Packers overpower Camden County 37-16 (updated)

Published 11:46 pm Friday, October 13, 2023

KINGSLAND — Colquitt County held down the Camden County wing-T and rode Neko Fann’s four touchdown passes to defeat Camden County 37-16 on Friday at drizzly Chris Gilman Stadium.

The victory came in the Packers first Region 1-7A game of the season and raised their overall record to 7-0 with games against Lowndes, Valdosta and Richmond Hill on the schedule for the next three Friday nights.

Camden, coming off a 35-33 win over Richmond Hill, falls to 6-2 overall and 1-1 in the region.

After Ja’Marley Riddle’s 2-yard touchdown run and Gabe Caison’s conversion, the Wildcats were up 7-6 with 1:57 left in the first quarter.

But Colquitt ran off the next 31 points before Camden got a touchdown and a safety in the final 7:37.

It was the Packers 10th win in a row over the Wildcats as they ran up 441 yards of offense.

The Packers led 16-7 at the half after Brett Fitzgerald, who had an earlier field goal attempt blocked, hit from 32 yards out on the last play.

The Packers dominated the third quarter with Fann pitching touchdown passes to Zy Williams and Ramsey Dennis.

Fann also had two scoring passes to Ny Carr in the first half. Carr now has 14 touchdown pass receptions this season and a school-record 37 in his career.

“That was a huge win on the road,” Packers coach Sean Calhoun said. “The field goal right before the half was huge and then we came out and just took control of the game in the third quarter.

“I was really proud of the kids and of our coaches for making those halftime adjustments.”

Fann completed 13-of-15 passes, including his final 10 in a row and now has thrown four or more touchdown passes in a game nine times as a Packer. The senior quarterback now has thrown 81 career scoring passes.

He threw for an 224 yards. He is just 15 yards away from the school’s all-time passing yardage record.

The Packers also were able to run the ball effectively with Ramsey Dennis and Day’Shawn Brown combining for 184 yards.

Dennis had 111 yards on 11 carries and Brown added 73 on 13 carries and scored a touchdown.

“They are awesome kids,” Calhoun said of the two juniors. “They’re like brothers. We’re glad to have them.

“The offensive line did a good job tonight too. There were times we had to run the football and we did.”

The familiar Camden County wing-T never was able to break loose, with five ball carriers managing just 157 yards on 40 carries.

The Wildcats had just five runs of 10 or more yards and the longest was 15.

Camden quarterback Parks Riendeau completed just 7-of-18 passes for 99 yards and a fourth-quarter scoring toss to 6-foot-7 tight end Elyiss Williams.

Riendeau was 2-for-10 for 33 yards in the first half.

Both teams scored on their first possessions, but only the Packers were able to build on their early success.

Colquitt took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards on 11 plays to score on an 18-yard pass from Fann to Carr.

The Packers elected to go for a 2-point conversion, which failed.

Camden then drove 80 yards on 14 plays and scored on the 2-yard run by Riddle. Gabe Carson converted and the Wildcats led 7-6 with just 1:51 left in the first quarter.

But early in the second quarter, a Riendeau pass was intercepted by Nick Pace and the Packers turned the pick into the second Fann-to-Carr touchdown.

Carr’s leaping catch in the end zone resulted in his 37th career touchdown pass reception and put the Packers ahead to stay.

Colquitt drove to a fourth-and-1 at the Camden 11 with 3:47 left in the half, but instead of going for it, the Packers elected to send out Fitzgerald.

His 28-yard attempt was blocked, but he got another opportunity minutes later.

A 9-yard Camden County punt gave the Packers a possession on their 36 with 15 seconds left in the half.

But Brown ripped off a 10-yard run and a 15-yard personal foul on the Wildcats moved the Packers closer.

Fann and Landen Thomas then combined on a 24-yard pass that gave the Packers a first down on the Camden 15.

Fitzgerald trotted out again and his attempt from 32 yards was true and the Packers led 16-7 at the break.

After driving 80 yards on their first possession of the game, Camden managed just another 38 yards the rest of the half.

Camden got the second half kickoff and went three-and-out and after a 34-yard punt, Colquitt took over on its own 40.

Fann threw to Zay Williams for 13 yards, Dennis ran for 9 and 16 yards and then Fann hit Williams again from 22 yards out for the touchdown and the Packers were up 23-7.

Camden punted away its next possession and again the Packers wasted little time scoring.

Fann finished a four-play drive by connecting with a wide-open Dennis for a 16-yard touchdown pass and Colqutt led 30-7 with 3:44 left in the third quarter.

The Wildcats were forced into their fifth and last punt on the last play of the third quarter and Colquitt again drove to a score.

The drive was 80 yards and the final three plays were a 39-yard Fann-to-Carr connection, a 15-yard throw to Dennis and 23-yard scoring run up the middle by Brown.

It was 37-7 Packers with 9:46 left.

Riendeau and Williams combined on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 7:37 remaining, but the Packers replaced Fann with A‘Zhiyen Alridge and Brown and Dennis with Ja’Mari Stokes the next time they had the ball.

Fann did return to kneel twice in the victory formation in the closing seconds.

Also in Region 1-7A on Friday, Valdosta defeated Richmond Hill 24-14 and Lowndes finished its non-region schedule by beating Dunbar High of Fort Myers, Fla., 31-7.

Next Friday, Colquitt will travel to Lowndes and Camden County will go to Valdosta.