MOULTRIE – The next phase has arrived. Only three months from now, a new high school football season officially begins, so now’s the time to start building depth charts and competing for starting jobs.

For Colquitt County High and head coach Rush Propst, an offseason only about weight training will give way to some actual field work in full pads for the annual ritual of spring practice. Starting this year, there is a new twist, the spring scrimmage game against another school to go along with the intrasquad game that takes up part of the allotted 10 days to get in all this preparation.

The time is also needed, as it seems to be every season, to get acquainted with new members of the assistant staff. Propst’s biggest opening this year was for defensive coordinator. The special teams coordinator, Evan McKissack, left for a new job in Kentucky, and Propst recently announced that receivers coach Josh Crawford is joining Crisp County High head coach Shelton Felton’s staff as offensive coordinator.

The Packers are coming off an 8-5 season. It was a year that saw the end of a 30-game, two-championship season winning streak but also the program’s third straight region championship. The 2016 team had its large share of senior players, some with a college football future, but that number is going to take a drastic turn in the other direction for the Class of 2017-18.

While there is the aforementioned spring scrimmage on May 20 at Drew High School in Clayton County, and an August scrimmage at home vs. Coffee, the first tilt that goes into the record books is Aug. 19. Everyone was waiting, holding their breath, on what would happen with the Corky Kell Classic now that the Georgia Dome is closed. While the Packers knew they would be paired with an Atlanta-area nemesis in Norcross High, it wasn’t until April that the Kell Classic made the deal to play at Georgia State University’s new football home, the stadium formerly known as Turner Field.

That’s all that spring football serves as the springboard towards.

“I think it’s the most important spring we’ve had here probably since 2011,” said Propst on Thursday. “Maybe 2008. This is my 10th spring here, so I’m treating this spring like the first spring and 2011 when I wasn’t here when I was sick. There are so many unanswered questions on this football team. There are some talented players. Most of them are very young.”

The coach went on to say there will be some players missing from spring participation due to disciplinary actions.

“Personally, I hate spring this late,” said Propst. “But it’s the animal that we have.

“We are going in a different direction defensively, installing new schemes. We’re going to install new ways of doing things special teams wise. The offense won’t change very much although we will adapt to some of our strengths.”

As for the numbers in the senior class, Propst estimates it will be 22 when the regular season gets here, and that will be Colquitt’s lowest number in his tenure. Another estimation is that nine would be starters if they played a real game right now.

“That doesn’t mean some can’t earn a position, whether it be special teams or a back-up position,” said Propst. “Or a starting position on their accountability in practice.

“Senior-wise, the roster is thin at best. What that means is we’re in for a rough year. We’re not going to approach it that way, but we are thin in the senior class.”

Among those experienced seniors on offense are lineman Tyler Howard and slot receiver Cam Singletary. Stepping in at quarterback is Steven Krajewski one year after transferring from Michigan.

“He’s unique in the fact that he’s a talented player who has already received several scholarship offers,” said Propst. “He’s first got to win for us. He has the tools absolutely.”

Rising seniors who saw spot action out of the backfield are TyRan Shealy and Demarlon Lewis.

“Defensively, obviously there’s J.J. Peterson and Kyante Rivers, Kaleb Dawson and Jarvis Christopher, Dante Moore, Quen McNeil,” said Propst.

Peterson is everybody’s All-American as the No. 1 outside linebacker and a nominee to play in the All-American Bowl sponsored by the U.S. Army.

If the senior class can be described as thin, the juniors and sophomores list is enormous. It’s in the 40s for each, the number of seniors Propst is used to seeing.

There are several sophomores who impacted the 2016 season while others primed themselves on junior varsity. In spring ball, Propst said it’s up to them to determine their “pecking order.”

“Young guys are trying to show what they’re made of,” he said. “It’s the first time those (rising sophomores) go against somebody older. ‘Where do I fit?’ They have a lot to prove.”

Propst will release the names of new assistants upon school board approval. Again, he said he doesn’t like “cramming” spring football in the final weeks of the school year as he could add as many as five new coaches.

“I am pleased with who we managed to offer jobs to,” said Propst. “(Football) jobs are won or lost starting Monday. We can only gain an idea of how we look in the weight room January through April.”

After the May 20 game, Propst said there will be more lifting the week of finals and then a 10-day break until the first week of June. That’s the next phase’s opening time, the summer program.

“Seventy-five to 80 percent of jobs are won in the spring,” said Propst. “Fifteen to 20 percent are won later on in the summer. You can still gain No. 1 status depending on what summer you have.

“There’s always an evaluation going on. If a kid earns a right to be a starter in spring ball, it doesn’t give them the right to be a starter the first day of fall camp. Usually it takes until the end of September to solidify a player’s position.”

Fans will get to see officiated game action on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium on May 12, the starting time still to be determined between 6 and 7 p.m. The game at Drew adds a new way to evaluate.

“I think it helps the kids’ mindset,” said Propst. “Their attention span, we’ll keep it the whole spring. In the past, after that first week, they get bored with it because they know the game’s a million miles away. I like it from the kids’ perspective.”

One change to note in the 2017 schedule is that Cocoa High, originally the Homecoming opponent for Sept. 29, is replaced by Holy Trinity Episcopal of Melbourne, Fla. The Tigers went 6-3 last season and played in Georgia beating Memorial Day in Garden City 35-7.

Propst also reminds fans that Colquitt has yet to beat Norcross. He said it will be unique to play in Turner Field with the nostalgia element, the 20-year home of the beloved Atlanta Braves.

“I hope we don’t stay there after this,” said Propst. “I hope we can work out a deal with Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The heat on the 19th of August at any outside venue’s going to be brutal. One thing I have seen is I think there’s more shade with the overhang for fans to get underneath. But the players will be in direct sunlight.

“Because of our recent success, we have the hardest time finding ball games. With a younger team, we have a tougher schedule (than 2016). And we were lucky to get that.”