Portal Football: Georgia’s “Most Improved Team”

Portal was recognized as Georgia’s most improved football team in Class A during the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association’s Falcon Coach Luncheon in Macon on Feb. 6.

At the annual event, Georgia High School Football Daily sponsored the Hudl Awards. They go to head coaches of the “most improved winning teams” in each Georgia High School Association and Georgia Independent Athletic Association classification. Nine public and private high school head coaches, including Portal’s Jason McEachin, were honored for their teams’ accomplishments during the fall 2023 season.

According to a press release issued by Georgia High School Football Daily, the rating method used to determine the award recipients revealed that Portal was actually the most improved public high school in all of the Georgia High School Association’s football classifications.

Prior to the start of last year’s season, Portal was projected to finish in last place in Region 3-A; however, algorithms used to determine the ratings couldn’t factor in the spirit and support of P-Town fans or the gridiron grit of the Panther players. Instead the Portal Panthers defeated the defending region champions, Jenkins County High School, to claim the school’s very first region championship in school history.

Photo courtesy of GHSF Daily: Brandon Hedgecock, of Hudl and Head Coach Jason McEachin

McEachin was hired in 2021 after Portal experienced a winless season. This fall the program had its first winning season since 2011, including its first playoff victory since 2004.

Several college coaches also attended the luncheon including Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Tennessee’s Josh Heupel and Florida State’s Mike Norvell.

Hudl is a sports technology tool owned by Agile Sports Technologies, Inc., which is based in Lincoln, Nebraska. According to its website it gives coaches and athletes a way to review game footage and improve team play. Founded in 2009, Georgia High School Football Daily is an online newsletter withmore than 24,000 subscribers.

Bulloch County Schools