For the second time this season, all three county football teams enter a Friday night having won their previous matchups. It came relatively easy for two and was hard earned for another, but with just two games left on the regular season schedule, preserving the momentum is key.

Washington locked up its ninth-straight win last week on the road against a Beddingfield team that struggled to stop the run, as six of the Pam Pack’s seven touchdowns came on the ground. Markel Spencer, whose senior campaign has certainly lived up to the preseason hype, ran the ball 21 times for 234 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season yardage total to a 1322. Head coach Sport Sawyer’s veteran back moved over the 4500-yard mark for his career with the chart-topping performance.

Northside ended its six-game losing streak last week with a down-to-the-wire win over Jones Senior, one that took two overtime periods to finish. Down a score at the half, the Panthers defense came through with multiple gave-saving plays down the stretch and was able to force a fumble on the Trojans’ final possession.

Senior tailback Rockne Butler had a career day, rushing for 235 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. Quarterback Noel Howson also picked apart the opposing defensive line and notched 157 yards.

Southside continued its storybook season with another impressive offensive showcase against East Carteret. The victory marked the fifth-straight for the Seahawks, the longest winning streak in four years.

Lawrence Brown led all rushers with 142 yards, which six other players recorded double-digit yards on the ground, a testament to head coach Jeff Carrow’s deep arsenal of backs.

 

WASHINGTON VS. NORTH PITT @ 7:30 P.M.

The Pam Pack can secure its second-straight Eastern Plains Conference title tomorrow with a win against a persistent Panthers squad that continues to hang around.

North Pitt, which started the season 0-4, has won four of its last five games and is averaging 30 points per contest during that stretch. Like most teams in the conference, head coach David Boal likes to run the football. Conversely, defensive coordinator Jon Blanks’ front seven is one of the best in the region at stopping the run. Overall, Washington ranks seventh in Class 2-A in total defense, allowing a mere 12.5 points per game. Even without arguably its No. 1 option at linebacker — senior and captain Jamond Ebron, who suffered an ankle injury earlier in the month — the Pam Pack defense continues to produce.

North Pitt’s 4-5 record is hardly indicative of what this team has proved it can do on a football field, but Washington should take this game by at least two scores.

 

NORTHSIDE AT EAST CARTERET @ 7 P.M.

BEAUFORT — In his first year at the helm for the Mariners, head coach Greg Peele’s offense has met the preseason expectation, but it’s been the defense that has been the No. 1 factor in the team’s 3-6 record.

Last week, Southside came into Beaufort and embarrassed quarterback Brennan Lewis, forcing a career-high five interceptions, while the defense was unable to stop the Seahawks running game.

But Northside’s defense has had difficulty in defending the pass this season and while the Panthers managed to stay defensively poised against one-loss Jones Senior last week, East Carteret will not be as forgiving. The Mariners offense, which has averaged about 25 points per game this season, will certainly be seeking some redemption tomorrow at home.

 

SOUTHSIDE AT LEJEUNE @ 7 P.M.

LEJEUNE — A year ago, this late-season matchup would have been a guaranteed win for the Devil Pups, but the team that finished 13-2 in 2013 has scored just five touchdowns in nine games, so far. Their 0-9 start shows the unpredictability of having a high school football program on a marine base.

In 2014, it’s the Seahawks with the upper hand. During Southside’s five-game win streak, Carrow’s offense has averaged an impressive 45 points per game, while the defense has limited opponents to just 16 points per game.

The 12 points Lejeune scored in its loss to Pamlico County last week were the most in a single game all season, but the chances of counteracting a Southside run defense that’s been strong of late is unlikely.

Look for 80-plus yard performances from at least three running backs in this one.