Portal head football coach Justin Chester remembers it well. During the week leading up to his team's regular season finale with Jenkins County, the Panthers and the Portal athletic program were dealt a blow they never saw coming.
The play was 29 buck sweep, and running back Octavious Rawls took the ball around the left end on a play the team had run countless times. When Clayton Williams (the starting running back filling it at defensive back) went to make the tackle, his knee buckled. The MCL and ACL on Williams' right knee tore, and his prep football career was done.
"It broke our hearts," said Chester. "We all just kind of stood there in shock for a moment. He was having a great year, helped us get to the playoffs, and now he wouldn't even get to play in the playoffs."
Williams, a senior, was also a member of the PHS basketball team. His prep hoops career also ended on that one play in November. Rawls would take his place as the starting running back for the remainder of the football season.
"I was very disappointed," said Williams. "I knew I wasn't going to play football or basketball again this season. It really hurt."
Enter senior Marquan Jackson.
Jackson was already in position to be the starting point guard for the Panthers this season, but Williams would have added much needed depth on the PHS bench. With Williams out, Jackson's minutes and responsibility quickly became that much more important.
"I knew it was a bad thing," said Jackson of Williams' injury. "Clayton's a good player and knew how to set up the offense, so I knew I had to step up."
Jackson has stepped up, averaging 11.2 points and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 67 percent from the line for the 14-4 Panthers.
"He's another coach on the floor," said PHS head coach Jeff Brannen. "He's the one that directs all the traffic and runs the offensive sets. He's doing a good job of distributing the ball and getting the ball to the players in a position where they can score."
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Jackson lost 35 pounds in the Spring of 2006 running cross country. He worked over the summer to adapt from the two-guard position into the court general he has become today. He's been noticed by some smaller college programs and Brannen believes he's capable of playing at the next level.
"I always wanted to play the two (guard), but I was just never taught" said Jackson. "I'm still learning (the point guard) — a whole lot."
Jackson said he doesn't care about scoring and his play backs that up. Like any good point guard, the senior knows when it's his turn to shoot. He was quick to say he'd rather have the assist any day. Playing with two of the area's better big men, Fred Williams and Mario Farris, doesn't hurt either.
"Without them, shoot, things might be horrible," said Jackson. "Fred's an awesome shooter and Mario's a beast down low. Helping Mario and Fred score, that's what I'm out there to do."
Clayton had been the point guard for the Panthers for the past three years. He said it's tough to be in the stands during Portal's contests.
"It's painful to come to games and watch the team play," he said. "But I still come to root 'em on and be a team player... even though I'm not playing."
Brannen empathized with his injured student.
"As a former player, you know, you just feel bad for him," said Brannen. "A player that's played three years, then he gets hurt his senior year. ..."
Clayton has been watching the Panthers jump out to a 6-2 region start and will no doubt be in attendance tonight as the PHS steps out of region play to host Statesboro at 7:30 p.m. He's rehabbing his knee and hopes to be ready to go in time for baseball season, where he's the Panthers centerfielder and lead-off man.
The play was 29 buck sweep, and running back Octavious Rawls took the ball around the left end on a play the team had run countless times. When Clayton Williams (the starting running back filling it at defensive back) went to make the tackle, his knee buckled. The MCL and ACL on Williams' right knee tore, and his prep football career was done.
"It broke our hearts," said Chester. "We all just kind of stood there in shock for a moment. He was having a great year, helped us get to the playoffs, and now he wouldn't even get to play in the playoffs."
Williams, a senior, was also a member of the PHS basketball team. His prep hoops career also ended on that one play in November. Rawls would take his place as the starting running back for the remainder of the football season.
"I was very disappointed," said Williams. "I knew I wasn't going to play football or basketball again this season. It really hurt."
Enter senior Marquan Jackson.
Jackson was already in position to be the starting point guard for the Panthers this season, but Williams would have added much needed depth on the PHS bench. With Williams out, Jackson's minutes and responsibility quickly became that much more important.
"I knew it was a bad thing," said Jackson of Williams' injury. "Clayton's a good player and knew how to set up the offense, so I knew I had to step up."
Jackson has stepped up, averaging 11.2 points and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 67 percent from the line for the 14-4 Panthers.
"He's another coach on the floor," said PHS head coach Jeff Brannen. "He's the one that directs all the traffic and runs the offensive sets. He's doing a good job of distributing the ball and getting the ball to the players in a position where they can score."
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Jackson lost 35 pounds in the Spring of 2006 running cross country. He worked over the summer to adapt from the two-guard position into the court general he has become today. He's been noticed by some smaller college programs and Brannen believes he's capable of playing at the next level.
"I always wanted to play the two (guard), but I was just never taught" said Jackson. "I'm still learning (the point guard) — a whole lot."
Jackson said he doesn't care about scoring and his play backs that up. Like any good point guard, the senior knows when it's his turn to shoot. He was quick to say he'd rather have the assist any day. Playing with two of the area's better big men, Fred Williams and Mario Farris, doesn't hurt either.
"Without them, shoot, things might be horrible," said Jackson. "Fred's an awesome shooter and Mario's a beast down low. Helping Mario and Fred score, that's what I'm out there to do."
Clayton had been the point guard for the Panthers for the past three years. He said it's tough to be in the stands during Portal's contests.
"It's painful to come to games and watch the team play," he said. "But I still come to root 'em on and be a team player... even though I'm not playing."
Brannen empathized with his injured student.
"As a former player, you know, you just feel bad for him," said Brannen. "A player that's played three years, then he gets hurt his senior year. ..."
Clayton has been watching the Panthers jump out to a 6-2 region start and will no doubt be in attendance tonight as the PHS steps out of region play to host Statesboro at 7:30 p.m. He's rehabbing his knee and hopes to be ready to go in time for baseball season, where he's the Panthers centerfielder and lead-off man.
