Houston County runs past the Pack

Published 12:05 am Saturday, October 14, 2006

WARNER ROBINS — Houston County ran themselves back into playoff contention and left Colquitt County in the dust on Friday at McConnell-Talbert Stadium, winning 25-14.

The loss drops the Packers to 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the Region 1-AAAAA standings. Houston won its second straight region game and is 2-1 and 5-2 overall.

The Bears attempted just three passes and were content to bludgeon the Packers, running the ball 56 times for 326 yards.

Eric O’Neal led the assault, rushing for 170 yards on 25 carries. But he had plenty of help, with Martez King running for 72 on 17 carries and 23-yard touchdown run. Fullback D.J. Dodson carried nine times for 98 yards.

The Packers tried to make a game of it in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Channing Hudson to Dontrell Johnson to pull to within four at 18-14 with 8:56 left in the game.

But Houston took the kickoff and drove for a final touchdown, scored by O’Neal from a yard out with 3:23 left.

The Packers ran the ball just eight times, relying on their passing attack. Quarterback Channing Hudson completed 22-of-35 passes for 186 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Johnson, but it was not enough.

The Packers scored first, taking over on the Houston County 18 after a snap went over the head of Bears punter Ben Collins.

Collins got the kick off, but it went for minus-18 yards and the Packers Eric Key picked the ball up on the Bears 18.

Four plays later, facing a fourth-and-11 from the Houston 11, the Packers chose not to go for the field goal. Instead, Hudson threw a fade to the right corner of the end zone where Dontrell Johnson came down with it for the touchdown.

Matt DeMott’s conversion put the Packers up 7-0 with 9:03 left in the first quarter.

Houston took the ensuing kickoff and drove 79 yards in 10 plays, with O’Neal busting in from 1 yard out.

The extra point attempt by Michael Thompson was ruled no good and when the Bears complained, they were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, which was assessed on the kickoff.

But the Bears tried an on-side kick and recovered at the Houston 41 and needed only seven plays to reach the Packers end zone again.

And again it was O’Neal, who scored from seven yards out. Jeff Thompson’s pass for a 2-point conversion fell incomplete, but Houston led 12-7 with 1:58 left.

The Packers took the kickoff and drove to the Houston County 3, but the clock ran out before they could get another play off.

Colquitt had used its third timeout with 9:12 left in the half.

O’Neal did most of the first-half damage, rushing for 132 yards on 12 carries. Houston did not throw a pass in the first half, but rushed the ball 28 times for 190 yards.

Hudson completed 13-of-16 for 126 yards in the first half, but the Packers again failed to convert scoring opportunities.

In addition to not being able to score as time ran out in the half, the Packers recovered a Houston fumbled punt on the Colquitt 49 in the first quarter, but turned the ball over on downs after reaching the Bears 23 with 44 seconds left in the first quarter.

King’s 23-yard touchdown run in the third quarter put the Bears up 18-7, which stood until Hudson and Johnson hooked up on the 35-yard score, which came on a fourth-down play.

The Packers, who lost 39-37 to Coffee in triple overtime last week, will be off next week before traveling to Lowndes.