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Coming off consecutive 3-7 seasons, everyone involved with the Washington High School football team hopes the Friday night outcomes will be different this fall.

Matt Taylor enters his second year as the leader of the Pack after stints as the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at his alma mater, D.H. Conley in Greenville.

Taylor is much more at home as the new season arrives and thinks the program is miles ahead of where it was this time last year with 12 starters and 15 seniors returning.

“We didn’t have a spring program because I wasn’t hired yet, which put us behind last summer,” Taylor said. “I had to get to know 60 guys very quickly and let them see I was here to help them improve on the field and in the classroom. It wasn’t easy, but the dividends are going to pay off starting in a few days.”

Taylor turns to junior quarterback Evan Makepeace to lead the offense that Taylor plans on opening up some from last year.

“We have talented receivers in Jerryn Payne, Trenton Baldree and Anderson and Oliver Thomas,” Taylor said. “Those guys are multi-sport athletes who can catch the ball, and Evan has shown that he can get the ball to them. That will take some of the load off our running backs.”

Those running backs include 5’11 235 lb. senior Keondrick Melton and 5’9 200 lb. junior Calek Smaw, who Taylor described as the teams beat all-around player.

“I’m hoping they’ll be thunder and lightning back there,” Taylor said. “Keondrick is tough to bring down with a full head of steam and Calek is capable of breaking a big run with every touch.”

Three senior linebackers anchor the defense and Gabe Davis’s health is one key to success. Davis hasn’t played a full season since his freshman campaign, when he was among the team leaders in tackles. Knee injuries have cut short his last two campaigns and the Pack can ill afford to lose him again.

Marek Bates and Landon Jones join him at linebacker, while senior Nash Pippin and juniors Kahalijal Walltower and Smaw lead the secondary.

Eastern Plains Conference coaches picked defending champion SouthWest Edgecombe to repeat and voted the Pam Pack dead last in the seven-team league.

“I would have probably picked us last too coming off last year,” Taylor said. “The kids are a little fired up about it, which is a good thing, but I worry more about how we are progressing. I like where we are and am ready to get started.”

The Pack opens at home Friday against Croatan at 7 p.m.