MOULTRIE – The 2021 Colquitt County High School football schedule will look much like the one the team was supposed to follow last season before the coronavirus wreaked havoc on it and most others around the state.

The Packers played just seven regular-season games in 2020, including two – against Banneker and Dothan, Ala. – that were not on the original schedule.

If the state’s high school football season this fall returns to some semblance of normalcy, the Packers will open against three teams on that original 2020, plus play two others from it later in the season.

And, yes, the 2021 schedule does include a game against Valdosta, despite a recent rumor spread on social media that the two schools – which have met 106 times since 1913 – would not play.

Last August, the Packers were expected to open against defending Class 7A state champion Marietta.

That game was nixed when the GHSA moved the season back two weeks.

But the Packers will honor the original contract with Marietta and travel to meet the Blue Devils on August 20 this year.

Marietta, hit hard by graduation from that outstanding 2019 team, slipped to 3-8 record last season.

The trip will be one of two long ones for the Packers, who also will have to go to Camden County in mid-October.

After going to Marietta, the Packers will play four of their next five games on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium, beginning with a game against Westlake on August 27.

Last year’s game against the Lions also was scuttled by the decision to move the season back. At one point, it appeared the two schools had reached an agreement to play later in the season, but it never worked out.

Westlake went on to have a fine 2020, going 11-2 and reaching the Class 6A semifinals, where its season ended with a 35-14 loss to Lee County.

Cedar Grove, which will come to Moultrie on September 3, was another defending state champion the Packers had on their original 2020 schedule, but were not destined to play.

After going 13-2 and winning the Class AAA state title in 2019, the Saints fell to 3-5 last year after having to forfeit four victories.

Still, Cedar Grove qualified for the playoffs and won two games before being eliminated by Crisp County in the quarterfinals.

On September 10, the Packers will travel to Valdosta to meet the Wildcats.

Colquitt upended Rush Propst’s first Wildcats team last season, winning 24-10 in Moultrie.

It was a curious season for Valdosta, which won its opener against Warner Robins, but later had to forfeit the game when transfer quarterback Jake Garcia was ruled ineligible.

The Wildcats took a 4-4 record into the playoffs and defeated Lovejoy, Evans and Carrollton before being eliminated by eventual state champion Buford in the Class 6A semifinals.

The Packers game No. 5 last season against Heritage High of Conyers also was canceled and Packers coach Justin Rogers was able to contract with Dothan to fill the spot on the schedule.

The Patriots, who play in Region 3-6A, were only able to play five games because of the effects of the virus and went 3-2.

Heritage will come to Moultrie on Sept. 17.

Northside-Warner Robins will visit the next Friday night.

The Packers traveled to McConnell-Talbert Stadium to meet the Eagles last year and won 63-14.

Northside struggled in 2020 in Chad Alligood’s first season as head coach, finishing 4-7.

After the victory over Northside last season, the Packers went into a two-week quarantine. Because of an off-week, the quarantine only cost the Packers its scheduled Homecoming game against Alcovy.

The Tigers had been Colquitt County’s Homecoming opponent the two previous seasons as well and the Packers had won 56-0 in 2018 and 52-0 in 2019.

Alcovy will come to Moultrie on October 8 this fall, again as the Packers Homecoming opponent. The Tigers were 2-7 last season.

The three-game Region 1-7A portion of the schedule will open on Oct. 15 with a trip to Kingsland to play Camden County.

The Packers won 34-13 last year at home and this year will face the Wildcats under a new head coach.

Bob Sphire, who was Camden’s head coach for four seasons, resigned recently and has taken a head coaching position at Highlands High in Fort Thomas, Ky.

The Wildcats were 23-20 in Sphire’s tenure, losing the Packers all four years.

Camden has not yet announced his successor.

On Oct. 22, the Packers will travel to Martin Stadium to meet Lowndes.

The Vikings were 10-2 last fall, including a 40-10 drubbing at the hands of the Packers, in their first season under coach Jamey DuBose.

The loss on Tom White Field was the only one the Vikings suffered until they were eliminated by Collins Hill in the semifinals.

The Packers’ regular season is scheduled to end on October 29 with a home game against Tift County.

After Tift went 2-7 in a 2020 season that included a 41-0 home loss to Colquitt County, head coach Ashley Anders resigned.

The Blue Devils recently announced that Noel Dean, who has had a long and successful career in Michigan, has been named to lead the program.

After an open week, the playoffs will begin on November 12.

PACKERS NOTES: Rogers announced that the annual football banquet will be held on Sunday, Feb. 21.

It will be in-person only for the 2020 Packers seniors and their families.

The banquet will be live-streamed on the Colquitt County football team’s website.

2021 SCHEDULE

Aug. 20        at Marietta

Aug. 27        Westlake H

Sept. 3        Cedar Grove H

Sept. 10        at Valdosta

Sept. 17        Heritage H

Sept. 24        Northside-Warner Robins H

Oct. 1           OPEN

Oct. 8           Alcovy H

Oct. 15        at Camden County

Oct. 22        at Lowndes

Oct. 29        Tift County H

Nov. 5         OPEN

Nov. 12        First round of playoffs

Nov. 19        Second round of playoffs

Nov. 26        Quarterfinals

Dec. 3          Semifinals

Dec. 9-11     State championships