No. 15 WASHINGTON (4-6, 2-4 2AA EASTERN CAROLINA CONFERENCE) AT No. 2 SOUTHWEST EDGECOMBE (9-2, 5-0 2AA EASTERN PLAINS CONFERENCE)

LAST TIME OUT ON THE FIELD

Needing a victory in its last game of the season, Washington rose to the occasion, hitting the road to defeat North Lenoir (0-11, 0-6 2A ECC), 42-25. Despite the final score line, the Pam Pack’s win didn’t come easy. In fact, trailing 25-22 at the start of the fourth quarter, Washington’s season looked like it was about to come to an end. But led by senior running back/defensive back and all-around playmaker Ka’Ci Foreman, the Pam Pack stepped up on both sides of the ball to score 20 unanswered points to earn its way into the 2018 postseason. Unfortunately for Washington, the win gave it a meeting with SouthWest Edgcombe, the only team this season to score twice against Tarboro (11-0, 6-0 1AA Coastal Plains Conference) and hold the Vikings to fewer than 48 points in a 35-14 Tarboro win last week.

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Which version of the Pam Pack will show up? Washington has blown hot and cold for much of the season, as evidenced by defeating a 7-4 East Carteret team by 40 points, while also getting blown out, 28-0, at home by Greene Central (6-5, 3-3 2A ECC). The Pam Pack even played unevenly in its last game of the season, trailing a winless North Lenoir team that was playing its fourth game in 11 days after three quarters of play, before finally turning it on in the fourth period to pick up the 17-point win. Safe to say, Washington will need to be at its best to take down the Cougars, whose only two losses came against teams that finished the season undefeated (Tarboro and South Central).

 

2. Can Washington slow down the Cougar offense? With 430 points scored this season, S.W. Edgecombe is the third-highest scoring offense the Pam Pack will have faced so far this year, behind only Tarboro and D.H. Conley (8-3, 5-1 3AA ECC). With 3,170 yards and 44 touchdowns coming on the ground, the Cougars predominantly rely on their running game. While averaging 288.2 rush yards per game, S.W. Edgecombe doesn’t rely on one rusher, instead splitting carries with four players who have at least 44 rush attempts this season. But the Cougars are also a threat in the air, with Keishon Porter hauling in 33 catches for 670 yards and 11 TDs, while Jayden Lewis’ 1,045 passing yards led the conference.

 

3. Will the Pam Pack be able to control the game with its rush attack? The best way to neutralize the Cougars’ high-powered offense might be to keep it off the field by controlling the clock by methodically running the ball. That means quarterback Antwone Godley’s decision-making running the triple option will be key, as well as Washington’s primary ball carriers, Michael Clark and Foreman. Clark and Foreman give Washington differing running styles, as Clark provides a physical runner, while Foreman slashes through defense with his speed and agility. Wide receiver Uriah Lawrence, who had 43-yard TD run last week, can provide both speed and power as a runner, if offensive coordinator Perry Owens chooses to use him in that way.