Twenty years ago in Beaufort County, soccer and offseason conditioning were two synonymous terms. The sport, having little influence in eastern North Carolina at the time, offered an alternative to track and field for baseball, basketball and tennis athletes looking to stay in shape in the fall. Players who considered soccer their primary sport came at a premium.

Now, Terra Ceia and Pungo, two schools where fielding a soccer team would have once been considered unfathomable, have had success on the pitch in recent years, while the Washington Pam Pack has developed into one of the better 2-A teams in eastern North Carolina. Even Southside, a relatively new soccer program with limited success, earned its first playoff win in program history last fall.

And whether American football aficionados or baseball devotees approve or not, soccer is, in fact, on the rise in Beaufort County.

On Saturday, the sport will take another step toward eternal relevance, as Kugler Field will play host to a premier area high school soccer showcase and a Washington High School alumni match

“There are definitely a lot of kids who have learned how fun soccer can be,” said Nate Burns, a graduate of the Pam Pack soccer program involved with the Washington Riptides travel team and the Terra Ceia Knights. “It’s not about just running up and down the field and it’s not the last sport anymore. For a lot of kids, it’s their favorite sport and for those kids, you now have the opportunity to play a lot.”

The showcase will offer the top local players from the county’s five high school programs a chance to share the field for a competitive match. It provides those athletes from some of the smaller schools like Terra Ceia, Pungo and Unity the chance to go toe-to-toe with Washington and Southside’s programs. Mixed in will be recent Washington graduates like Alex Donadio and Alana Jefferson, who currently play soccer at the collegiate level.

“I do feel that some of the kids from the smaller schools are just as good as the bigger schools,” Burns said. “I think they would be on the field (for Washington) and do just as well as the Washington players. I could be wrong, but that’s what it’s all about. They are the best players on their team, so they should have the opportunity to play with some of the other good players in the county.”

Following the showcase will also be the first annual Pam Pack alumni game, where former players will take the field for an evening of reminiscing. The purpose of the event, however, is much more pronounced than simply remembering the past. It’s also about looking toward the future.

While the showcase itself is free to the public, alumni and supporters will be raising money in support the Pam Pack soccer program. The result will be the first ever Washington Soccer Booster Club, an institution that Burns hopes will grow down the line.

“A booster club is why we’re having the games — seeing where soccer is now and what we can do to improve it,” Burns said. “We would all like to see the Washington Pam Pack be good at soccer, whether you live here or you live in Texas, it doesn’t matter. We want to see the Pam Pack succeed.”

Burns hopes the booster club can help raise money for better equipment and even a new training facility down the road.

“We’re successful out here. The kids are putting in the time and going to camps. Some decide to play in college and make something of themselves, become better players. We don’t have a place for them to go and train together. The (Susiegray McConnell) Complex is a city park, but we want our own place where we can be really proud of.”

The showcase, which was originally scheduled for January at Washington High School, was moved to June at Kugler Field, due to Wagner Stadium’s poor (but currently improving) field conditions.

The players selected were either featured on the Washington Daily News All-County Teams or given an at-large bid. Players include Washington’s Lupe Barerra, Eric Ruiz, William Page and goalie William Tate, along with Southside’s Jessie Lohman, Terra Ceia’s Wesley Butcher and Pungo’s Samuel Patti.

“The facility, that’s way off in the future,” Burns said. “We’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’re going to raise what we can, but really its about having the showcase game where the alumni can see the current players, where they are, and how far soccer has come in this area. The showcase game is for these kids to play together with the other best players in the area and see how they do.”

The showcase kicks off at 5 p.m. and the alumni game will follow at 7 p.m.