MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County girls soccer team’s first meeting with Houston County this season still sticks in Lady Packers coach Jimbo Jarvis’s craw.

Colquitt’s girls came out flat and fell behind 4-1 at the half.

Although they rallied for three second-half goals, the Packers surrendered an own goal in the final 40 minutes that proved to be the difference in the 5-4 loss at Mack Tharpe Stadium at Tom White Field.

That the Lady Packers rallied and lost by just one goal could be crucial if Colquitt County and Houston County finish in a tie.

And right now, that is a distinct possibility as the regular season winds down to a close this week.

Tift County has clinched first place with its 9-0 Region 1-AAAAA record and only a meeting with Colquitt County in Tifton on Friday remaining on its schedule.

Colquitt and Houston are right behind in the standings, each with two losses.

The Lady Packers are 6-2 with a 6-0 loss to Tift County to go with defeat at the hands of the Lady Bears on March 24.

Houston County’s girls are 5-2 with matches against Colquitt County, Valdosta and Lowndes remaining.

The Lady Packers would clinch second place and play host to a first-round state tournament match if it defeats Houston tonight and Tift County on Friday.

And if Colquitt can defeat by Houston by two or more goals tonight, the Lady Packers would have the tie-breaker if the two teams finish with the same record.

Colquitt’s girls will take a 12-3 record into the match and should be rested after having been off since blanking Coffee 4-0 a week ago.

Houston County’s girls are 10-3.

Since the loss to Houston County, Jarvis has been adamant about his team playing a full 80 minutes of soccer.

The Lady Packers have done just that in the two matches since, beating Lowndes 4-3 on an overtime goal by Kristin Hall and then shutting out Coffee.

Alba Hernandez continues to lead the Lady Packers in scoring. With the two she scored in the victory over Coffee, the freshman has 24 goals.

Senior Sha Weth-erington has 12 and Hall, a junior, has added 11.

Whitney Hood and freshman Abbey Taylor each have scored seven goals.

Colquitt County’s boys kept alive their playoff hopes with a 2-1 victory over Coffee last week.

The victory snapped a five-game losing streak.

The Packers trailed 1-0 in the second half before scoring on a penalty kick by Matt DeMott and getting the game-winner from Spencer Clayton with just 2:15 remaining.

Clayton leads the Packers with seven goals. DeMott has five and freshman Daniel Garcia has four.

Colquitt County’s boys were blanked the first time they faced Houston County, losing 4-0.

And the Packers find themselves in dire straits as they try to grab third or fourth place in the region and qualify for a state playoff match. Lowndes, Coffee and Tift County also are in the running for the two final playoff berths.

Colquitt is currently 3-5 with matches against Houston and Tift County remaining. The Packers lost to the Blue Devils 2-1 last month.

Lowndes is 3-6 with just a match against Coffee tonight remaining. Coffee is 2-7.

Tift County also is 2-7, making the Blue Devils meeting with Colquitt County on Friday in Tifton a possible playoff-deciding match.