By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Maybe it’s that seven-year itch.
After having put the series on hold in 2000, Washington High School and Northside High School will renew their football rivalry this year. The Pam Pack and Panthers, who played for the Anchor Bowl from 1989 to 2000, will meet Aug. 31 in Week 3 of the prep football season.
Pam Pack coach Sport Sawyer, who played sports against Boyd in high school, said he hopes fans will embrace the renewed rivalry.
This year’s game will be played at Northside High School. Washington will host the game in 2008.
Thus far, the schools have agreed on just a two-year deal.
While Boyd, also the athletic director at Northside High School, said some people have called him “crazy” to sign the deal because of the size difference between the schools, he’s excited about the opportunity.
Washington is a Class 3-A school and Northside is among the 1-A ranks.
The game will not be an Anchor Bowl. Southside replaced Washington in the Anchor Bowl series in 2001.
As of now, no hardware will be on the line for the game.
Washington holds an 8-4 mark over Northside in the series. The Pam Pack took a 30-0 win over the Panthers in the first game, played at Kugler Field in 1989. The game was scheduled to be played at Northside High School, but the school’s football field wasn’t finished in time. Damien Moore ran for two touchdowns to lead the Pam Pack.
The Panthers picked up their first win in the series the following season, taking a 31-12 victory at the then-newly constructed J.G. “Choppy” Wagner Stadium in 1990, behind Jerome Bailey’s two touchdown runs.
Northside also won the next two games, 30-14 in 1991 and 42-6 in 1992. Mitch Satterwhite and Ralph Burgess each ran for two scores for the Panthers in the 1992 victory.
Washington started a string of seven consecutive victories with an 18-6 nod in 1993 behind two touchdown passes from Brandon Alligood. The Pack followed that up with a 29-16 win in 1994. Asim McGill, now the head coach at Williamston High School, ran for one score and passed for another for Washington. Eric Oden ripped off a pair of long scoring runs for the Pack.
McGill led Washington to a 17-14 victory in 1995. He threw for one touchdown and scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter for the game-winner. That offset two scoring runs by Northside’s Chris Credle.
Washington benefited from two big defensive plays to earn a 20-6 win in 1996. Robert Taylor had a 74-yard interception return and Kondwani Lodge had a 31-yard fumble return for scores.
Terrance Copper hauled in a pair of scoring tosses from Zack Courson in a 53-0 win for the Pack in 1997. Washington also got two scoring runs apiece from William Morris and Keddrian Bowen.
Marvin Lowe rushed for three touchdowns to lead Washington to a 32-7 win in 1998. Gilbert Rutledge had scoring passes to Copper and Brent Talley. Northside’s lone score came on a 95-yard kick return by Derrick Leathers.
Washington posted a 20-6 victory in 1999. Ponzie Gibbs had a 90-yard run, Copper a 49-yard scamper and Rutledge an interception return for a score.
The Panthers stopped Washington’s run with a 28-6 victory in 2000. Leathers had two touchdown runs to lead Northside.
Both Boyd and Sawyer have fond memories of those games.
Sawyer said he recalls the stadium full of fans for most of the games.
Washington and Northside scrimmaged against one another in last year’s jamboree. Boyd said that’s when interest grew between the two head coaches about renewing the rivalry.
Washington will open the season Aug. 17 at North Pitt, then host Tarboro Aug. 24 in the Victory Bell Bowl.
Northside starts the season Aug. 17 at First Flight and then plays at North Duplin on Aug. 24.
Washington and Northside will clash for the 13th time on Aug. 31.
Washington vs. Northside
Washington Northside
16 First Downs 8
47-207 Rushes-Yards 24-36
103 Passing Yards 60
14-10-2 Pass-Comp-Int 13-5-2
2-32.5 Punting 5-30
2-0 Fumbles-Lost 2-0
14-150 Penalties 6-40
Washington 7 10 13 0 — 30
Northside 0 0 0 0 — 0
Scoring Summary
W — Damien Moore 30 run (Derek Curtis kick).
