MOULTRIE — The Houston County boys soccer team held on to first place in Region 1-AAAAA on Friday, defeating the Packers 2-1 in a match that started at one field and was finished in another.

The Packers, who would have taken over first place in the region with the victory, had tied the match at 1-1 on a 30-yard free kick by Matt DeMott about four minutes into the second half.

But the Bears got the controversial game-winner with less than two minutes remaining.

The victory raises Houston County’s record to 9-2 on the season.

The Colquitt County boys fall to 12-3 overall 7-3 with matches at Warner Robins and at home against Lowndes remaining.

But the Packers are still likely to finish in second place in the region and play host to a first-round state playoff match.

Colquitt County’s girls fell 5-1 in the first match at Houston County’s new soccer field, but about 30 minutes into the boys match, with darkness falling, school officials were unable to turn the lights on.

Packers coach Mell Wier said he understood that the Houston County baseball coach had the keys to the lights with him in Moultrie, where the Bears were playing the Packers.

With a lighted recreation soccer field less than a mile away, officials from the two schools agreed to move the rest of the match there.

All three goals were scored at the recreation field.

The final goal was disputed by the Packers.

Colquitt players watched as a ball they claimed was out of bounds was controlled by a Houston player and fed to another who promptly put it into the net.

Wier said his team played well and was trying to appreciate how much it has done, coming off a 6-11 record in 2006.

“We’ve accomplished much more than we thought we could,” Wier said. “And we’ve still got two matches to solidify second place.”

Houston County’s boys had won their first seven region matches in a row, including a 2-0 win over the Packers on March 23 in Moultrie.

But then the Bears lost two of three, including a 1-0 decision to Tift County on March 27 that gave the Packers their chance at first place and a possible region championship.

The Packers only other loss this season was by a 3-2 score to Tift County on March 7.

DeMott’s goal was his sixth of the season.

Houston County still has a match left against winless Valdosta remaining.

The Colquitt County girls’ playoff hopes took a hit with its loss to the Lady Bears.

The Lady Packers fall to 8-6-1 overall and 4-6 in the region.

All six goals were scored in the first half. The only Colquitt County goal was scored by Carly Banks, her seventh of the season.

The Houston County girls solidified their hold on second place in the region, raising their record to 9-2.

The Colquitt County soccer teams will travel to Warner Robins again on Monday to meet the Demons and Demonettes.

The final regular-season matches of the season will be held on Tuesday when Lowndes visits Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

The girls game will start at 6 p.m. The boys match will begin around 8 p.m.

Between the two matches, the Packers and Lady Packers seniors will be honored.

The senior members of the girls team are Katie Roberts, Sarah Tyndall, Jessica Vick, Brianna Campbell, Morgan Jones, Anna DeMott, Kristin Hall, Alex Smith and Jessica Williams.

The Packers seniors are Seth Chitty, Derek Illian, Daniel Carranza, Tyler Mobley, Stephen Adcock, Salvadore Duque, Oscar Quintanilla, Matt DeMott, Daniel Phillips, Colby Browning and Nathan Fowler.