By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
The Pam Pack football team will look to put on a good show for the newest inductees into the Washington Walk of Fame.
Steve Hendrickson, Larry Dixon, Harold Jackson and the 1988 women’s track team will be the newest members of the prestigious group. They’ll be honored at tonight’s game as the Pam Pack takes on the Havelock Rams at J.G. “Choppy” Wagner Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Pack (5-4, 3-2) currently sits in a third-place tie with New Bern in the Coastal Conference standings. Havelock (8-1, 5-0), one of the biggest surprises in the state, is tied for first with West Craven.
Coach Jim Bob Bryant, in his first year at the helm of the Rams, has turned around a program that has struggled in recent years.
The Rams went just 3-8 last year and 2-9 in the previous two seasons.
The Pack owns an 11-9 series lead against the Rams. Washington has won the last three, including a 34-0 victory last year. Havelock’s last win over Washington was a 42-21 nod in 2000.
The Rams, riding an eight-game winning streak, their longest since starting the 2000 season 8-0, are led by sophomore quarterback Danny Webster Jr. and running back Mike Henderson. Henderson eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year in last week’s 35-7 win over South Central. Henderson, who finished the night with 102 yards and a pair of scores, is the school’s third back in 52 yards to rush for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.
Havelock’s defense, yielding just 11.8 points per game, came up with five turnovers in last week’s win.
The Pack, coming off a 21-19 loss to New Bern, is led by senior quarterback Austin Thompson. He’s clicked on 103-of-175 passes (58.9 percent) for 1,527 yards. Thompson has thrown 16 touchdown passes, while adding four scores and 167 yards on the ground.
Dakuan Spencer (34 catches, 555 yards, nine TDs), Mike Moore (32 catches, 411 yards, 3 TDs), Michael Godley (20 catches, 307 yards, 2 TDs) and Tony Turnage (15 catches, 265 yards, 3 TDs) have all proven to be valuable targets.
Turnage (374 yards, TD), Kaschief Foreman (356 yards, 3 TDs) and Spencer (191 yards, TD) share the load in the running game.
Weasel Moore leads the Pack in tackles, Chase Tripp holds the top spot in sacks and Donte Moore paces the team with his three interceptions.
With just two games remaining in the regular season, including next week’s home contest against West Carteret, Sawyer wants his team to gain some balance on offense, shore up its defense and play smart football.
Sawyer had a message for Washington’s football fans: “To the Pam Pack fans, hang in there. We’re going to be okay.”