CLARKSTON, Ga. — Rich Tyndall kicked a 23-yard field goal with 2:28 remaining and Jamal Davis protected it with his first interception of the year as Colquitt County upset No. 5 Stephenson 22-21 on Friday at Hallford Stadium to advance to the Class AAAAA state quarterfinals.
The victory raises the Packers record to 10-2 and sends Colquitt County to the third round for the first time since 1999.
The Packers will travel to the Atlanta area for a third straight week next Friday to take on Lassiter High, which defeated South Gwinnett 70-49 Friday night.
Elsewhere in the region, Camden County defeated Lowndes 10-7, and Northside of Warner Robinsand won over Union Grove 21-10.
The Packers trailed 14-10 with 11:18 left in the game, but rallied on a pair of long fourth-quarter kickoff returns by Quin Roberson and a pair of interceptions by Davis and Amel Magwood.
After Raymond Sanders scored on an 11-yard run to put the Jaguars up by four early in the fourth quarter, Roberson returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards, setting up a 33-yard field goal by Tyndall to cut the Jaguars lead to 14-13.
Two plays later, Magwood made a diving, sliding interception of a Jordan Tarver pass on the Stephenson 26 and five play later Roberson plowed in from 2 yards out to give Colquitt County a 19-14 lead.
But the Jaguars retaliated quickly, driving 80 yards in just six plays to score on a 19 yard run by Denzel Hartley.
Stephenson elected to kick the extra point and led 21-19.
But Roberson struck again on the next kickoff, returning it 86 yards down the sideline in front of the Stephenson bench before he was pushed out of bounds at the Stephenson 9.
Three plays later, Tyndall kicked his third field goal of the game to put the Packers up by 1 with 2:28 remaining.
Davis sealed the deal when he made the third interception of a Tarver pass with 1:13 left in the game.
Stephenson had one last gasp, but an incomplete pass with no time remaining ended the Jaguars season with an 11-1 record.
When Stephenson took the opening kickoff and drove 61 yards in 12 plays to score on a 17-yard run by Sanders, it looked as if the Packers would be in for a long night.
But the Packers defense tightened up the rest of the half and did not allow another score in the half.
Sanders rushed for 61 yards in the first half, but only 11 in the second quarter.
And it was in that second quarter that the Packers got the big defensive play that got them on the board.
With Stephenson leading 7-0 andfacing a third-and-26 from its own 30, quarterback Jordan Tarver was chased out of the pocket and threw into a crowd.
Colquitt’s Willie McCrary picked it off and raced 20 yards to the end zone.
Rich Tyndall’s conversion tied the game with 5:49 left in the half.
The Packers had two more opportunities in the half but could not convert.
A 17-yard Stephenson punt set Colquitt up at the Stephenson 37 with 2:56, but after three plays gained seven yards, a Tyler Dismuke field goal came up short.
Colquitt later held on a fourth-and-1 at the Packers 42, but again could not convert.
The Packers had just three first downs and 40 total yards in the first half.
Sanders gained 132 yards on 26 carries, but the Packers were able to take advantage of the short fields afforded by the Jaguars to pull their biggest upset of the decade.
Local Sports
Packers upset unbeaten Stephenson
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Farm League tournament champions
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Gold Medal winners
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Championship team
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Mite Girls champions
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Paradise Pool and Patio, Hutchinson-Traylor win tournament championships
Paradise Pool and Patio completed an undefeated season by beating Southwest Georgia Bank 13-6 on Thursday to win the Moultrie-Colquitt County Parks and Recreation Department’s Farm League tournament championship.
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Harrell Auto Electric rallies to claim Mite girls championship
Trailing 4-0 when weather stopped its game against M&M Diesel on Tuesday and down 5-0 after three innings on Thursday, Harrell Auto Electric rallied to score nine runs in the final three innings to win 9-6 and claim the Moultrie-Colquitt County Parks and Recreation Department’s Mite League girls softball championship.
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Tennis top scholars
The Colquitt County tennis teams’ top scholars are, front, from left, Courtney Terrell, Rachel Bostick, Lindsey Stapleton, Erica Mobley, Aislin Sheffield, Conley Ward and Hannah Radney; back, Cody Jenkins, Ricky Patel, Andrew Harvin, Bo Blalock, Ridge Underwood, Ansley Moore, Blake Byington and John Buck Eunice.
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Softball resumes
With longtime umpire James Stancil looking on, M&M Diesel first baseman Sarah Harrell awaits a throw in a recent game. M&M Diesel was leading Harrell Auto Elecric 4-0 in the third inning on Tuesday at the Jim Buck Goff Recreation Complex when the game was suspended by a bad weather. The game will be completed today. If M&M Diesel defeats Harrell Auto Electric and also wins over Park Regency in a second game tonight, it will win the Mite League championship.
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More Packers sign to play, others receive offers
Four more members of the 2011 Colquitt County High football team have signed to continue their careers and number of the 2012 Packers are already receiving college offers.
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