MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County baseball team, which lost its top pitcher after one start and its head coach after 21 games, was honored for its tenacity at its annual banquet on Wednesday at the high school cafeteria.

“This season was rife with adversity,” said assistant coach Tyler Hembree.

The Packers lost senior pitcher/outfielder Mason Moore to an elbow ailment early on that left him to serve only as the team’s designated hitter for most of the season.

Then, on March 28, head coach Brandon Brock resigned with the team owning a 10-11 overall record.

Chance Pitts took over and led the team to a 14-17 final overall record and a berth in the state tournament.

Going to Snellville to face Brookwood, the No. 5 team in the state, the Packers took the Broncos into the 11th inning before falling 6-5 in Game 1 and losing 5-0 in Game 2.

“We were just a couple of plays away,” Hembree said of the Game 1 loss to Brookwood, which featured a valiant pitching performance by senior Cam Cook. “We really came together and took them to the brink.

“This team had a lot of talent and there will be a lot of talent coming back.”

Freshman second-baseman Bryce Roberts was recognized for being named to the All-Region first team.

Senior Cayden Parker, who is Colquitt County High’s STAR Student, was selected as the region’s Academic Player of the Year.

Cook joined teammates Logan Plymel, Adam Beverly, Hayden Hembree and Brady DeRosso in being honored for being named to the All-Region 1-7A second team.

Parker also received the eighth annual Angela Causey Davis Scholarship, which was presented by her son, Packers assistant coach Ryan Davis.

Angie Davis, was a member of the first Colquitt County softball team in 1984 and after graduating from Valdosta State University, returned home to teach at Sunset Elementary School and to serve as the Lady Packers assistant softball coach from 1990-2001.

Angie died of cancer in 2014 at age 44.

In attendance at the banquet were her parents Bo and Dot Causey.

Parker, who is headed to Georgia Southern to study engineering, was one of 17 members of the Colquitt County baseball team to be honored as a scholar/athlete.

The others were Cook, Moore, Beverly, Ethan Allegood, Jaxon Chambers, Brady DeRosso, Gabe Eubanks, Hayden Hembree, Cole Holder, Cook Tompkins, Jake Walker, Owen Bennett, Davis Lightsey, Tyson Samples and managers Addi Connell and Maris Hopper.

Cook, Moore, Parker, Garron Wingate and Langston Jordan were honored as the team’s seniors.

Cook was called a team leader and a “cornerstone of the program,” by coach Hembree, who noted that the infielder/outfielder/pitcher “didn’t flinch” in the playoff game against Brookwood.

Moore is a “natural-born baseball player,” coach Hembree. “He was born to play the game. He embraced the pressure and was a clutch player for us.”

Coach Hembree said that Wingate’s “best baseball is ahead of him” and that he has “done things the right way” while being a part of the Packers program.

Jordan, who operated the scoreboard during games played on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium, “wore so many hats for us,” coach Hembree said. “He was always ready to work to stay around the game he loves.”

The Colquitt County seventh-grade team was introduced by coach Tyler Dismuke.

The eighth-grade team, which rallied late in the season and advanced to the conference championship game, was introduced by coach Ian Brinson. “This is a deep group,” Brinson said of the eighth-graders.

The ninth-grade team was introduced by coach Mack Crosby and coach Kirk Woodall introduced the junior varsity team.