MOULTRIE — Colquitt County and Tift County — the two Region 1-AAAAA teams that run the spread offense — will meet at Brodie Field in Tifton on Friday with Packers especially in need of a victory.

The Packers still cling to diminishing playoff hopes that were resurrected somewhat by the 520 yards and 39 points they put up in the loss to Valdosta last Friday.

Tift County ran its region record to 2-1 and upped its overall record to 4-2 when it held off Houston County on Friday for a 31-24 victory.

The defenses of both teams should be right at home this week in practice.

They are getting ready for an offense that is quite similar to the one they face during the weekday afternoons.

Both have quarterbacks who are putting up fine numbers and a versatile group of receivers.

Tift County has had more success rushing the football through the first six weeks of the season, although the Packers surprised many — including, apparently, Valdosta — when they ran for 222 yards in the 42-39 loss to the Wildcats last Friday.

Tift County moved Nick Prostko, who did a fine job at quarterback last season, to wide receiver to allow Malcom Dixon to take over the starting job under center.

Dixon has responded by completing 59-of-110 passes for 825 yards and seven touchdowns.

And Dixon gives the Blue Devils an element that Prostko did not.

Dixon has rushed the football 63 times for 312 yards and six touchdowns.

Tift County also has benefited from the transfer of running back Stevan Toomer to the school this year.

Toomer, who is a senior, is the son of former Worth County great Robert Toomer.

The younger Toomer has rushed for 438 yards, although Houston County held him to just 49 yards on 11 carries in the Blue Devils 31-24 victory last Friday.

Prostko and Jared Davis are Blue Devils top receivers, with Prostko having 16 catches for 226 yards and a touchdown and Jared Davis hauling in 15 for 282 and four scores.

Jarrod Bateman also is splendid pass catcher for the Blue Devils.

The Packers spread, brought to Moultrie this year by new head coach Rush Propst, has been efficient at times this season.

Quarterback John Michael Harrison has hit on 101-of-195 passes for 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The senior left-hander had two big second-half touchdown completions last week to keep the Packers in sight of the Wildcats.

Colquitt has two of the region’s top receivers in senior Eric Key and junior Quin Roberson, both of whom scored touchdowns against the Wildcats and were within whiskers of hauling one or two more.

Both have outstanding hands and give the Packers the chance at picking up considerable yardage after the catch.

Key has 26 receptions for 399 yards and seven touchdowns.

Roberson has 21 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns.

Colquitt unveiled a new ability to run the football last Friday night against the Wildcats.

The Packers rushed for more yardage against Valdosta (222) than they had in the first five games of the season combined (213).

Senior Travon Littleton ran for 107 yards on 11 carries and had a 53-yard touchdown run.

Sophomore Tevin King, who went into the game with two carries for minus-6 yards, exploded for 94 yards on just nine carries.

King had a 52-yard touchdown run and had another apparent scoring run called back.

Littleton and King also are competent receivers out of the backfield as Colquitt attempts to spread the opposing defenses and give players such as Key, Roberson, Littleton and King room to use their speed and elusiveness.

Both teams have struggled at times defensively.

Tift has given up an average of 21 points a game, including 35 to Brooks County and 24 — 14 in the fourth quarter — to Houston County last Friday.

Colquitt County’s defensive problems started when region play began. The Packers have surrendered 139 points to Lowndes, Coffee and Valdosta.

The Packers will be out to end a two-game losing streak against the Blue Devils.

After winning six of the previous seven games against Tift County, the Packers lost 38-35 in triple overtime in the 2006 season-finale and fell 45-12 in Tifton last last year.

Also on Friday in Region 1-AAAAA, Lowndes (3-0, 6-0) will go to Valdosta (2-1, 4-2), and Northside (2-1, 5-1) will travel to Douglas to meet Coffee (3-0, 6-0).

Warner Robins (1-2, 3-3) and Houston County (0-3, 3-3) will be off this week.