In the Carolina Force’s 54-13 drubbing of the Virginia Badgers Saturday night there were a ton of big plays and a plethora of impact players. Whether it was recovering Badger fumbles for touchdowns or torching their secondary in the passing game, the Force were firing on all cylinders. A big part of their offense was the play of wide receiver C.J. Washington Jr. who caught four touchdowns and was named the Carolina Force’s Player of the Week.

A five year Arena League veteran, C.J. is flourishing and is a key component of the offense. I had a chance to talk with C.J. about his stellar performance after the game. “It just seemed like every time I was open Shayne (Milligan) got me the ball. Everyday in practice I just work as hard as I can to be the best player I can be.”

C.J. got his big night started early when he caught a 7-yard touchdown pass on Carolina’s opening drive and with a successful two point conversion made the Force lead 8-7 and would never look back. With their defense dominating, the offense was sputtering but in the second half the Force put some distance between themselves and the Badgers. “We got into halftime and regrouped and had to make some adjustments that made a difference in the second half,” said the speedy wide receiver. When asked about how he would characterize Shayne Milligan’s performance C.J. was quick to praise his starting quarterback, “Shayne played awesome, he’s been working really hard in practice and tonight it really paid off.”

I was curious as to what C.J. felt was the best part of his game when he remarked “I think my will and determination are my best attributes, I have the attitude that I just won’t be denied.” Those special qualities were evident in the fourth quarter when he caught a simple 10 yard out and just ran through a trio of would be Badger defenders into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown reception. Washington finished the game with 5 catches for 89 yards and four touchdowns, none more impressive than this one.

The Force’s offense will face their toughest test of the season next week as the team travels to Fayetteville to face the undefeated Cape Fear Heroes whose defense has only yielded 89 points in three games. If the Force are to remain undefeated C.J. Washington Jr. will have to continue his consistent, explosive play.

Player of the Game: C.J. Washington Jr.

Author: Euan McCreath