Monroe quarterback Jordan Washington (2) is brought down by several Packers, including Kamdon Gay (98) and Ra'Quavian Kinsey (18).

MOULTRIE – Ten years to the day after the Colquitt County football team won the first of its 30 straight games back in 2014 and 2015, the current Packers raised their 2024 record to 2-0 with a 52-14 victory over Monroe in the Hawg Pen.

Colquitt did score the final 31 points of the game, got touchdowns from the defense and special teams and sacked Tornadoes quarterback Jordan Washington 10 times.

But the Packers turned the ball over four times and were flagged 19 times for 155 yards as they prepare for a much-bigger challenge when a rested North Gwinnett, 1-0 and ranked No. 7 in Class 6A, visits next Friday night.

“It was a great win,” Packers coach Sean Calhoun said. “Every win is a great win. We harassed the quarterback at times and we ran the football at times.

“But we’ve got to stop the mistakes. We’ve got to clean things up.”

Monroe, a Class AAA program, was defeated by Thomas County Central 54-7 last week, but trailed just 21-14 after Washington threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Chase Dixon and Jocsan Martinez kicked the extra point with 3:02 left in the first half.

Brett Fitzgerald kicked a 36-yard field goal with 9 seconds left before the break and the Packers scored four unanswered touchdowns in the second half.

Still …

The rash of penalties follows a season-opening 45-28 victory over West High of Utah in which the Packers were flagged 11 times for 117 yards.

Those numbers, especially combined with two fumbles and an interception, could make it exceedingly difficult for the Packers to get wins over North Gwinnett and Lee County, their next two opponents.

It was a curious game in some ways.

The Packers snapped the ball just one time in the first quarter but led 14-0 before the Tornadoes scored their first touchdown with 45 seconds gone in the second quarter.

In their opener, the Packers scored just 11 seconds into the game on an 85-yard kickoff return by Jah’Boris Fuller.

On Friday, Ry’Sheed Fuller took the opening kickoff back 57 yards to the Monroe 21 and freshman quarterback Cohen Lawson hit a wide-open Day’Shawn Brown with a scoring pass on the Packers first offensive play.

Despite committing their first two penalties of the game, the Packers forced Monroe to punt away its first possession.

But usually sure-handed Jah’Boris Fuller fumbled the punt and the Tornadoes took over on their own 35.

A roughing the punter penalty against the Packers kept Monroe’s drive alive, but Washington fumbled on a fourth-and-2 from the Tornadoes 48 and Colquitt’s Chance Sims picked it up and ran it 47 yards for a second Packers touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 6:12 still remaining in the first quarter.

On its next drive, Monroe took advantage of two more Packers penalties to score on a 1-yard run by Washington on the second play of the second quarter to cut the Colquitt County lead to 14-7.

Jah’Boris Fuller returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for an apparent touchdown, but the score was negated by a holding penalty.

Then the Packers were flagged for a false start on the next play.

But Colquitt regrouped and drove to the Monroe 7, where Lawson found Walker with his second  touchdown pass of the game and the Packers stretched their lead to 21-7 with 8:26 left in the half.

Colquitt appeared to regain some momentum when Fitzgerald recovered his own onside kick and the Packers took over on the Monroe 47.

But on second down, Lawson fumbled the ball away, setting up Monroe for a 13-play, 48-yard drive that resulted in Washington’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Chase Dixon and the Tornadoes had pulled to within seven.

But those were the final points Monroe would score.

Fitzgerald’s second field goal of the season sent the Packers to the break up by 14.

A big fourth-down stop by Bryce Toomer gave the Packers a first down on the Monroe 29 early in the third quarter.

But on a third-and-goal at the Tornadoes 2, the ball was snapped before the Packers backfield was ready and Monroe came up with another turnover.

The Tornadoes were unable to cash it in however and Jah’Boris Fuller made up for his early miscue by taking a punt back 36 yards for a touchdown that helped the Packers go up 31-14.

Colquitt extended the lead after recovering a Monroe fumble late in third quarter.

On a second-and-7 from the Packers 37, Jae Lamar got loose on the right, crossed the field and scored a touchdown that put the Packers up 38-14.

Monroe stopped the Packers first drive on the fourth quarter by picking off Lawson at the Tornadoes 1.

But the Packers returned the favor when Dyi James came up with an interception of his own and Brown scored from 27 yards out on the next play to give Colquitt a 45-14 lead.

Colquitt’s Ja’Mari Stokes closed out the scoring with an 11-yard scoring run with 5:12 left in the game.

The Packers were flagged for two more 15-yard penalties on Monroe’s last drive.

Washington had a busy night for the Tornadoes completing 14-of-32 passes for 159 yards and one interception.

He also carried the ball 15 times, but netted only 25 yards.

And while he was able to often out-flank the Packers pass rush, he also was unable to escape six times.

Lawson completed 6-of-10 passes for 82 yards and an interception.

Walker had three of the catches for 44 yards.

Brown, Lamar and Stokes combined to rush for 200 yards.

Also in Region 1-6A on Friday, it was Camden County 60, East Lake, Fla. 15; Gadsden County, Fla., 45, Tift County 7; Lowndes 62, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 0; Richmond Hill 31, Glynn Academy 12; and Valdosta 55, Mundy’s Mill 22.