W — Curtis 23 field goal.
W — Rod Gorham 8 pass from Brian Joynes (Curtis kick).
W — David Williams 12 run (kick failed).
W — Moore 6 run (Curtis kick).
* Northside was the home team but the game was played at Kugler Field in Washington, because Northside’s field was not ready.
Northside Washington
15 First Downs 9
45-257 Rushes-Yards 28-128
67 Passing Yards 76
9-3-1 Pass-Comp-Int 22-7-0
3-27.7 Punting 5-35.2
2-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-0
11-135 Penalties 7-90
Northside 6 16 0 7 — 31
Washington 0 6 0 6 — 12
Scoring Summary
N — Delray Jennette 25 run (Jerome Bailey run).
W — Lamont Cox 3 run (run failed).
N — Bailey 10 run (Bailey run).
N — Marcus Bryant 39 pass from Gray Moore (Bailey run).
W — Arron Jones two run (kick failed).
N — Bailey 3 run (Jerry Body kick).
Northside Washington
12 First Downs 15
55-256 Rushes-Yards 23-164
0 Passing Yards 96
1-0-0 Pass-Comp-Int 22-13-1
2-42.5 Punting 5-22
3-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-0
3-25 Penalties 3-25
Washington 7 0 0 7 — 14
Northside 6 16 7 7 — 30
Scoring Summary
W — Jules Marshall 3 run (Jenkins kick).
N — David Credle 5 run (Mackey run).
N — Delray Jennette 5 run (Jennette run).
N — Wan Gaynor 5 run (Moore kick).
W — Marshall 5 run (Jenkins kick).
N — Kelvin Mackey 2 run (Moore kick).
Washington Northside
16 First Downs 17
24-62 Rushes-Yards 43-295
178 Passing Yards 120
6-4-0 Pass-Comp-Int 27-15-0
2-43 Punting 2-43
4-3 Fumbles-Lost 4-0
9-85 Penalties 2-10
Northside 17 7 14 7 — 42
Washington 0 0 0 6 — 6
Scoring Summary
N — Mitch Satterwhite 11 run (Moore kick).
N — Ralph Burgess 11 run (Moore kick).
N — Toshua Davis 1 run (Moore kick).
N — Burgess 42 run (Moore kick).
W — Danny Sadler 5 run (pass failed).
N — Satterwhite 76 run (Moore kick).
Northside Washington
5 First Downs 13
39-49 Rushes-Yards 33-165
8 Passing Yards 123
1-9-0 Pass-Comp-Int 14-4-1
4-15.3 Punting 0-0
2-1 Fumbles-Lost 5-2
6-30 Penalties 10-75
Washington 0 18 0 0 — 18
Northside 0 0 6 0 — 6
Scoring Summary
W — Allan Griffin 84 pass from Brandon Alligood (run failed).
W — Patrick Scales 18 pass from Alligood (run failed).
W — Danny Sadler 6 run (kick failed).
N — Michael Lacy 1 run (kick failed).
Washington Northside
6 First Downs 11
25-223 Rushes-Yards 60-261
71 Passing Yards 0
8-3-1 Pass-Comp-Int 4-0-1
3-36.3 Punting 4-23.3
3-3 Fumbles-Lost 4-2
7-60 Penalties 4-29
Northside 8 8 0 0 — 16
Washington 7 7 8 7 — 29
Scoring Summary
N — Jamie Corprew 62 run (n/a run) – second play from scrimmage.
W — Eric Oden 21 run (n/a kick).
N — Amos Wilson 75 run (n/a run).
W — Oden 75 run (n/a kick).
W — Asim McGill 11 run (n/a run).
W — Oden 64 pass from McGill (n/a kick).
Northside Washington
13 First Downs 12
33-152 Rushes-Yards 37-153
56 Passing Yards 145
9-4-0 Pass-Comp-Int 15-9-0
1-20 Punting 1-27
3-2 Fumbles-Lost 5-3
3-30 Penalties 8-64
Washington 0 7 3 7 — 17
Northside 0 8 6 0 — 14
Scoring Summary
W — Corey Smaw 25 pass from Asim McGill (Stuart Dudley kick).
