MOULTRIE — Shut out in both its preseason scrimmage against Thomas County Central and its season-opening 1-0 loss to Thomasville on Tuesday, the Colquitt County boys soccer team scored early and often at Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium on Friday, defeating Ware County 6-2.

The victory completed a sweep after the Colquitt County girls held off the Lady Gators 4-3 in Friday’s first game.

The Colquitt County boys are still adjusting to having lost an outstanding group of seniors from last year’s 15-4 team.

But the 2008 Packers appeared to be making strides on Friday, learning to trust each other and making crisper passes in the victory over the Gators.

Colquitt led 5-0 at the half and held off Ware in the final 40 minutes.

“Getting a couple goals early really helped,” said Rob Craft, who was enjoying his first victory as the Packers head coach. “I think it gave us a little confidence.

“It’s not that we are not talented, we are just learning to play as a team.”

Bret Holden broke the scoring drought when he punched in a rebound to put the Packers up 1-0 with 25:42 left in the first half.

Eight minutes later, D.J. Vanzant scored the first of his two goal to put Colquitt up 2-0.

Omar Zapote scored the next two Colquitt County goals, the first of which came at the 15:33 mark. The next one, on a penalty kick, came three minutes later.

Vanzant’s second goal, with just 27 second left in the half, gave the Packers a 5-0 lead at the break.

Ware scored back-to-back goals in the second half before Rich Tyndall got his first goal with 13:27 left to make it a 6-2 Packer victory.

The Colquitt County girls led 4-0 at the half, then had to hold on when Ware scored three unanswered goals.

Alba Hernandez got the Lady Packers first goal on a breakaway wth 23:39 left in the first half. Abbey Taylor made it 2-0 on a 25-yard shot lofted over the Ware keeper’s head.

Carly Banks punched in a rebound with 7:54 left in the half and Suzi Hernandez scored just over a minute later and the Lady Pack looked to have a secure halftime lead.

But Kristyn Horlock scored twice — once on a penalty kick — and Jazmin Smith scored another goal with 15 minutes left to pull the Lady Gators to within one. Colquitt kept the pressure on in the final 15 minutes to get the win and raise its record to 2-0.

“I like the way we played the first half,” said Coach Jimbo Jarvis. “We were flat-footed the fist 15 minutes, then all of a sudden we warmed up and were ready to play.”

Colquitt had several other scoring opportunities foiled by a Ware County keeper that Jarvis said was the best he has seen.

Colquitt will play host to Thomas County Central today, with the girls starting at 11 a.m. The boys game will start at 1 p.m.