Portageville leaves no doubt with 72-20 win at East Prairie

Portageville’s Jamarion Smith (24) breaks free for a touchdown run against East Prairie Friday night in East Prairie, Missouri. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Portageville sent a message that it is an emerging juggernaut in southeast Missouri with a 72-20 win at East Prairie on Friday. 

It was the Bulldogs’ (3-0) third straight lopsided victory to start the 2022 season and dropped the Eagles to 0-3 on the year.

“I’ve tried to preach physicality the last three years with our kids,” said Portageville coach Ian Penrod. “Last year, we took a huge step in that regard, and right now, we aren’t leaving any doubt about who the more physical team is. So whether it’s offense or defense, we’re trying to be as physical as possible.” 

Portageville forced three turnovers and scored on its first seven possessions to build a 60-6 halftime lead.

Bulldogs’ running back Jamarion Smith rushed eight times for 97 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Mason Adams went 6-of-7 for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Adams also returned an interception about 40 yards for a touchdown in the first half. 

“We played and executed the game plan the way we wanted,” Penrod said. “[Smith] and [Adams] are excellent players. We have a pretty good group of weapons, but they bring a little extra flair. [The win] will feel good until midnight, and then it’s time to start thinking about Scott City.”

Trey Benthal and Aaron Dunlap each added a rushing touchdown for the Bulldogs in the first half, while Beau-Hunter Warren caught two touchdown passes from Adams.

Connor Marcum scored the Eagles’ lone first-half touchdown on an eight-yard run with 28 seconds left in the second quarter. 

Besides that, Portageville’s defense was near flawless in the first half. The group caused havoc with multiple tackles for loss and sacks, which led to several bad snaps that stopped any momentum the Eagles had built on the drive. 

Pernod pulled his starters midway through the second quarter, allowing the Bulldogs’ younger players to see some significant action. 

East Prairie finished the second half with a 14-12 scoring advantage, which should give them some optimism for the future. Especially when considering the Eagles’ roster is made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores.

Marcum added a 64-yard touchdown run, completed a 32-yard touchdown to Rudy Arizmendi on his only attempt, nearly returned a kickoff for a touchdown and showed he should be a force in upcoming seasons. 

Antonio Higginbottom scored both of the Bulldogs' second-half touchdowns and finished with 65 yards on five carries. 

Portageville host Scott City (2-1) next week, while East Prairie travels to Dexter (0-3).