By DAN BISER

Off to a 1-1 start and still trying to find some consistency on the offensive side of the football, the Whiteville Wolfpack will play its first road game of the season Friday when it travels to Rowland to tangle with the South Robeson Mustangs.

Gametime is 7:30 p.m.

Pending effects of Tropical Storm Ernesto, Friday’s game is subject to postponement or cancellation.

Whiteville fell to East Bladen 8-6 last Friday after taking a 21-0 shutout over West Bladen in its opener. South Robeson lost to Grays Creek 44-19 last week after opening with a 14-6 victory over Hobbton.

WHS football coach Mark Little said that he was pleased with his team’s overall effort against East Bladen but that mistakes and lack of offensive production are becoming a big concern.

“East Bladen is probably as strong a team as there is on our schedule this year,: Little said, “so I was pleased to see us keep hanging in there from start to finish.

“Offensively, we’re trying to revamp some things to help us become more effective in moving the football,” Little said. ”We never got our passing game off the ground because we couldn’t contain their pass rush.”

Whiteville took a 39-14 victory over South Robeson last season, but Little said that Coach Barry Leonard’s Mustangs are a much improved team this year.

“Their offense is much more complex now,” Little said. “They have a very strong quarterback and they do a good job of spreading the field.”

South Robeson quarterback Charles Anderson completed 16 of 26 pass attempts last week against Grays Creek. Raheem Breeden led Mustangs rushers with 72 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.

The Whiteville defense, which has allowed only one touchdown in its first two games, is paced by the senior linebacker duo of Kevin Gamble and John McZeak along with linemen Josh Smith, Jonathan Norris, Alex Royal and George Spearman and defensive backs David Mosley, Albarin Powell and Marcus Pollard.

Junior Jarrod McKinney leads the Whiteville rushing attack along with McZeak, Gamble and Willie Milligan.

Whiteville and South Robeson have met 14 times since 1984. Whiteville holds a 10-3-1 advantage in the series.

In 1985, South Robeson was the only team to score against the Wolfpack during regular-season play when it connected on and “hook-and-ladder” pass play in a driving rainstorm at Rowland. Whiteville went on to win the game 35-6.