Portsmouth’s Logan Adkins (3) and Chase Heiland (2) celebrate following a Trojan touchdown during their 41-7 non-league football win over West on Friday night at Portsmouth High School’s Trojan Coliseum.

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

PORTSMOUTH — For the Portsmouth Trojans, it had been a while indeed for a couple of streaks against the archrival West Senators.

The short term, the Trojan senior class had never defeated the Senators on the gridiron —as West had won three of four dating back to the coronavirus-impacted season of 2020.

The long term, and perhaps you forgot this one, but prior to Friday night, Portsmouth last defeated West inside Portsmouth High’s Trojan Coliseum in 2016.

In fact, the Trojans last defeated the Senators three years ago —when West’s stadium at The Rock underwent a season-long renovation, and the Senators were road warriors with a loss to PHS at Northwest.

Finally, though, Portsmouth put those skids to bed —by scoring the final 35 points over the final 25 minutes and 52 seconds, as the Trojans turned back the Senators 41-7 on a heat-seeking Friday night in Trojan Coliseum.

Portsmouth is now 2-0 while West is 0-2, as the Trojans shut the Senators out over the final 38 minutes and 22 tics.

That’s right, as West went ahead 7-6 with 2:22 to play in the opening period —on a 40-yard dash by Mason Parker for the Senators’ first points of the year.

West senior running back Mason Parker (2)

Courtesy of Joey Shupert

In their opener at Fairland, they were blanked 34-0, but Drew Dettwiller’s extra-point kick made the 7-6 lead stand —for a full quarter and 30 seconds.

From there, for the Senators at least, as Newfound Glory once sang, it was All Downhill From Here.

J.T. Williams had two first-half touchdown passes and ran for another for 22 yards late in the third quarter, and Chase Heiland had two fourth-quarter touchdown runs exactly six minutes and 12 seconds apart —as Portsmouth put the game out of reach with 5:41 remaining and a 35-7 advantage.

Marquez Locklear, the Trojans’ backup quarterback, scored on a 19-yard touchdown jaunt with three minutes remaining — and putting the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s running-clock rule into effect.

Per PHS head coach Bruce Kalb, the win over West was all the makings of a pure-form “team” triumph.

After all, the defense allowed just the one score while forcing five punts including three three-and-outs, the offense almost hit the 400-yard total with Williams passing for a career-high 166 yards on 13-of-21 attempts, and football newcomer Malachi Loper kicked three second-half extra points.

Portsmouth senior quarterback J.T. Williams (13)

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

“Being 2-0 for the first time in three years feels pretty good. West has had our number it seems like the last few years, and this is a senior class that had stuck with it and had never beaten West. That’s something that has lived in their heads the past three years. But tonight, they rectified that situation. I couldn’t be more proud of the ‘team’ effort and I can’t emphasize that enough. What a ‘team’ effort tonight in all three phases of the game,” said Kalb. “Defense, offense, special teams, I really was pleased.”

Conversely, and obviously, West coach Todd Gilliland was not thrilled with the outcome.

With the game still in reach with West trailing 14-7 and 3:21 to play in the third quarter, the Senators turned the ball over on downs at the Portsmouth 35-yard line following nine plays.

That was after Logan Wolfenbarker made an interception for the Senators —with Portsmouth on the move.

They then drove eight plays to the PHS 38 trailing 28-7, before turning it over on downs again.

Trailing 35-7 in the fourth frame, the Senators lost two fumbles — on the first snap of their possessions.

The Trojans, too, wore West down in the second half —rushing for 172 of their 233 yards on the ground.

“At halftime, the message was this was still a tight game. I used the metaphor that the enemy is still at the gates, and we have protect our house,” said Kalb. “I thought the kids, as the game wore on, our physicality and conditioning took over. I think it really showed there halfway through the third quarter and into the fourth.”

The Trojans needed just three plays, 57 yards and two minutes and 38 seconds to make it 21-7 —a Williams pass to Camron Williams for 12 yards, followed by gains by Heiland of 28 yards and finally J.T. Williams’ touchdown dart of 22.

Portsmouth senior running back Chase Heiland (2)

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

“We made some mistakes that cost us. Costly penalties, just breakdowns that allowed them to make big plays in key situations,” said Gilliland. “We were driving, but they are able to stop us and we give up a big run to get down 21-7. They took advantage of that and we have to give credit to Portsmouth. They played hard, they played physical and they did a good job of executing their gameplan. We have to tip our hat to them and I have to do a better job of getting our guys ready. We wore out and made too many mistakes mentally and physically.”

West went three-and-out on its next possession, as a Williams pass to Kayleb Johnson for 28 yards put Portsmouth in business at the Senator 9-yard line.

On the first play of the final quarter, Heiland had the Senator defense crossed up —and weaved his way for the touchdown run only seven seconds into the last.

Loper landed his second extra-point kick, as the Trojans’ fifth TD and Loper’s third PAT came with 5:41 remaining.

That followed the second Senator turnover on downs, as the final two Trojan plays spanned the entire length of midfield.

Williams completed a pass to Colin Perry for 22 yards, then Heiland hit the hole for the final 27 on the very next play.

Portsmouth senior wide receiver Colin Perry (14)

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

Heiland had his second consecutive 100-yard plus rushing game, following the Trojans’ 15-12 season-opening victory over Valley.

This time, the senior standout back went for 111 yards on 17 totes, while Williams added 91 rushing yards on 13 carries.

