MOULTRIE — While attending a camp in Tallahassee last summer, new Colquitt County High boys basketball coach Kirven Davis talked with officials from Havana, Fla., East Gadsden High about filling a hole in the Packers schedule.

The result is a home-and-home agreement between the two schools for this season, with the first game scheduled for 7:30 tonight at the Gladys Espy Gymnasium.

The Packers and Panthers will meet in Havana on Jan. 21.

The games will be boys only. When the games were scheduled, the Colquitt County girls already had a full complement of games.

Davis said he is eager to send his team out against a north Florida program.

“It will be good to see a different style of play,” Davis said on Thursday.

And that style has been a successful one. The Panthers have had a strong program in recent years under former 10-year National Basketball Association star Clemon Johnson.

Dimitric Salters, Johnson’s assistant, has taken over the program this season and has Jaguars off to an 8-2 start.

East Gadsden is led by Samuel McLaurin, who had 13 points and 27 rebounds in the Panthers 65-53 victory over Godby on Saturday.

McLaurin had 19 points and 24 rebounds in East Gadsden’s 70-60 overtime victory over Florida High on Dec. 10.

“We’ll just have to step up and meet the challenge,” Davis said. “If we show up and play, we can compete with anybody.”

The Packers are 5-3 and are coming off an impressive 81-72 victory over Rockdale County on Tuesday at the Albany Civic Center in the Good Life City Classic.

Davis said he has been challenging his players “to prepare from the neck up.”

One player Davis has especially encouraged is Antwan Tuff.

The senior guard responded with a 37-point effort against Rockdale County on Tuesday. Tuff was 6-for-13 from beyond the 3-point arc.

“He found a sweet spot and just stayed there,” Davis said.

Davis also credited point guard Orion Ponder with making sure the delivered the ball to the players with the hot hands.

James Trimble had 15 and Jeremy DeBruce had 13 against the Bulldogs.

Davis said starting forward Andrew Wallace is questionable for tonight’s game.

Wallace hurt his knee in the third quarter against Rockdale County after being fouled while driving for a layup.

Kamari Peterson got much of the work in Wallace’s stead on Tuesday.

The knee was still stiff and sore on Thursday and the junior forward was unable to practice.

Davis said he would not rush Wallace back into the lineup, hoping to get him back to full-strength for the Region 1-AAAAA portion of the schedule, which begins on Friday, Jan. 6 with a game against Houston County at the Espy Gymnasium.

The first-year coach said he hoped there would be a big crowd for tonight’s game.

Davis said the East Gadsden coach remarked on the large number of fans that his team takes on the road.

“I hope we can get some fans out,” Davis said.