MOULTRIE — For the second time in a week, the Colquitt County wrestling team got a crucial technical fall in the last match to earn a key team duals victory.

On Jan. 8, it was Michael Bledsoe who got the five points the Packers needed to defeat Lowndes in the Region 1-7A duals on the William Bryant Court.

Last Saturday, it was defending state champion Austin Paradice who took a 16-1 state team duals prelim victory against Archer High that vaulted the Packers into this Saturday’s state championships at Lambert High School.

Colquitt will face Mill Creek in the first round. If the Packers  can dispatch the Hawks, they will face the Lowndes-North Forsyth winner in the second round.

The Packers are one of eight finalists, a group that includes two other Region 1-7A teams: seven-time state duals champion Camden County and Lowndes.

The Packers, the Region 1 runners-up, defeated Walton 59-22 in their first prelim match on Saturday.

The clutch work by Paradice in the second match gave the Packers a 34-33 victory to eliminate the Tigers, who were the event’s host.

Archer had advanced with a 62-18 first-round victory over Alpharetta.

Colquitt qualified for the state championships last year as well and finished third.

Region 1 champion Camden County cruised in the prelims last Saturday, defeating Marietta 75-0 and Etowah 72-3.

The Wildcats will face Lambert in the first round on Saturday.

Lowndes, the No. 3 team from Region 1, defeated Hillgrove 53-19 and Woodstock 46-33.

Tift County, the No. 4 team from Region 1, was eliminated in its first state prelims match falling to North Paulding 39-29.

The other first-round state tournament pairing pits North Paulding against West Forsyth.

The Packers had little trouble with Walton in last Saturday’s first state prelim match, starting with consecutive pins by Jesus Grijalva at 170, Jaylon McCloud at 182 and Matthew Dillon at 195.

Colquitt also got pins from Turk Daniels at 285, Eric Henson at 113, Logan Paradice at 132, Michael Bledsoe at 138 and Austin Paradice at 160.

Ethan Sellers chipped in a major decision at 126 as the Packers advanced to meet Archer.

The Tigers never trailed through the first 11 matches.

Russell Flowers gave the Packers their first lead with a pin at 152 with just two more bouts remaining.

The Tigers got a pin at 160, but their lead was just four points — 33-29 — heading into the 170 match.

Austin Paradice led 4-0 after the first two-minute period, then tacked on 12 in the second to get the technical fall and the five winning points

Last year, Colquitt County defeated Grayson and North Paulding in the prelims to qualify for the state championships.

In the final eight, the Packers beat Mountain View 58-17, but then fell to West Forsyth 38-31.

Colquitt went on to defeat Archer and Lowndes to claim third place.