MOULTRIE — Even midway through the final quarter of Colquitt County’s 14-3 loss to North Gwinnett on Friday in the Hawg Pen, Packers coach Sean Calhoun believed his team still had a chance.
The defense had been stellar, allowing just two touchdowns, including one that came on a fourth-and-goal on the Packers 1.
Colquitt had just pulled off a successful fake punt that Jae Lamar had run 14 yards for a first down and two plays later Day’Shawn Brown ripped off a 22-yard run to the Bulldogs 34.
Colquitt then appeared to have stalled when quarterback Cohen Lawson dropped back to pass on a fourth-and-six.
Brown came out of the backfield and headed down the sideline.
“I just didn’t want (Lawson) to lead him out of bounds,” Calhoun said.
The freshman didn’t, leading his receiver perfectly.
Brown pulled it in and was down at Bulldogs 6.
If the Packers could score the touchdown, get the 2-point conversion, they would pull to within three.
“And I feel great, because we have Brett,” he said, speaking of the state’s premier kicker, Brett Fitzgerald.
It didn’t work out of course.
Packers fumbled the ball away on the next play with 6:13 remaining and when they got the ball again there was only 2:19 left and the North Gwinnett goal line was 93 yards away.
A chance with half a quarter remaining in a game in which they had stumbled so badly made the loss to a team now ranked No. 4 in the state a little more palatable in the short run.
“This is what we wanted when we scheduled them,” Calhoun said. “They are going to go deep, deep in the playoffs. I want us to play the hardest non-region schedule in the region.
“But we’ve got kids who haven’t played a lot of football and these are just some of the growing pains we are going to have to go through. And I know they suck.”
The Packers came into the season minus 17 starters from last year’s 12-1 team.
This year’s crop held its own in the season-opening 45-28 win over West of Utah.
And while the final score showed the Packers winning by 38 points over Monroe last week, there 19 penalties to take into account.
While there were fewer penalties against the Bulldogs, “We had way too many mistakes,” Calhoun said, pointing to the late fumble, a second-quarter interception that led the North Gwinnett’s final touchdown and a 5-yard penalty for not being set on a third down inside Bulldogs 5-yard line in the second quarter. Two plays later, the Packers settled for a field goal.
“That one crushed us,” Calhoun said.
The two missed opportunities inside the Bulldogs 6 led the way to the disappointing finish.
North Gwinnett also had crucial third- and fourth-down conversions, plays that are hard to overcome, Calhoun said.
But to the Packers credit, they held the Bulldogs to 282 yards and no points in the second half.
Colquitt now will have an extra week to prepare for Lee County, which, after defeating Tift County 55-7, is ranked No. 3 in Class 5A.
The Trojans, too, have this Friday night off.
The loss drops the Packers from No. 4 to No. 10 in the Georgia High School Football Daily’s Class 6A poll.
Camden County, which is 3-0 after defeating West Broward (Fla.) 55-29, moved up from No. 8 to No. 6, and Valdosta, a 43-0 winner over Dougherty, climbed from No. 9 to No. 7.
The Players of the Week in the game against North Gwinnett were:
• Brown, who carried nine times for 49 yards, had four receptions for 46 yards and completed a pass for 62 yards, earned the Offensive Player of the Week award.
• Center Matthew Dillon graded at 87 percent and had three knockdown blocks and was the Offensive Lineman of the Week.
• Ten tackles and a pass breakup earned Roddriek Carter the Defensive Player of the Week honor.
• Amari Wilson also had 10 tackles, two for losses, a sack and a quarterback hurry and was the Defensive Lineman of the Week.
• Special Teams Player of the Week Brett Fitzgerald hit a 26-yard field goal and sent two of his kickoffs into the end zone.
Holder Logan Morris, who has a cumulative grade point average of 93.481, was named the Academic Player of the Week.
Connor Norman was the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week and Chris Williams was the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week.
Lamar, playing his first season for the Packers, has turned the sterling start to his season into offers from Georgia Tech, Florida State and Georgia State.
Lamar has carried 22 times for 203 yards, a 9.3 average, and has scored three touchdowns.
Brown continues to be the Packers offensive workhorse, rolling up 245 yards on 34 carries.
His Friday contribution included a 62-yard halfback pass to Malik Walker in the first quarter and the run and pass reception in the fourth quarter.