5th Quarter Season Preview: Pender County

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — We are just days away from the high school football season; a season that will have another seeding plan for the state playoffs after questions about how a new system worked last year.

Perhaps no team knows that system’s shortcomings better than the Trask Titans.

For the second year in a row the Titans set a school record for wins in 2017; better than 2016’s seven victories with eight last year. But thanks to a new system for seeding the state playoffs, it was not enough. Twenty-seven 2A teams with fewer wins advanced to the postseason.

Coach Jonathan Taylor says that slight fuels a veteran lineup, including second-year quarterback Jake Johnson, looking for even more success.

“The kids, i’m proud of them, because they’ve taken it, instead of moping around with it and having a pity party, they’ve really used it and can put that chip on their shoulders,” Taylor said. “They’ve worked very hard through the spring and the summer. Now I think they’re ready to kinda go out there and say, ‘You know, let’s take care of business and not let it happen again this year.”

The Titans open the season with county foe Topsail.

2017 was a tale of two seasons for the Pirates. They started the fall 4-0 beating their opponents, including both county rivals, by a combined score of 147-19. But they followed that with a six-game skid, including three games in a row where they failed to score while allowing a combined 137 points.

Coach Wayne Inman says he’s excited about the team and coaching staff he has this year. Now he hopes they can stay healthy to make up for a lack of depth to stay competitive in the always tough Mideastern Conference.

“Our goal is to be the very best we can be and compete in every football game,” Inman said. “And I think if we do that and are committed to winning and continue to have the will to win, then I think great things can happen, but there’s always a hump there that we got to get over.”

Over at Pender High, the Patriots are also looking to get over a hump. The past two years they’ve finished with 4-8 seasons and first round exits in the playoffs.

Second-year head coach Tim Smith says he is not sure how his team will be given its inexperience. He says only four of his guys were full-time varsity players a year ago.

So how does he measure success?

“It’s something I’ll have to gauge when it’s all over,” Smith said. “See if we play to the best of our ability… get better and improve as the season goes. That’s what I see as a success. There’s not a certain win number that I got in my head right now.”

The Patriots, Pirates and Titans get their final tune-up Thursday in the Touchstone Energy Pender County Jamboree at Pender High School in Burgaw. The event was originally planned for Trask High, but was moved due to concerns about field conditions after all the rain recently.

The jamboree also features East Columbu, Harrells Christian Academy, North Duplin and Richlands,