Gamecocks overwhelm Portal 47-20 on Homecoming
In a game that most figured to be close, the Screven County football Gamecocks scored on their first three opening quarter possessions en route to an easy 47-20 rout of visiting Portal’s Panthers in a battle of teams that came in at 0-6 each.
Played at Kelly Memorial Stadium on Oct. 15, the contest was the annual SCHS Homecoming and became the 15th consecutive win in such contests for the Red and White.
Their first win under their belt, the Roosters — now 1-3 in Region 3A — will make their first-ever football trip to Darien this Friday, Oct. 22, to face McIntosh County Academy in another region contest. The Buccaneers, who stand at 2-4-1 overall and 2-2 in region play, are coming off back-to-back losses to the top teams in 3A- ECI and Metter.
The first quarter absolutely set the tone for the night.
During the first 12 minutes, Portal’s offense totaled minus 3 yards (including a 14-yard run) on 11 snaps with three punts that averaged just 27 yards. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks had scoring drives of 34, 53 and 44 as the quarter ended with the Red and White leading 20-0. Isaiah Chappel (13-87) scored two of his five rushing touchdowns in the first, while Timothy Frank (9-37) took an 18-yard scoring toss from Chase Hart (12-13-1, 113 yards). Frank added a rushing score later.
Hart (7-74) also had a 34-yard run and TaCorey Grant a 24-yard punt return in the stanza. Jakob Godbee ended the night 5-7 on PATs.
After rolling up what turned into a 33-6 halftime lead, the Gamecocks of Ron Duncan played keep-away in the second half. Starting with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive that used exactly one half of the third period clock, the home team eventually possessed the ball for 11:10 of that third period and 17:58 of the second half. Portal returned a kick for a score on the last play of the third and scored on the final play of the game with the SCHS starters long gone.
The Dirty Bird defense allowed Portal 81 total yards on 33 plays and recorded a pair of fumble recovers (Frank and Dylaun Adams) and one interception (Jaylen Shefton). In the first quarter alone they recorded five negative yardage plays. With PHS having so few snaps (11 of the 33 were incomplete passes), tackle numbers were not so high. Vasquez Lonon was in on seven (3-4) with Brandon Smith (3-1), Shefton (3-1) and Michael Boyd (1-3) being in on four each.
For the first time since the season opening loss to Hephzibah, when school had been closed for two weeks with no practices, the offensive line was basically intact. Danny Thompson, Jonathan Peedin, Colby Lariscy, Jemiah Stewart and Luke McFarland were all there.
With his 12-13-1 night, Hart -- who totaled 186 yard rushing and passing -- hit six different receivers including three each to Grant, Frank and Jared Dixon.
Chappel’s five scores in a game equaled the record held by a quartet of First Team All State performers. Audrell Grace and Michael Cooper did it twice each, while Jeremy Johnson and Gary Hawkins are the others.
