Letdown after 2023 region championship motivating Panthers in 2025

2025 Football Preview: Portal

Portal's Brian McQueen hauls in a pass against Jenkins County in a matchup last September. (SCOTT BRYANT/file)

PORTAL_FOOTBALL_090624_106 w.jpg — Portal's Brian McQueen hauls in a pass against Jenkins County in a matchup last September. (SCOTT BRYANT/file)

Portal Panther Head Coach Jason McEachin is hoping to get his team back to the playoffs after missing the postseason in 2024.

The Panthers won their first region title in school history in 2023, going 7-3 in the regular season before falling in the second round of the playoffs. Last season saw the Panthers struggle, going 4-6 on the campaign, but McEachin thinks the combination of the success of two years ago and the disappointment of last season will set Portal up for a successful return in 2025.

“Our expectations are to get back to the playoffs,” he said.

PORTAL_FOOTBALL_090624_473 w.jpg — Portal Panthers head coach Jason McEachin (SCOTT BRYANT/file)

“We are bringing back a big group of juniors and seniors, enough lineman and skill guys not to have to start anybody both ways, and that is a huge advantage for us compared to other teams in our region,” he said. “We want to start 22 different players. That’s the goal.”

McEachin said the team is ahead of where they have been in the past at this point in the summer, thanks to being able to hold spring practices for the first time in his tenure as head coach.

“It was huge for us moving into summer,” he said. “It put us ahead of schedule and allowed our new group to get organized and figure out who plays where and gave us time to work on teaching the fundamentals.”

In the past it wasn’t worth holding spring practices, McEachin said, as players were busy with track or baseball, so they opted to hold a second scrimmage game in the fall instead.

“This year, we had our coaches available, and it was a good enough opportunity. I’m glad we did it,” he said.

Another factor McEachin pointed to was the culture that the team has built over the past few years.

“Last year we graduated one football player who played all four years; this year we’ll have 10 who played all four years in high school,” he said. “We’ve developed good relationships and set expectations. They know what to expect. Our seniors and juniors set the tone.

“It matters that we do things the right way. All these guys were on the team two years ago when we won a region championship,” he said. “They know what it takes and that it can be done at Portal.”

081724_BA_PORTAL_FOOTBALL_07 w.jpg — Portal's Brian McQueen, center, slings a pass while under pressure from Bulloch Academy's Josh Mager during the second quarter in the final game of the Erk Russell Classic at Paulson Stadium in 2024. (SCOTT BRYANT/file)

While the Panthers return a strong core of players, they will be searching for a starting quarterback as they enter the season. Sophomore Waylon Martin was the starter in spring practice, but McEachin said Gideon Fulcher, a transfer from Statesboro High, will also be in the mix for the job.

Whoever wins the starting nod will have an experienced line in front of him. Colby Chester, Ethan Lewis and Reid Johnson are all seniors expected to start, with juniors Trey Ellison and Devon Rhodes rounding out the offensive line.

“They’re the anchor of this team for sure — strong veteran leadership and real dependable guys,” McEachin said.

At slot backs, Jason Crawford, Zeke Percell and Max Perz are projected to be the starters, while senior Bryan McQueen and junior Samarion McBride are expected to start the season at wide receiver.

KJ Hunter, who missed his sophomore year due to injury, is slated to start the year at fullback for the Panthers.

“It’ll be a run first, run more offensive philosophy, but I believe in being aggressive in the passing game,” McEachin said. “If teams sell out to stop the run, we’re not afraid to put the ball in the air.”

Defensively, senior Quan Coleman will anchor a defensive line, with Nicholas Newkirk, Trevyon Hatcher and Gavin Halloway up front.

The linebacking corps will feature three new starters for the Panthers, but McEachin feels good about the players in that position. He said Braylon Davis is a “very fast, very strong” middle linebacker, with Josh Coleman and Charles Weaver set to play outside linebacker.

The secondary will likely see Lee Drawdy and Rasheen Jackson at safeties, with returning starters Colby Burroughs and McQueen at cornerbacks.

PORTAL_FOOTBALL_090624_588 w.jpg — Portal's Kobe Burroughs (7) celebrates a Panthers score against Jenkins County last season. (SCOTT BRYANT/file)

Of the projected starters on offense and defense set out by McEachin, only McQueen is listed as a two-way player.

Junior Hayden Scott is expected to handle place-kicking duties for the Panthers, whom McEachin said missed just one PAT in 2024. Long snapper Gavin Holloway is also returning, but there is an open competition for punter.

For the fourth straight season, the Panthers will open the year at Paulson Stadium as part of the Erk Russell Classic, and for the second consecutive season, they’ll face cross-county rival Bulloch Academy, the defending state champions.

“They’re a close-by school, a rival school. All the kids know each other, and to play them coming off a state championship — they have a good program, and it’ll be a good challenge for us for game one of the season,” McEachin said. “It’s always a great opportunity anytime you can play in the house that Erk built. And we’ll be on the home side this year.”

After BA and a home game with Twiggs County, Portal jumps into region play with a matchup at Jenkins County, followed by Bryan County and then Metter.

“Those first three (region) games are good teams, physical teams. They’ve been good the last few years. We cannot afford not to be ready to go at the beginning of region play,” McEachin said.

He added that it will be important for the Panthers to capitalize on their games at home, as the road slate for Portal appears to hold the tougher games in the region.

“The easier of the region games are at home, so we need to take care of our home field advantage,” he said. “Every road game we have is against a very good football program, so we need to go on the road and win a couple of games to be able to win a region championship.”