All three of Beaufort County’s teams fell for the second-straight week. Washington and Northside both took to the road to open conference play against tough opponents. Southside stayed in Chocowinity to host a top-ranked Tarboro team.

Coaches say that the beginning of league competition is like starting 0-0. It’s a new beginning, regardless of non-conference performances. Conference showings decide playoff seeding. For some teams, like Washington, it will decide whether or not there will even be a trip to the playoffs at the end of the season.

Area teams couldn’t start this new portion of the season with a win. Northside and Washington both came close in one-possession losses away from home.

Here are those that kept things close as Beaufort County entered the crux of the football season:

 

RAYDARIUS FREEMAN, NORTHSIDE

In a game where Northside went up against a prime-time playmaker in East Carolina commit Jadakis Bonds, it was Panther running back Raydarius Freeman that stole the show. He ran for consecutive touchdowns to give Northside a 38-34 lead with 6:34 left in the game.

That second touchdown — his last of four total — came from 28 yards out on a fourth-and-1. He also moved the chains twice on the final drive of the game, helping to put Northside in position for a shot to win the game at the buzzer.

 

DAWSON ELKS, WASHINGTON

Washington had a number of big plays made at Greene Central on Friday, but the majority of them were called back due to flags against the Pam Pack. One of the most remarkable highlights in the 22-15 loss was the 41-yard bomb from Frederick Holshcer to Dawson Elks that converted a fourth-and-28.

The catch, which Elks made in tight coverage, gave Washington a chance at tying or winning the game with less than two minutes left. The senior receiver proved he can be another wrinkle in the Pam Pack’s ever-evolving aerial offense.

 

JOHNATHAN CLARK, NORTHSIDE

While Freeman scored four of Northside’s touchdowns on Friday, it was a largely two-man rotation that helped the Panthers find so much success on the ground. Johnathan Clark ran hard against Riverside throughout the game, too.

Clark had his fair share of highlights in the game. One of the most impressive was a 17-yard touchdown run to the right side in which he spun off a defender at the end. He helped lock down the Knights’ passing game, too, as he came up with some crucial breakups.

 

FREDERICK HOLSCHER, WASHINGTON

Frederick Holscher throwing an interception in the end zone late in Washington’s loss to Greene Central doesn’t erase the impressive work the senior quarterback put in under center. Of course, the highlight was his connection with Elks.

Among the other crucial plays was Holscher and Ja’quez Ruffin combining for a 2-point conversion after Hykeem Ruffin punched in Washington’s first touchdown. It tied the game at 8-8 instead of just cutting the deficit down to two.