Head coach Jason McEachin and Portal fans were left shaking their heads following a 48-14 loss at the hands of Jenkins County on Friday.
“It’s hard to beat anybody doing that, especially a team you’re comfortable with and comparable with athletically,” said McEachin. “You got to do all that stuff right and we didn’t.”
Jenkins County simply outplayed the Panthers in every facet of the game, so much so that a running clock was incorporated for the majority of the second halt.
The War Eagles accumulated 403 total yards, 310 of which came in the first half alone as they opened up a 48-7 lead prior to halftime.
Jenkins County running back Rob-travious Coney stole the show for the War Eagles as he recorded 94 yards and two touchdowns.
Not to be overshadowed, senior back Damion Carter put together a strong performance of his own, recording 121 yards and a touchdown.
The War Eagles stifled the Portal offense all night, holding the Panthers to just 207 yards, many coming after the game was in hand.
“They played a different defensive front than what we expected,” said McEachin. “But it was something we’ve seen before, it shouldn’t have blown us like it did.”
For all their struggles on both sides of the ball, the Panthers shot themselves in the foot just as many times. Numerous self-inflicted penalties such as false starts and offsides forced Portal into a handful of uncomfortable situations.
“Maybe at practice we’re too focused on getting reps in and not too focused on the amount of details,” said McEachin. “Like we talked about coming into this week, we got to quit beating ourselves and that’s exactly what we went out there and did.”
The slight defensive change seemingly confused Portal quarterback Elijah Coleman, who saw his first action since an early-season injury. Coleman was sacked three times and forced into numerous negative plays and an interception by the swarming War Eagle defense.
Despite his struggles, Coleman showed flashes of his explosive talent. The sophomore signal caller recorded 71 yards and a touchdown on the ground to go along with his 123 yards and a touchdown in the passing game.
“He’s got a lot of the tools and abilities to do the things we want out of our quarterback position,” said McEachin. “You see flashes and then you see stuff where he’s still got to continue to grow and develop his understanding of the game.”
After the brutal loss, Portal falls to 0-6 on the season and their current losing streak was extended to 16 games.
The Panthers will be back in action in two weeks, when they travel to take on the winless Screven County Gamecocks. The matchup of the winless teams will likely be the deciding factor in who finishes last in the region standings.
