MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County football team is now down to eight opponents for the 2020 season after Westlake announced it was bowing out.

The Lions originally were to be the Packers’ Week 2 opponent, coming to Moultrie on Sept. 11, before Fulton County schools announced several weeks ago that it would not start football season until Sept. 14.

The Packers then were able to slide Westlake into an Oct. 16 open date and the Colquitt County schedule seemed settled.

But on Wednesday morning it was announced that Westlake would not be heading to Moultrie after all.

The Packers will open on Sept. 4 at Marietta and will travel to the Atlanta area again the following Friday night to play Brookwood in Snellville.

Colquitt will be off on Sept. 18 before playing their home-opener on Sept. 25 against Valdosta.

The Packers will have another open date on Oct. 2 before traveling to Warner Robins to meet Northside on Oct. 9.

It appeared the Packers would be home the next four Friday nights, beginning with Westlake on Oct. 16.

That now will be the third open date in the first seven weeks of the season for the Packers.

Colquitt will play the next three weeks on the Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium, beginning with a game against Alcovy on Oct. 23. That will be Senior Night.

The Region 1-7A portion of the schedule will open the next Friday, Oct. 30, with Camden County visiting.

The Wildcats will be the Packers 2020 Homecoming opponent.

Defending region champion and Class 7A state runner-up Lowndes will play at Colquitt County the next week, Nov. 6.

The Packers’ regular season will end on Nov. 13 with a trip to Tift County.

The following week also will be an open date before the state playoffs begin on Nov. 27.

The two schools that were on Colquitt County’s original schedule, but have not elected to play this season, are defending Class AAA state champion Cedar Grove and Rockdale County’s Heritage High.

The Georgia High School Association’s decision to scrap scrimmages cost the Packers a preseason game at Lee County.

Colquitt County’s original schedule included seven home and three away games. Colquitt County now will play just four home games.

It is unclear whether the Packers will be able to schedule any more games with the season-opener just nine days away.