Colquitt to host five-team 7-on-7 Tuesday night

Published 9:09 pm Monday, June 7, 2021

MOULTRIE – Colquitt County coach Justin Rogers has been a proponent of the value of summer 7-on-7 sessions and tournaments for his teams, but this year, they may be even more important.

On Tuesday evening, 7-on-7 teams from Thomas County Central, Mitchell County, Fitzgerald and Cook will join Colquitt County in a round-robin tournament at the high school with games scheduled for 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m.

It will mark the second day of summer work for the Packers and the beginning of what will be a renewed emphasis on 7-on-7 work.

The Packers have competition at quarterback, have lost top receivers and linebackers and must replace the entire 2020 starting secondary.

Rogers has scheduled seven 7-on-7 competitions, including challenging ones at Troy University on Thursday and at Florida State on June 16.

“I’ve scheduled more of them than I have since 2013,” Rogers said on Monday. “I’ve always had them, but then I would taper off later in the summer.

“But this year, I’ve got them scheduled through July.”

Youth and inexperience dictate the new approach.

“There is so much youth on this team,” Rogers said. “We’ve got so many young guys … linebackers, skill guys and definitely quarterbacks.”

The Packers, who went 9-1 in last year’s COVID-affected season that included no summer work, have not practiced since defeating Cairo 42-14 in the spring game on March 21 on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

Georgia High School Association-mandated “dead week” kept teams from practicing last week, but Rogers and his staff wasted no time putting the Packers through a tough first day on Monday.

“We definitely didn’t ease into it,” Rogers said. “We got after it pretty hard.”

Colquitt’s 7-on-7 team of quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, linebackers and defensive backs will leave Wednesday for Troy and the rest of the team will work out at the high school.

The second week of June will feature the trip to Florida State and the third week will include back-to-back OTA sessions with Lee County, the first in Leesburg, the second in Moultrie.

GHSA has mandated another off-week from June 27-July 4.

Starting July 5, the Packers will continue to work until GHSA’s acclimation period of July 26-30.

Colquitt will then have just a few days to prepare for the home scrimmage against Lee County on Friday, Aug. 6.

Fans can begin purchasing tickets for the scrimmage on July 13 at the high school athletic office. Season-ticket holders will be able to purchase their seats for the game.

Tickets purchased in advance are $8. Those bought at the gate will be $10.