Road Trip to Moultrie: High School Football, South Georgia style
A recent trip to Florida offered me an opportunity to sample some high school football, South Georgia style. High school football is a vital part of the culture in our fair state. The consistently high quality of play is underscored by the many names of Georgians on college and pro football rosters throughout the country. There is great tradition and great passion for football in every corner of Georgia. And nowhere does that passion show more powerfully than in South Georgia.
My trip afforded me a free Friday night to drop into Moultrie, the county seat of Colquitt County and home to the Colquitt County Packers. The Packers have a long and strong tradition of football success and the 2014 season is going exceptionally well, even by their lofty standards. The night of my visit the Packers were putting their 9-0 record on the line against rival Camden County, another South Georgia force albeit with an uncharacteristically mediocre 5-4 record this year.
The home team was playing for pride and for perfection. Their playoff status was already established, and they would host round one regardless of the outcome of this game. Those factors fueled the concerns of their coach Rush Propst who believed Camden County to be far more talented than their record implied. He likewise preferred that his team enter the playoffs on a winning note and pledged that he would be using his starters per usual to attempt to gain victory number 10.
Moultrie is pure South Georgia. It sits midway between Tifton to the north and Thomasville to the south, about 30 miles off of I-75. The two lane road from the interstate into town is long and flat and straight. The drive to the field includes a brief look at the scenic downtown square with a stately courthouse and quaint stores flanked by on street parking.
The game-time traffic told the path to the high school and I saw quickly that parking was in tight supply 30 minutes before kick-off. I found a spot just off road in a churchyard dotted with live oaks draped in Spanish moss. I joined in the swell of fellow fans moving toward the stadium. Mack Tharpe Stadium is named after a local naval Commander who lost his life in 1945 in World War II. The place is big (10,000 capacity) and well-lit and distinguished by flags about the top rows noting the other members of the Packers’ region, a virtual roll call of high school football heavyweights: Camden, Lowndes, Tift, Lee and of course Valdosta, the winningest high school football program in the US.
I noticed that home and visitors sides had separate everything- concessions, restrooms, and even ticket offices. A ticket to the home side gave you access only to the home side. I was later told that it was best if the 2 sides were kept separate. I was also surprised that the $10 ticket was for general admission only and that the vast majority of seats were sold as reserved and bought far in advance, year after year.
The crowd was happy and loud as they settled in for kickoff. All ages and all races were present, most wearing some type of Packer adornment. The coin toss was attended at midfield by two football heroes from yesteryear who were met with loud applause as they were introduced to the fans over the PA system.
And with that, the game was on. Both teams featured huge rosters, over 100 players each. A seesaw battle ensued with lots of big plays – a long run, a goal line stand and a blocked punt among them. In the 4th quarter, the Packers mounted one last drive to reclaim the lead for good, final score 28-24. Colquitt County maintained their flawless record as they looked ahead to the playoffs.
The Colquitt County Packers had completed a successful evening- a comeback victory over a tough rival, perfect record intact, no injuries and a happy crowd.
Post-game I was fortunate to spend a few minutes with Coach Kevin Giddens, Director of Athletics at Colquitt County High School. Coach Giddens explained a good bit of Packer football history, including the glorious year of 1994 when he served as offensive line coach for the team that went 15-0 and won the only State Championship in school history.
Coach Giddens gave credit for the school’s long-term football success to an abundance of community support, dedicated players, great coaches and a well-established feeder system that includes separate teams for 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th graders. He expressed careful hope for another successful post season, understanding that the rare perfect season requires not just good talent but also a dash of good fortune.
Giddens introduced me to Wayne Grandy, sportswriter for The Moultrie Observer who has covered the Packers since 1982. Mr. Grandy is an authority on the program, having authored a book 2 years earlier called 100 years of Packer football.
He promised to send me a copy. I promised to read it.