Pack has little trouble with Peach County, winning scrimmage 40

Dec 17, 2023

MOULTRIE - Colquitt County punted away its first possession against Peach County on Friday, but then scored the next three times it had the football en route a 40-10 victory it the annual preseason scrimmage on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

A number of starters played only about a quarter and a half after the Packers had jumped out to a 21-3 lead, but Colquitt County coach Sean Calhoun liked what he witnessed on a pleasant evening in the Hawg Pen.

“I saw some really, really good things,” Calhoun said. “We executed well at times. Our effort was really good and we got everybody in.

“We’ve got to be more consistent and there are some things we need to clean up. We also have some question marks in the secondary. But I thought (Peach County) was better than last year.”

The scrimmage was the Packers final tuneup before playing host to Dutch Fork High, the top-ranked team in South Carolina, in the 2023 season-opener at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August. 19.

After Brett Fitzgerald punted after the Packers managed just four yards on their first three snaps, the Trojans drove to the Colquitt 9, where they were forced to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Brian Cervantes.

That was all the Trojans could manage until ripping off a 24-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left in the contest.

Colquitt led 40-3 before the late Peach County score.

The Packers drove 75 yards on 13 plays after the Peach field goal, with Day’Shawn Brown scoring from 2 yards out.

Fitzgerald converted to put the Packers up 7-3 with 4:09 left in the first quarter.

After a short Peach County punt later in the quarter, Colquitt drove 48 yards on 10 plays to score on a 1-yard burst by Ramsey Dennis.

Fitzgerald’s point-after put Colquitt up 14-3 just 17 seconds into the second quarter.

The next time the Packers took over, senior quarterback Neko Fann drove the Packers 74 yards to a third touchdown that came on a 12-yard pass to Markese Wilson.

A 25-yard completion from Fann to Florida State-committed tight end Landen Thomas set up the score that put Colquitt up 21-3.

Fann’s scoring throw to Wilson with 7:10 left in the half came on his final snap and he gave way to sophomore backup A’Zhiyen Alridge.

Fann finished 12-for-15 for 132 yards and the scoring pass to Wilson,

“Neko did what we know Neko can do,” Calhoun said. “But we need to prepare if our starting quarterback goes down.”

Alridge completed 4-of-11 passes for 38 yards.

Georgia-bound receiver Ny Carr also turned in a solid performance, catching five passes for 38 yards.

Thomas had two pass receptions for 39 yards.

“We need our best players to play their best if we are going to beat Dutch Fork and win a region and state championship,” Calhoun said.

By the end of the first half, which finished with a 28-yard field goal by Fitzgerald to put the Packers up 26-3, Colquitt had rolled up 162 yards of offense and 12 first downs.

After a scoreless third quarter in which the Packers employed a number of backups, sophomore quarterback Pearce Hightower scored on a 7-yard run and Ja’Mari Stokes got to the end zone on a 22-yard jaunt in the final 12 minutes.

Both are sophomores.

The Stokes touchdown was set up by a 33-yard pass completion from eighth-grade quarterback Cohen Lawson to Ni'Shawn Osby.

Brown rushed for 56 yards on 11 carries. Dennis gained 31 on 10 attempts.

The Packers played without starting outside linebacker Tyshon Reed Jr. and offensive guard Khalil Collins, both of whom were injured.

The Packers, who were 13-1 last year, will need all hands on deck when South Fork arrives.

The Silver Wolves have won South Carolina state championships in six of the last seven seasons.

Peach County was playing for the first time under new head coach Marquis Westbrook, who had led Warner Robins two Class 5A state championships and a 50-9 record over the four previous seasons.

Class AAA Peach County had gone 8-4 and won its region championship last season.

Colquitt defeated the Trojans 56-13 in the scrimmage between the two programs last year in Fort Valley.

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