East Bladen will continue the longtime rival with Whiteville as the Eagles host the Wolfpack in the opening game for both teams tonight. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

East Bladen has not lost to Whiteville since 2002 when the Wolfpack came out on top 27-14.

The Eagles won the contest 26-14 last year. In 2003, East Bladen defeated the Wolfpack 35-0.

East Bladen has been one of the top football teams in the area, posting 23 wins and only three losses over the past two seasons.

Coach Mark Little, a Bladen native, has coached Whiteville for the past three years. The Wolfpack finished with an 8-4 record last year.

East Bladen Coach Lenon Fisher heads into his 26th season as head coach and his Eagles return with a lot of experience, especially on defense.

The Eagles fared well in scrimmage games at the Sampson County Jamboree and with Hoggard and North Brunswick.

Dom Whittington, a junior, is expected to start at the quarterback position. Whittington served a backup to Richard Shaw last year.

Despite losing a couple of quality running backs to graduation, the eagles return several experienced backs including Donovan Richardson, Bobby Monroe and Bradley Richardson.

Offensive ends Tim Washington and Anthony Autry are also back.

Seven starters return on defense with a lot of quickness and overall good team speed.

Whiteville returns several players from last season, but it still lost a strong group of senior players to graduation.

This year's team appears to have more depth than in the past and Little is hoping top play straight two-platoon football most of the time

Sophomore quarterback Harrison Jordan steps in to lead the young Wolfpack offense.

Whiteville had pre-season scrimmages with Lumberton, West Bladen and Jacksonville, and the Wolfpack gave a good account of itself in all three.

D.J. Anders, Andrew Powell, Kevin Gamble, Reggie Bellamy, Elaun McMillian and Chris Roland have provided strong leadership on defense thus far.

Whiteville has finished third in the Waccamaw Conference in each of the past two seasons and tied for runner-up in the conference in 2002.

East Bladen finished runner-up in Waccamaw Conference play behind South Columbus last year. In 2003, the Eagles won the Waccamaw Conference title and advanced to the Eastern 2A championship game where they lost to eventual state champion Southwest Onslow.

This season the Eagles are members of the seven-team Southeastern 1A/2A Conference. East Bladen, along with West Columbus and South Robeson are among the 1A teams in the league.

West Bladen, Fairmont, Red Springs and St. Pauls are 2A members of the conference.