For the second-straight season, Roanoke Rapids failed to find the endzone at Choppy Wagner Stadium, as Washington’s running game proved too much for the Yellowjackets’ front seven in a 41-0 Pam Pack victory on Friday night.

Washington last met Roanoke Rapids in the quarterfinals of last year’s 2-A state tournament, the defense limiting the opposition to a dismal 67 total yards of offense. Despite having graduated eight seniors from defensive coordinator Jon Blank’s previous starting 11, the Pam Pack shut down Roanoke Rapids once again, keeping quarterback Kenny Snyder and running back D.J. Jones out of the red zone for all four quarters.

“Our guys had to be physical tonight and this year we’re trying to get some confidence and get better each week,” head coach Sport Sawyer said after the game. “Offensively and defensively we were physical tonight and Roanoke Rapids isn’t a bad football team at all.”

On offense, following a chart-topping 297-yard showing against D.H. Conley in Week 3, it was senior running back Clinton Pope with yet another sterling performance out of the backfield, finishing with a game-high 246 yards and two touchdowns on 19 rushes, an average of 13 yards a carry. But perhaps the most notable final stat line was quarterback-turned-tailback Sharwan Staton, who after losing his starting job as field general prior to Week 3, lit up the Yellowjackets defense on Friday for 107 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. Sawyer sees Staton as a welcomed addition to his new-look rushing attack.

“Sharwan has been great at the transition because he’s played running back his whole life except for last year at quarterback,” said head coach Sports Sawyer after the game. “He’s changed and you can see he’s taken on that role and run with it.”

For a defense that struggled through the first four weeks, allowing an average of 37 points per game, the shutout with a breath of fresh air for a coaching staff that has searched for consistency. The Pam Pack finished with four sacks, recovered three fumbles and safety Logan Little pulled down an interception early in the second quarter.

Final score notwithstanding, Roanoke Rapids kept pace with Washington in the first half. After a scoreless first quarter, Washington pieced together a nice drive to start the second. However, back-to-back penalties and a fumble, recovered by Yellowjackets linebacker Marcus Allen, quickly smothered the threat. That is, until one play later, when Little came down with a pick and returned it 35 yards, giving the Pam Pack better field position than it had just 15 seconds prior. And on the third play of the ensuing series, running back Sharwan took it 21 yards for the first score of the contest.

On the next Washington drive, following a three-and-out, Staton struck again, breaking free for a 12-yard touchdown run with 2:51 remaining in the half.

It took just three plays into the second half for the Pam Pack to extend its lead to three scores. A 7-yard run from Staton moved the offense into Yellowjacket territory and Pope finished the drive in style, busting through the heart of the visiting front seven and going 48 yards to the house.

For Roanoke Rapids, Jones eventually found a rhythm running the football, breaking free for a collection of big plays, but never on the same drive. Jones finished with 118 yards on 21 carries in a losing effort, while Snyder was limited to just five completed passes for 30 yards.

Pope found the endzone on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving Washington a comfortable 28-0 lead. Quarterback Tripp Barfield, who had an error-free night, punched a 1-yard run in for a touchdown with 7:23 remaining and Quemel Boston found the endzone for his first career varsity touchdown with 4:44 remaining.

Junior Suae Poe finished with 63 yards on 10 carries, while Jarquez Keyes notched 36 yards on six carries.

With the win, Washington improves to 2-2 and will travel to Kinston next week to take on the undefeated Vikings (5-0).