He played with an all-out style that will never be forgotten and on Thursday night, before the Washington baseball team hosts Havelock, Trent Emery Watkins will be remembered as his parents, Wayne and Kimberly Watkins, will hand out the Watkins Award during a pregame ceremony that is slated to start at 6:30 p.m.

The late Trent Emery Watkins was a football and baseball star for the Pam Pack and died in a tragic motorcycle accident in April 2004. Watkins played at the varsity level during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons on both the football and baseball teams before he graduated in 2002.

The Watkins Award consists of two $750 scholarships, one for baseball and one for football, though it is possible that one player could receive both. The Watkins Award will be selected by the coaching staff of both the football and baseball teams and will be given to the athlete that best demonstrates the following qualities: Strength of character and integrity, a positive attitude, determination and a drive to win, along with an unquestionable dedication to the team.

Aside from the Watkins Award ceremony, Washington will also be holding its Senior Night and its Youth League Night. Washington’s first-year baseball coach Matt Burnett said he said he expects the night to a nice one.

“I know that the Watkins Award is a rather prestigious one to get. I have exchanged correspondence with his parents and I’m real excited about it. It should be a good night,” Burnett said.

On the baseball side, Pam Pack seniors Jake Duke, Hatteras Brooks, Blake Beddard and Jake Skirko are all eligible for the award. Burnett said that those seniors are a big reason why Washington (10-11 before Tuesday night’s game at D.H. Conley) has clinched its first playoff spot in three years.

“The seniors have been great,” Burnett said. “They have had a couple of different coaches in the past and one of the biggest things we had to do as a coaching staff is get those guys on board with what we were trying to do and the players really did.”

With a postseason birth already clinched, Burnett’s main goal now is to improve the team’s playoff position.

“At this point what we are doing is playing for seeding,” Burnett said. “Our guys are real excited about being one of 64 teams that are in the playoffs, but now its all about sharpening up and trying to get the best position possible.”

Burnett said the Pam Pack, which recently took third place in the Tarboro Easter Classic, has really jelled.

“Our team is just playing so well together, it’s a real cohesive unit,” Burnett said. “They set a goal early on to make the playoffs and get there. Once you get there anything can happen … But what I really like about this team is there are not a whole lot of egos on this team. Everybody checks there ego at the door and understands that if we play seven good innings of baseball we can compete with anybody.”

Trent Watkins Athletic Award Winners:

2010 Baseball  Jimmy Hardison

Football  Cole Hartley

2009

Baseball ą Austin Thompson

Football  Justin Meekins

2008

Baseball  Josh Woolard

Football  Cody Cunningham

2007

Baseball Trent Whitehead

Football  Lee Watkins

2006

Baseball  Jonathan “Peanut” Chandler

Football  Mat Tanner

2005

Baseball  Josh Fulcher

Football  Nigel Rodgers

2004

Baseball  John Brown

Football  Jonathan Davenport