His two TD tosses of the first half went to Camron Williams for 13 yards and to Logan Adkins for 15 —as the Trojans took leads of 6-0 and 14-7 with Heiland’s two-point conversion run after Adkins’ connection.

Portsmouth sophomore wide receiver Camron Williams (6) and West junior defensive back Logan Wolfenbarker (1)

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

Those two Trojan marches — amid the heat and humidity in Portsmouth — spanned seven plays and 66 yards and four minutes for the first, and nine plays and 52 yards and four-and-a-half minutes for the second.

Kalb commented on his run-oriented Trojans making plays in the running game —and through the air.

The Senators are a run-heavy unit as well, and Portsmouth outgained West in passing yards by a hefty 140.

“We want a defense to have to defend multiple playmakers,” said Kalb. “That’s what we feel we have. Our gameplan tonight was make them chase our weapons we have east and west. With the heat and them tiring by playing both ways on the line, we knew if we did that and the game wore on, them going east and west and chasing us started to open up some big holes in the middle towards the end.”

Gilliland concurred.

“Their quarterback did a good job of getting balls to their athletes out in the flats. We would rally and thought we would we be there to make the tackle, but we had a lot of missed tackles out in the open field,” said the coach. “Then he is a really good runner. You have to be there and bring your feet and be physical, and you can’t dive at him. Too many times we were just a step slow on him and he made us pay for it.”

Parker, of the Senators’ 163 rushing yards, pushed past the 100-yard mark with 109 on 14 carries.

But, the Senators’ longest drives were those two aforementioned — that resulted in turnovers on downs.

West junior quarterback Brody Hall (12)

Courtesy of Joey Shupert

“We’ve taken a much more aggressive stance on the defensive side of the ball. We we want to be the aggressor and force them to have to react to us,” said Kalb. “I really like the tone of our defensive playcalling this year…we’ve been on the attack. That’s something you’re seeing with these guys. It was a hot night, and we had some amazing performances as we went down the stretch. I couldn’t be happier with the motor those guys have and how they play the game.”

Both teams are on the road this week —with West headed to Hillsboro for another non-league encounter.

The Senators, outscored by two Ohio Valley Conference clubs by a combined 75-7, admittedly have a lot of work ahead.

West sophomore running back Anthony Bishop (18)

Courtesy of Joey Shupert

“We have to come back this week and find a way to fix things,” said Gilliland. “We feel we’re better than that score (75-7), but you are what the score says you are until you do something different. We have to find a way to take advantage of the things we’re good at. Right now, we’re making too many mistakes on both sides of the ball. And good teams are going to take advantage of that. Tonight was a 14-7 game almost into the fourth quarter, and we make a couple of mistakes and fell apart. We’ve got to find a way to battle and not let that happen. You find out who you are in this type of situation, and I think we have a locker-room full of guys that are going to battle.”

The Trojans, meanwhile, venture across the Ohio River to “The Farm” — at like 2-0 Greenup County.

“We know what we’re in store for. They have some weapons and it’s a hostile environment. Unlike anything these kids have ever experienced,” said Kalb. “That’s another dogfight game that we lost last year here, and it’s another one that I think these kids have marked on their calendar to right a wrong.”

* * *

West 7 0 0 0 –7

Portsmouth 6 8 7 20 – 41

P — Cameron Williams, 11-yard pass from J.T. Williams (run failed), 5:17, 1st (6-0 P)

W — Mason Parker, 40-yard run (Drew Dettwiller kick), 2:22, 1st (7-6 W)

P — Logan Adkins, 15-yard pass from J.T. Williams (Chase Heiland run), 1:52, 2nd (14-6 P)

P —J.T. Williams, 22-yard run (Malachi Loper kick), 2:38, 3rd (21-7 P)

P —Chase Heiland, 9-yard run (Malachi Loper kick), 11:53, 4th (28-7 P)

P — Chase Heiland, 27-yard run (Malachi Loper kick), 5:41, 4th (35-7 P)

P — Marquez Locklear, 19-yard run (kick blocked, 3:03, 4th (41-7 P)

Team Statistics

W P

First Downs 11 20

Scrimmage plays 48 59

Rushes-yards 34-163 37-233

Passing yards 26 166

Total yards 189 399

Cmp-Att-Int. 6-14-0 13-22-1

Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-0

Penalties-yards 7-45 10-97

Punts-Ave. 5-26.2 2-39

Individual Leaders

RUSHING —West: Mason Parker 14-109 TD, Anthony Bishop 11-38, Brody Hall 3-(19), Braden Adkins 1-31, Tilton Rapp 1-8, Mason Bodmer 1-0, Bo Wroten 1-0, Team 2-(-4); Portsmouth: Chase Heiland 17-111 2TD, J.T. Williams 13-91 TD, Marquez Locklear 2-23 TD, Zion Froe 3-8, Alex McKenzie 2-0

PASSING — West: Brody Hall 6-14-0-26; Portsmouth: J.T. Williams 13-21-1-166 2TD, Marquez Locklear 0-1-0-0

RECEIVING— West: Mason Parker 2-6, Gunnar Shonkwiler 1-9, Logan Wolfenbarker 1-6, Bo Wroten 1-3, Anthony Bishop 1-2; Portsmouth: Camron Williams 5-61 TD, Chase Heiland 3-27, Colin Perry 2-28, Kayleb Johnson 1-28, Logan Adkins 1-15, Trevin Brooks 1-7

Reach Paul Boggs by email at [email protected], or on X @paulboggssports © 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved