Southside bolted out of the gate this season with a 26-0 shutout win against 2-A club Ayden-Grifton. The Seahawks got tested by Dixon for a short while, but eventually ran away in a 24-point victory. After steamrolling Perquimans 61-0 in Week 3, they faced their first bit of adversity when Gates County visited Chocowinity.

A lot can be made of the way Southside has fired on all cylinders — offensively, defensively and on special teams — through four games this season. It has been successful against bigger players like Ayden-Grifton. It stopped a run-first Dixon club, which only collected 167 yards on 44 rushing attempts. It did well to defend the pass against Perquimans and Gates County, both of which like to air it out.

Yes, that says a lot, but so does trudging through challenging times. The Seahawks gave up two big plays to Gates County in the first quarter: a 59-yard touchdown run and a 56-yard throwing score. The second touchdown set Southside back 14-0 with only 18 seconds left in the opening period.

Those are the kinds of plays that test a team’s mental resolve. Do the players hang their heads, or do they plant their feet and push back?

It was the first time this season Southside reached that crossroads, and the Seahawks pushed back. Trajan Rhome ran in from four yards out. Demetrius Ebron then made a spectacular play on a pass from Will Warren, scoring a 17-yard touchdown to knot the game at 14 apiece.

The coaching staff flexed its muscle, too. Keeping players mentally sharp and motivated in the face of adversity is one duty of a coach. Southside’s coaches did that. Then, at halftime, they made the adjustments that helped the Seahawks outscore the visiting Red Barons 20-0 in the third quarter.

Washington also proved it can endure hardship. It gave up some big plays at Northside on Friday. Before long, the Pam Pack faced a 14-0 deficit. The Panthers scored that first touchdown and led the game until the last 2:24. It was Hykeem Ruffin who bolted into the end zone from 15 yards away, scoring his fourth touchdown of the game and the one that lifted Washington to its first win.

It was gritty. It was confident. It was resilient. Both the Pam Pack and Panthers showed plenty of those intangibles that make a quality football team. Southside, Northside and Washington should all be feeling great about where they are heading into the final week of non-conference play.