Beasts of the East: Pam Pack top Jaguars, take sole possession of first in EPC

Published 5:50 pm Sunday, April 13, 2025

By Jason O. Boyd

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The transfer of power, so to speak, has been going on for a couple of seasons. For now, at least, it’s in the hands of the Washington High School girls’ soccer team.

The Pam Pack dominated Farmville Central on Tuesday, winning 3-0 in a battle of first-place teams in the Eastern Plains Conference. Washington began the second half of its EPC schedule on Thursday with a 0-0 tie at North Pitt but still holds a one-game lead over the Jaguars and a 1.5-game lead over North Pitt along with all the tiebreakers that would be used to determine league champion.

“The past four years we’ve played them, I mean, their top line was great,” said Angelee Higurera Dominguez, who scored two goals in the win. “They had their starting top line as their defense.

“So with our composure and us having a top line and a midfield this year, it was kind of one of those things where we were working together. We were able to use our space. (0:29) We were able to stay in our positions and use our defense and use our goalie.

“And with that confidence, I think even our freshmen had the confidence to switch in, pass to us, the talking. I don’t think we’ve talked this much in a game before, which is crazy because this is the hardest team we’ve played this year. So it’s one of those things where our composure was just amazing.”

The Jaguars have been one of the best teams in the conference for some time. However, things started to shift in Washington’s favor beginning last season. The Pam Pack tied the Jaguars on April 18, 2024, 2-2, then won at home on Senior Night on May 7, 2-0. It was part of a 17-1-1 season that saw Washington reach the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs.

This season, Washington is 8-2-1 overall, 5-0-1 in the EPC. Despite the tie on Thursday, the Pam Pack have been playing solid defense. Since a 5-0 loss to 2A power Richlands on March 18, Washington has only allowed one goal in its last five games while outscoring their opponents 19-1.

“We were doing very well at playing in our position,” Washington coach Kendall Cox said. “And we have been working, and I have been repeating tirelessly and endlessly, ‘Look for the open pass and be a support player.’ So if you don’t have the ball, make sure you’re open.

“If you are looking for the pass, make sure you’re talking, make sure we’re doing all that. And I saw a lot of stop and actually look up for a pass. I heard a little bit more talking coming to the outside.”

Washington got on the board first after a goal by Sonti Small in the 21st minute of the first half. She took a pass, dribbled the ball then booted it into the left side of the net by a Farmville Central defender.

It didn’t take long for the Pam Pack to double that output. Angelee Higurera Dominguez scored in the 29th minute when she emerged from a scrum in front of the Jaguars’ goal and poked the ball into the net past the Jaguars’ defense for a 2-0 margin.

“Well, we have been working on being in front of the goal,” Cox said. “We talked about that at halftime. I’m like, ‘Girls, you don’t have time to set your foot up to put a ball on the back of the net.’ I said, because as soon as you get the ball, they triple-team you. And that’s what they did the whole night. As soon as we got the ball, they triple-teamed us.

“Which worked to our advantage because they would leave in their positions and leave my players open. And I think that was part of the success. But yes, there were multiple times where I saw in front of the goal, we would pop a leg up and try to set it.”

Cox and her assistants pressed the Pam Pack to keep the momentum and pressure going. The team responded with a lot of the same play, communication and game plan that kept the ball in Farmville Central’s half of the field for all but about four minutes overall.

Higurera Dominguez put the game on ice when she blasted a goal from 30 yards out that sailed up and into the back right side of the net for a 3-0 lead.

Despite the tie with North Pitt, the Pack do have a chance to keep the success going against the weaker teams in the conference. Washington has already beaten West Craven (8-0), SouthWest Edgecombe (3-0) and Greene Central (8-0) this season. The Pack doesn’t face Farmville Central again until May 6 in the regular-season finale.

“So, I did see some good things, things that seem to have clicked that we’ve been talking about all season,” Cox said.

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