Pam Pack one win away from rewriting history

A day away from the biggest game of his tenure as Pam Pack head football coach, Sport Sawyer spent most of Thursday morning and early afternoon caked in white and blue spray paint, coating every inch of every line on a game-worn Wagner Field.

While his players attended class, battling the inescapable anxiousness that usually comes before a big game, the solace brought on by the time-consuming task gave Sawyer the opportunity to reflect, contemplate and, of course, strategize.

Tonight, Washington will host Elizabeth City Northeastern in the eastern regional final with a spot in the 2-AA state championship on the line.

It’s been 58 years since Big Blue last appeared in the title game — ancient history for some. But tonight, an impermeable defense that has given up seven points in three games, one of the all-time great Pam Pack running backs and a perceptive coaching staff will look to rewrite the history books and reserve the 2014 team’s place along the “Long Blue Line.”

“There’s a lot of people who are pulling for us,” Sawyer said. “Beaufort County, as far as football, hasn’t been there in a long time. You look every Sunday and there are millions of football fans across the nation. Sports bring people together. Right now, we’re looking to get to the state championship and bring this city and community closer together.”

Despite the support of a county and the team’s recent success, securing a win in tonight’s showdown will not be an easy feat. Washington, the only squad remaining with a loss on its resume, will not be shutting out Northeastern, that is all but certain. The Eagles, champions of the Northeastern Coastal Conference, enter with a perfect 14-0 record and one of the best offenses in the state.

Powered by senior quarterback Gedari Liverman and two running backs with over 1000-plus yards, Northeastern is averaging close to 40 points per game this season using a balanced offensive approach that comes with a variety of different looks.

“With them being 14-0, you don’t expect much to change,” Sawyer said. “They were in the eastern finals last year in small 2-A. Coach (Antonio) Moore and his staff have won a lot of games over there, so I don’t expect much change from them or much change from us. We have to go out there and execute.”

Liverman, a dual threat quarterback, has thrown for 1869 yards and 18 touchdowns, while throwing just three interceptions. He’s also rushed for 1266 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Second to Liverman in rushing is junior Jamel Foster, a bruising, 5-11, 215-pound running back often used in short-yardage situations. Foster has found the end zone 17 times this season and posted 1188 yards on 124 carries. Another weapon in Northeastern’s arsenal is junior Clarence Jones, a 6-1, 205-pound back averaging 9.1 yards a carry.

Washington doesn’t have the option of multiple weapons, but it may have the most deadly weapon of all — running back Markel Spencer. Spencer, who became the leading rusher in the Sport Sawyer era last week with a 169-yard performance, is the complete package — elusive, agile and quick. He’s notched 1888 yards and 24 touchdowns this season on 246 carries. Impressive numbers, especially considering he was limited in two of the team’s three playoff games.

Now back to 100 percent, Spencer will be tasked with carrying much of the offensive load for the Pam Pack tonight, while Xzavier Clark will likely get his fair share of carries as well. Sawyer has also spent this week refining certain aspects of the passing game to give its own offense a variety of different looks.

“We just went over general things like making sure who to block on offense and running sharp routes,” Sawyer said. “We don’t throw a ton, but when we do we want sharp routes and quick reads. Northeastern has a very good quarterback and they use different formations, so our defense is making sure they know what to look for under different circumstances.”

That Pam Pack defense, led by linebackers Rayekwon Satterwaite, Jamond Ebron and E.J. Peartree, has been a force throughout the season, even holding quality squads like Farmville Central, Southwest Edgecombe and Tarboro to under 14 points.

“Each one of those guys can fly around, get a turnover or stop the run,” Sawyer said. “They’re athletic, can take on blocks, make tackles and cover pass routes. We got a good group of guys who are doing real well in their assignments.”

On top of the players, history may also play a role in this marquee matchup. Last season, the Pam Pack was embarrassed by T.W. Andrews, 42-15, in what proved to be a chippy, gritty 2-AA regional championship. Likewise, the Eagles were ousted from last season’s 2-A playoffs in the regional round by a resurgent Southwest Onslow team, 19-9.

“We had a goal at the beginning of the season and we’re right there at it,” Sawyer said. “We just want to finish it out and play hard. If we play hard, good things are going to happen.”

The winner of tonight’s game will be advance to the state championship at Wake Forrest on Dec. 13, where it will face the winner of the western regional championship between No. 1-seeded East Lincoln and No. 2-seeded Franklin.