To say Bryan County against Portal is a big game sounds like an oxymoron but that’s exactly what it’s going to be when the two teams meet next week.

For the second straight week the Redskins (2-1) picked up an impressive win as they went on the road to beat unsuspecting Wheeler County, 40-13. Bryan County was a touchdown underdog in the game per the Max Preps rating system.

Portal (3-0) is looking for its first winning season since 2011 and is halfway there after beating Robert Toombs Christian Academy, 28-23. Both teams have open dates this week.

Coming off a 56-0 win over Treutlen County it would have been easy for the Redskins to have a letdown but they took charge of the game from the outset, according to Coach Cherard Freeman who has his team in the hunt for its first winning season since 2013.

“We played well,” Freeman said. “We played really good football.

“Our offensive and defensive lines played lights out. We were a lot smaller---Wheeler County was a lot bigger…they’re huge—but we took it to them. Our defense played exceptionally well.”

Bryan County led 32-0 at the half and for the second straight week finished the game playing with a running clock. The Bulldogs got their scores against Redskins reserves with the final touchdown coming with seven seconds to play.

Austin Clemens, who missed the season opening 23-20 loss at Lincoln County due to illness, led the onslaught with four touchdowns while Tanner Ennis and Jacari Carney also added touchdowns.

While coaches hate an open date when they’re playing well the weekend off is not necessarily a bad thing for the Redskins.

Bryan County players and coaches will have an opportunity to sit back and evaluate their play to date and refocus as they gird for the opening of region play against Metter on Oct. 7.

“Right now, the boys are really playing good football,” Freeman said. “They’re starting to believe a little more and the confidence is sky high. The offensive line is taking pride in our being able to run the football. Coach (Sean) Coburn and Coach (Ryan) Collier have the defensive line playing lights out.”

Freeman has a history with the Panthers.

Freeman’s first head coaching job was at Portal where he went 3-7 in 2010. He left there to go to Claxton as an assistant but he had set the stage for the 2011 team’s success. The Panthers won three of their last four games under Freeman to prime the pump for the season to follow.