Packers, Bears have similar problems

Wayne Grandy

October 08, 2007 10:13 pm

— 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.
The Bears have lost to Northside-Warner Robins 30-0; Berkmar, 20-7; Parkview 17-0, Warner Robins 35-14 and Lowndes 33-7.
The Packers have surrendered 1,957 yards, an average of 326.2 a game.
Both teams must feel their backs are against the region wall, but the Packers should not lack for other motivation.
Colquitt County has not defeated the Bears since Houston County joined the region in 2004.
The Bears won at McConnell-Talbert Stadium 23-19 in 2004, then made it two straight the following season in Moultrie, winning 17-6.
O’Neal and King ran all over the Packers last year in a game that contributed to the Packers missing the playoffs for just the second time since 1990.
The only other time the two schools met was in 1998 in the second round of the state playoffs.
The Packers eliminated the Bears 27-7 that night in Moultrie.
Doug Johnson was the Bears coach that night and was the only head coach the program had since its beginning in 1991 before resigning in July, citing health reasons.
In 16 years as Houston County’ head coach Johnson posted a record of 98-79-1.
George Collins, who had been on Johnson’s staff since 2000, was named interim head coach and athletic director.
Collins was an all-state tackle and was an All-American guard at Georgia.
He played five years in the National Football League and two more in the USFL.
He has been an assistant at Valdosta State and Tennessee-Chattanooga and also had a six-year run as the head coach at Perry, posting a 20-40 record.