MOULTRIE – For the fourth time, Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium has been named a Baseball Field of the Year by the Georgia Dugout Club.
The home of the Colquitt County High baseball team also received the coveted honor in 2012, 2018 and 2019.
According to the Packer Baseball Facebook page: “We are grateful for the support, work and dedication received from Tony Kirkland, Cleve Edwards, Rick Gehle, the Packer baseball coaching staff, TWD Turf, the Colquitt County community and the Colquitt County School System to keep our facilities first class.”
Kirkland has long been recognized for keeping the turf at the Packer Park diamonds close to immaculate.
Much of the work on Ike Aultman Field is now being handled by new baseball coach Ryan Strickland and his staff.
The Colquitt County softball field received Field of the Year honors in 2011 and 2021.
And speaking of Georgia Dugout Club awards, new Colquitt County assistant baseball coach Chance Carter has been selected as an Assistant Coach of the Year.
He was on Strickland’s staff at Thomas County Central last year and has joined the 2024-2025 Packers staff.
In the nomination for the award, Coach Strickland wrote:
“Coach Carter has consistently and continuously displayed loyalty to the head coach/program, he provides constructive input, brings positive energy on a daily basis, goes above and beyond putting in time with players/program throughout the year, and works to build positive relationships with all players.”
Of this and that:
• Three of Colquitt County’s five non-Region 1-6A opponents have qualified for the playoffs, as did six teams whose head coaches are former Packers.
Two of those teams that Colquitt County played this season are undefeated and No. 1 seeds in Georgia High School Association playoffs.
North Gwinnett’s 10-0 record includes a 14-3 victory over the Packers back on Aug. 30.
The Bulldogs have scored 389 points this season – and scored 50 or more three times – and the 14 they scored against the Packers was the fewest they managed in a game.
The Region 7 champions will play host to Denmark, Region 6’s No. 4 team, in the first round.
Unbeaten Lee County, which is averaging 54.3 points, is the Region 2-5A champion and will play host to Habersham Central in the first round.
West High of Salt Lake City, Utah, reached the second round of the playoffs where it was outside 35-29 by Orem High to finish 6-6.
Neither Monroe, which finished 3-7, nor Rickards, 4-6, made the postseason.
Former Packers head coach Justin Rogers led his third Thomas County Central team to a 9-1 record and a second-place finish in Region 2-5A.
The Yellow Jackets will play host to Winder-Barrow in the first round.
Former Colquitt County quarterback Reggie Stancil led the Dacula Falcons to wins in two of their final three games.
Dacula will go to the playoffs as the No. 4 team from Region 8 and go on the road to play undefeated Carrollton in the first round.
Former Colquitt County assistant Phillip Brown has led Dodge County to the playoffs in his first year as head coach.
The Indians will be the No. 3 seed from Region 2A Division I.
Worth County, under former Packers assistant Jeff Hammond, will play Brantley County on Friday, Nov. 8, but has already qualified for the playoffs in Region 1-A Division I.
The Rams, who have won four in a row, are 6-3 and 4-1 in the region.
Valdosta, under Shelton Felton, is the No. 3 team from Region 1-6A and will travel to play Walton on Nov. 15.
Pike Road High in Alabama will play Bessemer City in a playoff game on Friday, Nov. 8. Pike Road is coached by former Packers assistant Granger Shook.
North Forsyth, coached by Robert Craft; Cook, coached by Byron Slack; and Lawton Chiles of Tallahassee, coached by Bill Ragans, did not make the postseason.
• The Colquitt County cross country teams competed in the recent Sectional meet held at Wilcox County High School in Rochelle.
Neither team advanced to state, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, in Carrollton.
Representing the Lady Packers at the Sectional were Judith Manuel, Chelsea Moreno, Melissa Breedlove, Blair Summerlin, Jaida Gachuz, Diana Leon Hernandez and Eidi Gachuz.
Manuel had the team’s best finish when she turned in a time of 24:33.13 for 99th place.
The Colquitt County girls finished in 17th place.
Running for the Packers were Nathan Perales, Ben Yingling, Amicah Carroll, Christopher Quintana-Estrada and Willis McCranie.
The Colquitt County boys were 26th.
• The Colquitt County High MCJROTC sporter air rifle team defeated Northeast Lauderdale NROTC in a recent match.
Colquitt County was led by Karina Zapata, who shot a 244.2.
Also shooting for Colquitt were Lizabeth Norman, Mauritania Vazquez and Araceli Varillas-Rodriguez.
The Colquitt County MCJROTC took a 1996.1-1144.4 win over the Mason-Dixon Junior Rifle Club in a recent National Precision Air Rifle League match.
Colquitt County was led by Andrew Perdew, who shot a 520.5.
Also competing for the Colquitt County team were Savannah Tyson, Moises Luna-Becerra and Fatima Cardenas-Chacon.