TIFTON — Griffin Collier is on the brink of history.

Collier, a senior quarterback at Tift County High, has 4,305 career yards entering tonight’s contest with Cook, just shy of breaking a mark set 20 years ago by Worth Bowers.

“He’s 42-43 yards short,” said Tift head coach Ashley Anders.

Bowers threw for 4,347 yards from 1994-97 as Blue Devils quarterback. Until last year, Bowers also held the single-season passing mark with 2,323 yards, set during his senior year in 1997. Collier broke the record in the Oct. 20 game against Colquitt County, then finished with 2,615 yards for the season.

If Collier, as expected, sets the new mark tonight against Cook, there will be a special guest there to congratulate him.

Anders invited Bowers to the game and Bowers has accepted.

“Coach Anders reached out to me,” said Bowers.

The plan, said Anders, is once Collier gets the necessary yards is “to stop the game and call [Collier’s] name out.”

Bowers said he was surprised the record stood this long, considering that offense in football has shifted more to passing.

But, he said, “I think if anyone’s going to break the record, it’s Griffin.”

The connections between the two run deep.

Collier’s father, Mike Collier, was coached by Emmett Bowers, Worth’s father, in high school. When Mike, now a coach, moved back to Tifton, Worth said he was tasked with helping to lift furniture.

He has had a few chances to see Collier play.

“I’ve seen him the last two years,” he said. Seeing Collier in action, Bowers thought he had a shot at the record.

Before Bowers held the career passing record, it belonged to Ken Hobby.

Hobby threw for 4,245 yards from 1978-80.

Bowers broke Hobby’s record in his final game as a player, with 211 passing yards against Parkview in the 1997 state finals.

“I don’t really remember when I did it,” said Bowers. “I kind of had an idea.”

Bowers doesn’t have any memories seeing Hobby in action. They do have an interesting connection.

Tift County reached the state finals in 1979. Bowers was born the night of the championship game against Clarke Central.

The real focus for Bowers and the Blue Devils in 1997 was their state finals run. Tift lost their first two Region 1-AAAA games during the regular season. Though they were only a No. 3 seed going into state, they had won five straight games and were rolling.

Four more wins came in state, including a defeat of top-ranked Brookwood in the semifinals at the Georgia Dome.

“To roll off nine wins in a row,” said Bowers.

While Tift did not win the state crown in 1997, Bowers picked up multiple honors.

The Associated Press named him the Player of the Year for Class AAAA, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named him the classification Offensive Player of the Year, the Macon Touchdown Club named him the AAAA Player of the Year and he was the Texaco Scholar Athlete, which was presented at the Peach Bowl.

Following his career with the Blue Devils, Bowers walked on at the University of Georgia.

He ultimately did not play for the Bulldogs, but described his time with the squad as “a good experience.”

“It took a much better athlete to play at that level.”

Bowers’ quarterback contemporaries at UGA included Cory Phillips, Nate Hybl and Quincy Carter. Hybl ultimately transferred to Oklahoma and he and Carter were both picked up by NFL squads.

After football, Bowers focused on academics. He is now Dr. Worth Bowers, an anesthesiologist in Valdosta. Bowers and his wife, Ashley, have three children, Ellie, Emma and Mack.