Portsmouth junior Kayleb Johnson (22) and senior Landen Boren (54) celebrate following the Trojans’ 47-0 shutout over Gallia Academy on Friday night in the Ohio Valley Conference football opener at Trojan Coliseum.

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

PORTSMOUTH — The last time the Portsmouth Trojans toppled the Gallia Academy Blue Devils prior to Friday night — Donald Trump was running for the first time for President of the United States.

Two presidential election cycles later, and Trump is running again for that same supreme office, and the Trojans once again —and finally —got more than the best of the visiting and beleaguered Blue Devils.

That’s because Portsmouth pitched an emphatic shutout, and scored on its opening six possessions before halftime hit, as the Trojans trounced a beaten-up —and beaten-down — Blue Devils bunch 47-0 inside spectacular Trojan Coliseum in the Ohio Valley Conference opener.

In fact, the entire second half was played with the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s running-clock rule in effect.

With the win, Portsmouth raised its record to 3-1, and more importantly bounced back following its first setback of the season — a 37-26 defeat at undefeated Greenup County (Ky).

In turning back the winless Blue Devils, beset by injuries and inner-team turmoil as senior starting quarterback Braylan Rathburn was suspended for Friday night’s game, the Trojans took full advantage —and defeated Gallia Academy for the first time since 2016.

The two schools are rivals in the former Southeastern Ohio Athletic League, as Gallia Academy officially joined the OVC that same season — one year (2015) after in which the Trojans did.

For Portsmouth’s last win over the Blue Devils, which was by a count of 45-14, current PHS offensive coordinator Aaron Duncan was the head coach — as the two teams did not play each other in 2021.

Current PHS and seven-year mentor Bruce Kalb has been at the Trojan helm since 2018.

He was glad for this Trojans’ triumph, and to be able to recover in a short amount of time following a difficult loss across the Ohio River.

“It has been a long time. If you look at the all-time series between Portsmouth and Gallia Academy, Gallia has had the upper hand. It’s always a battle between these two schools. In just my tenure as head coach, we’ve had some games come down to the wire. And we just came up on the losing end of those. I was very happy to see us get the win against a tough conference rival. Not just the OVC (Ohio Valley Conference), but an old SEOAL (defunct Southeastern Ohio Athletic League) rival. I was really happy with the way our kids came out and played tonight,” said Kalb. “We were coming off a tough loss to Greenup. Just a lot of things from the outside-in with the weather delay until Saturday…we were kind of shaken after that loss last week. The challenge we laid before them this week was can we come together again as a team? Can we play 48 minutes of football together as a team? Get behind it, and sacrifice our own selfish desires and motivations for what is best for the team.”

It was indeed a total team effort in all three phases for Portsmouth, which also celebrated Veterans Appreciation Night at Trojan Coliseum.

The Red and Blue donned military camouflage uniforms with black numbers for the affair, but it didn’t really matter who was doing what on either side of the football.

On defense, with sophomore Max Canaday at quarterback for the Blue Devils, PHS defenders swarmed him under all night for several sacks —as Gallia Academy accounted for minus-37 yards of total offense, including minus-41 yards on 35 rushes.

Four players on the Portsmouth Trojan defense sack Gallia Academy quarterback Max Canaday (5) during Friday night’s Ohio Valley Conference football game at Trojan Coliseum.

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

Gallia Academy had four first downs, punted seven times including five for the first half with three three-and-outs, and didn’t pick up a first down or reach midfield until their fifth possession —thanks to a Trojan personal-foul penalty.

The Blue Devils drove six plays on their sixth series to the Trojan 45, but that too ended in a punting situation.

That was the deepest the Blue Devils drove , as of their four second-half possessions, they reached midfield only once.

Canaday was 2-of-3 passing for four yards.

“Our two defensive ends in Alex McKenzie and Kingston Littlefield are causing teams fits. They really do. Very impressed with that level of play,” said Kalb. “For this defense to step up and keep their foot on the throat and pitch that shutout…”

Portsmouth senior defensive lineman Kingston Littlefield (21)

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

The offense needed just three plays —for all the points Portsmouth needed for the win.

Chase Heiland had the first two carries —the second of which went from the 38-yard lines for 24 yards.

Alex McKenzie then burst up the middle on the fullback trap, capping a three-play and 68-yard drive in which only 56 seconds elapsed.

Jacob Roth made the first of his three first-quarter extra-point kicks, as Portsmouth put up 21 in the opening quarter — and 19 in the second stanza for 40 for the half.

Heiland with an 11-yarder and Nick Copley with a two-yard run were the other two first-quarter TDs — followed in the second stanza by McKenzie from 14, J.T. Williams with an eight-yarder, and Heiland from 10 yards out.

Portsmouth senior Nick Copley (4)

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

Those five drives lasted just five plays and 22 yards, four plays and 30 yards, six plays and 40 yards, two plays and 14 yards, and finally three plays and 72 yards.

