The Pam Pack boys are primed for the season opener
Posted at 16:40, Monday, November 28, 2022
- Sophomore Jayvon Williams is Pam Pack’s leading scorer after averaging 16 points per game last year. (Steve Barnes/Washington Daily News)
The Washington High School boys basketball team returns just one experienced senior, but there are plenty of young players to pick up the slack.
The Pam Pack went 15-9 and 8-4 in the Eastern Plains Conference, good for third behind Greene Central and perennial Eastern powerhouse Farmville Central.
Sophomore Jayvon Williams is the Pack’s leading scorer after averaging 16 points per game. He will reunite with Chacowinity High School teammate Chase Smith to form a potentially powerful combination.
“These two have played a lot of basketball together and it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch them,” coach David Alewalt said. “We’ll throw Chase like we did last year with Javon and he’ll be fine. He has a quick first step and can jump out of the gym. Javon is stronger, more experienced and has added a few things to his game. They’re really excited to be teammates again, so it should be fun.”
Senior forward Christian Norman, 6-foot-3, and junior Gary Payne, 6-foot-5, will start down low, while Smith, 6-foot-1, Williams, 6-foot-4, and junior Jerai Davenport, 5-foot-11, round out the starting lineup. five.
Alewalt expects 6’6 senior Jahmez Carter, who missed most of last season due to illness, 6’6 sophomore Jeremiah Wiggins, 6’1 Jacob Daniels, junior Jaquell Johnson and sophomores Khaliq Boston and Oliver Thomas to provide depth .
“All these guys can help us,” Alewalt said. “Daniels can really shoot, the guards are quick and we have some height down low. Our defense is going to get better and we plan to get up and down the floor.”
The Pack will have at least two opportunities to test themselves against Farmville Central, which fell one basket short of winning its fourth straight 1A state title last year.
“They’re still the gold standard, but we feel like we’re closing the gap a little bit,” Alewalt said. “The key for us against anybody is going to be successful running our plays if our transition game isn’t there.”
WHS opens Thursday at JH Rose in Greenville, starting a four-game stretch in seven days. The fourth is a home match on December 7 against South Central.
The Pack plays at Farmville Central on Jan. 4 and hosts the Jags on Jan. 27.
