Packers pound Pebblebrook 56-16, will host Harrison next

Nov. 13—MOULTRIE — Colquitt County made sure there would be no repeat of last year's rare first-round playoff exit by pounding Pebblebrook 56-16 on Saturday in its postseason opener on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

The Packers will be back in the second round to play host to Harrison High at 7:30 p.m. next Friday in the Hawg Pen.

The Hoyas advanced by going on the road to defeat Brookwood 21-17 on Saturday.

Harrison is the No. 3 team from Region 3 and will bring a 4-7 record to Moultrie.

Reserved tickets for the Harrison-Colquitt County game will be sale from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday at the high school athletic office.

Reserved tickets not purchased will go on sale to the general public from 8 am.-3 p.m. on Thursday and from 8 a.m.-noon on Friday.

Reserved tickets will be $14.

General admission tickets are $10 and can be purchased Monday through Friday at the ticket office.

The Packers won a coin toss and will play host to a third-round playoff game game if they can get by Harrison.

Also on Saturday, Region 1-7A runner-up Camden County defeated East Coweta 44-33; No. 3 Valdosta lost at Westlake 28-13; and No. 4 Lowndes lost at Carrollton 38-14.

In raising their record to 11-0, the Region 1-7A champion Packers had two interceptions returned for touchdowns, got two touchdown passes from Neko Fann and had four rushing touchdowns against the Falcons, who end their season at 4-7.

Colquitt led 56-16 after three quarters and the final 12 minutes were played under a running clock.

The Packers also had a first-round playoff game at home last year, only to be shocked by Walton, losing 41-17.

Before that blip, Colquitt had reached the quarterfinals or better each year since 2009.

Pebblebrook became the No. 4 team from Region 2 when it lost at East Coweta 17-14 on a field goal with 13 seconds left in its regular-season finale.

But by halftime on Saturday, the Falcons trailed 35-10 and it only got worse.

Pebblebrook features junior running back Dwight Phillips Jr., the reigning Class 7A 100-meters champion.

He scored one touchdown and set up the other with a 78-yard run, but otherwise was not able to keep the Falcons in the game.

Colquitt punted away its first possession of the game, but on the second play after Pebblebrook took over, Packers safety Jack Luttrell picked off a Qamar Grant pass and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown.

After Brett Fitzgerald's extra point, the Packers led 7-0 with 6:15 left in the first quarter.

Colquitt then recovered an Ethan Ramirez onside kick and the Packers drove 49 yards in 10 plays to score on a 7-yard touchdown run by Charlie Pace.

Packers quarterback Neko Fann completed two passes in the drive. The second one, a 9-yarder to Za'Mari Williams, put Fann over 4,000 passing yards in his short Colquitt County career.

Pebblebrook, which motored down from Mableton in Cobb County, answered quickly when Phillips broke off a 78-yard to the Packers 1.

Grant scored on a sneak to cut the Colquitt County lead to 14-7 with 2:24 left in the first quarter.

The Packers got those seven points back by driving 73 yards to score on a 2-yard pass from Fann to tight end Jean Garcia. It was Garcia's first varsity touchdown.

The Falcons tried to stay close with a 20-yard field goal by Marcus Robinson with 5:14 left in the half, but Colquitt would have none of it.

Sophomore Day'Shawn Brown ripped off a 54-yard run to the Falcons 8 and scored on the next play and the Packers lead was 28-10 after Fitzgerald's conversion with 2:40 left in the half.

Pebblebrook ripped off two first downs on its next possession before Rico Jones fumbled and Kamal Bonner fell on the ball on the Colquitt 32 with 58 seconds remaining in the half.

The Packers made quick use of the time left.

Fann got a 17-yard completion to Landen Thomas to the Falcons 46 and after a 25-yard Ramsey Dennis run, hit Thomas on a 21-yard scoring toss with 13 seconds left in the half and Colquitt was up 35-10 at the break.

Colquitt rolled up 193 yards rushing and 130 passing and had 17 first downs in the first two quarters.

Colquitt rolled merrily along in the third quarter, taking the second-half kickoff and driving 67 yards in six plays to score on Brown's 20-yard run.

Nick Pace picked off a Grant pass with 8:05 left in the third quarter and returned it 35 yards for Colquitt's second defensive touchdown of the game.

Down 49-10, Pebblebrook got its final score of the game on a 10-yard pass from Jones to Phillips with 5:18 left in the third quarter.

The Packers blocked the extra point attempt.

Luttrell returned the kickoff 48 yards to start Colquitt's final touchdown drive under the direction of quarterback I'marius Bussie, who finished it off with a 1-yard run.

Brown, who scored two touchdowns, had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, gaining 110 yards on nine carries.

Fann was 12-for-17 for 145 yards with his 49th and 50th career touchdown passes.

Colquitt County is now 19-2 in home playoff games since 2008.

Earlier in the day, Colquitt County's indoor facility was named in honor of former Packer greats Ray Goff and Virgil Seay.

The two served as honorary captains before the game and were honored on the field between the first and second quarters.