After slow start, Colquitt eliminates Walton 35-12
Published 10:54 pm Friday, December 4, 2020
MOULTRIE – Colquitt County returned three interceptions for touchdowns and Charlie Pace ran 80 yards for a touchdown as the Packers defeated Walton 35-12 on Friday on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium in a second-round Class 7A playoff games.
The victory sends the 9-0 Packers north to play at 12-0 Norcross in a quarterfinal game next Friday.
Trending
Norcross advanced with a 40-20 victory over Roswell.
Walton, which scored a season-high 49 points in knocking off McEachern in a first-round game last week, managed just two Conor Cummins field goals before scoring on 4-yard touchdown run by Angelo Brown Jr. on the final play of the game.
The Raiders finish the season 6-6 after failing to advance in a second-round game for the fourth year in a row.
Colquitt, averaging 48.6 points a game, led just 7-3 at the end of the first half and Walton cut the Packers lead to one point on Cummins’s second field goal, a 40-yarder, to finish off the Raiders first possession of the third quarter.
But on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Pace took a handoff and disappeared under a pile of Raiders at the Colquitt 26.
The sophomore running back then broke out of the scrum and raced the rest of the way to complete the 80-yard touchdown.
Trending
Emmanuel Perez’s extra point put the Packers, ranked No. 1 in Class 7A by MaxPreps, up 14-6 with 5:51 left in the third quarter.
Colquitt extended its lead to 21-6 when sophomore linebacker Antwan Daniels intercepted a Zak Rozsman pass and ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown with 1:25 left in the third quarter.
Daniels had scored the Packers first touchdown when he picked off a Rozsman pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the game.
Colquitt scored twice in the fourth quarter, including their third pick-six that cornerback TJ Spradley turned in from 40 yards out.
Quarterback Zane Touchton scored the Packers final touchdown on a 4-yard run after faking a handoff to Pace.
Rozsman completed just 5-of-15 passes for 54 yards and his first two passes of the game were intercepted by Daniels and safety Jaheim Ward.
The junior quarterback also was sacked five times by a pressing Packers defense.
Freshman quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski played the fourth quarter for the Raiders and completed 3-of-14 passes for 47 yards.
Kenny Djaha was the Raiders leading rusher with 64 yards on 22 carries.
Colquitt struggled offensively much of the game.
Touchton completed 8-of-16 passes for 126 yards and one interception.
He had an apparent touchdown pass to Lemeke Brockington called back on an offensive pass interference penalty.
Leading receiver Baby D Wheeler did not have a pass reception.
The Packers rushed for 146 yards, but 80 came on Pace’s touchdown gallop. Pace rushed for 119 yards on 11 carries.
Also, Colquitt County was unofficially flagged for 13 penalties for 147 yards.
Also on Friday, Lowndes eliminated North Cobb 21-13. The Vikings will travel to play Milton in the quarterfinals.
Valdosta advanced in Class 6A, defeating Evans 44-7.
Thomasville moved on in the Class AA playoffs, winning over Dodge County 44-7.