A defensive tidbit from the Moultrie Observer!

[ORabidOne]

http://www.moultrieobserver.com/news/ga_fl_news/dixon-getting-packer-defense-primed-for-new-season/article_d15362b0-78b1-11e7-9fdf-678c2ce4ae00.html

 

Dixon getting Packer defense primed for new season

• By Matthew Brown
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  • Aug 3, 2017
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First-year Colquitt County High defensive coordinator Mo Dixon discusses things with his charges.

Matthew Brown

 

     

 

 

MOULTRIE – When you have a former head coach in the role of coordinator, he knows full well how each side of the football helps out the other on the same team. Mo Dixon, just last season the head coach of Walton High’s gridiron squad, came into his new job as defensive boss for Colquitt County High School with a ton of respect for the main boss, Rush Propst.

As the months of summer workouts progressed into the first week of full contact practices for the 2017 season, Dixon built even more respect for the defensive staff as a whole … and the offensive staff as a whole.

There is a secret, though, to being successful on the defensive side.

 

“A lot of people say if you can keep people from scoring one more point than your offense, which is probably common sense,” said Dixon. “I think in a program like we have, every day when we come to practice we have a chance to go against the best offense. Hopefully we can be the best defense they go against all year. That’s going to make us better.”

While the Packer defensive unit has its college prospects in the senior class and players with a season’s worth of starts under their belt in not just the 12th grade but the 11th, Dixon still calls it young.

“(Thursday) was a big turning point,” he said about a session that took place mostly in late afternoon rainfall. “We just have to play hard, hard, hard, hard. We’re thin … we have good numbers, but we’re young. You start mixing young guys with less experience, sometimes that can have some mess ups. With young guys, they get down real quick. So you have to keep them up.

“(Thursday) should have been a bad day circumstance-wise with silly stuff. Nothing bad, but we pulled ourself out of it and played really hard. When you have a man like Rush Propst as your leader, it’s not really hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. For us to be good, we have to be able to run, run, run to the ball.”

The Packer defense under Dixon is not going to look conventional, not 4-3 or even 3-4. He addressed the unit as a whole after Thursday’s practice at Mack Tharpe Stadium, and he said it was about how the tools – “bolts, screws, washers” – are on, so now is the time to tighten things up. After all, in one week (Aug. 10), the team will be in game action, the preseason scrimmage, on Tom White Field against Coffee.

“I can play some man stuff I haven’t been able to play as much at other places,” said Dixon, who was defensive coordinator at North Gwinnett once under Bob Sphire, now head coach at Camden County. “I have to see what I think we do best, me and the staff. I started seeing that (Thursday).

“Our base, we’re a 3-5-3 or 3-3-5. We’re an eight-man front to old school people, a six-man front to the newer spread. Now it’s five- and six-man fronts instead of seven and eight. We are an odd front base, but we jump to even fronts. The base of what we do is just a couple of techniques at every position.”

While other terms used to describe defensive ploys are disguising or gapping, Dixon pulled out some American history from the Old West. He said Geronimo had 30 braves and was able to inflict fear in a troop of 5,000 soldiers by ambushing them.

“What he left behind was pure fear,” said Dixon. “People would see the result … 30 on 5,000, that’s something like how the story goes. That’s how we look at it. We’re trying to ambush you on every play.”

Lineman Brian Merritt, a junior, has what it takes to ambush a quarterback, a skill he showed Thursday often as part of the turnaround Dixon spoke about. He didn’t have senior linebacker J.J. Peterson that day as Peterson had wisdom teeth removed. But when people are out – and Colquitt County has had significant injury issues this summer – Dixon said the program’s full, and he said the coach that keeps the “machine rolling” is Shawn Sutton in the weight room.

“Not only does he drive those kids, he drives us,” said Dixon. “Being on the other side, he had a lot to do with some of us coming in. These are great guys. When we are in the weight room, those boys tear it up. These kids have some character, and we’ll get better.”

