MOULTRIE — Colquitt County’s Kelvin Watts had not lifted as much as he should have as last month’s area Strongman Competition approached and he was reluctant to enter the event, which was held in Gladys Espy Gymnasium.

Watts, a senior football player and member of the Packers track team, had qualified for the state weightlifting competition each of the last two years and won the state championship in his weight class as a sophomore.

But after the 2005 football season, he had not kept up with his program.

Tony Long, the Packers new weightlifting and conditioning coordinator and one of the state weightlifting coordinators, had seen Watts compete the last two year and encouraged him to give it one more try.

The 202-pound Watts took first place in the 191-205 weight class with a combined lift of 1,145 pounds at the area competition, then won the state meet for a second time with a lift of 1,210.

Only one lifter — Dacula’s 247-pound Austin Icaza — lifted more at the state competition, held last Saturday at State Fairgrounds in Perry.

And the 10 points Watts earned for finishing in first place allowed Colquitt County to finish second in the state.

Watts was nearly a three-year state weightlifting champion, but chose not to compete at state last year when the date conflicted with both the SAT and a track meet.

Long said Watts trained hard to prepare for the state meet.

“We killed it between area and state,” Long said. “We put him on an accelerated workout.”

Long said Watts represented Colquitt County well.

“They loved him up there,” Long said. “His technique was good. He was pumping everybody up. There was no cockiness about him.”

Watts is now working closely with Long to improve his speed for track season.