The first players from Washington’s unforgettable eastern regional conference championship team committed to further their education and continue playing the game they love on Tuesday.

Stepfon Rodman, Javon Whitney, Lane Jackson and George Briley, all integral pieces in the Pam Pack’s 2014 state championship run, will take what they’ve learned as players under head coach Sport Sawyer to the collegiate level.

“They’ve been apart of the winning more than anybody else,” said Jon Blank, the football team’s defensive coordinator and Washington’s athletic director. “The last three years have been some of the most successful three years in our football program and obviously they’re a key part of that. For us to be able to send them out beyond Washington High School just speaks volumes of what we’re able to do as a program now. Winning kind of breeds more success beyond the walls of Washington High School.”

Alongside bruiser Xzavier Clark and standout running back Markel Spencer, senior Stepfon Rodman was utilized as a supplemental back, used primarily on pitch and bootleg plays. A state champion in the 400-meter dash, Rodman used his blistering speed to cut up the sidelines and elude tacklers. He was the third leading rusher on the team, tallying 468 yards on 47 carries and seven touchdowns, while leading the Pam Pack in yards per rush (10).

Senior Javon Whitney was Sawyer’s go-to receiver throughout the season, a deep threat down field and a valuable weapon in a run-heavy offense. Whitney recorded 243 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 14 catches last season.

On special teams, Rodman and Whitney were used as the principal kick returners and now, they may find themselves on the same platoon once again, as the duo prepares to suit up for UNC Wesleyan College next fall.

“It’s different, a step up of from high school,” Rodman said. “Me and Javon have been playing together since we were in kindergarten, first grade. We’ve played together our whole life.”

Two of Washington’s unsung heroes, a pair vital to the success of the running back corps, are finally being rewarded for flying well under the radar during the championship run.

Coach by DeWayne Kellum, seniors Lane Jackson and George Briley were the most physical presences on the Pam Pack offensive line, stuffing linebackers and opening lanes for Spencer, Clark and Rodman.

Jackson, listed at 6-2, 260-pounds, will suit up for Division III Christopher Newport University, while Briley, at 6-foot, 236-pounds, will play for Division II Chowan University.

With a solid frame to build upon, Jackson should fit nicely on the Captains O-line, but Briley, who is unquestionably undersized for the Division II level, will have a lot to prove in the coming months. But playing on one of the most productive high school O-lines in Class 2-A last season, he’s certainly not lacking confidence moving forward.

“I need to just work hard and believe in myself,” he said. “Just because some of the other guys are bigger, I believe I can still compete with them.”

Jackson credits the coaching staff for his development over the last four years.

“Playing for coach Sawyer and coach Kellum, they not only taught me what it takes to be a good football player, but also what it takes to be a good person” he said.

Washington finished the season 14-2 last year, earning an eastern regional championship and their second-consecutive Eastern Plains Conference title. The team, in the conversation as one of the best to ever wear Pam Pack blue and white, was not only know for its production on the field, but its success in the classroom as well.

“They’ve very good young men who come from very good families,” Sawyer said. “They work hard and represent Washington very well. But also in this, we had 26 seniors on our team last season. Eighteen of them, to my knowledge, are going on to further their education. Some of them are not playing football obviously, but they’re are going to college and I think that says a lot about Washington High School’s teachers.”

Whitney and Rodman will join a Battling Bishops team that finished 5-5 (4-4 USA South Athletic Conference), averaging 178 yards rushing and 202 passing a game. Jackson joins a Captains squad that finished 8-4 (7-1 New Jersey Athletic Conference), while Briley joins a Hawks team that went 2-8 (1-6 CIAA).

“They’ve been great as far as people go, they’ve been leaders on the field, in the program, and some of them quieter than others, but they’ve all found their own ways to lead,” Blank said.