MOULTRIE — Yes, it seems like a long time since the Colquitt County has played in the 13th game of a season, as it will Friday night when it travels to Lassiter.

And it has been. Since 1999, to be exact, when the Packers went 11-2.

But Colquitt played in 13 or more games in a season eight times between 1991 and 1999, so there is some historical precedence.

But for Lassiter, reaching the state quarterfinals is uncharted territory.

In fact, since it began playing football in 1982, Lassiter had advanced to the second round of the playoffs just once and had won just one playoff game before this season.

And both of those milestones were reached last year.

And the two seasons before Chip Lindsey left his job as Rush Propst’s offensive coordinator at Hoover High in Alabama to become Lassiter’s head coach in 2008, the Trojans had put together back-to-back 3-7 records.

Lindsey obviously has done an outstanding job since going the Marietta school, posting a 21-3 record as he prepares to play host to the Packers at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Frank Fillman Stadium.

And he also was fortunate to take his spread offense to a school that had a quarterback with the talents of Hutson Mason.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder ws the Georgia Sports Writers Class AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 after throwing for 3,705 yards — just five yards short of the stare record — and 30 touchdowns.

But he was just warming up.

Even after losing all-state tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, who had 72 catches last year, Mason has been better this year.

Much better, much more productive.

After completing 32-of-39 passes for a state-record 545 yards and eight touchdowns in last Friday’s 70-49 playoff victory over South Gwinnett, Mason now has a state-record 4,266 career passing yards.

He also has thrown 54 touchdown passes this season, breaking the old record of 47 set by Charlton County’s Jeremy Privett in 2003.