Colquitt County at North Gwinnett: Live Score Updates from this Clash of Georgia Powers

North Gwinnett, ranked No. 13 in this week’s Georgia Top 25 High School Football Rankings, won a low scoring battle, 14-3, in this match-up last year, becoming the first team since 2017 to hold Colquitt County, ranked No. 18 this week, without a touchdown in a contest.

Both teams have had two weeks to prepare for this contest, as each had a bye last week. Colquitt Count defeated Benedictine, 27-24, in its opener, while North Gwinnett lost to No. 4 Douglas County, 21-7.

Play High School On SI’s Pick ‘Em and choose who you think will win below.

SUWANEE, GA. — Coaches often say that whoever wins the battle in the trenches also wins the football game. That statement couldn’t have been more true for North Gwinnett on Friday night.

Perhaps inspired by the gutsy play of backup quarterback Banks Halcomb, North Gwinnett dominated the line of scrimmage in the second half to pull away from Colquitt County, 21-7, in a battle of Class 6A powers on a cool evening in northeastern Georgia. Superb play by the Bulldogs’ men up front — Joshua Jones (6-foot-3, 275), Christian O’Dell (5-10, 265) and Jacob Bayer (6-4, 300), among others — paved the way for Halcomb to throw two touchdown passes and Kalil Mazone, Stephen Brown and Wilson Taylor Jr., to have solid games on the ground.

The schools were tied 7-7 at halftime as both offenses struggled to finish drives. Colquitt took a 7-0 lead on a 23-yard TD pass from Cohen Lawson to Ameir Knighton, and North Gwinnett got a 21-yard TD pass from Halcomb to Brown — both in the second quarter.

But the second half was a different story as North Gwinnett asserted its will in the final two quarters. Halcomb threw a 24-yard TD pass on a blitz to Braylon Jackson on the first series of the second half, and then Taylor ripped off an impressive 22-yard TD run with 9:14 left in the game, spinning away from four defenders on the way to the end zone.

“We definitely had to come out more aggressive,” Jackson told an Atlanta News First reporter after the game. “They punched us in the mouth in the first quarter. We just had to respond.”

Despite the loss, Colquitt County running back Jae Lamar, a Georgia commit, slashed and dashed his way to more than 100 yards rushing.

This marked the second consecutive year that North Gwinnett (1-1) defeated Colquitt County (1-1).

Pregame

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Colquitt County

RB Jae Lamar – Georgia commit who had more than 1,000 total yards in 2024

QB Cohen Lawson

WR Antwan Lockett

WR Na’ryan Sumlin

LB Brayden Ruis

S/CB Alfonso McNeil

DB Markeverin Graham

QB Elam Rahman

ATH/RB/LB Kalil Mazone

RB Evan Hawkins

LB Jake Godfree – 4-star junior

WR Braylon Jackson

Ath Max Patterson

DE Connor Coxwell

CB/FS Chauncey Davis, Jr.

1st Quarter

Colquitt County takes first-half kickoff and converts 4th-down on big 28-yard run by Georgia commit Jae Lamar, but then QB Cohen Lawson throws incomplete pass later on 4th down for turnover on downs, No score.

North Gwinnett on the march, converting two 4th-down plays.

SACKED: Colquitt County’s Nyneson Jeudy Jr. sacks North Gwinnett QB Elam Rahman. No score

STOPPED: North Gwinnett attempts 48-yard FG but it’s short and there is a 5-yard penalty. NG then stopped on pass and turnover on downs.

END OF FIRST QUARTER: Colquitt County 0, North Gwinnett 0

2nd Quarter

COLQUITT COUNTY RB Jae Lamar, a Georgia commit, explodes up middle and down the sidelines for 24-yard run to put the Packers at the North Gwinnett 18-yard line! No score.

TOUCHDOWN! Cohen Lawson throws 23-yard TD strike to Ameir Knighton on drag route with 10:54 left in 2Q. PAT good. Colquitt County 7, North Gwinnett 0.

Colquitt County forces 3 and out.

North Gwinnett forces Colquitt County to punt out of its end zone but punter flips field nicely!

STOPPED: Colquitt County LB Zach Palmore makes big stop on pass completion, forcing another punt! CC leads North Gwinnett, 7-0.

Both teams fighting it out defensively. North Gwinnett forces punt. Colquitt County 7, North Gwinnett 0, with 4:46 left in 2Q.

TOUCHDOWN! North Gwinnett QB Banks Holcomb connects with Stephen Brown on 21-yard catch-and-run for a score! PAT good. North Gwinnett 7, Colquitt County 7, with 53 seconds left in 2Q.

FIRST HALF ENDS: Colquitt County QB Cohen Lawson runs and passes the Packers to midfield with time running out, but 15-yard penalty hurts their progress and time runs out. Colquitt County 7, North Gwinnett 7

3rd Quarter

TOUCHDOWN! North Gwinnett backup QB Banks Holcomb does it again, escaping blitz to throw 24-yard TD pass to Braylon Jackson with 8:43 left in 3Q! Bulldogs take lead for first time, leading Colquitt County, 14-7!

RUNNING WILD: Georgia commit Jae Lamar has surpassed 100 yards for the night as Colquitt County continues to drive in the third quarter.

NORTH GWINNETT sophomore RB Stephen Brown pounding the rock for the Bulldogs! But Colquitt County defense holds, forces punt.

NORTH GWINNETT linebacker Jake Godfree big stop on Colquitt County star RB Jae Lamar!

END OF THIRD QUARTER: North Gwinnett 14, Colquitt County 7

4th Quarter

TOUCHDOWN! Wilson Taylor Jr. rips off electriifying 28-yard TD run, using multiple spin moves to escape 4 tacklers and hit the end zone! North Gwinnett 21, Colquitt County 7 with 9:14 remaining!

BIG RUN by Colquitt County QB Cohen Lawson, and then 15-yard penalty on North Gwinnett for late hit. Packers on the move inside NGHS 30-yard line.,

COLQUITT COUNTY on the march behind RB Jae Lamar, a Georgia commit, and QB Cohen Lawson. Inside North Gwinnett 15-yard line.

Colquitt County RB Jae Lamar carries the ball to North Gwinnett 4-yard line. Time runmning out as NGHS leads 21-7. Monster game for the Georgia commit!

STOPPED! North Gwinnett forces turnover on downs after 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty and incomplete pass sails out of the end zone on 4th down. NG leads Colquitt County, 21-87 with less than 4 minutes remaining.

HUGE 42-yard run by Kalil Mazone puts North Gwinnett deep into Colquitt County territory! NGHS leads 21-7 with time running out,

NORTH GWINNETT gets monster performance from O-linemen Joshua Jones, Christian O’Dell and Jacob Bayer, among others, to help the Bulldogs pound the rock in the second half and take control of the game! NGHS 21, Colquitt County 7 is the final,

FINAL SCORE: North Gwinnett 21, Colquitt County 7