Colquitt County looks to rebound; 8-4 finish ‘not the standard’

Following an 8-4 campaign, Colquitt County’s first without double-digit wins in coach Sean Calhoun’s three seasons, Calhoun recognizes that the team didn’t reach its potential. His first two Colquitt County teams were 12-1 and 13-1.

“8-4, getting beat in the second round, that’s not the standard,” Calhoun said. “That’s not what we’re accustomed to. That’s not what we’re like. So there’s been a bad taste in our mouth ever since the second-round defeat against Collins Hill.”

The Packers lost that game 28-14 at home. Three of their four losses were at home.

If you look at just last season’s record, it won’t have the whole story. The combined record of the opponents that beat Colquitt County was 45-6. All four were ranked when Colquitt played them. The combined record of the opponents that Colquitt beat was 41-46.

That disparity in the opponent’s strength was the difference. Calhoun believes the most significant difference he noticed was how his team finished games in the fourth quarters. He says that’s been a big part of the program over the years and that this year’s team needs to finish better.

“To win those close games, you’ve got to be tough,” Calhoun said. “You’ve got to be a tight-knit group. If our group can be close (this year), and we can be mentally and physically tough, then, hopefully, in some of those close games, we can find a way to get them done in the fourth quarter.”

In their four losses, the Packers scored a total of seven points in the fourth quarter. Calhoun says he’s intently working with his players on the details, but sometimes it boils down to making a play or not — making a crucial catch or block to extend a drive or making a tackle to end one.

Calhoun has worked with his team this offseason on dealing with adversity and maintaining consistency. As a player increases his consistency, coaches tend to feel comfortable knowing what to expect from the player, improving the trust that’s necessary in their relationship.

Calhoun plans to lean on recent Georgia commit, Jae Lamar. The four-star senior running back has a remarkable story of flipping his life 180 degrees. He sat with Jeff Sentell of Dawgnation in February, months before his commitment, and told his story.

 “I’d like to do a documentary,” he told Sentell, “so people can see what is still possible when things go down.”

Part of that story included getting into fights, alternative school and getting shot. He never played high school ball until last season, and since then, he’s become one of the state’s most inspiring success stories.

Lamar rushed for 885 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, averaging almost eight yards per carry, all while sharing the backfield with Day'shawn Brown (now at Carson-Newman), who rushed for over 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Calhoun said he was well aware of Lamar during his freshman and sophomore years. He says Lamar couldn’t stay out of trouble, and all the while, he’s telling him, “Man, you don’t understand what you have. You don’t understand what you could be.”

Another issue that last year’s team had to overcome was its inexperience, especially at quarterback and wide receiver. The 2023 team passed for more than 3,000 yards. Neko Fann graduated after passing for 7,805 yards in his career. Also gone was Ny Carr, who had 21 touchdown receptions.

Colquitt returned only 10 receiving yards from the previous year and started a true freshman, Cohen Larson, at quarterback. He passed for 1,099 yards in what became a run-based offense.

“We lost the one thing that you can’t get in the weight room or on the practice field, which is experience and game experience,” Calhoun said. “And the only way to get that is to play in the game.”

This year’s team also will be without some some key 2024 players as 10 of its 14 all-region performers graduated. The ones returning are Lamar, safety Alfonso McNeil, wide receiver Malik Walker and cornerback Ry’Sheed Fuller.

As this season’s team is the fourth under Calhoun, the senior class is the same players who entered the program as freshmen when Calhoun was hired. He’s seen them develop as men over the years and in the classroom and around the community.

“Our kids take a lot of pride in playing football here,” Calhoun said. “They know the history, and the majority of them have family lineage that has played here for years. And they want to make them proud.”