 

With Merritt, Dixon said the linemen is a corps of five to six established players followed by others with potential.

“We’ll have a fast lineup,” he said. “And we’ll have a big lineup. It’s a good mix. Courtney Sanders does a great job.”

With Peterson, Dixon said the linebacking group goes about six deep now with those playing hard. With the younger players at this position, Dixon said JV football games should be something to see.

“We have what we call a triangle: the rover, free safety and the dog,” said Dixon. “They are constantly moving to help make adjustments in the secondary.”

And that secondary has Appalachian State commit Kaleb Dawson plus Jarvis Christopher back at cornerback. With those players, you have staff mainstays Steven Figueroa and Dextra Polite.

“Nobody slips by with Dextra back there,” said Dixon. “Everybody’s on edge.

“This staff, it’s just an honor to be here with them. Joey (Bennett) up front with his linemen. This is big-time football and about to get bigger with the new facility. But behind the scenes, it’s high school football. I worked for some pretty good coaches, and there’s nobody like Rush. These boys are like sons to him. He’s going to push them, but boy does he take care of them literally 24 hours a day.”

 

 

http://www.moultrieobserver.com/news/ga_fl_news/packers-defense-solid-offense-not-so-much/article_9b443ee4-8a70-11e7-80bd-cf63f83b3f9b.html

 

Packers' defense solid; offense, not so much

• By Wayne Grandy
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  • Aug 26, 2017
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By Wayne Grandy

wayne.grandy@gaflnews.com

 

 

MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County defense continued to inflict misery on Friday in the Packers home-opening 26-7 victory over Vista Murrieta, but the team’s offensive malaise stumbled into a second game.

After the Packers took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards to score on the first of Daijun Edwards’s two touchdowns, there were two big scoring plays but little consistency the rest of the way.

“Right now, we are not very good on offense,” a clearly frustrated Packers head coach Rush Propst lamented after the game. “We’re not clicking at all and we’ve got issues everywhere.

“We didn’t play real smart and we didn’t have a good attitude on the sideline.”

While Propst, known for teams that produce high-scoring offenses, was measured in what he had to say about his offense, he did not hold back about when discussing how his team has played the first two weeks when the opposition has the ball.

After holding Norcross to just 122 total yards in the season-opening 20-17 win in Atlanta, the Packers gave up an unofficial 125 to Vista Murrieta, which flew across the country to get a taste of some sultry south Georgia football.

Jay Ward came up with his first varsity interception, Colquitt forced eight punts, registered two more sacks and the Broncos’ only score came on short return after Packers lost a fumble with 6:44 remaining.

Vista Murrieta managed just eight first downs, the first of which came with 1:07 left in the first half.

Highly recruited linebacker JJ Peterson was more of a factor than he was against Norcross, using his speed to chase down ball carriers and harass Broncos’ sophomore quarterback Robert Coleman.

Peterson is still rounding into football shape after being slowed by a sports hernia.

Brian Merritt continues to allow the Packers to control the line of scrimmage and be active in the opposing backfield and Kaleb Dawson directs traffic and makes crucial plays in the secondary.

Propst gives much of the credit for the play of the defense to Mo Dixon, who left his job as Walton’s head coach to become the Packers’ coordinator this season.

“Mo has made a huge difference,” Propst said. “The whole defensive staff is doing a great job.”

The Packers defense pitched a shutout on Friday after nearly doing so against Norcross.

Six days earlier, the Blue Devils scored a touchdown after recovering a fumble and running it to the Colquitt 6, got a 52-yard field goal after an 11-yard punt to the Packers 30 and took a short-lived lead on a 53-yard scoop-and-score.

And giving up just 17 combined first downs in two games against teams that are likely to be in the postseason in November, Propst is looking kindly on his defense.

“Defensively, we have a chance to be real special,” Propst said.

 

Offensively, however, much work needs to be done before the 2-0 Packers play host to Tucker, 2-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, at 8 p.m. next Friday.

