Colquitt 7th grade defense creates loose football situation for visiting Newbern Wednesday.

MOULTRIE – Quarterback Zane Touchton and receiver Tajh Sanders combined on four touchdown passes as the Colquitt County seventh-grade football team opened its season with a 42-14 victory over Newbern on Wednesday at Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

Touchton was 9-for-15 for 174 yards and completed scoring passes of 12, 8, 63 and 21 yards to Sanders, who finished with seven catches for 156 yards.

Brady Blackburn also got some time at quarterback and completed one pass for 21 yards to help the Packers roll up 208 yards of offense. He also completed a 2-point conversion pass.

The defense did its part holding Newbern scoreless before allowing a touchdown with 1:39 remaining.

The other Newbern touchdown came on an 80-yard kickoff return on the final play of the first half. By then, Colquitt was up 34-0.

The Packers intercepted four passes, with safety Nathan Harden picking off two. My’Quaries Andrews returned a first-quarter interception 28 yards to give the Packers their first points of the season and linebacker Hayden Moore picked one off at midfield and returned it to the end zone with 4:18 left in the half. The Packers first four touchdowns came courtesy of defensive takeaways.

“Our defense played fantastic,” coach Andy Chapura said. “I was so impressed with them.”

After forcing a punt on Newbern’s first possession, Colquitt turned the ball over on the first of two Touchton interceptions. But four plays later, the Andrews pick-6 gave the Packers a 6-0 lead with 2:36 remaining in the opening quarter.

After the Packers recovered a fumble on the Newbern 30 with 1:27 left, Touchton and Sanders teamed up on their first score to put Colquitt up 12-0.

Harden’s first interception and his 23-yard return led to the 8-yard scoring pass from Touchton to Sanders with 4:54 left in the half.

On the first play following the kickoff, Moore got his interception and weaved his way 50 yards to the end zone. Jamad Willis added the 2-point conversion run to put Colquitt up 26-0 with 4:18 still left in the second quarter.

The final Packers touchdown of the half came on the 63-yarder from Touchton to Sanders.

Blackburn completed the 2-point conversion pass to Dijmon Wheeler to give Colquitt a 34-0 lead.

In the fourth quarter, after Harden’s second interception and his return to the Newbern 21, Touchton fired to Sanders, who made a leaping catch in the end zone.

When the 2-point conversion attempted was fumbled, Sanders picked it up and swept into the end zone for the final Packers points of the game.

“The offense still needs a little work,” Chapura said, noting the three interceptions his quarterback threw.

“But I love both of our quarterbacks. And our offensive and defensive lines are coming around.”

The seventh-graders will play next at noon on Saturday, Aug. 27, as part of a tripleheader with the sixth- and eighth-grade teams in Tifton.

The remaining members of the seventh-grade team are Pershaun Fann, K’veon Pollard, Willie Almond, Amalachi Carter, Josiah Manuel, Freddriekaus Berry, Janavien Leggett, Timothy Hayes, Bryce Monk, Zy’Norian McClendon, Letherrio Edwards, Thomas Roberts, Dextra Polite, Cour’Zerian Williams, Rico Daniels, Tarvorian Boyd, Taylor Martin, Braxton May, Rickie Yates, Mathew Yates, Braidon Kelley, Montana Edwards, Javon Jones, Justin Sinclair, Joshua McMurphy, Bobby Blackwell, Jordan Thornton, Ethan Sellers, El’Driquez Silas, Daniel Durrence, Camero Suggs, Cody Fowler, Alexander Florence, Ty’Li Lewis, Quan Harris, Steven Spradley, Wquan Clark, Nathan Taylor, Cameron Strange, Ethan Fillyaw, Landon McKenzie, Ashton Grizzard, Logan Bennett, Robert Ward, Thomas Ponder, Patrick Melton, Efrain Sifuentes, Jonathan Dean, Omarian Peterson, Kennon Snipes, Milton Barfield, Jose Moreno, Michael Henry, Sheldrick Ponder, Joseph Bridges, Zachery Wright, Carter Grafius, Marcus Ponder, Collin Crosby, Wes Davis, Michael Cavin, Alessandro Lara, Zachary Tucker, Dustin Sirmans, Ontavious Carolina, William Braswell, Jesse Lawson, Logan Scites, Quan Gammage, Adrian Alvarado, Zakius Boyd, Jesus Grijalva, Jose Vasquez and DeMarcus Whitehead.

Chapura’s assistants are Jon Scroggins, Tim Sanders, Tyrell Cheevers, Glenn Jackson, Snoop Arnold, Todd Myrick and Donny Epperson.