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September 7, 2010

1997 Packers rallied from 0-3 start to reach state semifinals

The Moultrie Observer

MOULTRIE —

MOULTRIE — On Sept. 19, 1997, the Colquitt County High football team lost to Thomas County Central by three points to drop to 0-3 to start the season.

Three months later, the Packers were in the state semifinals and were four seconds away from a berth in the state championship game.

The 2010 edition of the Packers, who lost 35-29 in overtime to Thomas County Central on Friday in Thomasville to fall to 0-3, may find it heartening to know there is precedence for bouncing back from a slow start.

Colquitt opened the season with a 15-9 loss to Cook and then fell to South Panola of Batesville, Miss., 65-35. The Tigers are now ranked No. 1 in the country in one major poll.

The Packers will be home to face 1-1 Westlake in the first of three non-region games games before league games begin on Oct. 8 at Tift County. Colquitt also will face Warner Robins and Carver High of Montgomery, Ala., and then will get a Friday night off.

The region portion of the schedule will determine which of five league teams will not make the postseason and Packer head coach Rush Propst said recently he would like to have his team used to winning before those games begin.

The 1997 team began to turn its season around when it went to Bainbridge to play the Bearcats and threw a 19-0 shutout.

It was the first of six Region 1-AAAA games the Packers faced that season.

The Packers also shut out Ware County 40-0 and beat Valdosta 14-10 to climb over .500 at 4-3.

Colquitt then lost back-to-back region games to Lowndes and Tift County, but defeated Coffee 42-20 in the regular-season finale to qualify for the postseason.

And that is where having played Brookwood, Thomas County Central, Valdosta, Lowndes and Tift County paid dividends.

The Packers went on the road to beat LaGrange 17-12, using two extra points and the first field goal of the year by Brad Tomlinson to provide the difference.

It was easier the next week when the Packers went to the coast to beat Brunswick 28-14.

Then it was the second trip of the season to Valdosta and another win, this one by a 16-7 score.

That victory sent the Packers to state semifinals, held then in the Georgia Dome. Once there, Colquitt led 7-0 before Parkview scored a touchdown and an extra point with four seconds remaining in regulation and won in overtime 14-7.

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