By Staff
KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
It’s been a long time coming — 37 years to be exact.
The Washington Pam Pack pays a visit to four-time defending Class 4-A champion J.H. Rose this evening. The Pack (6-1, 3-0), who is riding a five-game winning streak and is tied with New Bern atop the Coastal Conference standings, hasn’t beaten the Rampants (4-3, 2-1) since a 21-13 win in 1970.
Rose, led by Greg Thomas, who compiled an 18-14 coaching record at Washington from 1993-95, will hold its first Walk of Fame game in school history.
Sawyer, whose team received one vote in the latest N.C. Class 3-A prep football poll, would like to spoil the evening.
Dick Cherry led the Pack to its last victory over Rose nearly four decades ago. The Rampants earned a 19-0 win the following season and they haven’t let up since then.
While the teams are tied 22-22-3 in the all-time series, it’s been all Rose of late, including a 51-7 victory last year. The Rampants outscored the Pack 244-27 in the last five meetings, including a 78-0 laugher in 2005.
If Washington is to beat Rose tonight, the Pack will have to do it without starting quarterback Austin Thompson. The junior quarterback did not participate in Thursday’s practice.
Sawyer could not comment on why Thompson is unable to play.
Thompson has clicked on 40-of-77 passes (51.9 percent) for 493 yards with 10 touchdowns and one interception.
The Pack is coming off a 14-13 win over West Craven while Rose took a 45-7 nod over Havelock.
Travis Daniels ran for over 100 yards for the seventh straight game this season. The Pack senior has rushed for 1,338 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has 4,216 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns in his four-year career.
Jamont Jones has been Thompson’s favorite target. The senior has 19 receptions for 239 yards and four touchdowns. Jones has added 236 yards and two scores on the ground.
Justin Meekins has converted 30 of his 33 PATs.
Rose is led on the ground by Louis Muldrow, who has run for 574 yards and seven touchdowns. Tony Turnage has added 284 yards and three scores, including 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week.
Washington will look to build on its five-game winning streak. The Pack hasn’t had this kind of success since the 2001 season when Washington won seven straight at the end of the season. However, those wins were washed away when it was discovered the Pam Pack had used an ineligible player, changing a promising 9-2 season into a winless one.
The 1999 Pam Pack team, the last to win a playoff game, won its final seven regular-season games along with a first-round playoff victory to give it eight straight victories.
Tonight’s kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.