During the 2012-2013 season, quarterback Jimmy Williams served as the face of a vibrant, run-based Pam Pack offense.

In the team’s last year in the football powerhouse Coastal Conference, Williams navigated Washington to the quarterfinals of the Class 3-A state playoffs, where the team was eliminated by perennial dynamo Havelock, the eventual state champion.

Williams was sidelined during that game, and the weight of the grueling, 57-7 loss fell on backup sophomore quarterback Patrick Thompson’s shoulders.

It was an unpleasant finish to the season and career of Williams.

Two years later, after taking last season off to concentrate on baseball, Thompson is strapping on the shoulder pads, once again, this time as the field general to a new-look Pam Pack offense.

“Patrick is very mobile, very athletic,” said head coach Sport Sawyer. “He has a very good demeanor about himself. He’s able to control pressure, so he just fit right in naturally at quarterback for us. He reminds me of his brother, who I coached in 2008.”

Austin Thompson was a senior in ’08 and guided the Pam Pack to a 34-25 win over Havelock in the first round of the state playoffs. It was the last time the Pack has beaten the Rams.

Now, with another Thompson under center, Washington will look to derail the reigning Class 3-A state champion in the season opener. The stage is set for a storybook start to 2014.

Sitting behind Williams in 2012, Thompson received his fair share of playing time, completing 50 percent of his passes and throwing for 285 yards. Like his predecessor, he showcased arm strength, accuracy and flashes of mobility.

To adapt to a new set of primary playmakers, Sawyer is prepared to alter the playbook to fit certain skillsets.

“(Thompson) can throw, so we’re going to run variations of a Wing-T offense out of the spread. We have a lot of athletic running backs, including Clinton Pope, Spencer, Trey Spruill and Xzavier Clark. We’re going to go with a lot of quick-hit passes and with the tight ends, a lot of down hill, play action-type passes.”

Last season, Spencer and WDN Male Athlete-of-the-Year Stevie Green were the heartbeat of the offense, operating in a dual-back set, as Brodie West managed the game and tried to limit mistakes.

Out are West and Green, as Thompson joins Spencer as one of the principal leaders on offense. While keeping the same pistol formation, Sawyer is expanding the realm of options for Thompson, giving him the keys to the offense.

In 7-on-7s this summer, including last month’s Cam Newton Foundation 7-on-7 High School Tournament, where Thompson operated the offense in all nine games, Sawyer saw vast improvements in his senior quarterback’s decision-making ability, maturity, arm strength and accuracy during the camp.

With eight starters returning on the offensive, including five on the offensive line, Thompson takes over an experienced lineup, one with the necessary tools to succeed.

On Aug. 22, Thompson and the Pam Pack will step between the lines and onto the turf of an all-too familiar opponent, one accustomed to undefeated seasons and state championships. Washington enters as the underdog, undoubtedly.

If the Pam Pack can unite fate, lineage and, well, a little bit of luck, Washington has the chance to garner regional attention and start its 2014 campaign off with a season-defining statement.