MOULTRIE – For the second year in a row, Colquitt County boys basketball coach Andy Harden has led his team to a first-round state tournament home game.

It will be a difficult challenge to repeat last year’s victory over Kennesaw Mountain when the Packers play host to Westlake at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on the William Bryant Court.

As the Region 1-7A runners-up, the Packers will enjoy the opportunity to again play its tournament opener in their home gymnasium against a No. 3 seed.

And although the Lions failed to reach the Region 2 championship and have just a 14-13 record, they are a formidable No. 3, Harden says.

“That whole region is loaded,” Harden said. “The top four teams are very, very good.”

He said that Region 2 champion Pebblebrook and runner-up Wheeler are smaller, but Westlake has the size.

The Lions can send out a starting five that includes players 6-1, 6-4, 6-3, 6-8 and 6-10.

The 6-10 freshman Franklyn Anselem doesn’t always start, Harden said, but he plays plenty.

“We won’t be able to match up with them, but they have to match up with us on the other end,” Harden said.

The Packers can overcome the height disadvantage, Harden said, but will have to excel at three things to do it.

“We have to win the transition game, take good shots and limit them to one shot,” he said. “If we can do that, we can put ourselves in a position to win.

“We won’t be as talented as Westlake. We’ll just have to play our game and make adjustments. And our kids will play hard. That has never been an issue.”

Leading that transition game and making sure the Packers take those good shots is Region 1 Player of the Year and All-State guard Cameron Singletary.

He has not been intimidated by any defense during his career as one of the top Packers ever and will take a 22.9 point a game average into Saturday’s game against the Lions.

Singletary, also a college prospect as football player after helping lead the Packers to the state championship game last December, has been a driving force behind the boys basketball team’s unprecedented success the last two seasons and has scored more than 1,000 points in his career.

The 2016-2017 Packers went 22-7, tying for the most victories in school history. Their win over Kennesaw Mountain last February was the first Moultrie/Colquitt County Packer playoff victory since Feb. 27, 1953, and was the first home playoff game in Colquitt County High history.

The Packers will take a 14-9 record into Saturday’s game in what is the second year of what many believe is a rebirth of the boys basketball program.

Again, by qualifying for the postseason the Packers are getting the additional work that does nothing but help build the program.

“I’ve 17 kids out here getting an extra week of practice,” Harden points out. “And we’ve got some very, very good young kids. We are excited about our future.”

Harden also continues to praise the work of the seniors who have been so instrumental in building the program the last two years: Singletary, Nizarre Thompson, Quinton Dopson, Jy Andrews, Kaleb Dawson and Jarvis Christopher.

“They’ve poured a lot of hard work into this program,” he said.

Indeed, Harden points out, it is a credit to all the players in the program that the Packers are still playing.

“Our success is a testament to their work ethic,” he said. “The kids take pride in it. We have got a lot of good kids … good kids both on and off the court.”

Harden said the Packers have had a good week of practice and are looking forward to playing at home.

“We’re hoping for a great turnout, especially for these six seniors,” he said.

If the Packers can get by the Lions, they will advance to meet the winner of the game between Region 3 champion McEachern and Walton. If Colquitt and Walton win, the Packers will play a second-round game at home.

In the other first-round games featuring Region 1 teams, league champion Tift County will play host to Campbell and No. 3 Lowndes will travel to Wheeler.

No. 4 Camden County did not qualify for the tournament. Collins Hill received the at-large berth instead.