MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County flag football team claimed the Division 4 Area 1 championship with a 6-1 record and won its first two playoff games this season.
And the second-year program came tantalizingly close to advancing to the state semifinals.
In just its second season of varsity play, the Lady Packers rallied from a quick 13-0 deficit to tie Grayson 13-13 in regulation in the quarterfinals only to fall in overtime 19-13 in the misty rain in Loganville.
The Lady Rams advanced, but were eliminated by undefeated McEachern in the next round by a 32-0 score.
McEachern went on to win the state championship defeating Lambert 26-6 on Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After going 16-6 in the regular season, the Lady Packers shut out Kell 26-0 and Mill Creek 14-0 on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
But Grayson won the coin toss and played host to the quarterfinal meeting between two area champions.
The Lady Rams returned an interception for a touchdown on the first play of the game and then drove for another score to go up 13-0 just six minutes into the first quarter.
The Lady Packers rallied to score one touchdown in the second quarter and another in the fourth to tie the game and send it into overtime.
Colquitt had a chance to win in overtime with a third down inside the Grayson 5-yard line.
But a running play lost three yards and a fourth-down pass fell incomplete.
Grayson then scored to win to go to 10-0 on its home field and advance to the semifinals.
The Lady Rams, the Division 4 Area 4 champions, finished 21-6 after its semifinal loss to McEachern.
It was a frustrating end to the season for the No. 10-ranked Lady Packers, especially for the 11 seniors, who have helped lead the team to a combined 29-8-1 record in its first two years of existence.
“That group has been with us since Day 1,” coach Kirk Woodall said. “They are an amazing group of girls.”
The seniors included Ta’Meria Williams, Caylnn Singletary, Amareyia Knighton, Mashayla Davis, Carolina Brown, Montana Tatum, Melissa Breedlove, Monai Alexander, Cy’Mariya Bonner, Raley Merritt and Sara Cooper.
Knighton, a dynamic player on both sides of the ball, was named by Score Atlanta as its state All-Classification Defensive Player of the Year.
She was selected to play in the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association’s All-State to be held Dec. 20.
Singletary, who led the state with 21 interceptions this season, also was named to the All-State team.
Woodall said that Knighton, Singletary, Williams and Tatum could have a chance to play collegiately next season.
Woodall said the end of the season was bittersweet.
“Obviously, these girls will always have a super special place in my heart and in the program’s heart,” he said.
The 2023 team went 11-1-1 in the inaugural season and Woodall increased the difficulty of this year’s schedule.
Three regular-season opponents — Southeast Bulloch, Dodge County and Milton — went on to reach the semifinals.
After defeating Dodge County in the semifinals, Southeast Bulloch rallied past Columbus to win the Division I state championship.
Milton, which Colquitt County shut out 13-0 early in the season, reached the semifinals in Division 3.
“We wanted our schedule to be harder this year,” Woodall said. “We wanted it be more in line with what everyone else is doing.”
Woodall was impressed that after having just 35 girls try out for the program’s first team, more than 100 turned out for tryouts this year.
He expects similar interest next fall.
Despite facing the loss of the program-defining senior class, Woodall is already looking ahead to 2025.
“I like the group we having coming back,” Woodall said. “We might take some lumps early, but by the end of the year we should be OK. We will have some experience.
“We have got to find some speed. But it will be a very coachable group.”
Woodall said he expects current sophomore Taylor Huewitt or Di James, who will be a freshman in 2025, to step in at quarterback.
Other returners who will be counted on next season will be Dayln Monk, Jaelyn Wier and Candi Tercero.