MOULTRIE —
It is true that since Camden County clinched the Region 1-AAAAAA championship with it 24-7 victory over Lowndes, it has little of significance to gain by a victory over Colquitt County tonight, other than to keep its perfect season alive.
But Packers coach Rush Propst does not for a minute believe that the Wildcats will go to Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium for the 7:30 p.m. kickoff with anything other than a strong desire to knock off the Packers.
The last time Camden County lost was when the Packers scored a touchdown and a 2-point conversion with 33 seconds left to knock the Wildcats out of the playoffs in Kingsland last fall.
Propst called the game “one of the best I’ve ever been involved with.”
That is likely to be motivation enough for the team that CNN/SI has ranked No. 2 in the nation.
And Propst said he feels certain just how the Wildcats will try to put the Packers away.
“I think they are going to go for the early kill,” Propst said. “They’ll want to score fast, put a lot of points on the board, force us into turnovers and then play the game out.
“They’ll play explosive and fast in the first quarter and be motivated, then see where they are.”
The Packers, who are 6-3 and still face an outside shot of being eliminated from the playoffs, have to keep the score down and keep the Wildcats close.
“The closer we can keep the game until halftime, the better chance we’ll have,” Propst said.
The Packers were given little chance to knock off the 12-0 Wildcats last year, but hung around long enough to pull the stunning upset.
They will have to do something similar against a team that might be better than the 2011 edition.
Propst calls Camden County confluence of coaching, solid defense and quick and explosive offense a “perfect storm.”
And it starts with Camden County coach Jeff Herron, who has won three state championships since going to Kingsland from Oconee County, where he won the Class AAA state title in 1999.
“He’s a heck of a football coach,” Propst said of Herron. “I have a lot of respect for him.”
And Herron will send out an offense that features two players who have committed to the University of Georgia.
Quarterback Brice Ramsey runs the Camden County wing-T, but Georgia didn’t recruit him for his ability to put the ball in a running back’s belly.
Ramsey is big and strong and throws the ball well.
This year, he has completed 50-of-91 passes for 1,082 yard sand 17 touchdowns. He has thrown just one interception.
Ramsey threw the ball just eight times in Wildcats loss to the Packers last year. Expect the ball in the air more tonight.
The Wildcats can strike quickly in its wing-T, with J.J. Green, who is expected to be Ramsey’s teammate again next year at Georgia, a threat to score from anywhere.
Last year, he rushed for 142 yards against the Packers and ran 52 yards for one touchdown and scored again on a 50-yard pass from Ramsey.
Green leads Camden in rushing with 582 yards and averages 8.3 yards a carry. He has rushed for eight touchdowns and has score another on a pass reception.
Kalvarez Bessent is the Wildcats second-leading rusher with 375 yards. He is averaging 10.4 yards per carry. Antonio Wimbush has rushed for 317 yards.
Christian Middleton is the Wildcats leading receiver with 10 catches. Wimbush has eight, Bessent has six and Green has five.
Propst knows his team will have its hands full with a motivated Camden County offense.
“I feel like we’ve got a good defensive plan,” Propst said.
The Packers will try to stop the Wildcats with a defensive line that includes Michael Parrish and Jamiyus Pittman at the tackles, Ikeem Blakely, Creig Harris and Jeffrey Lawson at the ends and Travis Register playing where he is needed. Taphari Wright also will get some snaps in the trenchs.
The linebacking corps, led by leading tackler John Gray, has been solid and season and will need to continue that effort tonight.
He will be joined by Bull Barge and Brandon Key in the starting trio. Tomarcio Reese and Quintin Hampton also will play.
Johnny Ward and Tim Sanders have been the corners, with Michael Sutton filling in.
O’Shay Williams and Jamal Phillips will start at the safety positions. Propst is hoping sure-tackling Garrett Pearce will have a big game as well.
Propst indicated that offensive tackle Octavius Jackson and wide receiver Bobby Hill could see some key minutes on defense.
Propst said he did not believe Camden would have any trouble moving into Region 1 this year.
“I never thought for a minute they’d blink and they haven’t,” Propst said.
He said the program has great facilities, plenty of money and averages more than 35 seniors a year.
“They are one of the top 10 programs in the county,” Propt said, adding, “We want to win this game. It will give us come confidence and put some doubt in (Camden’s) minds if we get to play them again.”
The game will be available on the internet live at www.ghsa.tv.
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