MOULTRIE — New Colquitt County boys soccer coach Mell Wier has decided to change the team’s base formation this year and will get a chance to see those alterations in action on Saturday when the Packers travel to Leesburg for its preseason jamboree.

Both the Packers and Lady Packers will get a chance to go up against teams in different color jerseys in the jamboree, in which each team can play three 30-minute mini-games.

The Georgia High School Association allows each team to participate in one four-team jamboree, in which each team plays the other three.

Colquitt County’s boys will meet Thomasville at 9:40 a.m., Lee County at 11 a.m. and Westover at 11:40 a.m.

The Lady Packers will face Lee County at 1:40 p.m., Westover at 3 p.m. and Thomasville at 3:40 p.m.

There is no charge for admission to the jamboree, which will feature six boys games running from 9 a.m.-12:50 p.m. and six girls games beginning at 1 p.m. The day’s final match, between the Westover and Lee County girls, is scheduled to begin at 4:20 p.m.

GHSA rules prohibit teams from practicing until Jan. 29, so the teams will have had at the most five days of practice before the jamboree.

Which has been especially difficult for Wier and assistant coach Rob Craft and their mission to install a new formation.

“Rob and I have talked and decided to change the way we think when on the field,” said Wier. “We are trying to get away from the ‘I play a certain position’ and get the guys to know what the responsibilities are no matter where they are on the field.

“This will make us a better team in that the opposition will not be able to key on any player being in a certain position.”

The Packers were 6-11 overall and 3-7 in Region 1-AAAAA last year under coach Randall Balch, who resigned after one season.

Wier has been the junior varsity coach the last two seasons. Craft, a former outstanding Colquitt County player, is back to assist as a community coach.

Wier says on-field changes “will help the players to be more well-rounded, which will help us win more and make the guys more attractive to colleges, as far as recruiting goes.”

The team has been doing a good job at picking it up, Wier said.

“This weekend will be the first step in getting the guys comfortable with the changes,” he said. “This will really help us by seeing things at full speed.”

The Colquitt County girls will get their first taste of having to play without four departed seniors, three of whom — Whitney Hood, Sha Wetherington and Kaitlyn Price —went on to play at the junior college level last fall.

The Lady Packers finished 13-6 last season, including a 7-2 victory over Stephenson in the first round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs.

The Colquitt County teams will continue to practice and the Moultrie YMCA and will play their games this season at Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

The teams are expecting to practice and perhaps play at Packer Park next year.