Sometimes, improvement and repetition can go hand in hand. In the case of the Class AAAAAA powerhouse Colquitt County Packers, the 2015 season proved to be a perfect example of just that.
After an undefeated season and earning a state title in 2014, the buzz in Georgia began to circulate around whether it could be done again. Last season, the Packers proved the affirmative, and did so in dominant fashion. Another perfect season and another GHSA State Championship were the end reward for head coach Rush Propst and his unstoppable student-athletes.
Now, there are numerous obstacles that have fallen in the way of the Pack. Gone are the legendary likes of quarterback Chase Parrish, receiver Kiel Pollard, defensive monsters Ja’Quain Blakely and Dee Walker, the powerful leg of Luis “Baby Lou” Martinez, and that’s just to name a few. The Packers have undoubtedly lost an incredible amount and degree of talent coming off of its two consecutive championships, a fact of which Coach Propst is well aware.
“One thing we have to live with is that we lost forty-two kids to scholarship over 2014 and 2015,” Propst said. “There have been a lot of good football players to graduate, and now we have a lot of football players that are raw, inexperienced, and have a ways to go in developing.”
But as is the case for many coaches, the battle for Propst and his staff is to keep the past as the past.
“The main point this preseason has been focusing on this 2016 team and not dwelling on our past success,” Propst said. “What was done in these past two seasons, this particular group of kids didn’t drive that. Very few of these guys have actually started or even played in a varsity football game.”
But even with such an inexperienced roster, Colquitt County is still very much so in the championship discussion. The hunt for the 3-peat is not an unfamiliar one for Propst (as he 4-peated at Hoover), and that brings some experience in how he handles the team’s expectations surrounding that inevitable conversation.
“People throw around ‘defending state champions’ and ‘3-peat’ all of the time, but I always deflect that,” he mentioned. “This team has to create its own identity by finding its own way to motivate and win football games.”
Forging an identity nearly from scratch is no easy feat, but the Pack appears that it will once again have the core group of talent and leadership that will be needed to make another title run.
On the offensive side of the ball, Jay Saunders is the heir apparent as the Pack’s signal caller. Despite the inbound transfer of another talented quarterback, Steven Krajewski, Saunders has emerged as the starter with high praise from his head coach.
“Offensively, you will go as your quarterback goes. Jay is an athlete and a leader. I wouldn’t trade him for anyone I’ve seen this summer. He’s gone head to head with Grayson’s (Bryce) Ramsey that’s going to Clemson, (Bailey) Hockman from McEachern, and many more, and he outplayed them all,” Propst confidently declared.
Saunders will look to distribute the ball to the likes of Tory Ponder and Ty Powell, returning receivers that will carry an increased load this year, and possibly all four of their running backs could see time. Nigel Hillie will get the start, but a stable of backs could bring variety to the offensive attack. They will be running behind a line that be mixed in terms of its experience but anchored by senior D1 talents, Quan Stokes and Ian Brinson.
On both sides of the ball, depth is not the issue, particular with receivers and defensive lineman.
“The defensive line is two players deep with no drop-off, and I have a plethora of quality receivers,” said Propst. “The strength of our football team is that although we may not have many elite linemen and receivers, we have more bodies at those positions than I’ve had since I’ve been here.”
Behind that defensive line will lurk J.J. Peterson, a scary talent that has emerged as one of the top recruits in the country. He was partnered with Blakely and Walker at linebacker last year, but now the defense will become his and CB Quan Walker’s as Propst looks for leadership from the unit that be responsible for attempting to hault some of the state’s (and nation’s) top offenses.
Speaking of which, the roster itself likely won’t be nearly as big of a concern as their schedule. Propst himself heavily emphasized the tenacity of the schedule that looms before them, asserting that the strength of their schedule is likely unmatched.
“I’ve been in some tough openers and played some tough schedules, but this year might be the toughest. We started the thirty game win streak with Mill Creek in 2014’s Corky Kell, then we played them to extend it to twenty-nine to go to the 2015 championship, and now we play them in game one this year. Then you turn right around and play a team out of Miami on ESPN, take on Tucker, go back up to Roswell, then Brookwood and Valdosta; it’s just an incredibly difficult start to the year.”
Three of the first four games will be aired on television, adding even more pressure to matchups and these young players.
“This group has some growing up to do in the next 30 days, there’s no question about that, and this schedule is going to force that,” Propst said.
Since the Packers have now overcome the potential year-long suspension of their head coach, all attention is rightfully back on the impending season, starting with the six game gauntlet that begins on August 18th at the Corky Kell Classic.
Colquitt County Packers
Rebuilding Not An Option In Pursuit Of 45-0
Written by Cole Parker
Photo by Marque Milla Reese
