The Moultrie Observer
MOULTRIE —
MOULTRIE — Colquitt County rolled up 429 yards of offense in its first regular season game on its new artificial playing surface, but was flagged for 130 yards of penalties leading to a 15-9 upset at the hands of Cook on Friday at Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.
The Packers, ranked No. 5 in Class AAAAA and No. 40 in the nation, managed just one touchdown and a field goal again the Class AA Hornets.
“The bottom line is, we were just poorly coached,” Packers coach Rush Propst said. “When you have 18 penalties you have nobody to blame but yourself.”
The Packers led only for two minutes in game, and that lead came after a 28-yard field goal by Rich Tyndall put his team up 9-8 with 5:44 left in the third quarter.
But Cook’s Clifford Miles scored on a 7-yard run on the Hornets’ next possession and the Packers shot themselves in the foot over the next 15 minutes.
After the Miles touchdown, the Packers marched to the Cook 10, only to turn the ball over on downs.
The next time the Packers had the ball, quarterback Tyler Brown threw his second interception of the game with 6:03 left.
The turnover followed an illegal block in the back penalty that nullified a 46-yard punt return by Tommy Hudson to the Hornets 4.
The Packers had one last gasp, moving to a first down at the Cook 43, but a fourth-down Brown pass fell incomplete with 2:10 left.
Propst took the blame for his team’s poor performance.
“I have to do a better job of coaching,” he said. “You can’t blame the kids. We as coaches have to be held accountable.”
The Packers penalty problems started on the second-play of the game when an apparent 80-yard touchdown run by Tevin King was called back.
After allowing 100 yards in the first quarter and finding themselves down 8-0 after the first play of the second, the Packers battled back into the game and finally scored in the final 21 seconds on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Hayden Kudela.
The Packers appeared to have taken a lead on the their second snap when King bolted 80 yards to the Hornets end zone, only to have the play brought back
The penalty was one of nine worth 70 yards against the Packers in the first half. They added nine more for 60 yards in the second half.
In addition to having an apparent touchdown called back, Brown threw an interception at the Cook 12 and the Packers turned it over at the Hornets 17 in the second quarter when Damien Bentley was stripped of the ball.
But while the Packers stammered offensively much of the first half, Colquitt’s defense got down to business in the second quarter and allowed just seven yards.
Colquitt finally broke through when the Hornets were forced to punt from their own 9 with just under two minutes left in the half.
Hudson returned the punt to the Hornets 33 and on the first play Brown connected with Ty Smith to the Cook 21.
Brown and Blake Stamps hooked up to put the ball at 10 and two plays later Brown found Kudela in the corner of the end zone for the touchdowns.
But Brown’s pass for a two-point conversion fell incomplete and the Packers trailed by two at the half.
Cook scored on the first play of the second quarter on a 3-yard touchdown run by Shannon Brown. Trey Register ran in the 2-point conversion to put the Hornets up 8-0.
Brown also terrorized the Packers from his linebacker position.
King rushed for 130 yards and Ridley added 68 more. Brown completed 16-of-27 passes for 216 yards, but had two costly interceptions.
Cook managed just 228 yards of offense, included 136 through the air. Quarterback Zach Folsom completed 14-of-21 passes and did not throw an interception.
Clifford Miles rushed for 38 yards, Brown had 36 on eight carries and Trey Register had 31 on six attempts.
The Trojans, who went into the game against Colquitt County ranked No. 9 in Class AA, will be off next week and will play host to Americus-Sumter County on Sept. 3.
