Non-conference matchups are the best time for a team to take the floor and get a feel for where it is. Now that the conference portion of the season is gearing up, Washington and Southside both get a somewhat rare opportunity to figure out where they are without the pressure of league standings hanging over their heads.

The Lady Seahawks, competing in the 1-A classification, get a chance on Wednesday to meet a 2-A local rival in Washington. The two have yet to square off this year, but Southside coach Milton Ruffin got to scout the Pam Pack during the Northside Christmas Tournament. He knows that this game will be a chance for the girls to learn right at the beginning of the New Year.

“First off, I think (Washington) coach (Ralph) Biggs is doing a good job. He’s got some athletic girls there,” Ruffin said. “They go out there and hustle. I think it will be a good ball game. It will be a good challenge for us.”

After visiting Washington, the Lady Seahawks will only have one more non-conference foe scheduled. Pamlico County will visit on Friday for their first league contest of 2016. Whether the girls win or lose at Washington, Ruffin hopes to see them compete. That is a trait he knows can carry over to the rest of the conference slate.

“It would be important for us that we can go out there and compete with Washington,” Ruffin said. “We have Pamlico County coming up on Friday. If we can compete with them, it will be a confidence boost for them going into Friday’s game.”

An opportunity to learn is something that’s cherished on both ends. Biggs has a similar objective for himself and his girls. He hasn’t laid out many explicit expectations for them for the season, but learning is certainly one of the few. They were an even 3-3 going into Tuesday’s first 2-A Eastern Plains Conference matchup at Southwest Edgecombe.

Hosting Southside kicks off a four-game home stand for Washington, which also includes three league opponents in Farmville Central, Beddingfield and North Johnston. Playing the Lady Seahawks lets both the players and Biggs continue to learn without hindering their chances at competing for a top spot in the league.