MOULTRIE — The first 15 minutes of Colquitt County High’s football game against Houston County in Warner Robins on Saturday had an ominous feel.

The Packers have been slow starters in Region 1-AAAAAA games this season and often when they fall behind they haven’t been able to battle back.

Colquitt’s first six possession against the Bears resulted in a punt, a lost fumble, a punt, an interception and another punt and another interception.

With 7:55 left in the first half, the Packers trailed 7-0 and had not driven any further than the Houston County 39.

And when the Packers finally began to show some life, it was its much-maligned defense that was the instigator.

Cornerback C.J. Copeland made a leaping interception of a Hogan Robinson interception in the Packers end zone and four plays later the Packers had tied the game.

The 15-yard touchdown run by Travon Littleton was the first of four scores by the Packers in the 28-14 victory over the Bears that was the team’s first Region 1-AAAAA victory of the season.

The game was certainly no showcase.

The Packers lost three fumbles, threw two interceptions and missed two short field goals.

Houston County might have been sloppier, throwing three interceptions and losing two fumbles. Three of the Bears turnovers came on successive first-half possesions, the last of which was Copeland’s pick.

Each team was able to turn one turnover into points.

But the Packers were able to overcome their largesse. The Bears were not.

With the game knotted 14-14, the Packers drove 49 yards to a tie-breaking touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Tyler Brown to Jacob Propst with 7:42 left in the third quarter.

Eric Key punched in another score from 3 yards out with 59 seconds left in the game.

Although not enamored with the five turnovers, Packers Coach Rush Propst was elated with the way his team came back from what could have been a disastrous opening quarter-and-a-half.

The Packers are now 4-5 overall and 1-5 in Region 1-AAAAA with Northside-Warner Robins preparing to come to Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium on Friday.

Colquitt County would have to be huge underdogs to the Eagles, who are 8-1, with their only a loss to top-ranked Lowndes.

But Propst said he believes last Thursday’s 27-22 junior varsity victory over Bainbridge coupled with the win over the Bears will help propel his team into what he expects to be a demanding off-season.

With the game still in doubt until less than a minute remained, Propst did not use as many young players as he had planned.

But he got some excellent work out of several underclassmen.

Brown got his first start of the season and after throwing interceptions on two of his first 10 attempts, settled down and completed 11-of-23 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

Tevin King did much of the work on Brown’s first scoring pass, taking a screen pass and bolting 60 yards for a touchdown that gave the Packers a brief 14-7 second quarter lead.

Houston County tied the game less than two minutes later on Garrick Davis’ second touchdown run of the contest.

The score was still tied 14-14 when Brown broke the huddle on a second-and-goal at the Houston County 18 after having just been sacked for a 6-yard loss.

Brown then looked like a veteran, firing a strike to a slanting Jacob Propst to put the Packers ahead to stay with 7:42 left in the third quarter.

The touchdown was the first for the coach’s son and the catch his first since the game against Coffee on Sept. 26 when he suffered a knee injury. Propst also caught a 33-yard pass from Brown on the first play of the game and had 24-yard reception earlier in the second quarter.

King, also a sophmore, had 167 total yards in the game, rushing for a team-high 77 yard and catching five passes for 90 more.

And while the play of Brown, King, Propst and an underclassmen-laden defense gives hope for the future, it was the play of senior Eric Key who may have been the team’s biggest influence on Saturday.

Getting his first start on defense, he was in on a number of tackles and came up with a big third quarter sack when Houston County tried to pass on a fourth-and-4 from the Packers 44.

The Bears were never closer than the Packers 46 the rest of the game.

Key, who was tied for the region lead in receptions heading into the game, also played offense on Friday and is the first player to get considerable playing time on both sides of the ball in the same game this season.

Propst said Key gave the defense some leadership it had been lacking in the first eight games.

In the Packers previous five games, all region losses, Colquitt had given up 398, 487, 436, 403 and 316 yards of offense.

Houston County looked as if it would continue that trend, rolling up 217 yards in the first half.

But after intermission, Colquitt gave up just 91 yards, picked off two passes and recovered a fumble.

Davis, who entered the game as the No. 5 rusher in Region 1-AAAAA, ran for 75 yards in the first half, but just 11 in the second half.

Robert Williams was the Bears leading rusher, had 90 yards on 13 carries, but only 22 of those yards came after the break.

PACKERS NOTES: Lowndes clinched the Region 1-AAAAA championship with its 21-0 victory over Coffee last Friday. Northside, which blanked Warner Robins 14-0 on Friday, will be the No. 2 seed.

Friday’s only suspense will come in the Tift County-Coffee game. The winner will claim the No. 3 seed and the loser will finish No. 4.