Packers surge past â??Cats

VALDOSTA �" The Colquitt County Packers played a near-perfect second half and Rush Propst got a signature win in Region 1-AAAAA, as the Packers beat the Valdosta Wildcats 14-7 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium Friday night.
After only going 5-for-9 for 46 yards in the first half, Colquitt County quarterback Tyler Brown was 10-for-12 for 165 yards and a touchdown in the second half.
The Packers' defense had four interceptions in the second half, including three from Amel Magwood. Magwood intercepted passes from Chad Prain on the Wildcats' final two drives with the Packers (5-1, 2-1) leading 14-7.
It was a stunning turnaround for a Wildcat team (4-2, 1-2) that had a 7-0 halftime lead and held the Packers to just 28 total yards in the first half.
After the game, Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said the Packers didn't do anything different in the second half than they did in the first half.
“I thought our defense played great,” Tomberlin said. “We have to move it on offense.
The decisive blow to the Wildcats came with just over three minutes to play in the game. Brown took the snap and stood in the pocket without any pressure as receiver Quin Roberson got behind the defense. The two connected on an easy pitch-and-catch for a 43-yard touchdown that put the Packers up 14-7.
 The Packers ran the same play before that and Quin was wide open, but Brown over threw him.
“We had him double covered and I don't know why they came off of him,” Tomberlin said. “On the headsets I heard our defensive coach say stay on him. I guess it was just a mental mistake. I heard our coaches make the correction, the kids just didn't do it for whatever reason.”
It was a tough pill to swallow for a Wildcat defense that played well all night and didn't get much help from the offense.
The Packers appeared to be going in for the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats forced a fumble and recovered it at their own 15-yard line. However, the offense turned the ball over the very next play when Prain threw  an interception.
The defense made another stand on the Packers' next drive. Facing a fourth-and-one at the 10-yard line, Roberson took a handoff for the Packers but slipped and fell in the backfield. The Wildcats offense couldn't capitalize on the turnover on downs and had to punt after gaining only 11 yards.
One reason the Wildcats weren't able to have success on offense was they had to use three quarterbacks, two of which were injured. Starter DaShay March completed a 46-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage, but he was relieved by Avery Burney on Valdosta's second possession after taking a couple of hard hits.
“He didn't re-injure himself,” Tomberlin said. “He ran the ball on a bootleg and was hurt. That's why (March came out). He just couldn't quite go tonight.”
Burney hurt his shoulder during the game, which meant Prain had to come in on third-and-long or other passing situations.
Prain found Malcolm Mitchell for a touchdown on a 21-yard pass play in the second quarter that put the Wildcats up 7-0.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the Packers' secondary picked off four of Prain's passes in the second half. The Wildcats punted on their other two possessions of the second half.
For the Wildcats, Prain was 5-for-11 for 55 yards with a touchdown. Burney carried the ball 12 times for four yards and was  2-for-3 for 27 yards through the air.
Brown completed 15-of-21 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown for the Packers. Running back Tevin King carried the ball 13 times for 40 yards. King rushed for Colquitt County's first score of the night which tied the game 7-7 in the third quarter.
The Wildcats will look to rebound next Friday night when they visit Lowndes in the Winnersville Classic.