MOULTRIE – A new section of bleachers has been added at the Packer Park soccer field this year and the success of the 2024 boys team is part of the reason it was necessary.
The Packers went 16-2-1, tying the school record for most wins in a season, winning a second-straight region title and reaching the state quarterfinals for the first time.
In the state quarterfinal, the Packers nearly pulled off an upset before Kennesaw Mountain scored two goals in the final 2:45 for a 2-1 victory.
The Packers lost several quality players from that team, but coach Colby Simpson says there will be plenty of experienced players on the field this year.
Simpson had coached the Lady Packers in 2023 in his return to his high school alma mater before taking over the varsity boys last year when Jimbo Jarvis retired.
Experiencing 16 Packer wins was not exactly new for Simpson.
He was a first-team All-Region senior on the 2002 Colquitt County team that went 16-4 under head coach Jeff Morris.
He went on to play at Darton College and Georgia Southwestern before embarking on a coaching career that has led him back to his home town.
A change in the GHSA’s starting date for soccer practice this year along with holding tryouts that included 60 players left the Packers just six days to prepare for last Friday’s scrimmage at Carrollton.
The Packers lost 2-1, but Simpson noted that both of the Trojans goals came on free kicks.
And he also gauges the success of a scrimmage more on how his team performs than on the outcome.
“I just ask the players to win their minutes,” he said. “And the starting 11 won their minutes.”
He said the younger players, most of whom played in Colquitt County’s successful junior varsity program, also performed well.
“We’ve got some speed, size and experience,” he said.
But he said he is not prepared to designate a starting 11.
He said he might be ready to settle on starters after a season-opening run that includes the season-opener at Bainbridge on Tuesday, February 11, and a non-region game against Thomas County Central on Friday, February 14, at Packer Park.
Both games should provide strong tests for his team.
The Packers, who have gone 15-1 against region opponents the last two seasons, will open region play this year on February 18 against Valdosta at Packer Park.
This year’s varsity boys team includes Bryan Ortiz, Alex Aviles, Uziel Garcia-Diaz, Navi Rodriguez, Joshua Ramirez, Jessie Guerrero, Christian Nunez, Brian Cinto-Ajpop, Amicah Carroll, Yonathan Villeda, Alan Guerrero, Will Blanton, Turner Brice McDaniel, Gilbert Cruz-Morales, Edgar Contreras Gallardo, Cason Haskin, Adrian Gallardo, Romeo Lopez, Nathan Perales, Aiden Nunez, Erwin Aguilar and Neivy Ramirez.
The Colquitt County junior varsity team, coached by veteran Andy Chapura and Tyler Dismuke, includes Miguel Morales-Primo, Luis Jose, Victor Morales, Alberto Lopez-Lopez, Angel Gomez-Romulo, Eddy Solorio Jimenez, Tanner James Tyler, Omar Monjaraz Jose, Abdiel Rojo-Guerra, Nemesio Lorenzo Santiago, Michael Jay Hernandez, Carlos Valencia-Garcia, Luis Armando Aguilera Gonzalez, Leonardo Lopez, Frankie Ortiz, David Alonso Sebastian, Cristian Jose, Charlie Thorne, Alan Abram Luna, Jesus Portillo, Christopher Quintana-Estrada, Swar Patel and Oscar Hernandez.