Special to the News
Matthew Brown
The Moultrie Observer
MOULTRIE, Ga. — No points. No first downs. No positive yards.
Though Alcovy High provided some first-quarter adventures against an injury-riddled offensive line, Colquitt County High dominated the non-region contest held Friday on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium 56-0.
Packer junior quarterback Jaycee Harden, sacked three times in the opening period — one of those coming from Javari Smith who also had an interception in the first half — had the last laugh four times, as in the number of touchdown passes he threw only playing the first half. In all, he found 10 different receivers while going 13-for-19 in the air for 193 yards and the four TDs.
In all, the home team equaled a school mark for a single game with six touchdowns scored through the air. Marvin McDonald, in the third quarter, was a perfect 4-for-4 for 105 yards and two more TDs.
Colquitt’s rushing numbers only netted 78 yards in the first half, but leading ground gainer Daijun Edwards – also a junior – 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, not even with a second-half running clock when the first half ended 42-0. It wasn’t a matter of turnovers – one lost fumble on a high snap – but 11 total punts.
Edwards had a 12-yard touchdown run to cap off the first Colquitt drive of 13 plays. 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 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.
Colquitt would score 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), senior KT Wilson (16 yards) and sophomore Lemeke Brockington (22 yards).
Jacquez Snell of Alcovy recovered a fumble before the half ended.
The Packers improved to 7-0 while Alcovy is now 2-3 and will travel to Grovetown next week to open up Region 3-AAAAAA play.
