Linebacker Bull Barge runs out the clock on Colquitt County’s 30-28 victory over McEachern in Powder Springs on Friday after intercepting a pass in the closing seconds.

Colquitt County coaches had warned last week that McEachern’s offense would be a challenge in Friday’s first-round playoff game in Powder Springs.

And the Indian proved them right, rolling up 438 yards of offense before falling 30-28 to the Packers at chilly Walter H. Cantrell Stadium.

The Packers absorbed the Indians punches and answered after each McEachern score.

And in the end, it took a record-tying performance by senior quarterback Cole Segraves and a clutch interception by sophomore linebacker Bull Barge to send the Packers to the second round.

Colquitt will travel to Newnan for the first time since 2003 on Friday to meet the 9-2 Cougars. At stake will be a trip to the quarterfinals against the West Forsyth-Parkview winner.

Coming off a game in which he passed for 160 yards and ran for 164, Segraves completed 22-of-27 passes against the Indians on Friday for a school-record tying 354 yards.

Tyler Brown also threw for 354 yards in the 2010 state championship game loss to Brookwood.

And as usual, Segraves looked often for Bobby Hill, who got himself free enough to grab 11 passes for 158 yards.

Hill now has 71 pass receptions this season, the second-most in school history.

His 108 career receptions rank him No. 2 behind Tommy Hudson, who had 112 from 2008-2010.

Todd Boyd also had a big night catching the football with three catches for 118 yards and a score.

The Packers rolled up 467 yards of offense and it was just enough to beat back the Region 4 champions.

Ty Griffin made sure the Indians were never out of it, rushing for 176 yards, throwing for 40 and catching two passes for 35 more.

The Indians pounded and pounded away, but the Packers took the best shots and and got on the buses back to Moultrie with the school’s 11 playoff victory since 2009. Nine of those wins have been away from Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

Colquitt trailed 10-7 at the end of the first quarter, but took the lead for good when John Boatwright finished off an 80-yard, 13-play drive with a 1-yard run on a fourth-and-goal with 8:35 left in the half.

Will Bannister’s first field goal of the season put the Packers up 17-10, but the Indians appeared poised to add three points when they lined up in field goal formation with 2.8 seconds left in the first half.

But when he took the snap, holder Ty Clemons immediately stood up and looked for a receiver.

Not finding one, he took flight and might have scored had not Tim Sanders wrestled him to the turf at the 7.

The three points a successful field goal would have provided would have been golden to McEachern later in the game.

The two teams swapped scores in the second half.

The first one by the Packers was one to remember.

Segraves was chased out of the pocket on a second-and-four at the Packers 48.

But as he rolled to his right, he spied Boyd. The pass was true and Boyd outraced the Indians secondary to the end zone and Colquitt led by 11 with 1:57 left in the third quarter.

Griffin scored ona 4-yard run and ran for a 2-point conversion to pull the Indians to within three at 24-21 with 11:25 left in the game, but Segraves, Hill and Boatwright combined to match that score quickly.

In the next Packers possession, Segraves hit Hill for 25 and 32 yards and Boatwright followed with runs of 14 and 11 yards before scoring his second touchdown from 2 yards out and Colquitt led 30-21.

Griffin scored another touchdown for the Indians with 5:02 and the conversion pulled McEachern to within two at 30-28.

Colquitt ate up four minutes on its next possession with an encroachment penalty against the Indians on a fourth-and-1 helping keep the drive alive.

Sihiem King had first-down producing runs of six and 14 yards before Colquitt had to give the ball back.

As he has all season, punter Tyler Yost did his job, booting a ball that rolled out of bounds at the McEachern 2.

Three first downs later, McEachern faced a second-and-10 at the Colquitt 48 with 10.8 seconds left.

Griffin’s last pass of the season was intended for Clemons, but Barge stepped in front of it to close out the McEachern season.

The Packers will go to Newnan for a third straight time.

The Cougars advanced with a 38-0 victory over Alcovy in a game that saw Newnan starting quarterback Bailey Bryant leave and not return because of a shoulder injury.

Colquitt defeated a highly regard Cougars team 28-15 in 1992, but lost at Drake Stadium 21-14 in 2003.

Both were first-round playoff games.

But while the 8-3 Packers are alive and preparing for the second round — as is Camden County — the same cannot be said of the two Lowndes County teams who play in Region 1-AAAAAA.

Lowndes, the Region 1 runner-up, was upset by visiting Marietta 30-27 on Friday at Martin Stadium.

The Blue Devils, now 8-3, advanced behind the strong performance of senior quarterback Anthony Jennings, who threw for three touchdowns and ran 88 yards for another.

Jennings, who has committed to LSU, completed 9-of-19 passes for 195 yards. One of his scoring throws went for 91 yards to Chavez Hemphill.

Jennings also led the Blue Devils in rushing with 111 yards on 11 carries.

Marietta, the No. 3 team from Region 4, scored on three of its first four possession of the game.

It was the first time Lowndes had lost a home playoff game in the first round under coach Randy McPherson, who is now 17-2 in home playoff games since 2002.

The Vikings finish 9-2.

Valdosta, Region 1’s No. 3 seed, was pounded by Region 4 runner-up North Cobb 42-14 in Acworth.

Senior quarterback Shelby Wilkes suffered through a miserable night, completing 19-of-46 passes for 265 yards, but was intercepted five times.

And the Wildcats, who rushed for 2,000 yards during the regular season, were held to just 28 yards on 28 carries.

The Wildcats finish 7-4.

Camden County defeated Hillgrove 52-17 and will play host to East Coweta.

All four of Colquitt County’s non-region opponents won on Friday.

North Gwinnett defeated Johns Creek 49-19 and will play at Grayson on Friday.

Lovejoy pounded Tri-Cities 51-13 and will play host to Marietta on Friday.

Thomas County Central advanced with a 27-24 win over Creekside. The Yellow Jackets will travel to Northside-Warner Robins on Friday.

And Carver of Columbus won over Dodge County 42-21. The Tigers will be home to face Rockmart.

Norcross, the Packers scrimmage opponent, blanked Chattahoochee 34-0 and will be home to face South Gwinnett this weekend.