Pack blanks Tift County, heads into playoffs with 7-0 record

Published 9:54 pm Friday, November 13, 2020

TIFTON – Colquitt County lost leading rusher and passer Xavier Williams to a knee injury on its first offensive snap, but still had more than enough to defeat Tift County 41-0 on Friday at Brodie Field.

The Packers, who had clinched the Region 1-7A championship the previous Friday with a 40-10 win over Lowndes, will head into the playoffs with a 7-0 overall record.

They won all three of their region games by a combined 115-23.

Colquitt will meet the No. 4 team from Region 4 in the first round of the state playoffs on Nov. 27 on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

The Packers, ranked No. 1 in Class 7A by MaxPreps, appeared to feel their way through the first half with Zane Touchton at quarterback after Williams limped off following a 3-yard run on Colquitt’s first play.

Touchton led the Packers to a score on that first possession, throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Baby D Wheeler to put Colquitt up 7-0 with 2:26 left in the first quarter.

A 42-yard run by Jamaree Hill set up the score.

Nick Pace scored on a 14-yard touchdown run in the second quarter as the Packers took a 14-0 halftime lead.

The Packers scored three times in the third quarter, including once on another Touchton-to-Wheeler pass, one on which Wheeler made a one-hand catch in the end zone.

The final score came on a 28-yard run by Charlie Pace on the last play of the game.

Playing under a running clock for the second week in a row, the Packers did not have enough time to kick an extra point after Pace’s touchdown, hence the 41-0 final.

The Maxwell Ratings had the Packers as a 41-point favorite in the game.

Tift took the opening kickoff and held the ball for six minutes before punting from midfield.

It was the Blue Devils most proficient offensive stretch of the night.

Colquitt’s defense controlled the game the rest of the way. The Packers have allowed the fourth-fewest points a game in Class 7A and tacked on their second shutout and first since the 51-0 season-opening blanking of Banneker.

The Packers held Tift to 74 yards on the ground and 16 passing.

Colquitt also sacked Tift quarterback Mac Turner five times for losses of 47 yards.

Despite trailing for 38 minutes, the Blue Devils attempted just 11 passes, completing two for 16 yards.

Tift managed just six first downs, including four on its first possession and just one in the second half.

Their deepest penetration was to the Packers 43 after recovering a Colquitt fumble on the second play of the fourth quarter, which was played with a running clock.

That possession ended with one of Tift’s nine punts, one of which was blocked by Colquitt’s TJ Spradley in the third quarter.

“That’s our black hat defense,” Packers coach Justin Rogers said. “They swarm to the ball and play with such passion.”

The Packers biggest concern coming out of the game was injuries.

In addition to Williams, who did not return, although he appeared to be walking without a limp on the sidelines after halftime, Wheeler and starting linebacker Gamal Wallace also left the game with injuries.

“We’re a little beat up,” Rogers said after the game. “I’m glad we’re not playing next week. We’re glad to be able to rest up.”

Rogers said he was pleased with Touchton’s 8-for-12, two-touchdown pass performance.

“He managed it well,” said Rogers, who raised his record to 16-3 since becoming the Packers head coach last season. “He’s been in the program a long time and we’re proud of him coming in and getting this win for us.”

Tift held the ball for more than seven minutes on its first possession, with a pair of Colquitt County penalties providing first downs.

After Williams went down, the Packers moved to a second-and-10 at their own 47 when Hill broke loose on a 42-yard run to the Tift 2.

On third-and-goal from the 1, Touchton flipped to Wheeler in the end zone and after the first of Emmanuel Perez’s five extra points, Colquitt led 7-0.

Hill set up the second Packers score with a 30-yard burst to Tift 13 on the first play of the second quarter.

Nick Pace took a handoff on the next play and took the ball to the end zone and Colquitt went up 14-0.

The Packers took the second-half kickoff and drove to another touchdown.

Wheeler had the big play in the drive when he ran an end-around 46 yards to the Tift 2.

Hill scored on the next play and with just 1:09 gone in the second half, Colquitt had extended its lead to 21-0.

Moments later, Desmond Reese sacked Tift County quarterback Mac Turner, forcing a fumble that Reese himself recovered on the Blue Devils 11.

After an incomplete pass, Touchton lofted a pass to the end zone that Wheeler one-handed for the Packers fourth touchdown and a 28-0 lead.

TJ Spradley blocked Tift’s next punt and Colquitt took over the Blue Devils 6.

Two penalties moved the ball back, but Charlie Pace put the Packers over the 30-point mark with an 8-yard touchdown run with 6:56 left in the quarter.

Colquitt finished off the shutout in the running-clock fourth quarter.

The Packers rolled up 246 yards on the ground, including 81 by Hill on six carries. Charlie Pace added 64 more on 11 attempts.

Nick Pace added 51 on seven carries.

Tift County falls to 2-6 and will play a non-region game at home next Friday against Salem.

Lowndes defeated Camden County 28-21 to finish second in the region.

Camden finishes third at 1-2 in the region and Tift, 0-3, is fourth.