Washington High School wins another Wells Fargo conference cup

Published 6:32 am Saturday, August 7, 2021

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Eight Eastern Carolina 2A Conference titles and one shared earned Washington High School the Wells Fargo Conference Cup for the COVID-19 delayed and shortened 2020 season.

The Cup is presented to the top overall athletic program in each conference from around the state in the four classifications and is based on regular-season performances within conference play and recognizes the best performances within each conference. The award is based on the number of sports each school has and how high they finish in the conference standings.

The Pam Pack won the league title in girls cross country, football, boys and girls golf, boys and girls soccer and boys basketball. WHS shared the crown in softball.

This is the seventh time in the last eight years the Pam Pack has claimed the conference cup.

“This is a great accomplishment for our coaching staff and athletes,” WHS athletic director Lane Raper said. “The coaches here at Washington take pride in what they do, and it shows on the field and classroom.  I have been a part of WHS athletics for 7 years and no sport is taken for granted.  We want the best for all our student athletes.”

North Lenoir was a distant second followed by South Lenoir, Ayden Grifton, Greene Central, Kinston and West Craven.

Washington’s conference alignment will change when competition begins later this month. North Lenoir, Kinston and South Lenoir have shifted out, while Farmville Central, North Pitt and SouthWest Edgecombe enter. Farmville Central won the Eastern Plains 2A Cup in 2020, while North Pitt and SouthWest Edgecombe were near the bottom of standings.

Northside finished a close second to Pamlico County in the 1A Coastal Plains Conference.

The Hurricanes captured league titles in girls cross country, volleyball, girls track & field girls basketball and wrestling, while the Panthers had the league champion softball team.

Runner-up and third place finishes in multiple other sports helped Northside claim second ahead of Riverside, while Southside was fourth.

The conference will also undergo changes as Lejeune and East Carteret move in as Tarboro, Riverside and South Creek exit.

East Carteret was second in the Coastal 8 1A/2a league in 2020, while Lejeune was eighth.

“I’m proud of the way our coaches and athletes pushed through all the COVID-related things we had to deal with,” Panthers athletic director Jared Adams said. “We had a strong senior class and I’m happy they had a chance to complete their careers on the field. We had good coaches leading them, so it was a group effort all around.”