COLQUITT COUNTY PACKERS
Region 1-7A
SCOUTING REPORT : by Wayne Grandy | photos by Connie Southwell
Packers look for success under new head coach Sean Calhoun
MOULTRIE — If the Colquitt County football team can be as successful this season under new head coach Sean Calhoun as the Packers were when Calhoun was an assistant several years ago , Packer Nation will be plenty satisfied .
Of course , when Calhoun helped oversee the Colquitt County offense in 2014 and 2015 , the Packers went a combined 30-0 , won a pair of state championships and earned a national title in 2015 .
Whether Colquitt can reach that level of success this season remains to be seen , but there is reason to believe this year ’ s team could make a deep playoff run .
The Packers were 8-3 last year and although they were eliminated at home in the first round of the state playoffs , they had an explosive offense that counted on contributions from a number of talented underclassmen .
Adding Calhoun ’ s pedigree this season could make the Packers even more potent .
After leaving Moultrie following the 2015 season , Calhoun was the head coach at Carrollton for five seasons and Vestavia Hills in Alabama for one year , posting a 55-18 record .
When former head coach Justin Rogers left Colquitt County for Thomas County Central last December after going 26-7 over three seasons , Calhoun got the call to return to Moultrie and help the Packers continue to be a power in the state ’ s highest classification .
He was a popular choice and quickly built a coaching staff that has a decided Colquitt County influence .
Among his new hires are former Packer players Bryce Giddens , Quin Roberson , Kiel Pollard and Bull Barge .
Giddens played on the 2010 Packers team that was the first to reach a state championship game since 1994 .
Barge played on the 2014 team and Pollard was a key offensive performer on both 2014 and 2015 teams .
Calhoun also brought back Jeremy Rowell to serve as the defensive coordinator .
Rowell had been a defensive assistant under head coach Rush Propst from 2013-2015 , serving as defensive coordinator his final year , before working on the Georgia Southern staff the last six years .
Also joining the staff this year are special teams coordinator / safeties coach Brian Simmons , who was a DC under Calhoun at Carrollton ; defensive line coach Terel Toomer , a former Worth County and Valdosta
State player ; and former Chestatee and Hebron Christian head coach Stan Luttrell , who will head up the strength and conditioning program and work with the outside linebackers .
Junior Zay Williams is expected to be a big-play maker for the Packers in 2022 .
Returning are offensive coordinator / running backs coach John Cooper , receivers coach David Hill Jr . and longtime cornerbacks coach Dextra Polite .
Nearly all have played and / or coached on state , conference or national championship teams .
“ I think we have assembled a great staff ,” Calhoun said . “ We want to surround our kids with winners and I think we have .”
Ryan Kebler returns as the athletic trainer and Earl Jefferson will continue as director of football operations .
Cooper , who also is in his second tour of duty with the Packers , was the offensive coordinator at Carrollton under Calhoun and worked with the Packers inside receivers when he returned to Moultrie last year .
He has an outstanding group of skill position players at his disposal this season , starting with Neko Fann , the slightly built quarterback with the power arm who threw for 2,104 yards and 29 touchdowns as a sophomore last year .
And Calhoun calls senior I ’ marius Bussie perhaps the best backup quarterback in the state .
SOUTH GEORGIA FOOTBALL 2022 21