MOULTRIE – Colquitt County head football coach Sean Calhoun and Packers wide receiver Ny Carr were members of the East team in the All-American Bowl held Jan. 6, in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
The West team, which led 24-7 at the half, held on for a 31-28 victory.
Calhoun was on the East team’s staff that was led by head coach Bryant Appling of Buford High.
Of this and that:
• Former Packer Ryan Fitzgerald has announced he will return for the 2024 season as the kicker for the Florida State football team.
The Lou Groza Award semi-finalist ended the 2023 season 19-for-21 on field goal tries, the third-best single-season field goal percentage in Florida State history (.905).
The red-shirt junior led the ACC with 58 extra points and 77 total kicks made. Fitzgerald’s season-long field goal was 48 yards, which he did twice. His 58 PATs were the fourth-highest single-season total in program history.
Fitzgerald kicked a career-high three field goals in FSU’s ACC Championship Game victory over Louisville. Fitzgerald also served as the Seminoles’ kickoff man the last two seasons. This season, he produced 56 touchbacks on 86 kicks. He’s the first FSU kicker with multiple seasons of 57 successful extra points. He is 115/116 on PATs over the last two seasons.
• Florida Atlantic offensive lineman Kamaar Bell has entered the NCAA transfer portal.
It marks the second time Bell has entered the portal after having transferred from Auburn to Florida Atlantic.
Bell spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons at Auburn.
The former three-star recruit from Colquitt County started at guard in every game for the Owls last season and has started multiple games in each of his three seasons at FAU.
• Former Colquitt County assistant coach Travis Pearson has been retained on Gerad Parker’s first staff at Troy University.
He coached the cornerbacks the last two seasons.
Pearson was the Packers’ defensive coordinator from 2010 to 2012.
• Glenville (W.Va.) State wide receiver Orion Bonner has been named to the All-Mountain East Conference second team.
The 5-8 wide receiver from Colquitt County led the Pioneers in receiving with 489 yards on 39 catches and three touchdowns in 2023. He had four games of 60 or more receiving yards including a season-high 106 receiving yards against West Liberty.
Bonner has entered the NCAA transfer portal.
• Hunter Kebler was third on 3-meter and fourth on 1-meter as Auburn’s men’s swimming and diving team fell to Georgia on Saturday 186-114 at Auburn.
• Georgia’s Nolan Lewis was 10th on 3-meter in last weekend’s Tennessee Diving Invitational.