MOULTRIE — The similarities between the Colquitt County and Houston County football teams are intriguing this year.

Both are 1-5 overall. Both are 0-2 in the region. And both have struggled offensively this season after seeing an outstanding crop of skill players graduate last spring.

Colquitt County has been trying to find an offensive combination that will work after players such as Channing Hudson, B.J. Howard, Vance Cuff, Orion Ponder and Dontrell Johnson used up their eligibility last fall.

The Packers have scored just one touchdown in each of their two region games — losses to Valdosta and Coffee — and each of those came in the fourth quarter after the game was already out of hand.

If anything, Houston may be struggling even more, managing just 38 points in its six games.

Even its one victory was by a 10-7 score over Windsor Forest.

Last year the Bears led the region in rushing with 2,331 yards and had the leading individual rusher in Eric O’Neal, who ran for 1,190 yards in 10 region games.

In the Bears 25-14 victory over the Packers in Warner Robins last year, O’Neal rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns.

And he wasn’t the only back who vexed opposing defenses.

D.J. Dodson was fourth in the region in rushing and Martez King was 11th.

King rushed for 98 yards on just nine carries against the Packers.

But those players are gone. Only quarterback Jeff Thompson remains from the 2006 starting backfield, leaving new coach George Collins facing problems similar to those Packers coach Tim Cokely has.

Where to find some offense?

Neither team has been able to overcome their offensive woes with stout defenses either.

Houston, which will bring a four-game losing streak to Moultrie on Friday, has given up 1,947 yards, an average of 324.5 yards of offense a game.