The longest series in terms of time of possession was McKenzie’s second score —two minutes and 13 seconds.

The first half ended with the Trojans taking a knee, before their first true mistake of the night —a third-quarter lost fumble.

But the Blue Devils punted for a second straight three-and-out in the period, and Zion Froe finished the scoring with 13 seconds left in the third —on a 54-yard dash to end a four-play and 64-yard drive that spanned three full minutes.

Malachi Loper landed the last two extra-point kicks for the 47-0 final.

The Trojans amassed 350 total yards and 17 first downs, did not punt a single time, and rushed for 302 yards on 33 attempts.

Heiland had 126 yards on 10 carries, while McKenzie rushed five times for 71 — all in the first half.

Portsmouth senior running back Chase Heiland (2)

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

Froe finished with 78 yards on four second-half totes.

Williams was 3-of-5 passing for 48 first-half yards —with Trevin Brooks catching two for 36 and Heiland one for a dozen.

Portsmouth junior tight end Trevin Brooks (5)

Courtesy of Randy and Joann Waugh

“We’ve stumbled into our identity so to speak. We know we are best when we’re under center. It’s the mentality of our kids. We get under center with a couple of backs in the backfield and a tight end, the kids feel like they are at home. Our fullback (Alex McKenzie) got involved with the fullback trap, our tight end (Trevin Brooks) got involved in the passing game. Then of course the halfback dive, the sweep, the counter and power, the things that we’ve been doing well for a couple of years now,” said Kalb. “The situation tonight, we just kept it on the ground and got several guys involved. Our offense just did not back down and just kept going every single series.”

That the Trojans did —and now it’s onto the next rugged OVC contest.

That is this Friday night (Sept. 20) against the like 3-1 and run-oriented Coal Grove Hornets, which have won three consecutive — following their season-opening loss to Greenup County (37-14).

In their three victories, the Hornets have hit the scoring marks of 30 (Valley), 39 (Meigs) and 44 (Chesapeake).

The game is at Patterson Field in Coal Grove —an unfriendly environment for any visiting squad.

“Coal Grove is never an easy place to win a game. You know what you’re going to get. Big strong physical Coal Grove. It could be a battle of attrition —whose guys are in better shape, more physical and who can stand there and take a punch and counterpunch and keep going forward,” said Kalb. “I am excited, but we have to go up there, and it’s just a tough place to play.”

Indeed, stinging the Hornets — at their hive — would be a feather in the Trojans’ proverbial OVC cap.

“If this team can leapfrog from this win into next week and really keep that same amount of focus and intensity…we know we want to win the OVC this year, but we also know every week is going to be a battle,” continued Kalb. “I think these kids are up to the task and we’ll lay that challenge down to them and see what happens.”

* * *

Gallia Academy 0 0 0 0 — 0

Portsmouth 21 19 7 0 —47

P — Alex McKenzie, 38-yard run (Jacob Roth kick), 11:04, 1st (7-0 P)

P — Chase Heiland, 11-yard run (Jacob Roth kick), 6:53, 1st (14-0 P)

P — Nick Copley, 2-yard run (Jacob Roth kick), 3:05, 1st (21-0 P)

P — Alex McKenzie, 14-yard run (kick failed), 10:16, 2nd (27-0 P)

P — J.T. Williams, 8-yard run (kick blocked), 7:00, 2nd (33-0 P)

P — Chase Heiland, 10-yard run (Malachi Loper kick), 4:05, 2nd (40-0 P)

P — Zion Froe, 54-yard run (Malachi Loper kick), :13, 3rd (47-0 P)

Team Statistics

GA P

First Downs 4 17

Scrimmage plays 40 38

Rushes-yards 35-(-41) 33-302

Passing yards 4 48

Total yards -37 350

Cmp-Att-Int. 2-5-0 3-5-0

Fumbles-lost 4-1 1-1

Penalties-yards 5-35 5-40

Punts-Ave. 7-26.9 0-0

Individual Leaders

RUSHING — Gallia Academy: Brydan Howell 6-20, Connor Nichols 11-(-6), Ely Sizemore 3-(-15), Max Canaday 13-(-32), Team 2-(-8); Portsmouth: Chase Heiland 10-126 2TD, Alex McKenzie 5-71 2TD, Zion Froe 4-78 TD, Fernando Poxes 4-12, Marquez Locklear 4-5, Nick Copley 2-3 TD, J.T. Williams 1-8 TD, Dontavion Parker 1-2, Team 2-(-3)

PASSING — Gallia Academy: Max Canaday 2-3-0-4, Ely Sizemore 0-2-0-0; Portsmouth: J.T. Williams 3-5-0-48

RECEIVING — Gallia Academy: Parker Burris 1-11, Connor Nichols 1-(-7); Portsmouth: Trevin Brooks 2-36, Chase Heiland 1-12

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