MOULTRIE – Two of Colquitt County’s most difficult defeats to deal with in the Rush Propst era came in the 2011 and 2013 state semifinals.

Both obviously cost the Packers a berth in a state championship game and both came on scores late in the contest. One has not been avenged.

Colquitt somewhat soothed the chafe of the 35-31 loss at Grayson in 2011 by defeating the Rams two years later in the Corky Kell Classic, 21-6. (Still tough to relive 2011, though. That fourth-quarter drive. Those two controversial calls going Grayson’s way. You remember.)

But Propst and Packer Nation have not had a chance to get any redemption for the wrenching 14-9 loss to Norcross on that rainy, gloomy December night two years later at Blue Devil Stadium.

It marked the second year in a row that Norcross had eliminated the Packers in the semifinals, but the 2012 loss was a little easier to make peace with.

Norcross won 41-27, rolling up 392 yards of offense, much of it courtesy of running back Alvin Kamara, who went on to play collegiately first at Alabama and then more successfully at Tennessee and is now trying to earn a job with the New Orleans Saints. He was the difference that night.

On that first trip to Norcross, the Packers fell quickly behind 14-0, pulled to within seven on a touchdown run by John Boatwright and an extra point by Will Bannister.

But on the second play after the ensuing kickoff, Blue Devils quarterback Joseph Wilber connected in the flat with Kamara who sped 65 yards past a pretty good high school secondary to score and Norcross was back up by 14. The Blue Devils led 24-7 at the half.

Colquitt closed to 14 on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Mobley to Bobby Hill and a Bannister conversion on the first play of the fourth quarter and appeared to have stopped Norcross on its next possession.

But a roughing penalty on a Blue Devils punt with 9:35 left gave Norcross another chance and Wilber scored on a 3-yard run with 7:09 left. You could almost hear Don Meredith singing.

Colquitt added a final touchdown on an 18-yard pass from Cole Segraves to Todd Boyd with 1:23 remaining, but it was time to crank the buses and turn them south.

Kamara rushed for 133 yards in addition to his 65-yard touchdown reception. Norcross also scored on a 63-yard pass from Wilber to Trey Smith. Too many big plays.

Oh, and there was this guy Lorenzo Carter at linebacker that night for Norcross as well. Not a bad player.

Then, the two teams met one day less than a year later. But after combining to score nine touchdowns in their first meeting, they managed just two in the muck in 2013.

Unfortunately, for the road-weary Packer faithful, Norcross scored both of them.

Quarterback A.J. Bush broke loose on a 50-yard run to the Packers 1 to set up the first score. The Packers, their offense stymied by the Blue Devils, were unable to score a touchdown and were forced to attempt four Jose Vega field goals. He converted three.

Still, the Packers clutched the 9-7 lead to their numbers until the weather worsened.

Colquitt had just taken over on downs with 10:18 left when lightning was detected and the soggy-footed fellows in vertical striped shirts waved players from the mire and to the shelter of their locker rooms.

The game resumed a little over an hour later and the Packers went three-and-out.

It took just over two minutes for the Blue Devils, buoyed by the respite, to regain the lead.

Josh Boyd ran for 16 and nine yards. Bush ran for four and Boyd ran for four more. An 11-yard run by Bush put the ball at the Packers 19.

Boyd then threw to the capable Myles Autry in the left flat. More than making up for an early fumble, Autry grabbed the damp ball, ran to his right across the Packers defense and made it to the end zone.

A little over six minutes remained, but the Blue Devils had pulled off their escape.

Propst was not happy to have had to send his team out to play on such a wet field, saying at the time that he believed the Georgia High School Association should have plans in place to move games if the conditions are deemed unsafe.

Colquitt had scored 135 points in its three previous playoff games, than night managed just 179 total yards, including 101 through the mist and 78 through the goop.

Norcross went on to pound North Gwinnett 31-14 the following week for its second straight state championships.

But for the Colquitt County players who were sophomores that night, it was to be the last time they would have to leave a field after a loss. The Packers didn’t lose again until the first game of the 2016 season.

Colquitt went on to go 15-0 and win state championships in both 2014 and 2015, matching the titles Norcross had won the two previous years.

While Colquitt was perfect back-to-back in 2014 and 2015, Norcross won going 7-4 and 7-4.

And the two quality programs in the state’s largest classification have not run into each other these last three seasons.

But Propst and longtime Norcross coach Keith Maloof will get to face off again on Saturday when the two schools meet in the Corky Kell Classic in a game scheduled to start at 2:45 p.m. at the retrofitted former home of the Atlanta Braves, now dubbed Georgia State Stadium.

The Packers are coming off an 8-4 season that saw them lose four straight to open the season and win eight straight before falling to eventual state champion Grayson.

Norcross was 11-0 when it ran afoul of Lowndes in the second round of the playoffs. The Vikings locked the door on the Blue Devils’ season with a 57-21 victory.

There will be one notable face missing on the Blue Devils sideline on Saturday, one Packer fans had enjoyed training their binoculars on during the two trips to Norcross.

Former Colquitt County quarterback Reggie Stancil, an instrumental part of the Blue Devils’ offensive coaching staff when the teams previously squared off, departed after last season and is now the head coach at Peachtree Ridge.

It will be easier to wish him well this year.