MOULTRIE — If anyone thought Northside-Warner Robins would come to Moultrie looking past Colquitt County and thinking of the first round of the playoffs, the Eagles quickly dispelled that notion.
Northside, the No. 2 team in Region 1-AAAAA, took the opening kickoff and drove 63 yards in just six plays to lead 7-0 less than three minutes into the game.
The Eagles were content to feed the football to senior Xavier Bacon, the region’s leading rusher, and he responded with 184 yards and four touchdowns in the 31-7 Northside victory.
The Packers helped the Eagles, turning the ball over five times, four times on interceptions.
The game was marred by 24 penalties — 12 on each team — for 233 yards.
Two of the Colquitt County penalties were for unsportsmanlike conduct on coach Rush Propst, who was ejected after receiving the second.
Propst was upset with a face-mask infraction called against his team in the fourth quarter and was jawing at the official when he was ejected.
The ejection means Propst will not be allowed to coach the Packers 2009 season-opener.
With the victory, Northside raises its record to 9-1. The Eagles will play host to the No. 3 team from Region 2-AAAAA in the first round of the playoffs next week.
The Packers finish 4-6 overall and 1-6 in the region.
Colquitt made it easy for the Eagles to roll to a 24-0 first half lead, throwing three interceptions in the first two quarters.
The Eagles made it 10-0 on their second possession when Devon Pike converted a 44-yard field goal.
Northside stretched its lead to 17-0 on the second play of the second quarter when Bacon bolted 37 yards untouched for his second score.
Bacon fumbled away his next carry, but the Packers could not convert the turnover into points and in fact were intercepted four plays later.
Colquitt quarterback Tyler Brown threw interceptions on the next two possessions.
Bacon turned the second Colquitt County interception into points when he scored his third touchdown of the half on an 8-yard run to give Northside a 24-0 halftime lead.
The third quarter was scoreless with each team turning the ball over once.
Colquitt got an interception by Davis Durham, but turned the ball back over on a Tyler Brown fumble.
Six plays after Propst was ejected, Bacon scored his fourth touchdown of the game to put the Eagles up 31-0.
The Packers only score came when Eric Key grabbed pass from Brown and raced 70 yards for a touchdown with 2:30 left in the game.
It was the only time Key touched the ball from scrimmage in the final game of an outstanding career for the Packers.
Rich Tyndall kicked the extra point.
The Packers had 290 yards of total offense, but just 35 came on the ground.
Brown completed 16-of-33 passes for 206 yards, but was picked off three times.
Harrison was 2-for-6 for 41 yards and an interception.
Quinn Roberson led the Packer with nine catches for 90 yards. Tevin King had four catches for 31 yards.
In addition to his 184 yards on the ground, Bacon also caught two passes for 24 yards.
Bacon, a transfer from Alaska playing his first season for Northside, finishes the regular season with 1,323 yards on the ground.
Northside quarterback Joe Scott completed 8-of-12 passes for 87 yards.
In other Region 1-AAAAA games on Friday, Lowndes finished the regular season with a 10-0 record after defeating Warner Robins 35-14; Valdosta finished 5-5 after blanking Houston County 17-14; and Tift County claimed third place after defeating Coffee 30-27 on a late field goal.
Local Sports
Northside rolls past Packers 31-7
- Local Sports
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Lamb signs to run at Columbus State
When Colquitt County High’s Heath Lamb signed in 2010 to run cross country at Darton College, he said that one of his goals was to be able to run faster.
Lamb accomplished that and more in his two years with the Cavaliers.
And his performances with Darton have not gone unnoticed.
Lamb signed this week with Columbus State University. -
Going to be a Blazer
Colquitt County linebacker/fullback Sharmaine Washington, front, right, was joined by his girl friend Najla Almond and Packers linebackers coach Danny Blaylock when he signed letter of commitment with Valdosta State University on Wednesday.
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Rifle team defeats Fitzgerald
The Colquitt County High rifle team kept its record unblemished on Thursday, defeating Fitzgerald handily at the high school, 1,098-897.
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Dykes signs to play baseball at Georgia Perimeter College
Colquitt County head baseball coach Tony Kirkland has a number of reasons to like Austin Dykes.
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Sherrod, Owens place first in Dublin
Colquitt County Mat Hawg wrestlers Nathan Sherrod and Cage Owens took first- place finishes in their weight classes in the Michael Gay Memorial Tournament last Saturday in Dublin.
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Checking the velocity
Colquitt County pitching coach Zach Grage checks the velocity of one of his hurlers.
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Kelshaw signs with West Georgia
Colquitt County’s Lauren Kelshaw, second from right in the front row, signed on Wednesday to play her college soccer at the University of West Georgia. Kelshaw, who is preparing for the Lady Packers’ Feb. 25 season-opener against Brooks County, committed to West Georgia in September. With her when she signed were, front, from left, her grandmother Jolene Burdette, father Tim Kelshaw, mother Tracey Kelshaw and sister Reagan Kelshaw; back, grandfather Frank Burdette, Lady Packers coach Jimbo Jarvis, club coach Mike Wallace, Colquitt assistant coach Andy Chapura and middle school coach Ashley Hill.
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Vines wins backstroke in region swim meet
Colquitt County High’s Austin Vines took first place in the 100-yard backstroke and was third in the 50-yard freestyle in the Region 1-AAAAA swim meet held last Saturday in Douglas.
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Packers work out
The Colquitt County High baseball team continues workouts at Packer Park in preparation for the 2012 season that begins on Tuesday, Feb. 21, with a home game against the Lawton Chiles Timberwolves of Tallahassee. The Packers are coming off a season in which they won the Region 1-AAAAA championship, went 22-14 and reached the state semifinals. The team will hold an intrasquad scrimmage at 2 p.m. Saturday at Packer Park that will be open to the public. Here head coach Tony Kirkland oversees Aubrey McCarty’s workout.
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Seventh-grade basketball teams advance to title games
The Colquitt County boys and girls seventh-grade basketball teams won South Georgia Athletic Conference semifinal games at the Willie J. Williams Middle School gymnasium on Thursday and will play for championships on Saturday in Douglas.
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