MOULTRIE — When Sean Calhoun returned to Colquitt County last year to take over as head coach, he had an expected learning curve to deal with.

His first Packers team performed admirably, however, winning the Region 1-7A championship and 13 straight games before losing by eight points to Carrollton in the state semifinal game.

Many of the players on that 13-win team return this season. and Calhoun is well-aware of their potential.

“Last year, I really didn’t know what our kids could do,” Calhoun said recently. “I watched them on film, but it’s not the same.

“This year I know. I know what they can do. I know what we’re good at and what we’re not good at.

“And what we do good, we do really good.”

Which has led to much optimism about the Packers football fortunes in Calhoun’s second year in his second tenure in Moultrie.

Calhoun was key offensive coaching cog when the Packers won back-to-back state championships in 2014-2015, posting a combine 30-0 record.

He was the passing game coordinator on the 2014 team and the offensive coordinator the following year.

The Packers scored 687 points in 2014 and despite losing All-State running back Sihiem King to the University of Kentucky, Colquitt scored 700 points the next year.

“It was such an honor to be part of that,” Calhoun said.

But he was ready for a head coaching job after working two years for Rush Propst and left for Carrollton in 2016.

Calhoun went 52-11 and reached the state quarterfinals in each of the five years he led the Trojans program.

Carrollton went 33-6 in region games during Calhoun’s tenure and won the Region 7-5A title in 2019 and the Region 5-6A championship in 2020. Calhoun was named the region Coach of the Year both of those years.

The Trojans averaged 36.5 points a game from 2016-2020.

In 2021, he went to Vestavia Hills in Alabama, where the Rebels went 4-6, playing in what Calhoun characterized as the toughest region in the state’s highest classification.

He jumped at the chance to return to Colquitt County when Justin Rogers left the Packers for Thomas County Central after posting a 26-7 record in three seasons.

With the Packers 13-1 record last year, Calhoun now owns a career record of 69-18.

Calhoun was born in Atlanta and played quarterback at Berkmar High School in Lilburn, where he helped lead the Patriots to two victories over crosstown rival Parkview.

He went on to play at Valdosta State as a walk-on quarterback from 2000-2004. The Blazers won the Division II National Championship in his senior year.

He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degrees at Valdosta State.

Calhoun started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northern State in Aberdeen, South Dakota in 2005. He met his future wife Kellie at Northern State, where she was a volleyball player.

He returned to Valdosta State in 2006 to coach the quarterbacks and handled the running backs on the 2007 Division II National Championship team.

He spent the next two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Berrien High School under head coach Ryan Branch.

Calhoun also coached basketball and was the Rebels boys track coach. Kellie coached the girls track team.

Calhoun then was an offensive assistant at Collins Hill from 2010-2013.

The Eagles made the playoffs each of the four years he was on the staff, making one quarterfinal and one semifinal appearance.

In Calhoun’s final season, Collins Hill averaged 39.3 points a game.

Old Spice National Player of the Year for Georgia and future NFL quarterback Taylor Heinicke led the offense while Calhoun was coaching at Collins Hill.

Propst brought Calhoun back to South Georgia in 2014 in time to start the Packers stretch of 30 straight wins.

The Packers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2021, but Rogers left behind some explosive offense potential.

Calhoun set about developing it last season.

When he returned to Moultrie, several members of the Colquitt County football family were familiar, including receivers coach John Cooper, who had been on the Carrollton staff under Calhoun until returning to Moultrie last season in 2021. Cooper is now the Packers offensive coordinator.

Cornerbacks Dextra Polite was a holdover from the 2014-2015 seasons, as were athletic trainer Ryan Kebler and director of football operations Earl Jefferson.

Calhoun immediately set about bringing successful former Packers to join his first staff.

Two of his first assistant coaching hires were Kiel Pollard, who was on both of the state championship teams, and Bull Barge, who helped lead the Packers defense in 2014.

Offensive line coach Bryce Giddens was a member of the 2010 Packers team that reached the state championship game. Quin Roberson started at receiver for the Packers.

Former Packer kicker Patrick Hunter was added to the staff this year and Tomarcio Reese has joined the ninth-grade staff.

Calhoun and Kellie have three children, son Cade, 13; daughter Cora Mae, 12; and daughter Cambry Jo, 8.