AAAAAA final: Colquitt County 28, Archer 24

Colquitt County’s Sihiem King didn’t get off to the greatest of starts, but he came through when the Packers needed him most.

The senior running back rushed for 125 yards and scored two touchdowns Saturday at the Georgia Dome, leading the Packers to a 28-24 victory over Archer in the Class AAAAAA championship game.

The win gave top-ranked Colquitt County (15-0) its first state title and undefeated season since 1994. The Packers reached the semifinals in the highest classification this year for a record sixth consecutive season, but they had reached the championship game only once previously during the streak, in 2010 when they lost to Brookwood 52-38. Colquitt County also ended Archer’s bid to become the fifth consecutive Gwinnett County team to win the title in the highest classification.

King single-handedly closed out the victory for the Packers. Clinching to a 28-24 lead, Colquitt County took over at its 19-yard line with 4:48 to play. King got the ball on the next nine carries, picking up 49 yards and three first downs, and got the clock down to 1:03. The Packers took a knee on two final plays to run out the remaining time.

Archer (11-4) went 66 yards on 14 plays on its first possession to take a 7-0 lead on Dylan Singleton’s 4-yard run with 4:24 to play in the first quarter.

Colquitt County answered with two touchdowns in less than two minutes. Chase Parrish threw a 40-yard pass to Marquan Greene to tie the score 7-7, and King had a touchdown catch on the first play after an interception gave the Packers the ball at the 7-yard line.

Archer needed just three plays to tie the score again, getting a 55-yard touchdown pass from Gabe Tiller to Singleton to make it 14-14 with 1:13 to play in the first quarter. Cole Fisher’s 47-yard field goal gave Archer a 17-14 with 10:11 to play in the half.

King had just 5 yards rushing on his first five carries through the early part of the second quarter, but he came to life on the Packers’ last possession of the half. He rushed for 47 yards on six carries as the Packers drove 80 yards in 2:39, taking a 21-17 lead on his 1-yard run with 45 seconds to play. King came into the game with 1,961 yards rushing for the season and had averaged 152.8 yards and scored 20 touchdowns in the Packers’ first four playoff games.

Archer – 14-3-7-0 – 24

Colquitt County – 14-7-7-0 – 28

A – Dylan Singleton 4 run (Cole Fisher kick)

C – Marquan Greene 40 pass from Chase Parrish (Luis Martinez kick)

C – Sihiem King 7 pass from Parrish (Martinez kick)

A – Singleton 55 pass from Gabe Tiller (Fisher kick)

A – Fisher 47 field goal

C – King 1 run (Martinez kick)

C – Qwazavia Lee 7 pass from Parrish (Martinez kick)