Pack scores 24 in fourth quarter, beats Lee County 48-27 (UPDATED)

Sep. 10—LEESBURG — Friday's game between Colquitt County and Lee County — two of the top teams in the state — was expected to be a close one and it was.

For three quarters.

But the Packers exploded for 24 points in the final 12 minutes — including 21 in a span of less than three minutes late in the quarter — to take a convincing 48-27 victory at misty Trojan Field.

The final Lee County score came with 2:06 remaining.

Colquitt was ranked No. 4 in Class 7A and Lee County No. 2 in 6A and many expected the Trojans' 215-pound sophomore running back Ousmane Kromah to perhaps be the difference.

Kromah, a preseason All-State selection who had 366 yards in his two previous games, did not disappoint, rushing for more than 200 yards and scoring three touchdowns.

But after his final score, which pulled the Trojans to within one at 21-20 halfway through the third quarter, Colquitt ran off the next 27 points in front of a hardy band of fans from Moultrie who braved the Leesburg drizzle.

Each time Kromah scored, the Packers answered and raised their record to 4-0 as they head into their bye week.

Colquitt ran up 569 yards of offense.

Lee County falls to 3-1.

The Trojans have not defeated the Packers in 11 opportunities.

Friday appeared to offer Lee its best chance.

But the Packers did nearly everything right in the final quarter after keeping it close early.

"This is a special group of kids," Packers coach Sean Calhoun told WMTM's Darrell Strange after the game. "We needed adversity. We made plays and we bowed up. And our defense was flying around."

Colquitt won the toss and deferred its choice to the second half and Lee County took advantage quickly, driving 74 yards for the first score of the game, which came on a 43-yard Kromah run.

But Colquitt matched the score three minutes later when punter Jack Luttrell stunned the Trojans by taking the fourth-down snap and running 68 yards for a touchdown.

"He has that option," Calhoun said. "If he sees the other team turn and run, he can take off.

"He made two guys miss. It was an unbelievable play."

Brett Fitzgerald's extra point attempt was blocked and Colquitt trailed by a point, 7-6 with 5:54 left in the first quarter.

But two minutes into the second quarter, Packers quarterback Neko Fann took a keeper 65 yards to the Lee County end zone and Colquitt never trailed again.

Fann threw a 2-point conversion pass to snapper Will Tapscott and the Packers led 14-7.

Kromah scored again on an 11-yard run four minutes later and the extra point kick tied the score.

Again the Packers answered, driving 78 yards to score on a 5-yard run by Charlie Pace and after Fitzgerald's conversion, Colquitt went up 21-14, the lead they held at the half.

Kromah scored his third touchdown to finish off the Trojans first drive of the second half, but a botched extra point attempt allowed the Packers to keep their lead at 21-20.

Colquitt extended the advantage to 24-20 on Fitzgerald's 30-yard field goal with 3:35 left in the quarter.

Behind the running and pass-catching of Kromah, Lee County drove to a third-and-2 at the Packers 24 on the final play of the third quarter.

On the first play of the final quarter, the Packers defense knocked Kromah back for a 2-yard loss on third down.

Lee elected to go for it and fourth down but Lee quarterback Chris Martin's pass fell incomplete.

The rest of the quarter — and the game — was a nightmare for the Trojans.

Colquitt drove to the Lee County 26, where the Trojans stiffened and held.

But Fitzgerald, the Packers sophomore kicker, was true on a 44-yard field goal attempt and the Packers had extended their lead to 27-20.

Nick Pace came up with another of his big kickoff return hits, forcing the Trojans to start on their 11.

After allowing one first down, the Packers held on a third-and-10 at the Lee County 24, forcing a punt.

The Packers got a couple of short runs by Pace and a holding call on an incomplete pass, setting up a third-and-16 from their own 48.

Fann then flipped a pass over the middle to Landen Thomas, who ran over and through a pair of Lee County defenders and took it to the end zone for a touchdown.

Fitzgerald's conversion put Colquitt up 34-20, but the Packers weren't finished.

Lyric Thomas picked off a Martin pass on the first play after the kickoff and on the Packers first snap, Pace took a handoff, made for the right sideline and sprinted 68 yards for another Colquitt touchdown and a 41-20 lead.

The Trojans' fall continued when, three plays after the kickoff, linebacker Qway McCoy hit Martin, causing a fumble that nose tackle Julian Harper picked up and took to the end zone for the final Colquitt touchdown with 3:41 remaining.

Braxton Honer ran 44 yards for Lee County's final touchdown with 2:07 left.

Charlie Pace, the Packers preseason All-State running back, finished with 152 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as Colquitt rushed for 265 yards.

Thomas had five catches for 148 yards and the big touchdown.

Fann completed 16-of-23 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown.

The Packers' undersized defense managed to come up with several big stops, especially late in the game.

The Packers will play next on Friday, Sept. 23, when they face Cedar Grove, currently No. 1 in Class AAA, on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.