This will be the second-straight season in which Southside begins its foray into the 1-A Coastal Plains Conference with the runaway favorite. The Seahawks hosted East Carteret last year for a televised Thursday-night league opener, but came up short in a shutout by the eventual champs.

Washington used conference play to nearly earn a trip to the playoffs. A 21-10 win at Farmville Central left the Pam Pack fighting for a title heading into the final two weeks of the season.

Northside has struggled to compete for a top spot in the 1-A Coastal Plains Conference in the past. Southside upended the Panthers in their 2016 opener. Even though they still finished tied for second, they know what kind of momentum can come with winning their first league game.

Here is what coaches recall from conference openers from the past few seasons.

 

Washington at Farmville Central, 2016

Senior running back Suae Poe rumbled for 223 yards and two touchdowns against the Jaguars. Frederick Holscher punched in a 1-yard touchdown, too, as the Pam Pack notched its first win of that campaign. A conference championship was the team’s only hope for a playoff berth. That victory sparked three in a row to open 2-A Eastern Plains Conference action.

“We needed a conference win to start 1-0 badly to give ourselves a chance to compete for a playoff spot,” head coach Jon Blank remembers. “Our players answered the call last year.”

 

Northside at Southside, 2013

Like this year, Northside went into its 2013 conference opener on a two-game skid. It had dropped lopsided games to Edenton and North Pitt, but was able to endure a shootout with Southside, 46-38.

“I remember that Rockne (Butler) had a heck of a night that night. I think he had four touchdowns,” coach Keith Boyd said, reflecting on the team his junior running back went on. “We jumped out to a pretty good lead, then they came back and took the lead. It just kind of came down to who had it last.”

 

East Carteret at Southside, 2016

Dual-threat Mariner quarterback Jacobie Simmons threw for a touchdown and ran for three more as East Carteret began what became a 5-0 tear through the 1-A Coastal Plains Conference last year. Trajan Rhome did what he can, rushing for 33 yards, but the Seahawks were largely contained by the Mariner defense. The early test proved rewarding, though. Southside finished in a three-way tie for second.

“They had a game plan for every formation we had,” coach Jeff Carrow said after the game. “We moved the ball a little bit in the second half, threw a little wrinkle in, but couldn’t capitalize.”