MOULTRIE — Before Colquitt County took its second offensive snap in its scrimmage against Bainbridge on Friday in the Hawg Pen, the Packers led 14-0 and cruised to a 43-7 victory.

And while it came against a Bearcat team that was playing for the first time under new head coach Jay Walls, Colquitt County head man Sean Calhoun saw plenty to give him some encouragement.

The Packers are trying to recover from the loss of 17 starters off a team that went 12-1 last season and there appeared reasons for optimism.

“Breaking in so many new players, a new defense and doing special teams live for the first time … we did a lot of good things,” Calhoun said. “We also did a lot of things we need to clean up.

“But we did a lot of things we can build on. and these next two weeks are crucial as we prepare to play a game that will count on our record.”

Much of the focus on Friday was the play of the two quarterbacks locked in a battle to take over from three-year record-setting starter Neko Fann.

Freshman Cohen Lawson started and competed 4-of-8 passes for 24 yards and a 4-yard scoring pass to Malik Walker to put the Packers up 21-0 with 2:53 left in the first quarter.

Junior A’Zhiyen Alridge completed all four of his first-half passes for 45 yards, including a 21-yard scoring strike to Ny’Ryan Sumlin early in the second quarter.

“We tried to give them as equal a number of snaps as we could,” Calhoun said. “And I think they both did some good things.”

But it was the running game and special teams that got the Packers off to their fast start.

After Brett Fitzgerald’s opening kickoff sailed deep into the Bainbridge end zone, the Bearcats lost two yards on four plays, then shanked a 20-yard punt that died at their own 33.

On the Packers first play, Day’Shawn Brown took a handoff from Lawson, found a seam and bolted to the end zone.

Fitzgerald’s conversion put the Packers up 7-0 less than three minutes into the game.

The Bearcats second possession also resulted in a punt and Jah’Boris Fuller took it back 57 yards for a second Packer touchdown.

Fitzgerald’s PAT put Colquitt up 14-0.

After a third straight Bainbridge punt, Colquitt drove to its third touchdown, the 4-yard scoring pass from Lawson to Walker.

Bainbridge’s fourth and final possession of the first quarter ended when the Bearcats were forced to turn the ball over on downs.

The Packers then drove 62 yards to score on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Alridge to Sumlin on an inside screen.

That drive featured back-to-back runs of 19 and 13 yards by junior running back Jae Lamar.

After forcing the fourth Bainbridge punt of the first half, Colquitt’s next drive stalled, but Fitzgerald was true on a 39-yard attempt and Colquitt went up 31-0 with 5:40 left in the half.

Lamar, who led the Packers with 111 yards rushing, capped the first possession of the second half with a 49-yard touchdown run to give the Packers a 37-0 lead.

Bainbridge scored its only touchdown on a 38-yard run by Bryce Olds with 7:49 left in the fourth quarter.

Late in the third quarter, Ramsey Dennis Jr. ripped off a 44-yard run to the Bainbridge 9 and scored from the 5 two plays later to put the Packers up 43-7.

The Packers rushed for 240 yards, with Brown getting 62 and Dennis chipping in 52.

The Packers forced six Bainbridge punts and the Bearcats twice had to turn the ball over on downs.

Colquitt will be back on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium on Friday, Aug. 16, when West High of Salt Lake City, Utah, visits for the 2024 season-opener.