PORTAL - A dominant second half performance propelled Portal into the second round of the state playoffs following a 41-6 defeat of Glascock County High School Friday night.

KJ Hunter scored three touchdowns and ran for 11 yards to pace the Panthers offense that put up nearly 300 yards on the ground for Portal’s first playoff win in three years.

“I’m very proud of our second half performance,” said Portal Head Coach Jason McEachin. “The bright spot is our adjustments at halftime and how we played in the second half. We could have gotten frustrated with how were were doing in the first half but the guys didn’t. The bowed up late in the first half to get a stop and then we came out in the third quarter and played extremely well in all three phases.”

Glascock took the opening kickoff and embarked on a 64 yard drive that took almost nine minutes off the clock. Portal’s defense had opportunities to get the Glasscock offense off the field, but Glasscock converted two third downs and three fourth downs to keep the drive alive.

Keaton Downs would cap off the drive on a fourth down run of two yards to give the visitors a 6-0 lead. However, Portal was able to stop the two-point conversion to keep Glascock from extending their lead.

Portal would respond on their first possession of the game by marching 50 yards on just six plays. Hunter would tie the game up on the first of his three scores, a 16 yard run that saw him make a defender miss in the backfield and then slice up the middle of the Glascock defense and find paydirt. 

Hayden Scott’s PAT gave Portal the lead 7-6 near the end of the first quarter.

Portal would force a fumble on Glascock County’s next possession on a fumbled snap that Charles Weaver at midfield. 

Back to back holding calls would put an end to Portal’s drive but a punt pinned Glascock County back at their own four yard line.

Glascock County would set off on another long drive, moving to the Portal 10 yard line in 15 plays, but Portal was able to stop the visitors on pass plays on third and fourth down to take over at their 11 with 49 seconds remaining.

Portal lined up for a trick play and Zeke Percell would wind up with the ball and raced 89 yards for an apparent touchdown, but a holding call back at the 25 yard line would negate the score and led to McEachin being livid with the officials for the call. 

“We call that play ‘Tiny Man’ and it’s a recycled play we ran earlier this year and scored on Bryan County with it,” McEachin said. “It worked perfectly right there, but they called us on a hold.”

“It’s been good for us and it should have been a touchdown right there in my opinion, but the referee felt otherwise,” he said.”

After one more play for no gain, Portal went into halftime with a 7-6 lead.

Portal would come out firing in the second half, needing only four plays to go 60 yards on the opening possession of the second half. Percell would get his touchdown this time, taking an option pitch from quarterback Omad Thomas and racing 32 yards for the score. Scott again added the PAT to extend the Panthers’ lead to 14-6.

After holding Glascock County to three and outs on their next two possessions, Portal would take over at the 40 yard line. Hunter would account for 35 yards on the short drive, including a six-yard score to finish the drive to extend Portal’s lead to 21-6.

“We had to make a couple of adjustments in our defensive front in how were were aligning and some of the calls we were making to handle what they were hurting us with in the first half,” McEachin said of the halftime adjustments. 

“Offensively it was just getting into the right formations where we could get them set and find our angles and that’s what we did with the opening drive of the third quarter. We just took advantage of what they were giving us,” he said.

Glascock County would mount a long drive down to the Panther 10, but Portal’s defense would stop them on fourth down to take over at their own 11 yard line.

Seven plays later, Hunter would add his third touchdown of the night on a 17 yard run up the middle. That would come one play after Thomas found Percell on a 49-yard pass play to set up Hunter’s touchdown.

On the ensuing kickoff, Scott’s high, short kick bounced in front of a Glascock County returner, who let it bounce but didn’t pick it up and let it roll as though it was a punt. Portal gladly accepted the gift and three plays later senior Joshua Coleman ran it in from one-yard out to put Portal ahead 35-6 after Scott’s fifth PAT of the night.

The Panthers would add one more touchdown late by Tucker Lee to finish off the win.

The playoff win was just the second of McEachin’s career and first since 2023 for Portal.

“It’s very gratifying. Six years as a head coach now and only my second win the the playoffs as a head coach. I want to soak it in,” he said. It was made even more special for him as he got to experience the win with his son, Jase, a sophomore linebacker on the team. “I’m going to soak it in and enjoy it. I know they’re hard to come by.”

Portal advances to face seventh seeded Macon County who defeated Early County 35-7 on Friday.

“I know they’ve got a really good record. They’re 9-1 coming in to tonight, but other than that, I don’t know a whole lot about them. I intentionally tried not to look ahead  and really focus on this week, but I know they’re really good and they come out of a tough region so I know it’s going to be a tough task just based on that information alone.”

McEachin said the playoff win was big for Portal not only because they’re one of the last 16 teams remaining, but also because of the benefits of additional time with his players.

“It’s critical,” he said. “On top of the success in this season, it’s another week you get to work with your younger guys and develop your players and build expectations that this is who we are. This is what we’re going to do. You just increase the belief and the expectation in your (team) culture that this is what we’re trying to do.”

Kickoff time against Macon County on Friday was not available at the time this story was published.