focused education in order to build successful futures. As one of 58 institutions within the North Carolina Community College System, Davidson-Davie offers more than 40 degree and professional certificate programs, as well as affordable college-credit coursework to students who plan to transfer to four-year schools. With a mission to serve the changing needs of students competing in a global environment, Davidson-Davie is committed to quality education, innovative and equitable learning experiences, training, and support across a wide range of 21st-century career fields.
