Packers blank Tigers

Published 11:13 pm Friday, September 28, 2018

MOULTRIE, Ga. — It may have taken some time for some offensive linemen to get settled into the world of varsity high school football.

Even though Colquitt County High junior quarterback Jaycee Harden took three first-quarter sacks, he had the last laugh Friday on the Alcovy High defense four times over with four touchdown passes in the No. 1 Packers’ 56-0 blasting of the Tigers from Covington on homecoming night.

Harden in fact only played the first half on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium. He and several other starting teammates did not even bring the shoulder pads out for the second half, which began with a 42-0 Colquitt lead and used a running clock until the final buzzer.

Combined with Harden’s career-best effort, it was a night where the Packer offense evened the school record for total touchdown passes in one game. Marvion McDonald, in the third quarter, threw two scoring passes for six in all.

What did the Alcovy Tigers get for their journey all the way from Covington? No points. No first downs. No positive yards.

Although Alcovy provided some first-quarter adventures against an injury-riddled offensive line, Colquitt County High dominated the non-region contest to improve to 7-0 overall.

In all, Harden found 10 different receivers in going 13-for-19 in the air for 193 yards. McDonald was a perfect 4-for-4 for 105 yards. Colquitt’s rushing numbers only netted 78 yards in the first half, but leading ground gainer Daijun Edwards scored two touchdowns to give him 13 for the season.

But Alcovy’s real troubles were against Rush Propst’s defense, which did not let the Tigers move the chains. It wasn’t a matter of turnovers — one lost fumble on a high snap in the first half plus one other in the second — but 11 total punts.

Edwards had a 12-yard touchdown run to cap off the first Colquitt drive of 13 plays and 62 yards. Alcovy hurt itself with an unsportsmanlike conduct foul after stopping Ty Leggett for lost yards. This drive also featured two sacks against Harden, but the Packers picked up four first downs with Leggett’s fourth-and-3 conversion on the Tiger 19 to make up for the losses.

Senior Jalen Banks was the one disrupting things for the Tigers with Colquitt missing both tackle Kamaar Bell and center Will Rykard to injured foots. But even with Banks on the charge, Harden got a short pass off to McDonald, who bobbled the ball, secured it, and found no tackling efforts to go 42 yards for his team’s second TD at 4:52 of the quarter.

Javari Smith had both a sack and interception for the Tigers later in the period. Two plays after the pick, a snap went over quarterback Jaelen Campbell’s head, and lineman Brian Merritt recovered for Colquitt on the 24.

Two plays later, Edwards had his second touchdown run — 8 yards — with 31 seconds left. This was a two-play drive.

Colquitt scored on three straight possessions in the second quarter to double the lead to 42-0. Those were Harden touchdown tosses to freshman Tajh Sanders (13 yards, a three-play drive of 46 yards), senior KT Wilson (16 yards, a four-play drive of 35 yards) and sophomore Lemeke Brockington (22 yards, a five-play drive of 55 yards).

With the football first in the third quarter, McDonald went up top to connect with Desmond Davis for a 69-yard score. Tight end Max English scored for the first time hauling in a 13-yard pass in the period’s final minute.

While Ryan Fitzgerald did the first seven PATs, Alex Romulo had the chance to make good after the English score.

Linebacker Callon Kubiak recovered a fumble for the Packer defense in the final period.