MOULTRIE -– A lot of great matchups are taking place in the Peach State on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The best may be saved for last, however, when the Packers host multiple contests at Mack-Tharpe Stadium on Saturday evening. Christ School (NC) will face Lowndes in the 4 p.m. match-up and then SBLive/Sports Illustrated’s No. 15-ranked Colquitt County will take on Dutch Fork (SC).
Sean Calhoun’s Packers are expected to be a major player when it comes to competing for a state championship in AAAAAAA as they have many key pieces returning on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, Colquitt County will be led by field general Neko Fann, who is coming off a stellar junior campaign in 2022. Fann threw for over 2,600 yards and added another 500-plus in the ground game. Colquitt County will need to start off fast against Dutch Fork’s opportunistic defense.
The riches in the wide receiving corps are there for Fann to be spectacular once again, with wideout Ny Carr and tight end Landen Thomas (Florida State) commitment back. With a pair like Carr-Thomas to deal with, the Silver Foxes’ secondary will have a long night trying to cover the two.
Defensively for the Packers, the path to winning football is getting to the opposing quarterback. Leading the way will be defensive lineman Tyshon Reed, who compiled 33 tackles, 10 for a loss in 2022. As a team, Colquitt County hurried passers 78 times and collected 31.5 sacks.
It’s going to be the key to defeating a Dutch Fork club that’s coming off a 14-1 campaign, winning South Carolina’s AAAAA state championship. The Silver Foxes’ offense was potent in 2022, averaging 44.5 points per game.
Leading the offense this season will be senior quarterback Jonathan Hunt, who completed 26-of-53 passes for 406 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. Trenton Lodge is the team’s top returning running back in terms of yardage, with the senior rushing for 384 yards a year ago.
Look for wide receiver Jacob Hamilton (30 catches, 598 yards in 2022) to be the team’s go-to pass catcher on Saturday night. On defense, free safety Tyler Jones is the team’s top returning tackler from last season, notching 76 total tackles for Dutch Fork.
ANDY’S PREDICTION: Lowndes 30, Christ School 10
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ANDY’S PREDICTION: Colquitt County 38, Dutch Fork 27
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Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @Andy_Villamarzo.
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