The Portal Panthers are currently ranked No. 8 in the state and are battling for another region title. Coach Jeff Brannen has only two seniors on this year’s squad and has been counting on his junior class, as well as a few underclassmen, to pull them through. 

Junior David Thomas made an impact as a freshman, but missed last year due to an injury. He is now averaging over 15 points a game and is continuing to progress.

  “It's taking him a little bit of time to get back to the speed of the game since his ACL injury,” Brannen said. “He's a consistent scorer who can handle the ball and he's very versatile. When he was a freshman, he was a small piece of the puzzle and now he’s a big piece so that has been a transition.”

  “It's been great to be back on the court helping my teammates,” Thomas said. “This year has been a chance to prove myself and be a leader on the court and off. Coming off my injury I have just kept on working every day, trying to be better for my team.”