After the game-opening scoring drive, the Packers got a 47-yard touchdown pass from Steven Krajewski to Cam Singletary, who flummoxed several Bronco secondary players before cruising to the end zone, and a 57-yard tackle-breaking scoring run from sophomore Daijun Edwards, who rushed for 120 yards.

But there was not much else, leading to Propst’s consternation.

After racking up seven first downs in the first quarter, the Packers had just six the rest of the way.

That’s not the kind of performance Propst was seeking with Tucker’s Tigers waiting to slip from their cages.

The defending Class 6A state runners-up opened the season by rallying past Kell 28-27 in overtime in the Corky Kell Classic, then battered Lakeside of Atlanta 54-0 on Friday.

If Propst is looking for an advantage, and he always is, he has no further to look than the Packers’ 2016 game against Tucker.

Colquitt led 17-3 at the half, 20-3 early in the third quarter and 20-13 heading into the fourth quarter, before losing on a 23-yard, third-down touchdown and a 2-point conversion with 4:42 left.

Propst said he believes the loss is the only one the Packers have suffered under his watch when they led in the fourth quarter.

“We’re fixing to get better this week, either that or we’ll get beat,” Propst said. “We might look back on Sept. 1 as the turning point of our season.”

 

http://www.moultrieobserver.com/sports/local_sports/colquitt-county-tucker/article_2f7990a8-8f96-11e7-9616-8b6a1d2b6ea6.html

 

Colquitt County 35, Tucker 21

• By Matthew Brown
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  • Sep 2, 2017
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Ty Leggett found the home sideline and sprinted 54 yards after breaking a big tackle Friday in Colquitt County's home win over Tucker to improve to 3-0.

CWS

 

     

 

 

MOULTRIE – Can you imagine the halftime talk? They had them where they wanted them, down 14-7.

“O.K. quarterback, don’t throw an incomplete pass. O.K. slot receiver, you saw the other team’s miraculous catches. Go make a few of your own. O.K. scatback, just push the bigger guy trying to tackle you away from you and turn on those jets. Do it again when you shoot up the middle taking a direct snap.”

“Yes sir!”

 

And they did it. They being the Colquitt County High Packers in an inspired second-half comeback that made the doldrums of the first half seem like they happened weeks ago. Steven Krajewski did not throw a second-half incompletion, going 14-for-14 for 176 yards and three touchdowns. Cam Singletary caught five of the passes and two of the touchdowns for 93 yards, and Ty Leggett, outmuscling a defensive end with two sacks to his credit, rushed for 109 yards second-half yards and scored from the ‘Wild Hawg’ formation.

When it all added up correctly, the Packers of head coach Rush Propst improved to 3-0 against this brutal 2017 schedule whipping the Tucker High Tigers – No. 1 in Class 6A – 35-21 on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium Friday. Colquitt County is certain to retain its No. 2 Class 7A ranking when Roswell High travels to Moultrie for a top 10 matchup this upcoming Friday.

Coming into this weekend’s action, the Packer defense played worthy of a No. 2 ranking. The defense, when the halftime score was 14-7 in favor of the Tigers, did its job in keeping the visitors right where they were while the offense put forth its best showing so far. There were no takeaways, but Tucker was held to 270 total yards and suffered one quarterback sack courtesy of linebacker Rashard Revels.

Colquitt’s offense limped into halftime barely getting over 100 yards from scrimmage, only 34 out of the vaunted rushing attack. But when it was all said and done, Krajewski was 22-for-26 for 245 yards passing and Singletary caught nine balls for 149 yards. Leggett gained 125 yards on the ground from 10 totes.

Some trends in 2017 Packer football continued while others came to an end, but neither one was of a positive nature for the home team. What didn’t happen was Colquitt scoring on the opening possession, that instead being a three-and-out brought on by chop blocking spotted by the officials. Tucker, however, came up empty its first two drives despite two third-down conversions. Dante Moore came up with one of the main stops against the wing-T attack to end the second drive. Josh Vann, an SEC receiver prospect, also took care of punting and had extremely good rolls, like one that went dead on the Packer 27-yard-line.

