Portland West prevails again
PORTLAND The Portland East Middle School football team held its own during the early portion of Tuesday evening’s game with cross-town rival Portland West.
However, once Portland West got going, it rolled to a 42-6 victory over Portland East at Edgar Johnson Stadium.
“It started going our way,” Portland West head coach Kyle Lane said. “The sweep got us big gains. Once we got the sweep, the inside game got going. That’s our game. Then, we get into a flow and a rhythm.”
The two teams played in a jamboree on Aug. 14, with Portland West (3-0 overall, 1-0 in the Sumner County Conference East Division) finishing with a 24-0 lead in just one quarter of play.
However, Tuesday’s contest was tied until Portland West scored 16 points over the final three minutes of the first half.
“I’ll take this team against anybody in the county in the first half,” Portland East head coach Judd said of his team’s effort. “We were toe to toe with them. I don’t think they expected that.”
Portland East’s Dustin Settle recovered a muffed punt early on, and Portland East's Christian Conrad recovered a fumble on Portland West’s first possession, with each turnover giving Portland East the football in Portland West territory. However, Portland East (0-3, 0-1) couldn’t score following the Portland West miscues, with the second opportunity ending when Portland West’s Russell Romohr recovered a fumble.
“We just couldn’t get those first couple of turnovers in the end zone,” Judd said. “The same thing happened last week against Ellis (in a 36-8 loss).”
Portland West’s Dairius Bell had a 55-yard punt return midway through the second stanza that led to Caleb Mandrell’s 1-yard touchdown plunge.
Then, the two teams traded interceptions, with Romohr picking off a pass before Portland East’s Quintin Fowler made a leaping interception. Fowler returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.
However, that 6-6 tie was short-lived as Bell ripped off a 51-yard touchdown run on the third play of the ensuing possession, followed by quarterback Samari Patton’s successful conversion run.
“We were trying to milk the clock in the first half,” Judd said. “Our guys were tired.
“We just ran out of gas. It’s been a problem all year.”
In the final minute of the half, Patton intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards for another score.
Bell’s successful conversion run created a 22-6 lead at halftime.
“We did not play with any focus,” Lane – whose squad has won five of the seven meetings between the two programs (including the last three) – said. “Attention to detail is another way to put it.
“(My) hat’s off to East. They took us out of our game plan.”
Patton had a 46-yard touchdown run on the opening possession of the first half, and Bell broke free for scoring runs of 32 and 28 yards in the second half.
Mandrell provided a successful conversion run following Patton’s second touchdown.
Portland East’s Kolbe Parker came up with a fumble recovery on the final play of the game, the game’s seventh turnover.
“I’ve never seen a team with as much heart,” Judd said of his squad. “I’m so proud of them.”
Portland West plays at Ellis on Tuesday, while Portland East hosts Station Camp.
Reach Craig Harris at 615-575-7138 or on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.
