MARIETTA – ‘We cannot make mistakes.’ Every coach says it prior to a big football game. By golly, each and every time they say it, they don’t know how right they are.

For Walton High’s Raiders, facing the Colquitt County High Packers in their Valley Friday, it wasn’t so much how many mistakes or who made the most, for both teams had the same number of turnovers. But this one play botched by the home team’s offense, and the alertness of the Packer defense to pick up a lonely football, proved to be the difference in a one-touchdown victory – 28-21 – for visiting Colquitt County and head coach Rush Propst.

At the end of the night, the Packers had a place in the GHSA Class 7A quarterfinals for going on nine years in a row now under Propst, and the Walton Raiders suffered their first loss of the 2017 season after 11 straight wins. While Propst is certainly used to seeing Colquitt County under his watch win playoff games in and surrounding metro Atlanta, he still fully recognized and appreciated the magnitude of this accomplishment.

And the road trips aren’t over, and facing unbeaten football teams aren’t off the board. While Friday’s second-round 7A mayhem saw the champions of Colquitt County’s region, Lowndes, go down in defeat to McEachern High in Valdosta, Archer High is still rolling without a loss after edging Mill Creek in Lawrenceville 16-10. In fact, six of the eight games in 7A’s playoffs Friday were decided by single digits.

The ill-fated decision for Walton High came in the final seconds of the first half. The Packers and Raiders were at a standstill 14-14, and there were almost as many intercepted passes as touchdown plays between two clubs with the potential to rack up points in bunches.

Nyquan Washington, Packer cornerback, intercepted Austin Kirksey’s throw after it was tipped in the air by linebacker Camari Louis. Walton was on a near-five minute drive from the 20 to Colquitt’s 33 in 11 plays. There were 37 seconds on the clock, certainly enough time to move into scoring position from Colquitt’s own 41-yard-line.

But on 3rd-and-10, and 22 seconds showing, Mikey Farr of Walton intercepted Packer senior Steven Krajewski. It was the second pick by the Raider defense in the half, doubling the total for Krajewski all season. Walton was on its 44, but then came a series of events sure to haunt everyone in blue involved all offseason.

The play was a backwards pass, only, if these throws are not caught, it’s a fumble. Kirksey’s intended target did not come up with the football, and the focus appeared to be on frustration over not making the play than the fact that there was a live ball on the turf. Linebacker Rashad Revels happened to be on the spot – even if a few seconds ticked away – to give Colquitt possession on the Raider 23.

Perhaps with Raider defenders still trying to figure out what happened, Colquitt sophomore running back Daijun Edwards charged up the middle to score the tiebreaking touchdown. Ryan Fitzgerald kicked the PAT, eight seconds were remaining, but at the half the Packers had the important advantage 21-14.

Each team traded a touchdown in the second half, and each side also recorded another INT. Fitzgerald did the most to seal Colquitt’s win punting the football 58 yards in the fourth quarter.

Edwards rushed for 116 yards on 16 carries. Krajewski completed 16 passes out of 22 attempts for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and he scored Colquitt’s second-half TD with second- and third-effort that rivaled what his backfield teammates do all season.

Colquitt’s defense, seeing two region rivals run the football at will in the two losses that concluded the regular season, kept Walton runners at bay when it needed to. The Raiders netted 107 yards on the ground to go with 219 through the air. Dominick Blaylock, Georgia committed junior receiver, scored all three Raider touchdowns Friday taking direct shotgun snaps.

What made the late fumble and ensuing Colquitt touchdown more potentially disastrous for Walton was that the Packers won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. So the Packers, which had a balance of 91-91 in running and passing in the first half, was primed to take a two-touchdown lead without having to play defense in-between scores.

KT Wilson, on third down, caught a 13-yarder in the flat on Walton’s side of the 50. However, a slip in the ‘Wild Hawg’ set helped the Raider defense hold and force a punt. Fitzgerald put the football on the Walton 16.

Lineman Brian Merritt tripped up DJ Soyoye behind the line, and cornerback Jay Ward joined Revels in stopping receiver Kendall Alford short of a first down for three-and-out.

Edwards, from the Packer 35, found a huge seam to gain 31 yards on the Raider 34. Krajewski then hit his other running back, Ty Leggett, in space outside for 21 yards to the 6. The quarterback called his own number from there, taking the keeper into a pile, moving that pile, and the play didn’t stop until officials signaled touchdown.

It took two drives, but Colquitt County had that 14-point lead with Fitzgerald’s PAT kick at 6:07 of the third quarter.

Revels, Merritt and linebacker Marcus Anderson proceeded to away Soyoye’s running lanes. Ward, on numerous snaps tasked with covering Blaylock one-on-one, intercepted Kirksey on Colquitt’s 27 with 33 seconds left in the third.

The fourth period started with the Packers still in possession, but would soon change with Blaylock – also a free safety – intercepting the football and going from his 38 to the CC 45. Though the hosts were below zero in net rushing for the half, Kirksey was finding targets for 80 yards. Blaylock took care of the running game after his own pick gaining first down on the 33. He then took a chance throwing a deep corner route that Alford ran and caught on the 4.

From there, Blaylock scored for the third time rushing at 9:59.

Colquitt’s offense made just one first down in the fourth, that when Edwards went around left end for 23 yards after Walton’s kickoff. Afterwards, there was a net gain of seven yards in six plays. Didn’t matter, for Propst had his punter Fitzgerald and the defense under former Walton head coach Mo Dixon.

Walton gained possession on a punt to its 15 at 8:30. Ward’s work against Blaylock and linebacker Callon Kubiak stepping in to relieve JJ Peterson made the Raiders face two third-downs while still on their side of the 50. It was a 15-play drive by Walton with three third-down conversions, but on first down at the CC 29, Louis and Anderson smothered plays at the line.

Ultimately, the ball went back to Colquitt on downs at 2:23. With 1:15 to play, Fitzgerald unleashed a punt with his vintage roll, 58 yards, to the 12. From there, Peterson and Revels sacked Kirksey and Ward prevented a catch for Blaylock.

It was Walton High, in the first quarter, that took the early lead of 7-0. Kirksey went up top to Blaylock for a 44-yard completion on Colquitt’s 5. On second down, Blaylock rushed to the end zone from 3 out at 5:50.

The Packers answered by going 72 yards in 11 plays. Tight end Josh Hadley turned a 13-yard catch over the middle to 35 yards at the Raider 33. Edwards, Leggett and even Krajewski pounded the Raider line behind their own offensive front of Will Rykard, Kamaar Bell, Kameren Barnes, Conner Gay and Tyler Howard for five plays up to the 12. On 3rd-and-10, that line gave Krajewski protection until one Raider slipped through. Krajewski eluded the rusher moving forward, unleashed the football at the line, and Cam Singletary caught it at the back of the end zone at 2:03.

Big defensive stops for the Packers in the quarter came from Peterson and Dante Moore. Jalen Wilson of Walton intercepted Krajewski late in the period. His teammates proceeded to drive 50 yards in nine plays to go back in front 14-7. In the second quarter, Blaylock ran 14 yards to the 21, and on 3rd-and-12 Alford made a leaping ‘catch of the year’ nominee on the 4. From the 1, Blaylock scored for the second time.

Thirteen plays later, the game was knotted again 14-14, the visiting offense going 76 yards. Leggett went 16 yards around end, and Singletary blocked for Hadley on a third-down conversion at the Raider 29. From the 16, Krajewski had his second touchdown pass, Wilson straddling the goal line with possession at 5:25.