Beaufort County has not claimed a win in its last six football games. Washington, Northside and Southside combined to go 0-6 in the last two weeks. Each local squad started conference play behind the eight ball.

Southside’s recent dry spell comes against two of the best 1-A football teams one can find on this side of the state. Tarboro is an odds-on favorite to win a state championship. North Duplin is a senior-laden team with a winning culture expected to make more noise than usual this year.

But so are the Seahawks. There are plenty of experienced players on this year’s roster; players who have seen Southside play for consecutive regional championships. With Plymouth having a down year, this season may be a golden opportunity to finally get over the hump that has been the regional-championship game.

These last two weeks shouldn’t do much more than ground the Seahawks that were soaring high after starting 4-0. With Tarboro in the rear-view mirror, second place in the 1-A Coastal Plains Conference is theirs to claim.

Washington and Northside are in much more desperate situations. Between losing 28-27 at East Carteret opening weekend and falling, 22-15, at Greene Central this past Friday, two touchdowns have been the difference in the Pam Pack’s 1-5 record and perhaps being an even 3-3.

Seeing is believing, especially for a team that is enduring as much change as Washington. It saw glimpses of what it could be in the way it came back for its only win — a 36-32 victory at Northside. Even then, though, Washington didn’t put together a complete game. It was the same five weeks ago at East Carteret.

Northside has come even closer. A 28-0 shutout at Manteo is its only lopsided loss of the season. That Washington game slipped away late. The Panthers hung with North Duplin for three quarters until they got gashed for a couple of big plays. Then, 5 yards separated them from a walk-off win at Riverside this past week.

Will Washington and Northside hang their heads for coming up just short, or use it as motivation to make that one more step it will take to come out on the winning end of those close games?

Both the Panthers and Pam Pack could be in much more favorable scenarios right now. The bounces can’t always go their way, though. Now they’ve reached the point in the season where every snap will have a direct bearing on whether there will be a postseason.

This is the point where these teams show what they’re truly made of. They need to be physically sharp out of the gate. There’s no room for sluggish starts or taking plays off. Mentally, players and coaches alike need to be tough enough to quickly get past a failure and move right on to the next play.

The Seahawks know what they’re capable of. They’re going to go out and show it. Washington and Northside, while their respective records won’t show it, can play some pretty good football. Now it’s up to them to prove it. Close losses aren’t an option now if either team intends on making it to the playoffs.

Let’s see what happens when they’re backed into a corner.