The last two seasons, Brian Merritt played on Colquitt County football teams that lost state championship games in excrutiatingly close fashion.

But he got his championship ring this year.

Merritt started at defensive tackle for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College football team that last week won the National Junior College Athletic Association national title.

The Bulldogs defeated Lackawanna (Penn.) College 24-13 in Pittsburg, Kansas, to claim the championship.

It was Gulf Coast’s fifth national championship.

Merritt had an outstanding game, being credited with three solo tackles and one assist and had a half-sack and 1 1/2 tackles for loss.

For the season, Merritt had 39 tackles, five sacks and a fumble recovery.

Earlier in the season, Merritt was named the national defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Gulf Coast’s 55-34 victory over Southwest Mississippi. He had 4.5 tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks in the game.

While Merritt’s season is over, 13 of his former Colquitt County teammates will be playing in bowl games in the coming weeks.

• Senior nose tackle Ty Phillips will play his final collegiate game when 7-5 Georgia Southern faces Liberty in the Cure Bowl on Dec. 21, in Orlando.

The 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior has been credited with 11 solo and 19 assisted tackles, including five tackles for loss and  1.5 sacks this season. Phillips has played 43 career cames for the Eagles.

• Also on Dec. 21, three former Packers will suit up for the New Orleans Bowl, which features 12-1 Appalachian State against 9-4 UAB.

Red-shirt freshman Kaleb Dawson has played in eight games for App State and has been credited with five solo tackles and a fumble recovery.

Playing for UAB this season are linebacker Rashard Revels and offensive lineman Will Rykard, both freshmen.

Revels has played in six games and has had one solo tackle.

Rykard has seen action in one game.

• When Oklahoma meets LSU in the CFP semifinal Peach Bowl, freshman Jay Ward could see action.

Ward has played in 11 games for 13-0 LSU and has made three solo and one assisted tackle.

• Navy will meet Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31.

On the Midshipmen’s roster is former Packers quarterback Chase Parrish, now wearing No. 89 and playing wide receiver.

• Also on New Year’s Eve, 7-4 Georgia State will meet Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl.

Freshman linebacker Marcus Anderson has played in four games for the Panthers and has an assisted tackle to his credit.

• On New Year’s Day, 9-3 Auburn will play Minnesota in the Outback Bowl in Tampa.

Tight end John Samuel Shenker and offensive lineman Kamaar Bell are playing for the Tigers.

Shenker has been starting at tight end for Auburn and has caught three passes this season, including one for a touchdown agianst Texas A&M.

Having an outstanding season for Minnesota is former Tift County wide receiver Rashod Bateman, widely considered one of the top receivers in the country.

• On January 2, 7-5 Tennessee will meet Indiana in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Volunteers have won six of their last seven games and have received defensive contributions from three former Packers.

Shawn Shamburger has started at safety for Tennessee and has 24 solo tackles, 22 assists and two sacks.

Ja’Quain Blakley, now a 6-foot-2, 284-pound defensive lineman, has three solo tackles and five assists this season.

His biggest tackle came near the goal line and helped save the Volunteers’ victory over Kentucky.

Red-shirt freshman JJ Peterson has five solo tackles and six assists.

• Tulane will meet Southern Mississippi in the Armed Forces Bowl on Jan. 4, with Tirise Barge expected to contribute for the 6-6 Green Wave.

The junior safety has played in 11 games and has 12 solo and three assisted tackles. Six of his tackles have resulted in losses.

• The Lenior-Rhyne football team’s season came to an end in the Division II playoffs last weekend with a 43-38 loss to West Florida.

It was the last game of a fine collegiate career for starting safety Landon Scott, who played in 46 games for the Bears.

He finished his senior season with 24 solo and 22 assisted tackles, two tackles for loss and three interceptions, including one against West Florida last Saturday.

Scott finished with five career interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown.

Ian Brinson, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound junior right tackle, started all 14 games for the Bears for the second year in a row.

• The Florida Southwestern State women’s basketball team is 8-4 and has won four in a row heading into today’s game against Broward College.

Za’nautica Downs had 16 points and three rebounds in the Buccaneers’ recent victory over Pensacola State.

Downs is averaging 15.8 points a game.

• Diamond Hall scored five points in Alcorn State’s Sunday’s 58-42 victory over Florida A&M.

Hall is averaging 5.2 points for Alcorn State.

• Former Colquitt County, ABAC and University of Georgia basketball player Jo Beth Weaver has retired as head coach of the North Cobb softball team.

The Colquitt County Sport Hall of Fame member has a career record of 502-347 at North Fulton and North Cobb.