Packers to open with South Carolina powerhouse

Published 4:09 pm Sunday, August 13, 2023

MOULTRIE — Colquitt County football fans are undoubtedly looking forward to watching numerous replays of Packers touchdowns on the Hawg Pen’s new video scoreboard in Saturday’s season-opener against Dutch Fork High.

But the visiting Silver Foxes from Irmo, ranked No. 1 in South Carolina’s highest classification, have a reputation themselves for making frequent visits to opposing end zones.

The matchup in the second game of the first Georgia-Carolinas Challenge is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

The opener, scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m., will feature Lowndes High taking on Christ School of Arden, N.C.

The Vikings, 5-6 a year ago, and the Greenies, 6-6 in 2022, will get the first shot at lighting up the new $250,000 scoreboard located behind the end zone in northeast corner of the venerable stadium.

Still, the Packers, with two preseason All-State offensive skill position performers and a quarterback who has thrown 59 touchdown passes over the last two seasons, are expected to be one of the most explosive teams in the state.

With Neko Fann, who is just 1,670 yards away from being the Packers all-time leading passer, throwing to Georgia committed wide receiver Ny Carr and Florida State tight end commit Landen Thomas, and other less-heralded but extremely able pass catchers, the Packers should be dangerous.

Carr and Thomas are preseason All-State selections and have been named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super 11 team, the first Packers to be so honored since Nate French in 1999.

Colquitt averaged a tick over 40 points a game while going 13-1 last season.

And although running back Charlie Pace, who rushed for over 3,000 yards in his career, has graduated, the Packers could threaten the school record of 700 points this year.

Joining Carr and Thomas in running downfield routes are seniors Zay Williams, Markese Wilson and Jaden Fowler, all capable and sure-handed.

Junior running backs Ramsey Dennis and Day’Shawn Brown got significant snaps last year, but will carry more of the load this season.

The offensive line of center Jay’Den Williams, guards Khalil Collins and Ja’Nas Daniels and tackles Ja’Quavian “Turk” Daniels and Xavier Nickerson II, has a chance to be one of the program’s best.

That offense is primarily responsible for the Packers being ranked No. 3 in Class 7A in Georgia; No. 11 nationally by National High School Football.com; No. 18 nationally by High School Football America; and No. 20 nationally by MaxPreps.

The Packers return just three defensive players and have spent the off-season moving players around, trying to find the right combination.

When Dutch Fork has the ball on Saturday, Colquitt County fans will want to watch the Packers’ No. 4 Nick Pace, whether he plays inside linebacker or safety. He is the Packers leading returning tackler and also is expected to again create chaos on special teams.

No. 8 is junior defensive end Amari Wilson, an All-State candidate.

Tyshon Reed Jr., wearing No. 10 this season, brings an outstanding family pedigree and range to one outside linebacker slot. He was a defensive end last year, when his play earned him an offer to study and play at Duke.

He is expected to graduate in December and head up to Durham.

Also expected to contribute defensively are linemen Javaris Parrish and Ky-von Rivers, linebackers Kenyon Solomon and Jerron Blakely Jr. and defensive backs Ka’Marian Williams, Ty Lamar, Jah’Boris Fuller and Will Madison.

Preseason All-State selection Brett Fitzgerald, whose strong right leg has accounted for 170 Packer points over the last two seasons, will be back as a junior to place-kick, kick off and punt.

Chason Glenn and Logan Morris are the snappers and Eli Meads is back to hold.

The Packers could need every point on Saturday against Dutch Fork, a longtime South Carolina juggernaut that is ranked No. 14 nationally by High School Football America.

Only two offensive starters return for the Silver Foxes, who lost starting quarterback Aliam Appler, who threw for 1,698 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, and South Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year Jarvis Green, who ran for 2,272 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Dutch Fork does return six players on defense. There the Silver Wolves will count on 6-foot-3, 225-pound defensive end/outside linebacker Terrence Wells and 6-foot-1, 215-pound defensive tackle/defensive end Dakota Jordan.

The pair combined for 10 tackles for loss last year.

Despite Dutch Fork’s apparent lack of offensive experience, most observers believe the Silver Foxes will remain among the South Carolina elite.

Dutch Fork has won six of the last seven state championships in the Palmetto State.

Last fall, the Silver Foxes, who finished 14-1, thrashed Fort Dorchester 47-10 in the championship game to avenge a state runner-up finish in 2021.

Head coach Tom Knotts has led Dutch Fork to all seven of its state championships. His playoff record is 46-6 and his championship game record is 7-3 with the Silver Foxes.

Knotts won seven other state titles while coaching in North Carolina before moving south.

While at Independence High School in Charlotte, N.C., he helped lead the Patriots to 109 wins in a row and seven state championships.

The two-time National Coach of the Year has won 451 games as a high school head coach.

After introducing Fann, Carr, Pace and Reed as the team’s captains at the recent “Meet the Packers’ banquet, Packers head coach Sean Calhoun assured the fans that he expected his second Colquitt County team to perform well on Saturday.

“They’ve never been to Mack Tharpe Stadium before,” he said of the Silver Foxes. “An they’ve never played the Packers.”

Also, on Friday in the first week of play in Region 1-7A, Camden County will play host to Columbia, Richmond Hill will go to Effingham County and Valdosta will travel to Ohio to meet the Massillon Tigers in a battle of two of the most successful high school football programs in the country.