Fann sets touchdown pass record In 40-2 victory over Tift County (updated)
Sep. 2—TIFTON — Neko Fann became Colquitt County's all-time touchdown pass leader after throwing for five scores in Friday's 40-2 victory over Tift County at Brodie Field.
The senior quarterback threw four of the touchdown passes in the first half, leading to a 27-0 Packers lead and passing Chase Parrish to sit atop of all-time touchdown pass list with 71.
Fann added career scoring throw No. 72 less than two minutes into the third quarter.
After throwing four touchdown passes in each of the Packers first two games, he now has 13 scoring passes in three games, all lopsided Colquitt County wins.
The victory raises the No. 2-ranked Packers' record to 3-0 as they prepare to return to play on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium against Lee County next Friday.
A light rain fell in Tifton until about 15 minutes before the opening kickoff, but Fann and his receivers had no trouble handling the football.
Ny Carr grabbed two scoring passes, giving him 31 in his career. He is just three behind Packers' career leader Kiel Pollard, who had 34.
Zay Williams also scored twice on passes from Fann. Tight end Landen Thomas's score on a screen pass with just 34 seconds left in the half was his first of the season and gave Fann the all-time team record.
Tift County never really threatened and fell to the Packers for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons.
The Blue Devils' best scoring opportunity came in the third quarter when they used 12 plays to drive from their own 26 to an apparent touchdown on a 3-yard run by Damien Moate on fourth down with 5:13 remaining.
But the score was nullified on a holding penalty and on the next play Blue Devils quarterback Chris Martin was sacked by Jartavius Flounoy to end the threat.
With the Packers leading 37-2, the fourth quarter was played under a running clock.
Tift was able to rush the football at times with Moate gaining more than 100 yards.
But Martin completed just 12-of-25 passes and was picked off by Ka'Marian Williams and Will Madison.
Tift's only points came when a Colquitt County running back was trapped in the end zone one play after Madison's interception at the Packers 2 with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.
Tift won the coin toss and deferred its choice until the second half.
The Packers made the Blue Devils pay for that decision by taking the opening kickoff and, in just six plays, driving 70 yards to the first score of the game, a Fann completion to Carr who was slanting into the Tift County end zone.
Brett Fitzgerald's conversion put Colquitt up 7-0 with 9:55 still left to be played in the first quarter.
Later in the quarter, the Packers got a hand on a Tift County punt that netted minus-one yard.
Three plays later, Fann hit Williams from 35 yards out for the second Packers touchdown. Fitzgerald's extra-point attempt was blocked, but the Packers were up 13-0 with 2:36 left in the first quarter.
Punter Sam Miller ran for eight yards on a fourth-and-5 to keep an early-second quarter drive alive for the Packers.
Three plays later, from the Tift 42, Fann got the ball to Carr who headed down the sideline toward the Blue Devils end zone.
A Tift defensive back appeared to have an angle on the Georgia-bound receiver, whose quick final burst resulted in his second touchdown.
With less than a minute remaining in the half, the Packers took over on the Tift 29 after a 21-yard Blue Devils punt.
A Fann-to-Thomas completion took the ball to the Tift County 14 and after a pass interference call and an incompletion, Colquitt faced a second-and-goal at the Tift 7.
Fann found Thomas with a short screen for the touchdown and the extra point put Colquitt up 27-0 with 33 second left before the half.
On the third play of the second half, Martin completed a pass to Titus Beauford, who carried the ball to the Tift County 39, where he was hit and fumbled.
Colquitt recovered but three straight Fann passes fell incomplete.
The Packers elected to go for it on fourth down and Fann connected with a streaking Williams for the Packers final touchdown of the night.
Fitzgerald connected on a 21-yard field goal with 3:07 left in the third quarter and hit a 48-yarder with 1:30 left in the game.
Fann completed 15-of-24 passes for 269 yards and the five scores.
Williams had five receptions for 110 yards; Carr, four for 88; Thomas, four for 59; Day'Shawn Brown, one for seven; and Malik Walker one for seven yards.
Colquitt rushed for 112 yards with Ramsey Dennis getting 72 on 11 carries; Day'Shawn Brown, 18 on seven; Ja'Mari Stokes, 14 on six; and Sam Miller, eight on one carry.
Also in Region 1-7A on Friday, Camden County raised its record to 2-1 wit ha 46-13 win over Glynn Academy; Richmond Hill won over Jenkins 28-7 and also is 2-1; and Valdosta shelled Banneker 48-7 at Cook and raised its record to 2-1.
Lowndes did not play.