Krajewski and the offense looked more alive the next time out going 73 yards in 13 plays. Leggett broke containment for a first-down run to the 37, and the Tigers presented the gifts of two offsides fouls on third down. From the Tucker 40, Krajewski ran three times for 12 yards, and Singletary shot forward after a catch for 13 yards to the 15.

It was a rough night for sophomore Daijun Edwards with 33 net yards, but 14 came on a burst to the 1. Guard Conner Gay put up the wall for Leggett to score at 2:13 of the first period. Ryan Fitzgerald kicked the PAT.

Tucker’s penalty line read 10 flags for 66 yards, and three came on a series that took the game into the second quarter. They went backwards after going into Packer ground, but Vann punted the ball 40 yards to the 2.

And here was the trend that continued, not one the Pack want to think about. For the third game in a row, a fumble on offense turned into points for the opposition. Travon Flowers of Tucker fell on a loose football in the end zone at 8:08.

With it a new ball game at 7-7, the Tiger defense was inspired with Antonio Showers sacking the quarterback in a three-and-out. Tucker went on to execute only the second touchdown drive against the Colquitt defense, and it covered 51 yards. Vann reached back from where he was running to catch Travon Ford’s throw for first down on the Packer 28.

Quen McNeil broke up a pass to Vann in the end zone, and Tucker faced 3rd-and-15 on the 21. Isaiah Dunson stretched out over the middle to take a throw on the 3. Two plays later David Davis scored a 4-yard touchdown run at 1:27 until the half.

That half ended with a 54-yard punt from Fitzgerald on the Tiger 1.

It was Colquitt’s football to start the second half, and the slot man – or middle man of a three-wide set to one side – was the place to go for Krajewski. Who would take the first of the 14 straight completed but JJ Peterson – his first offensive snap of the season – for 16 yards. From the 50, Singletary was as wide open as could be and raced by the secondary to score at 11:08.

Colquitt’s try for two failed, so Tucker still led 14-13.

On defense, the linemen had no name calls in the first half, but Deandre Grant stopped Davis on the counter and Brian Merritt tackled Ford on the keeper in a three-and-out. The punt went to the CC 33, and from here even more amazing things happened for the guys in black.

 

Leggett had nowhere to go on first down … so he practically threw Showers off him, got to an open home sideline and jolted 54 yards to the Tiger 13. Even Krajewski spun away from a tackler to get to the 7, and on third down Singletary took the out pattern into the end zone at 7:42.

Looking to get two more, the reverse play was in order, and Edwards threw the ball to Krajewski complete to make it 21-14.

Merritt was the force that stymied Tucker’s next series, but Vann’s punting fortunes carried over with a roll to the Packer 11, 57 yards. With the Packers on such an offensive roll, 89 yards was no problem.

On third down, Tyrique Williams was the slot – or middle guy – to take a catch of 14 yards to the 29. Singletary always has to leap at least once for a catch, and he did on the Tiger 45 for 23 more yards. Going inside to outside, Singletary’s last catch of the night was good for 11 on the 33.

Holding caused a bit of a setback, but on 3rd-and-13, KT Wilson’s sideline catch moved the sticks on the 21. Krajewski then swung the ball outside to Ty Shealy, and Singletary helped as a blocker for the touchdown at 1:58 of the third. Fitzgerald upped the lead to 14, 28-14.

That’s sure what the defense wanted, and Tucker’s next two drives saw Jay Ward stop Vann for a short gain, Peterson chase Ford out of bounds on third down, and Kam Woods prevent Vann from converting a fourth down out of punt formation.

It was in the fourth quarter when Woods’ play occurred on Tucker’s 45. Three offensive plays later, Leggett took the ‘Wild Hawg’ snap and shot up the middle thanks to the linemen work by William Rykard, Kamaar Bell, Jerick Davis, Gay, and Tyler Howard. It was a 37-yard touchdown and Fitzgerald PAT for 35-14 at 8:19.

