Top-ranked Colquitt County got two touchdown runs by Kiel Pollard in the first quarter and three second-half field goals by Luis Martinez to beat Roswell 30-13 Saturday at the Georgia Dome and claim its second consecutive Class AAAAAA football championship.
>> Photos: High school football state finals
The Packers (15-0) extended their winning streak to 30 games and won the third state title in school history. Colquitt County joins Valdosta (1960-62) and Parkview (2000-02) as the only schools in state history to complete consecutive perfect seasons in the highest classification.
“It’s easy to lead this group because they’re such a class act,” Colquitt County coach Rush Propst said. “They’ve been chased all year. Last year we were doing the chasing. This year we had set the bar high, and to do what we’ve done is amazing.”
The two teams came in averaging a combined 871 yards per game, and they came close to that total on Saturday as Colquitt County had 440 yards and Roswell finished with 395. But the Hornets’ failure to convert their long drives into touchdowns was their undoing, settling for field-goal attempts three times inside the Colquitt County 25-yard line.
Colquitt, which led 21-13 at halftime, took control of the game by opening the second half with its two longest drives of the night. The Packers went 67 yards in 16 plays to start the third quarter and increased the lead to 24-13 on a 30-yard field goal by Martinez.
On its next possession, Colquitt County went 71 yards in 18 plays and got a 26-yard field goal by Martinez. The two drives gave the Packers a 27-13 lead and took more than 10 minutes off the clock.
In between those drives, Roswell went 51 yards in 14 plays to reach the Colquitt 25-yard line, but the Hornets missed a 43-yard field goal that would’ve cut the lead back to eight points. The next time Roswell got the ball, it trailed by two touchdowns with less than nine minutes to play.
Martinez added a 42-yard field goal with 1:19 to play to complete the scoring.
Colquitt County quarterback Chase Parrish was 28-of-39 passing for 306 yards with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ty Lee, who had 11 catches for 123 yards and led the Packers with 90 yards rushing. Roswell’s Sheldon Evans rushed for 104 yards on 21 carries, and quarterback Quintarius Neely was 15-of-30 passing for 232 yards.
Roswell (14-1) took its only lead of the night on the second play of the game on an 81-yard touchdown pass from Neely to AJ Smith. Colquitt County answered with Pollard touchdowns on its next two possessions to take the lead for good.
Colquitt County – 14-7-3-6 – 30
Roswell – 10-3-0-0 – 13
R – AJ Smith 81 pass from Quintarius Neely (Turner Barckhoff kick)
C – Kiel Pollard 1 run (Luis Martinez kick)
C – Pollard 1 run (Martinez kick)
R – Barckhoff 22 field goal
C – Ty Lee 17 pass from Chase Parrish (Martinez kick)
R – Barckhoff 20 field goal
C – Martinez 30 field goal
C – Martinez 26 field goal
C – Martinez 42 field goal
