The wait is finally over. It’s time to hang up the mesh practice jerseys in exchange for much cleaner attire, a uniform that’s been packed away for the last nine months. Football is back in Beaufort County, as three teams prepare to lace up for opening night in front of their home crowds.

The 2-A state championship appearance now nothing more than a distant memory, the new-look Pam Pack defense prepares to make a state of its own, orbiting around one of the most formidable duos of inside linebackers in the region, returning starters Brandon Jackson and Lexroy Brown. The defensive line is new, running backs unproven and quarterback untested. Against one of the most successful 3-A teams in eastern North Carolina over the last decade, Washington certainly has its hands full.

Coming off a surprising showing at the two-preseason scrimmages, Northside is looking to rally around an undersized but strong offensive line, spearheaded by returning senior Tyler Dugger. If there was ever a chance to build momentum moving forward, tomorrow’s game is it, especially considering last year’s 50-point shellacking in Creswell on opening night.

Speed, depth and determination are the high-octane fuel in the Seahawks’ well-oiled wing-T machine entering the 2015 season. Loaded with confidence and the personnel to match up with any 1-A opponent, Southside is looking to start the season off with a statement victory over a team that upset the Seahawks in last year’s opener.

 

WASHINGTON (0-0, 0-0 Eastern Plains) VS. HAVELOCK (0-0, 0-0 Coastal)

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: J.G. Choppy Wagner Stadium

To be the best you have to play the best. It’s why Washington head coach Sport Sawyer makes it a point to schedule Havelock every year. Under the direction of coach Jim Bob Bryant, the Rams, an old conference foe of the Pam Pack, have made appearing in the state championship a habit over the last 10 years.

While the Pam Pack is also coming off a title game appearance of its own, the first in more than 60 years, Washington will have to limit turnovers, force stalemates on the offensive line and hope luck is on its side in order to have a shot at knocking off the perennial 3-A powerhouse. The Rams return their leading rusher in Tony Sharpe, who ran for a team-high 2290 yards on 255 carries as the feature back last season, while quarterback Corey Cooper will look to fill the shoes of recent graduate Travis Sabdo in a pass-heavy offense.

Players like Jackson, Brown and returning safety Hassan Credle will be vital in shutting down the pass and taking some of the pressure off a young front seven. On offense, it was Markel Spencer who, despite the six points, had a big game for the Pam Pack against Havelock last year, rushing for 157 yards on 21 carries. Sawyer is hoping Clinton Pope and sophomore Hykeem Ruffin will provide the punch in the running game tomorrow.

 

PREDICTION: HAVELOCK 31, WASHINGTON 14

 

NORTHSIDE (0-0, 0-0 Coastal Plains) VS. CRESWELL (0-0, 0-0 Coastal Ten)

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Bing Mitchell Stadium

PINETOWN — It was the kind of opening-night loss that can haunt a program for a year. Three different Northside players recorded 80-plus yards of rushing in a 50-0 rout of Creswell last season. But the Panthers enter tomomorrow without those three rushers and a mostly restocked offense centered around four juniors — 5-foot-9, 190-pound James Barrow, scat back Chris Slade, running back Tyrese Taylor and quarterback Jackson Midgette.

With a severely understaffed roster, Creswell will lean on its seniors for production, including quarterback Demarcus Holley and tight end Tariq Pledger. The Tigers have the advantage up front, where they boast four 200-plus-pound linemen, including a 240-pound senior in Nicholas Phelps. Look for the Panthers to spread the field and employ some of the new passing plays in coach Keith Boyd’s arsenal.

 

PREDICTION: NORTHSIDE 28, CRESWELL 12

 

SOUTHSIDE (0-0, 0-0 Coastal Plains) VS. NORTH DUPLIN (0-0, 0-0 Carolina)

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: The Nest

CHOCOWINITY — Southside finished the 2014 season with an impressive 10-4 record, but for whatever reason, the team could not figure North Duplin’s running attack in the opener. The Rebels averaged nearly seven years per carry on the ground and held the Seahawks to just three scores, the offense’s second-lowest regular season output. It’s been a year since that game and while North Duplin does return two of its four leading rushers, Southside’s entire offense, with a few exceptions, is back and looking to start the season off strong.

Linebackers Hunter Sparks and Brandon Sullivan will be tasked with keeping the senior running back duo of Emiliano Mora and Tyree Paxton contained, preventing the big plays that sunk them last season. The size of North Duplin’s line could also be a problem for an undersized Southside front, built around senior Donshae Tatum, who is Southside’s best asset at that position. The Seahawks’ sheer depth and speed gives them a distinct advantage in preventing another upset tomorrow.

 

PREDICTION: SOUTHSIDE 47, NORTH DUPLIN 20