WASHINGTON (3-6, 1-4, 2A EASTERN CAROLINA CONFERENCE) VS. NORTH LENOIR (0-10, 0-5 2A ECC)

LAST TIME OUT ON THE FIELD

A combination of West Craven’s dominance of the line of scrimmage and costly Pam Pack turnovers led to a 22-7 loss for Washington on Senior Night last week. Of five turnovers (four interceptions and a fumble), most came in Eagle territory or in the final quarter as the Pam Pack desperately tried to rally. The Washington defense had difficulty stopping the West Craven run game, but also came up with some big stops deep in its own end of the field after turnovers by the offense. The defeat put a dent in the Pam Pack’s playoff hopes, but head coach Jon Blank and his players know a win tomorrow could still potentially propel them to the postseason.

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Can the Pam Pack come away with a blowout victory? All three of Washington’s wins this season have been by at least 40 points, and it’s likely the Pam Pack will need a similar type of result against the winless Hawks if it hopes to earn a wildcard berth into the playoffs. MaxPreps rankings are used to select wildcard entrants, and while the formula the organization uses isn’t entirely clear, margin of victory and strength of opponent are factors. So, Washington, No. 216 in the state, likely needs a dominant victory over No. 369 North Lenoir to receive a boost in the rankings and a spot in the playoffs.

 

2. Will Washington get its ground game back on track? While the Eagles ran the ball successfully against the Pam Pack last week, Washington couldn’t get its own rushing attack into a groove. Ka’ci Foreman managed to break loose a couple of times, but Michael Clark was never able to get a full head of steam and bust loose. The Pam Pack throws the ball a bit, but Washington will need Clark and Ganeryan Parker at their rumbling best and Foreman slashing his way through the North Lenoir defense in order for the offense to be at peak performance.

 

3. Will quarterback Antwone Godley shake off last week’s performance? In trying to make plays to get his team back in the game, the junior signal caller threw four interceptions and lost the ball on a pitch attempt in the loss to West Craven. Mistakes will happen but what matters is that Godley bounces back and doesn’t linger on those errors and let them affect his play and decision-making, which is crucial in the triple option that Washington runs.