Warner Robins takes first loss of season, 41-14, to Colquitt County

Both the host Warner Robins Demons and Colquitt County Packers came into Friday night’s game at McConnell-Talbert Stadium undefeated and ranked among the top teams in the state, regardless class. When all was said and done, the first quarter was all that was needed to tell the tale. The Colquitt County Packers are top of the class and won the game 41-14 and Warner Robins, still regarded a 5A state title contender in their own right, left their home turf with a lesson learned: How you start is how you finish.

The game opened with the Packers scoring on their first, second and third offensive drives of the game. Junior quarterback Jaycee Harden found junior running back Daijun Edwards on a 15-yard screen pass for the first touchdown of the game. Senior running back Victor Cox caught Harden’s second touchdown pass in the red zone to put Colquitt County ahead 14-0 after just three minutes of playing time. Edwards scored again, this time on a 12-yard run to put the visiting Packers up by three touchdowns. The Demons did not manage an offensive possession longer than four minutes during the first quarter. Their first score of the game would come with 6:11 remaining in the first half on a Jahlen  Rutherford 29-yard run up the middle of the field. The play was set up courtesy of a Dylan Fromm pass to junior receiver Marcayl Jones. Fromm and Jones would hook most often during the game.

Warner Robins’ defense held the line throughout the second quarter keeping the nationally-ranked Packers offense inside their own territory. The biggest defensive possession of the first half came with less than a minute to play when the Packers worked their way down to the Demons red zone to only be stopped on three straight possessions. The 34-yard field goal attempt by Colquitt senior kicker Ryan Fitzgerald floated wide left to keep the score 21-7 at the half. With the Demons winning the pregame coin toss and taking the ball to start the second half the momentum seemed to be on their side for the first time all night.

The second found a more aggressive Demons offense and defense come out of the locker room but the damage was already done. An early Demons touchdown on another Fromm top Jones connection at the end of a drive that saw the two hook up three times, cut the Packers lead to 14 points, the lowest it would be for the game.

Colquitt would immediately strike back with a four and a half minute drive that ended with yet another Edwards touchdown run. Consecutive defensive penalties hurt Warner Robins on that drive as did a 30-yard run by Packer senior running back Ty Leggett. He and Edwards kept the Demons defense busy all game. The same could be said for Packers defensive lineman Brian Merritt who worked his way into the Demons backfield on numerous occasions to the tune of multiple tackles for loss and a sack.

The Demons, 3-1, won’t get a break as they will be back in action at McConnell-Talbert Stadium to face rival Northside High School, fresh off a 45-0 victory at Baldwin High School tonight, on Fri., Sept. 21.

Colquitt County, 5-0, will be back on the road at Grayson High School in Loganville.