Tucker’s last chance did turn into points, Ford to Vann from 21 yards out to cap an 80-yard drive (all of Fitzgerald’s kickoffs were touchbacks) in 11 plays.

[ATLien12x]

Link didn't work RABBBBBBB

[Rufus69]

Rab...what the Tift?

You can't afford the Moultrie Observer !!!!

Are you and Mr. Brown e-mail pals?

 

 

Rufus>>

[LiberalDonaldTrump]

9 minutes ago, GardenStateBaller said:

A guy with multiple Masters degrees who doesn't know how to post a link??? Smdh #onlinedegreessuck

Thats university of Phoenix for ya

[Rufus69]

33 minutes ago, GardenStateBaller said:

A guy with multiple Masters degrees who doesn't know how to post a link??? Smdh #onlinedegreessuck

HEY !!!!!

 

I don't know how to post links either...but I don't need to know.  I've got Hawgoneit.....(Smile).

So There.....

 

 

Rufus>>

[ORabidOne]

7 hours ago, ATLien12x said:

Link didn't work RABBBBBBB

WELL, talk to the Observer, or I got an idea! Why not gOOgle the thread!

[ORabidOne]

5 hours ago, Rufus69 said:

Rab...what the Tift?

You can't afford the Moultrie Observer !!!!

Are you and Mr. Brown e-mail pals?

 

 

Rufus>>

A lil birdie told me!

[ORabidOne]

2 hours ago, GardenStateBaller said:

A guy with multiple Masters degrees who doesn't know how to post a link??? Smdh #onlinedegreessuck

When I got those, electricity hadn't been invented! Most people my age, are either puter illiterate, or DEAD! Why don'tcha get Ruffi to post the link?

[ORabidOne]

2 hours ago, Rufus69 said:

HEY !!!!!

 

I don't know how to post links either...but I don't need to know.  I've got Hawgoneit.....(Smile).

So There.....

 

 

Rufus>>

SOOOOOO, if he's finished giving me a fifteen yard penalty again, for unnecessary roughness! Why don'tcha tell him to get the lead out, and post pertinent info from the Moletree Disturber?

[Rufus69]

5 minutes ago, ORabidOne said:

SOOOOOO, if he's finished giving me a fifteen yard penalty again, for unnecessary roughness! Why don'tcha tell him to get the lead out, and post pertinent info from the Moletree Disturber?

Rab...you know I love ya (in a non-emotional way)...but you kinda deserved that 15 yard penalty.   And yes, if Hawgoneit can get away from his Labor Day partying long enough...I'm sure he'll oblige with the Disturber stuff...when it's apropos....

You heading to Mack Tharpe this Friday?

 

 

Rufus>>

[HawgGoneIt]

Not 100% sure which articles you were trying to post, but the link you were attempting was from a pretty old story, so I added a couple of more recent ones that brought mention of the defense... and then of course the most recent which included some props for the offense also. FINALLY. 

[FootballGuy]

Y'all may have already figured this out, but here's what Colquitt needs to do if they plan on winning state: run the ball and continue to play good defense. Simple as that. 

[ORabidOne]

6 hours ago, Rufus69 said:

Rab...you know I love ya (in a non-emotional way)...but you kinda deserved that 15 yard penalty.   And yes, if Hawgoneit can get away from his Labor Day partying long enough...I'm sure he'll oblige with the Disturber stuff...when it's apropos....

You heading to Mack Tharpe this Friday?

 

 

Rufus>>

I can get to the stadium lickety split! BUT, from the Rabmobile to the top row of the HAWG POUND, is a swine of another color! Perhaps, with all that money we saved when Vista paid their own way! We can afford an elevator like LEGION KAT has at Weinnersville?

[HawgGoneIt]

 

I wonder if Cal Preps will ever get the memo that Holy Trinity Episcopal changed it's name to Holy back Out Of Contract. 

