Southside is once again driving deep into the postseason, while Washington’s girls’ basketball team has been just about unstoppable early in the season. It’s come down to pressure for both teams.

The Seahawks used an incredible defensive effort to shut out Northampton County for 36:03 on Friday. On the hardwood, Washington swarmed Northern Nash and Northside for back-to-back wins on Thursday and Friday.

It came down to each playing as a complete team. No one performance single handedly blanked the Jaguars for most of Friday’s third-round game, and no individual led Washington’s full-court press.

Nevertheless, here are the week’s top performers:

 

ZIKIJAH CRAWFORD

Southside’s defense played yet another stellar game on Friday. While it staved off the Jaguars, Zikijah Crawford and the Seahawks offense sent another statement ahead of the regional championship.

Friday marked the second straight week in which Crawford racked up well over 200 yards of offense. He rushed 20 times for 241 yards and a touchdown — a nice follow up to his 260 yards the week before. The rest of the Southside offense accounted for 150 yards.

 

HUNTER SPARKS

Southside’s defense bounced back from two early Northampton touchdowns, and did so in an impressive fashion. A lot of that can be chalked up to the leadership of senior captain Hunter Sparks.

As a middle linebacker, Sparks is responsible for a lot of the defensive communication. Between that and his five tackles (two solo), Sparks had a lot to do with shutting down the Jaguars. He also had a late interception to put the game away.

 

DARIA JONES

Winning games on consecutive days is never an easy feat, but that’s exactly what Daria Jones and Washington did on Thursday and Friday. They managed to coast past Beaufort County rival Northside, 57-30, behind Jones’ team-high 17 points.

Jones was an offensive force for what was a balanced effort by the Lady Pack. She was also menacing on the defensive end. Her presence in the post has been a problem for just about every opponent this season.

 

ATIA SHAMSELDIN

Washington’s girls weren’t the only ones to find success thanks to dominant post play. Northside edged Washington in its season opener on Friday by using its size advantage over the Pam Pack.

Atia Shamseldin had 21 points for the Panthers to help lift them to a 76-71 win over their local rival. His offensive production, as well as rebounding abilities, helped Northside produce a 15-0 run in the second quarter that proved to be the difference.