STATESBORO -- Portal will be taking on Statesboro High for the second in-county showdown of the season at Hanner Fieldhouse on Georgia Southern’s campus. The varsity girls will play at 6 p.m. and the varsity boys will follow at 7:30 p.m.
This is a rivalry game like no other. For the boys, this has been a matchup that a lot of fans have looked forward to for many past seasons. This year for the girls is a little different because Portal hasn’t normally been up to playing this game so it was never a double-header.
The Portal varsity girls team has been having a great season so far. Overall they are 3-2 on the season. They have already matched their number of wins from last season and are looking to add another by defeating Statesboro.
Portal has struggled a lot with turnovers since this season started. They know that Statesboro’s guards are really aggressive in the passing lane, so if they make a bad pass, that’s two points for Statesboro. The Lady Panthers are looking to send a message in Tuesday night’s game.
“We’re here. Don’t forget about us. We’re gonna make some noise this year,” Nicole Newton, Lady Panthers head coach said.
A win Tuesday night would be huge for the Panthers. They not only would defeat a top 5 ranked team in the state, but a win would also help to continue building their confidence that grows with every game they have.
“If we can get a win [against Statesboro] under our belt, the sky’s the limit,” Newton said.
For the Statesboro varsity girls, this is just another game, but they are not overlooking Portal. They know that this is going to be a tough matchup. They need to make sure they stay poised and not get over-hyped about how they approach it.
“We want to be competitive, hustle and fight hard for four quarters,” Marty Holder, Lady Blue Devils head coach said.
The Lady Blue Devils are 4-1 overall and expect to be 5-1 come the end of the fourth. It will be a fun game to watch.
The boys have been playing this game for years and this has always been a tough matchup between the two. In the 2021-2022 season, Statesboro won the matchup 70-63. Last season, they played against each other twice and Portal won both games, 77-69 and 62-37.
“It’s just another game on the schedule,” said Jeff Brannen, head coach for the Panthers.
There is always so much hype that comes with this game every year, but the Panthers are staying focused on the game at hand. Playing at Georgia Southern will be a good simulation game thinking ahead to the state playoffs, with the fans and the atmosphere that is always there during this game.
Statesboro is approaching this game in a very similar mindset. All season long, it’s been about having a deep bench that can come in and keep the same momentum and energy.
For the Blue Devils to play well Tuesday night, they need to make sure they keep their composure. Portal has a tendency to make teams play at their caliber and speed and Statesboro can’t become overwhelmed with the atmosphere and Portal fans. Head coach Keith LeGree needs his team to keep their focus on winning and not individual performance. That means paying attention to assignments and team concepts.
"We need to play within our system on both ends," LeGree said. "Most of the kids know each other, so it's about keeping your composure and staying focused on the game plans on both ends."
These two teams are mostly matched up pretty well. The hype for these two games is there. Hanner Fieldhouse will be packed to the brim with Portal and Statesboro fans to see who will come out on top.
You can purchase tickets for this game on GoFan. The doors to Hanner Fieldhouse will open at 5:15 p.m. If you can’t make the games in person, that’s okay. The Grice Connect sports team will keep you up to date with live scores from both the girls and boys varsity games all night.
