8th-grade Packers drop opener in triple overtime

Published 3:11 pm Sunday, August 25, 2024

MOULTRIE – Playing an overtime football game at the eighth-grade level is rare.

Being part of a game that goes into triple overtime is even rarer.

And unfortunately for the Colquitt County eighth-grade football team, it was involved in one of those games at Hahira on Thursday and came out on the short end of a 50-48 score.

Coach Nate Madison’s offense performed admirably, but was unable to score on a quarterback sneak in the third overtime.

“The offense got off to a fast start,” Madison said. “I was very pleased with the offensive performance for it to be Week 1.”

Leading that offense was quarterback Michael Fowler Jr. who completed 11-of-16 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.

“He made great decisions throughout the day leading a high-powered offense,” Madison said.

Ricky Davis carried the football 17 times for 205 yards and four touchdowns.

Lavon Whittaker carried five times for 40 yards and another score. Trotter Tomlinson had three carries for 10 yards.

Tight end J.P. Harrison had five pass receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown and also caught several 2-point conversion passes.

Ja Samuel had three catches and Aden Wiley and Demetric Salaam each had one for the Packers.

Also in the first week of sub-varsity football games, the Colquitt County sixth-graders lost 26-8 at home to Hahira; the seventh-graders won 28-6 in the Hawg Pen over Hahira; the ninth-graders lost 35-28 at Thomas County Central; and the junior varsity Packers defeated the Yellow Jackets at the high school 20-19.

On Wednesday this week, the seventh-grade team will face Tift County at 4 p.m. followed by the sixth-grade game at 6 p.m. against the Blue Devils in the Hawg Pen.

On Thursday, the eighth-grade team will travel to play at 4 p.m. at Tift County and the junior varsity Packers will play at 4 p.m. at Lowndes.

The varsity Packers will meet North Gwinnett at 7:30 p.m. Friday on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.