Bryan County suffered a tough blow early when it lost leading rusher Austin Clemens to a knee injury on the first series of the game but a stable of running backs more than made up for his absence as the Redskins beat previously unbeaten Portal, 28-24, Friday night.

Konnor Leggett ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns including the game winner with 27 seconds left as the Redskins (3-1) won their third straight game and matched last year’s win total in the process.

Erin Greene had 101 yards including a third quarter 30-yard scoring run in a back-and-forth game that featured four lead changes before the Redskins put on a clinic with an 80-yard scoring drive after Portal had gone up 24-22 with 2:36 to play.

Leggett gave his offensive line credit for his career night which saw him not only run the ball 21 times but he played all but three snaps on defense.

“They were blocking all night,” Leggett said. “Every single time I ran the ball I had an open hole.  The only people who could tackle me was the linebackers.

“No one else on the line could get me. The OL was blocking all night.”

Portal kicked off to start the game and Clemens carried the ball for 35 yards before he had to go to the sidelines with a knee injury which Coach Cherard Freeman said he believed was a bruise.

With Clemens out it became Leggett and Greene’s game although the Redskins had a total of eight different backs have one or more carries.

The Redskins led 22-16 and had the Panthers in a fourth-and-six situation when quarterback Elijah Cunningham hit 6-foot-4 wide receiver Amir Jackson with a 26-yard heave which he caught between two defenders while appearing to have pushed off.

The ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed but the Panthers got a break when Bryan County was called for defensive holding on a run play. Given a second chance Cunningham scored.

Portal kicked off into the end zone and the Redskins then ran the ball 10 straight times, seven by Leggett, to get the win.

Bryan County rushed for 321 yards---224 in the second half--on 42 attempts and Trevor Lanier completed two of three passes for 49 yards. Both completions came on third-and-long situations and led to the first touchdown of the game.

Bryan County held Portal to 242 yards total offense, 159 on the ground, with Cunningham getting a 94-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

BRYAN COUNTY 28, PORTAL 24

PORTAL  0  8  8  8  --  24

BRYAN COUNTY  0  6  8  14 --  28

Second Quarter

BC:  Konnor Leggett 4 run (run failed)

P:  Elijah Coleman 1 run (Amir Jackson pass from Coleman)

Third Quarter

BC:  Erin Greene 30 run (Tanner Ennis run)

P:  Coleman 94 run (Micah Williams run)

Fourth Quarter

BC:  Leggett 4 run (Leggett run)

P:  Jackson 26 pass from Coleman (Coleman run)

BC:  Leggett 1 run (run failed)