52	Colquitt County (Moultrie, GA)   team preview   trend	Georgia	AAAAAAA Region 1	AAAAAAA	3-0	0-0	1-0	58.5	50.6	3-4
WINS: #158 Tucker (GA) (35-21), #361 Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, CA) (26-7), #523 Norcross (GA) (20-17), LOSSES: none

 

2017 Colquitt County (Moultrie, GA)    [58.5]


08/19   Beat Norcross (GA) 20-17 [opponent rating: 35.4] [performance: 50.4*]

08/25   Beat Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, CA) 26-7 [opponent rating: 40] [performance: 59]

09/01   Beat Tucker (GA) 35-21 [opponent rating: 47.8] [performance: 62.8*]

TREND (COUNTING NON-GRAYED GAMES ONLY): SLIGHT UPWARD



UPCOMING:

09/08   vs Roswell (GA) [opponent rating: 34.5]

09/15   at Brookwood (Snellville, GA) [opponent rating: 38.1]

09/22   vs Valdosta (GA) [opponent rating: 30.8]

09/29   vs Holy Trinity Episcopal (Melbourne, FL) [opponent rating: 3.1]

10/13   at Camden County (Kingsland, GA) [opponent rating: 31.4]

10/20   vs Tift County (Tifton, GA) [opponent rating: 41.8]

10/27   at Lowndes (Valdosta, GA) [opponent rating: 68.7]

 

 

[Rufus69]

53 minutes ago, ORabidOne said:

I can get to the stadium lickety split! BUT, from the Rabmobile to the top row of the HAWG POUND, is a swine of another color! Perhaps, with all that money we saved when Vista paid their own way! We can afford an elevator like LEGION KAT has at Weinnersvile?

Rab...our EX-Superintendent...Leonard McCoy....still owes me an escalator on the Home side.  And not wanting to hurt your feelings...but I'd rather we got that in first...(Smile).  I'll tell you like it is...the only way our pal Legion would take the job at Bazemore-Hyder was if they put in an elevator.  I've been in that Penthouse Suite and I'm here to say outloud...IT IS NICE !!!!

Wouldn't it be great to have a few pesos so we could get running water and indoor restrooms in the Hawg Pen?  If we didn't hafta pay it all to those durn teachers....we might could even travel occasionally.

Just one of them things.....

 

 

Rufus>>

[ORabidOne]

12 hours ago, Rufus69 said:

Rab...what the Tift?

You can't afford the Moultrie Observer !!!!

Are you and Mr. Brown e-mail pals?

 

 

Rufus>>

Could you kindly tell the Alien that it's not NICE to laugh at the elderly? If he's not careful, he'll be going to TIFTON for sure!

[ORabidOne]

5 hours ago, HawgGoneIt said:

Not 100% sure which articles you were trying to post, but the link you were attempting was from a pretty old story, so I added a couple of more recent ones that brought mention of the defense... and then of course the most recent which included some props for the offense also. FINALLY. 

WELL, it's still FACTUAL, is it NOT?

[ORabidOne]

3 hours ago, Rufus69 said:

Rab...our EX-Superintendent...Leonard McCoy....still owes me an escalator on the Home side.  And not wanting to hurt your feelings...but I'd rather we got that in first...(Smile).  I'll tell you like it is...the only way our pal Legion would take the job at Bazemore-Hyder was if they put in an elevator.  I've been in that Penthouse Suite and I'm here to say outloud...IT IS NICE !!!!

Wouldn't it be great to have a few pesos so we could get running water and indoor restrooms in the Hawg Pen?  If we didn't hafta pay it all to those durn teachers....we might could even travel occasionally.

Just one of them things.....

 

 

Rufus>>

Teachers have eNOUGH money already! Give um more, and they'll jist piss it away, like your boy Bernie would!

As an aside, one of two things may be in the works, as to why no escalator! Either you'll be a settin on the VISITOR'S side in the future! Or, you may be a setting in new digs on "DOC" Darbyshire Rd.