N — Chris Credle 7 run (n/a run).
N — Credle 8 run (run failed).
W — Dudley 21 field goal.
W — McGill 1 run (Dudley kick).
Washington Northside
4 First Downs 9
26-83 Rushes-Yards 48-156
26 Passing Yards 5
7-2-1 Pass-Comp-Int 5-1-1
6-27.5 Punting 3-25.3
4-3 Fumbles-Lost 4-2
5-44 Penalties 1-5
Northside 0 6 0 0 — 6
Washington 0 14 0 6 — 20
Scoring Summary
W — Tony Peed 7 run (run failed).
N — Amos Wilson 31 run (run failed).
W — Robert Taylor 74 interception return (Zach Courson pass to Keddrian Bowen).
W — Kondwani Lodge 31 fumble return (run failed).
Washington Northside
20 First Downs 6
32-123 Rushes-Yards 37-41
207 Passing Yards 0
12-11-0 Pass-Comp-Int 1-0-1
1-43 Punting 3-34.4
2-1 Fumbles-Lost 6-5
13-160 Penalties 5-50
Washington 12 27 14 0 — 53
Northside 0 0 0 0 — 0
Scoring Summary
W — Terrance Copper 18 pass from Zack Courson (kick failed).
W — William Morris 3 run (pass failed).
W — Dedric Griffin 3 fumble recovery (kick failed).
W — Keddrian Bowen 15 run (Ross McKernan kick).
W — Morris 5 run (McKernan kick).
W — Bowen 31 run (McKernan kick).
W — Robert Taylor 40 run (McKernan kick).
W — Copper 29 pass from Courson (McKernan kick).
Northside Washington
10 First Downs 13
39-115 Rushes-Yards 38-200
16 Passing Yards 179
10-2-3 Pass-Comp-Int 16-8-1
2-25 Punting 2-36.5
5-3 Fumbles-Lost 6-2
11-66.5 Penalties 13-135
Northside 0 7 0 0 — 7
Washington 14 12 6 0 — 32
Scoring Summary
W — Terrance Copper 25 pass from Gilbert Rutledge (Abbott Tunstall kick).
W — Brent Talley 21 pass from Rutledge (Tunstall kick).
W — Marvin Lowe 7 run (kick failed).
W — Lowe 42 run (kick failed).
N — Derrick Leathers 95 kickoff return (James Woolard kick).
W — Lowe 62 run (pass failed).
Washington Northside
7 First Downs 9
29-183 Rushes-Yards 44-68
23 Passing Yards 66
8-2-0 Pass-Comp-Int 14-5-1
3-31.7 Punting 4-34.8
0-0 Fumbles-Lost 4-2
42 Return yards 50
16-125 Penalties 8-58
Washington 7 7 0 6 — 20
Northside 0 0 0 6 — 6
Scoring Summary
W — Gilbert Rutledge interception return (n/a kick).
W — Phonzie Gibbs 90 run (n/a kick).
W — Terrance Copper 49 run (n/a failed).
N — Brad Nixon 33 pass from Tolan Raynor (n/a failed).
Northside Washington
n/a First Downs n/a
47-363 Rushes-Yards 29-99
0 Passing Yards 90
3-0-1 Pass-Comp-Int 13-6-0
3-36.7 Punting 5-22.2
6-3 Fumbles-Lost 5-3
55 Return yards 25
11-85 Penalties 5-35
Northside 16 12 0 0 — 28
Washington 0 0 0 6 — 6
Scoring Summary
N — Derrick Leathers 36 punt fake (Michael Harris run), 8:38, 1st.
N — Brad Nixon 6 run (Antonio Corprew run), 4:19, 1st.
N — Maurice Collins 55 run (n/a failed), n/a, 2nd.
N — Leathers 43 run (n/a failed), 1:22, 2nd.
W — Rufus Wilson 63 run (n/a failed), 4:16, 4th.