Portageville FB senior knows no limits to his contributions

There are a lot of reasons as to why the Portageville High School football senior class has been able to transform the Bulldog program from an afterthought into a regional power, and among those has been the versatility of senior three-way standout Carson Bradley.

“Carson plays a huge role for us in a multitude of ways,” fourth-year Portageville coach Ian Penrod said recently. “Just like all of our seniors do.”

Portageville (8-1) will host Pierce City (2-6) on Friday at 7 p.m. in the MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 Playoffs on Friday, as it seeks to repeat as District champs.

All 12 of the Bulldog seniors have contributed to the meteoric rise of the program throughout their high school years, but Bradley takes his ability to contribute to another level.

As a wide receiver, the “god chemistry” between seniors Bradley and quarterback Mason Adams has played a huge role in their success individually, as well as a unit.

“Carson is super reliable,” Penrod said, “just as (Beau-Hunter Warren and Aaron Dunlap) are. Carson is in that trio of wide receivers that have fit with Mason for four years now.”

The Bulldog seniors have played together “since they were almost six years old,” according to Penrod.

Offensively, Portageville is averaging over 52 points per game, which ranks second in the state, and is far and away the most productive Bulldog offensive season in recent memory.

“The wide receivers have the ability to stem, stack, and get open,” Penrod explained. “They have good chemistry, and it has made a huge difference (offensively), especially in our passing game.”

Bradley’s contribution also carries over to the defensive side of the ball, which is impressive, according to Penrod, given he is only 5-foot-9 and “maybe 150 (pounds) or 155.”

“Carson is our number one corner,” Penrod said. “Carson is a tough kid. I feel that way about a lot of our kids. We have some pretty tough kids.”

Penrod said Bradley is athletic, and can play physical defense, but it is his football intellect that carries him a long way on that side of the ball.

“Fundamentally,” Penrod said, “he executes what he needs to.”

As a physical education teacher, Penrod oversees all of the Portageville student-athletes in their weight training during the school day, and he said Bradley “works his rear end off in the weight room.”

“Even though his body weight isn’t very high,” Penrod said, “Carson is a pretty strong kid with pretty good pop for his size, and he doesn’t put himself in a position to get beat.

“I think that is really important in football, especially if you are not as athletic or as big. You can’t put yourself in a spot where you are going to get beat.”

Like the Bulldog offense, the Portageville defense has been historic in its greatness this season.

Penrod’s team is allowing fewer than 11 points per game, which is, again, much better than any Bulldog unit over the past 15 seasons.

If that were ALL that Bradley did for the Bulldogs, then it would be more than enough. However, Penrod said Bradley doesn’t stop at offense and defense.

“Probably the biggest contribution that Carson has made this season has been on special teams,” Penrod said.

Bradley not only serves as the kickoff guy, but he also boots field goals, “and he is our punter,” according to Penrod.

Bradley’s ability to kickoff deep has proven invaluable, Penrod said.

“He has just gotten better and better at (kickoffs),” Penrod said. “When we know that we are going to put the ball down inside the (15-yard line), and you’re going to have to return it or take it there, that is so big for us.”

Penrod said the ability for a high school offense to “string together” enough plays to cover 80-plus yards on a drive is “very difficult.”

“That gives our team an advantage,” Penrod said, “if we can put you in that spot.”

Historically, Portageville has lacked a kicker capable of nailing extra points, but that is no longer the case now that Bradley has reached this level of skill.

“This is the first year that we have ever kicked PATs,” Penrod said.

Bradley has nailed over 20 extra points this year, and Penrod feels comfortable having him kick field goals from up to 40 yards out.

“It’s one of those facets,” Penrod said, “to have that ability now is huge for us.”

The Portageville senior class, which won two games as freshmen and had to cancel its final game due to a lack of available players, has now won 24 games over the past three seasons. To put that into perspective, the Bulldog program won just 23 total games over the six seasons leading up to these kid’s sophomore year.

“If you don’t have the kids to glue everything together,” Penrod said, “then that is where you will struggle with consistency. You’ll struggle with different things to be able to put a consistent product out on the field to be successful.”