MOULTRIE – While being interviewed by WMTM’s Darrell Strange on the field following Colquitt County’s 49-3 first-round state playoff victory over Brookwood on Friday, Packers coach Justin Rogers said he didn’t know who the Packers second-round opponent would be.

All he was sure about at the time was that, “We’ll be back in the Hawg Pen next week.”

Even though he has just 20 games under his belt as the Packers coach – 17 of them victories – Rogers knows all too well the advantage the Packers have when playing on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

Even the coronavirus-limited crowds this season have been more than enough to fill the role of the legendary “12th man.”

“Sometimes it seems like we are playing with 13 or 14 guys,” Rogers said of what it is like performing in the Packers’ home park of 66 seasons.

Rogers himself has not experienced a loss in the 12 games he has paced the home sideline at The Mack. Colquitt won all seven of its home games last year and is five-for-five this season.

Those 12 wins have extended to 22 the number of home games Colquitt County has won in a row.

The region champion Packers, ranked No. 1 in Class 7A by MaxPreps, will get a chance to make it 23 when Walton visits for a second-round game next Friday.

While the Packers were busting the Broncos, Walton was nearly as impressive in a 49-9 Raider Valley victory over McEachern.

In fact, like the Packers, the Raiders had a 35-3 halftime lead en route to eliminating the Indians.

With the victory, Walton will bring a 6-5 record to Moultrie.

Coach Daniel Brunner’s Raiders are the Region 3 runners-up, but have had an up-and-down season.

After winning their first two games, the Raiders then lost four of their next five.

They now have won three of their last four, however, as they plot their journey south.

Walton quarterback Zac Rozsman ran for three touchdowns and completed 9-of-15 passes for 130 yards and two more scores in the win over McEachern.

Kenny Djaha carried 15 times for 127 yards and scored a touchdown.

The loss was the most lopsided suffered by McEachern since falling 42-0 to Southwest DeKalb in 1989.

The Indians finish the season 4-6, their first losing record since 2007.

Walton has now advanced to the second round of the playoffs four years in a row, but has failed to make the quarterfinals each time.

It was Colquitt County that knocked the Raiders out in 2017, winning 28-21 in Marietta.

If the Packers can get by Walton, they are likely to meet unbeaten Norcross in the quarterfinals.

The Blue Devils, who are 11-0 after eliminating South Forsyth 47-20 on Friday, will be home to meet Roswell in the second round.

Also on Friday:

• Region 1-7A runner-up Lowndes had little trouble winning its playoff opener, shutting out Newton 42-0.

The Vikings will travel on Friday to meet Region 3 champion North Cobb, which eliminated Pebblebrook 35-6.

• Camden County gave Parkview nearly all it could handle before losing 24-17 in overtime in Lilburn’s Big Orange Jungle.

Cody Brown, who has committed to Tennessee, rushed for 256 yards and three touchdowns, including the one in overtime that sends the Panthers to a second-round game at East Coweta.

• Tift County also was eliminated in the first round, falling 43-0 to undefeated Grayson.

Quarterback Jake Garcia, who started the season at Valdosta, threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another for Grayson.

The Hoyas, who will be home to face Harrison in the second round, lost Clemson-bound running back Phil Mafah to an apparently serious knee injury in the second quarter.

• Carrollton, under former Packer assistant coach Sean Calhoun, beat Winder-Barrow 55-7 and will be home to face Sprayberry in the second round. The Trojans are 7-2.

• Rush Propst’s Valdosta Wildcats pounded Lovejoy 52-14 and will travel to play Region 3-6A champion Evans High this weekend. Valdosta is 5-4.

• Reggie Stancil’s Peachtree Ridge Lions lost their Class 7A playoff opener 45-14 to Milton and finish 4-5.

• White County, under former Packers head coach Tim Cokely, lost to Rockmart 47-35 and finishes its season with a 7-3 record.

• Northside-Warner Robins, one of Colquitt County’s eight victims, was eliminated from the Class 6A bracket, falling 27-0 to Langston Hughes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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