Portal hasn't had much luck against Screven County recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Panthers will face off against the Gamecocks at 7:30 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
It was a proper cat-fight when Portal challenged Claxton on Friday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 35-12 win. That 23 point margin sets a new team best for the Panthers this season.
A big part of Portal's victory came down to the chemistry between Gideon Fulcher and his top target Zeke Percell. Fulcher threw for 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine passes while Percell gained 98 total yards and two touchdowns.
Portal was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 207 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Screven County strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 40-6 win over Savannah. Given the Gamecocks' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 174th, while the Bluejackets are ranked 430th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Portal better focus on containing AB Hilton and Demarko Ward as the pair were huge in Screven County's win. Hilton rushed for 122 yards and two TDs while picking up 7.2 yards per carry, while Ward rushed for 76 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries. Ward has been hot recently, having also posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last four times he's played.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Screven County's defense and their three sacks. Casey Johnson refused to say out of the backfield, picking up a sack all by himself.
Portal's record is now 3-5. As for Screven County, their record now sits at 8-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Portal has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 189.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Screven County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 289.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Portal came up short against Screven County when the teams last played back in October of 2024, falling 26-21. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
