MOULTRIE – The shift of attention is now on the first padded OTA camps to take place in Colquitt County High’s new indoor football practice building. These practice sessions involving the Packers and three visiting high school teams start bright and early Tuesday (July 17) morning and conclude right before noon on Thursday.

There was, however, an annual bit of business for some of head coach Rush Propst’s players at the end of last week. While Propst stated before this could be Colquitt County’s final visit to the major 7-on-7 tournament that he basically founded in Hoover, Ala., if that is the case the Packers reached heights in this nationwide field never seen before.

With what could be considered a major upset in 7-on-7 terms, Colquitt County defeated No. 2 seeded Hoover in the quarterfinals. Thus, the Packers were in the semifinals for the first time ever.

That was as far as they went, however, as McGill-Toolen of Mobile, Ala., eliminated Colquitt County and went on to win the single-elimination tournament final.

The final record for the Packers was 9-3.

“That was a big win,” said Propst about knocking off Hoover. “They all played well. This was a very demanding 7-on-7. It takes a lot of energy and focus. You have to grind it out to win. There was some rain and lightning to deal with, but (the organizers) managed it well and got it all in.”

This year, the tournament was called the Hoover City Elite 7-on-7 National and was not associated with USA Football as in past years. Colquitt County played eight pool games Thursday and Friday and came out of the schedule 6-2. With this, the Packers were seeded No. 7 for bracket play.

“We lost right off the bat,” said Propst, referring to a 26-6 setback to Spain Park, Ala. “That always seems to happen. I attribute that to a long bus ride. Getting off the bus and playing right away is hard.”

But when they settled down, the Packers won three in a row to end play on Thursday. At the Met Soccer Fields, Colquitt topped Foley, Ala., 25-14; then Gadsden City, Ala., 16-7; and it concluded with a fellow Georgia opponent, Jefferson County, and a 32-2 thrashing.

Friday games, played at Hoover Turf, saw a 24-10 win over Austin, Ala., then the second loss, 20-16, to Mallard Creek, N.C. Propst said they were in the lead with time running out but could not hold it.

The last two games were victories, 21-19 against McAdory, Ala., and 23-10 against Niceville, Fla.

With that No. 7 seed on Saturday, Colquitt County topped Gardendale, Ala., 34-0. The final against Hoover was 20-9, but McGill-Toolen ended the trip 18-12.

Notable Packers who did not participate due to injury, according to Propst, were tight end/H-back Josh Hadley and linebacker Kendrick Neloms.

“I don’t know if they would have made a difference,” said Propst. “But we did our best. (Quarterback) Jaycee (Harden) did well. He was inconsistent in the semifinals, but anytime you can beat Hoover in a 7-on-7 when you are a first-year starter, you’ve done something.

“We played good defense. We were a play or two away from winning (in the semifinal). We scored with eight seconds to go, but they completed a pass to end it.”

This week’s Organized Team Activities include Gainesville High, Collins Hill High and Campbell High. The first session started at 6 Tuesday morning. There are three sessions on Wednesday (9 a.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. starting times) and one Thursday session beginning at 9 a.m.

For Propst, he said the goal is to be consistent in how they handle going full pads for 11 vs. 11.

“There’s some physicality involved,” he said. “This is how you develop teams, in padded practices. You have to do this. Our first game is Aug. 18, and from Aug. 1 (the first day of GHSA full pads practice after acclimation days that begin July 26) to then, that’s not enough time to get ready.”

On Aug. 4 beginning at 3 p.m., the Packers will do an intra-squad scrimmage in the indoor practice building. Propst said this is open to the public. There will be limited seating available, so the coach suggests bringing your own outdoor chairs.

Propst is also still rejoicing at finally getting the deal done for a fall scrimmage against another school, Miller Grove High, on Aug. 10 on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.